infinite pie thinking

In this conversation with Joe Foster the Founder of Reebok we certainly cover some ground and stories, and it would be really easy to look back on them from a perspective of the success we know that Reebok went on to become. I think it is really important to hear the messages behind the stories. The messages of hard work and determination, of relationship development, of taking risks and seeing things that others didn’t.

To me, it was fascinating to hear how it was very much a family business, yet it was important to understand the roles that everyone played within that business to really unlock its true potential. It was amazing to hear how the feuding of Joe’s father and uncle created a culture that he and his brother Jeff did not want to be part of as they saw it was stuck in the past and it had no real future, it was unsustainable. But that is just the beginning, starting a new business is one thing, getting it going and becoming a success is another. This whole conversation is one of spotting opportunities, identifying challenges, solving problems, finding the right people, creating the right environment and opening new markets.

Joe has written a book to share these stories and more. If you want to get your hands on a copy then you can find it at jwfosterheritage.com

Let me know what you think...

Ian Bell spent years running his own development company before joining the global organisation, Sedgwick, earlier this year as the Colleague Experience Director - International.

During this conversation we discuss what the role entails and what it takes to create a great colleague experience across multiple functions and countries. We talk about the consideration required for each touch point from recruitment and engagement before someone joins the company, to their induction and ongoing development as well as their day to day roles and responsibilities. Ian shares his perspective on Leadership, Teamwork, Culture and the importance of providing quality feedback. We also talk about the impact and value of quality questions and how this often starts establishing and understanding 'the purpose'.

Keith Hackett was a top flight referee and is still counted among the top 100 referees of all time in a list maintained by International Federation of Football History and statistics. Following his career of managing games and events on the field, he took up a role as General Manager of Professional Game Match Officials Board and was responsible for process development, continued professionalism and bringing in technology and innovation. 

No stranger to having to assess a situation, explore the options and move things forward quickly, so who better to speak to than Keith Hackett on making decisions. 

With over a decade of experience coaching in elite level sport, Jake is passionate about helping people reach their highest potential. Moving from a strength and conditioning coach for a professional rugby team to the Formula 1 paddock was always going to be a steep learning curve. Taking on the role as the personal performance coach for Max Verstappen as he started his career at Red Bull Racing was a challenge that he grabbed with both hands. Whilst max had spent his life around race tracks and the Formula 1 paddock, this was a new environment for Jake. He also realised that the role was a lot more than just helping Max to be the fittest man in the race. For Jake Aliker, this was about creating a Formula 1  performance mindset. 

In this conversation with Jake you will hear about his own development as Max's former performance coach. He will share the relationships that he developed with team, how to cut through the noise and focus on his role in helping Max go faster. He shares how we all have 'anxiety' but how an F1 Driver will often use this as a signal to push harder. 

Jake is now heading up performance for the Porsche Supercup team GP Elite and shares his insights on how he sets this up for success. Having set up his own coaching company Force and Grace, Jake also discusses how the lessons he has learned in elite sports and racing, can benefit businesses by creating a Formula 1 performance mindset.

Michael Lynagh is an Aussie Rugby legend and has a list of achievements and accolades that many would envy, but you wouldn’t always know it when you speak with him. Michael is a very humble man and spends much of his time focused on how he can help those around him to look good. Whether it be as part of the World Cup Winning team, captaining his country, playing professional rugby in England or his role as MD of Dow Jones Corporate EMEA, I was keen to talk with Michael Lynagh on being a team player. 

Playing at a time before rugby was a full time career choice, Michael gives a new insight into how to achieve high performance and the challenges that you will have to face to stay there. Michael talks of having natural talent, but also making sure that you don’t waste it.  Then there is all the practice, preparation and putting in the extra efforts and as importantly what you learn from it rather than just going through the motions. 

Make sure you listen carefully as he shares his perspective of wanting to deliver for the team and team mates and the expectations that brings. Of course, we also talk about how Michael sees himself in a business environment and even the sense that he is not satisfied yet, no doubt based on the standards he sets for himself. But rather than putting on an act he talks of the benefits of knowing and being true to yourself. Michael, in his role as Managing Director, also shares how the lessons he learned from his time at elite levels of sports have been applied to business. 

As I mentioned, Michael is an incredibly humble guy and it was an absolute pleasure to chat with him. 

So take a listen and let me know what you think…  

Lee Carseldine has spent a large part of his life challenging himself and understanding what it takes to get out of your comfort zone. 

He has now distilled it down to asking himself three key questions when faced with a decision - 

• What can I learn from it? 
• Does it excite me/scare the sh*t out of me? 
• Will it add value to somebody? 

Sounds simple right? Well imagine that you have achieved your life long dream and single minded focus of becoming a professional athlete. You are signed up to play cricket for a living. Then imagine it is all taken away from you. You have a back injury, and spinal surgery that results in your contract being torn up. At 27 years old, you are recovering from a near death experience and having to start again. Well that is what happened to Lee.  

In this conversation with Al Fawcett, Lee shares his story of the mental resilience and effort needed to make a comeback, and the feeling he had when he could once again call himself a professional cricketer. During his rehab he also study for a double Masters Degree (in Applied Finance) and was working to keep things afloat.  

Lee will also share the lessons learned from appearing on the tv series Australian Survivor... twice, and his experience of setting up his own business. Drone It is an aerial video, photography and pilot training company and started as a one man operation and now has grown to having a team across the country.  

So, are you still imagining what you would have done, or how you would have handled it? Do you know what questions you would have asked yourself and whether they would have driven you forward or held you back. Would you have applied the thinking needed for getting out of your comfort zone? 

If you would like to know more about Lee you can follow him on - 

Instagram - leecarseldine 

Twitter - @leeca77 

LinkedIn - Lee Carseldine 

Websites - DroneIt.com.au & leecarseldine.com.au  

Follow Al & infinite pie via - 

Instagram - Al_Fawcett & infinitepiethinking 

Twitter - @al_fawcett & @infinitepie 

LinkedIn - Al Fawcett 

Reach out and let me know how I can help.

Thanks for listening, now go and do stuff that matters and have a good one.  

Professor Damian Hughes started his life with a boxing gym as his playground. It meant he was around elite sports from as early as he can remember, and it was this environment that sparked his interest in the culture of high performing teams and individuals. In fact he learned many lessons in that gym, as it was run by his father, a man who eventually had a road named after him due to the role he played in many others lives. 

Of course it wasn't  necessarily a light bulb moment or the instant inspiration that is the stuff of the movies. These lessons and values were learned over time, and took a period of self awareness and self reflection.

Damian has gone on to be a best selling author, international speaker and combines a practical and academic background within sport, organisation and change psychology to work as a trusted adviser to business, eduction and the sporting elite, specialising in the creation of high performance culture. He has been called the coaches' coach.

He is also the co-host of the fantastic High Performance podcast alongside Jake Humphrey. New episodes are available each Monday, so why not start the week with Damian and Jake and The High Performance podcast and end it with some infinite pie thinking.

If you want to know more about Damian, then follow him on instagram @liquidthinker or check out his website liquidthinker.com.

I would love to know what you think and if I can help, so you can get in touch by emailing [email protected]. or you can find me on all the socials.

Thanks for listening, now go and do stuff that matters and have a great one.

Royston Guest is an entrepreneur. He has written the Number 1 best selling book "Built to Grow" and has since gone on to write "Rise, Start Living the Life You Were Meant to Lead". He is a business strategist, executive coach, conference speaker and the founder of PTI Worldwide, a global consultancy and people development business. As you will hear, Royston has also recently launched Pathways Global, a data led, mentor style, growth insights platform for your business, of which he is the CEO.

In this conversation, Royston shares his knowledge and experience of growing businesses and throughout the discussion you will hear about  

• The power of mastery
• The true value of quality questions
• Learning from successful people
• How prioritisation moves the needle
• The benefit of alignment
• Leaders as great storytellers
• Coaching stories
• Successful people and their insatiable thirst for knowledge
• The impact of setting people up for success 
• Having conversations with a purpose

To know more about Royston check out -

RoystonGuest.com
Pathways Global website
Royston Guest on LinkedIn
Royston Guest on Twitter
Royston Guest on instagram

We have been getting some fantastic comments on the show like this review from Tesh “These podcasts give an insight into how those little things, practically, physically and mentally can create and sustain positive change’. Thanks Tesh, I really appreciate the feedback. As always, if you enjoyed and received value from this, then my one ask is for you to share it with someone you feel may also benefit from it.  Sharing, subscribing, rating and reviewing is how the show continues to grow and develop and we can share  more great stories from remarkable people. And  who knows, maybe you will be the next one that I read out. 

I’d love to know what you think so, you can also reach out and get in touch by emailing [email protected].  It would be great to hear your thoughts and experience of Leadership, Teamwork & Culture, or even who you would love to hear me to talk to on the show.  

Of course, if you want to know more about infinite pie thinking, or receive some coaching and development help and support  then email or head over to infinitepie.co.uk or find me on all the socials and check out some of our content and the way that we help you Do Stuff that Matters, with People who count, in places that inspire!

Thanks for listening, now go and do stuff that matters and have a great one. 

Leon Lloyd played professional Rugby at the highest level, winning caps as an England International and multiple trophies and honours with the Leicester Tigers. Having to retire at 30 due to injury meant that Leon had to ready himself for a new life and new challenges. He had prepared for the change, he had done his homework and was ready to apply the research. However it still came as a shock to him, just how much change was required.

In this conversation, Leon shares his thoughts on -

• what it takes to be ready for change.
•  the value of learning from those around you and having a thirst for knowledge
• Peer led accountability
• Becoming a product of your environment
• The impact of trying not to make mistakes
• How to give and take feedback (spoiler - keep it simple)
• Turning great individuals into a successful team

Leon Lloyd is now the CEO of Switch the Play, an organisation set up with a mission to empower sports people to plan for, and manage a successful transition to life after sport. He is also an entrepreneur, key note speaker and author of the book - From Boot Room To Board Room.

You can follow Leon via twitter @LeonLloyd13 or LinkedIn using Leon Lloyd

I’d love to know what you think, so you can reach out and get in touch by emailing [email protected] (that’s I-P-T for infinite pie thinking).  It would be great to hear how you manage change and transitions, or your thoughts and experience of Leadership, Teamwork & Culture, or even who you would love to hear me to talk to on the show.

Of course, if you want to know more about infinite pie thinking, then head over to infinitepie.co.uk or find me on all the socials, and check out some of our content and the way that we help you Do Stuff that Matters, with People who Count, in Places that Inspire!

Thanks for listening, now go and do stuff that matters and have a great one. 

Hi, I’m Al Fawcett and this is infinite pie thinking…

Have you ever felt like you have taken on a challenge and you wonder if you are good enough? Where you get involved in something and it feels like everyone else is speaking another language? Have you ever had a desire to create or support change and didn’t know where to start? Well in todays conversation with Hayley Lever, the Executive Lead of Greater Manchester Moving and CEO of Greater Sport, we talk about how the place to start is with asking questions. We also discuss what it means to lead a movement, to develop a whole system approach, rather establish a lot of programs and solutions in silos, and the power of creating a collaborative approach.

Personally, I loved talking about the need and the benefits of clarifying and establishing the narrative, and creating alignment behind it, as that is at the heart of what we do here at infinite pie.

As always, if you enjoyed and received value from this, then my one ask is for you to share it with someone you feel may also benefit from it.  

Of course, if you want to know more about infinite pie thinking,  then head over to infinitepie.co.uk or find me on all the socials and check out some of our content and the way that we help with Leadership, teamwork and culture.

Thanks for listening, now go and do stuff that matters.

Have a great one.