What does it take to be one of the most successful business leaders on the planet? We find out from the man who knows on today’s episode of the Empowering Leaders podcast.

Sir Rod Eddington AO has achieved an incredible amount of success throughout his career, particularly within the airline industry during his time as Managing Director of Cathay Pacific and CEO of British Airways. He is chairman of the beverage company, Lion, and has served on many other boards, including Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and 21st Century Fox.

In this episode, Sir Rod tells us exactly why Rupert Murdoch is the most outstanding business leader he’s ever met and shares all the golden pieces of advice and wisdom he’s learnt over the years.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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There can be no escaping imposter syndrome as you move through your career, but what if you could make it your super power? 

Content warning: 18+ listeners only

In this episode of Empowering Leaders. you'll hear from Chris Walker, the award-winning television producer behind the juggernaut TV show Hard Quiz and The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, about how he harnessed his imposter syndrome and then worked with it to become an acclaimed and incredibly well-respected leader in his field.

Chris tells how he used his experiences working across print, radio and television to launch ThinkativeTV, an independent production company that fosters creativity, respect and empathy for all of its employees.

He also shares his struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and its connection to a heartbreaking loss in his childhood, the challenges of his high profile separation from Carrie Bickmore, and the profound impact the Aleda Connect program has had on life during that time.

Show notes:

You'll hear Chris and Luke mention the incredible Umra Omar and Nic Naitanui in this episode. You can find Luke's full length conversations with both of these Aleda Connect alumni below:

Umra Omar: Planting the seeds of Safari Doctors and watching them flourish

Nic Naitanui: Setting and crushing enormous goals while staying true to yourself

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Belinda Stowell is a legend of world sailing, an Olympic gold medalist in Sydney 2000, a World Champion, twice voted Female Sailor of the Year and an inaugural inductee in the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame. Belinda has since gone on to be a great mentor and coach to generations of world champions and future Olympic gold medalists. 

Belinda's development of Australian sailor Matt Wearn, who in Paris 2024 became the first man to win back-to-back Olympic gold in the dinghy class, began when Matt was just 10 years old.

In this conversation she tells us what it takes to reach the heights she has, the values that take her and her mentees to the top, and the routines she has in place to be the best version of herself as she communicates her goals and vision with others. 

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hugh Van Cuylenburg has been working in education settings for more than 15 years, teaching both primary and secondary in a range of different educational settings.

He says the highlight of his teaching career was a year in the far north of India volunteering and living at an underprivileged school in the Himalayas. It was here that he discovered resilience in its purest form.

Inspired, and having completed his postgraduate studies, The Resilience Project was born. Hugh has now developed and facilitated programmes for over 900 schools Australia wide.

In 2015, the National Rugby League asked Hugh to run workshops at every club in the competition. Since then, he has worked with the Australian cricket team, the Australian netball team, the Australian Women's Soccer team, and more than 10 AFL footy teams.

He also works one-on-one with individuals - Steve Smith, Dustin Martin, and Billy Slater to name a few. In addition to his work in schools and elite sport, he has presented to over 500 corporate groups as a keynote speaker and developed comprehensive programmes for many high-profile workplaces across different sectors.

Hugh is also a bestselling author and co-host of the incredible podcast, The Imperfects.

Show Notes:

In this conversation, you'll hear Luke and Hugh talking about the legendary Richard Oppy - hear Luke and Richard in conversation on this Empowering Leaders episode. 

You'll also hear Hugh mention Dr Troy Flanagan: if you missed Luke's conversation with Troy - listen to it here.

Hugh and Luke discuss the brilliance of Hamish and Andy in this episode: hear Luke's full conversation with Andy Lee here if you've missed it.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s guest on the Empowering Leaders podcast is Dr Troy Flanagan, the current Vice President of Performance for NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. It was under Troy’s expert guidance that the Bucks won the 2021 NBA Championship - their first in 50 years. 

In the world of high performing sport, Troy is as qualified as you can get, with a first class honours degree in Human Movement Science, a PhD in Aerospace Engineering. and over 20 years experience working with some of the world’s greatest athletes and Olympians. The most rewarding and impressive shift in his career though, came when he made the very intentional decision to start thinking more about what he could do for the people around him.

You'll hear the details of how exactly he reset his worldview in his thirties to beat burnout and ended up supercharging his career trajectory... and get an insight into what it's like to work with and develop one of the biggest rising stars in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

SHOW NOTES: 

In this conversation Troy talks about how SuperSema CEO Vanessa Ford inspired him to raise 5 million dollars and spearhead an health and wellbeing program for the entire city of Milwaukee. Hear Luke's complete chat with Vanessa here.

You'll also hear Luke and Troy chatting about the great Australian leader and yachtsman, John Bertrand. John's full conversation with Luke is here.

There's also talk of the incredible Hugh Van Cuylenburg in this episode... hear the full Empowering Leaders episode with Hugh here.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sport of Breaking is making it's debut at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and tickets to watch the live dance battles have sold unbelievably quickly. In this conversation you’ll hear Australian Breaker Rachael Gunn talk about her journey from a PhD in the cultural politics of Breaking to being among the first to bring the sport to the Olympic stage.

Through her work inside and outside the Breaking cypher (performance circle), Rachael has been a pioneer in the growth of Breaking for women and girls in Australia, after she managing to cut through into the male dominated sport herself.

Rachael has spent years preparing for this moment in Paris, navigating the dynamics of having her husband as her coach and balancing her love of the sport with her work. Rachael shares some excellent tips for the avid Olympic armchair spectator, including what to look out for when you’re watching the breakdancers compete and how to decipher the surprising element of trash talk you’re going to see playing out during each battle at the Games.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The awesome Nic Naitanui had a clear vision and purpose from day one, and in this conversation you'll hear how that vision led him to fulfil a lifelong dream for his family in the most profoundly beautiful way. 

'Nic Nat' was the AFL's number two draft pick in 2008 and went on to become a three-time All Australian and two-time West Coast Eagles best and fairest.

He is known for his athleticism and power, and is considered a cult hero in the sport but Nic is so much more than an Australian Rules footy champion. He’s a partner, a father, a mentor, co-founder of non-alcoholic beverage company ALTR and an extraordinary role model for what’s possible when you merge hard work with kindness and humility.

The conversation gives a rare insight into Nic's personal life, including his family's immigration from Fiji, his upbringing in a struggling neighbourhood, and his current life as a father and entrepreneur. You're going to love it.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tess Madgen is the captain of the Australian women's basketball team, the Opals. With the team ready for the Olympics to begin in less than two weeks, Tess shares the strategies she uses to deal with the challenges of managing a team spread across the globe and the tools they employ to maintain connection and cohesion. 

Tess also discusses her meticulous approach to her career, her goals, and the importance of her support network. She's got a unique leadership style that emphasises the importance of collaboration, communication, and self-leadership. 

Her excitement and pride in representing Australia at the Olympics is tangible and we wish her and the Opals the very best for the upcoming Paris games.

Show notes

You'll hear Tess mention the incredible Sandy Brondello a number of times - check out Luke's chat with Sandy here: Sandy Brondello: Balancing elite level coaching and running a supportive family

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's guest granted Luke Darcy a rare interview out of near despair over what is missing in the fight to end the increasing levels of violence against women. The Honourable Will Alstergren is the Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court, appointments that place him at the coalface of family and gender based violence in Australia. The statistics on violence against women in Australia are nothing short of disgraceful.

- 13 women a day are hospitalised each day because of the injuries they receive from violent men.

- A woman is killed every nine days by a current or former partner. 49 have been murdered to date in 2024.

- One in three women have experienced violence since the age of 25.

- Young women aged between 18 to 24 at twice as likely as the general population to experience sexual harassment.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Tomkins, a Sport Australia Hall of Fame legend, discusses his career in rowing, including his participation in six Olympic games and winning seven world championship gold medals.

Reflecting on the pressure of competing, the importance of teamwork, and the value of taking breaks for longevity in the sport, James also discusses the importance of balance in life, drawing on the Olympic charter's emphasis on a balanced life of mind, body, and soul.

James criticises the current intensity of school sports and the stress it places on students, and also shares his admiration for his coach, Noel Donaldson, and the leadership he demonstrated during their time at the elite level. 

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.