Inside the CEO Mind

There's a risk that comes with becoming more senior: you can become a bit of a wanker - and be the last person to notice. With her trademark humour, AJ looks at the subtle ways power can change a leader: talking more, listening less, becoming harder to challenge and mistaking busyness for importance. What happens to the room when you walk in? Can someone still tell you you're wrong? And who in your life can say, ‘Mate, pull your head in’? A cheeky but useful check-in on humility, authority and staying human at the top.

Ever had a day when you quietly thought, ‘Someone else can have this job’? You're not necessarily ready to resign. You might just be ready for something to change. In this episode, AJ explores the thoughts CEOs don't always feel safe saying aloud - exhaustion, frustration, disappointment and the fantasy of walking away. She unpacks the difference between wanting to leave the role and wanting to stop doing it the way you're doing it now. Sometimes the answer isn't resignation. It's redesign.

Your leadership meetings are teaching your team how to behave - whether you realise it or not. Who speaks first? Who waits for the CEO to answer? And how often does ‘let's circle back’ replace an actual decision? In this episode, AJ explores the small meeting habits that quietly shape culture, accountability and independence. From filling awkward silences to inviting genuine disagreement, she asks a confronting question: are your meetings developing leaders who can think and act for themselves, or training everyone to depend on you?

What really goes on inside the mind of a CEO? Behind closed doors, there are doubts, frustrations and pressures that rarely make it into public conversations. In this opening episode, Alexandra Joy shares why she created Inside The CEO Mind: a place to explore the questions, patterns and uncomfortable truths that come up when you're leading an organisation. This isn't about having all the answers. It's about getting curious, making space for the human side of leadership and recognising that sometimes the most reassuring thought is: ‘It's not just me.’

As another year closes, I’ve taken time to pause, reflect, and honour all that 2025 asked of us - the loss, the love, the lessons, and the deep gratitude. This is the 22nd year I have penned a letter to my future self to create a vision of how I intend to grow over the next 12 months. I am reminded that in the western world we aren’t so great at rituals and endings and so I want to take the time to celebrate the year we’ve had, even the struggles, with gratitude and a belief that whatever happened was meant to be. Special thank you to everyone for being in my world this year it was a challenging ride, a tough slog at times and a joyful opportunity to cement what is most important in my life. This is a reading of my letter to honour my commitment to myself I also like to make it publicly available in the hope that it may inspire others to lean into visualising and manifesting their year also.

With love AJ

Cathy Burke is a globally respected author and former CEO whose work spans from village classrooms to global boardrooms. Her experience and lens on leadership is unique, and her voice has inspired thousands to reimagine power, leadership, and what it means to be human. In this interview she speaks with rare clarity, heart, and depth of soul on how we navigate the complexity of our times. Our conversation flows from how leaders can move beyond scarcity thinking to access inner courage, and impact, to her fringe style approach to life from punk music to meditation and how the challenge of changing the world is a slow and steady and not always guaranteed thing. Grounded, ethical and articulate Cathy shares her story, her challenges and setbacks and the reality of life in our modern world.

I highly recommend her book Today I Saw a Revolution https://www.cathyburke.com/today-i-sa...

To find out more about Cathy, her books and her soul led work, visit https://www.cathyburke.com/podcasts/

To connect with me at the Boardroom In the Bush Leadership Academy head over to https://www.alexandrajoy.com.au/ or connect on LinkedIn here / alexandriajoy

In this episode of The 10 Degree Shift, I sit down with Julie Morley, Partner at the Law Office of Conrad Curry, to explore her extraordinary 40-year career spanning government, outdoor children’s education, and now senior leadership in the legal sector.

Julie shares the golden thread that has guided her journey:

a deep valuing of people, genuine connection, and a remarkable ability to see patterns others miss—patterns that lead to better systems, smarter decisions, and commercial growth.

But the heart of this conversation goes deeper.

Julie and her leadership team had always prided themselves on being inclusive, people-focused, and growth-minded. Then came 2022 - when 10 staff resigned, all in a single year. It was a wake-up call.

Instead of doubling down on old systems, they reimagined everything.

Over the past three years, their cultural reset has generated extraordinary outcomes:

• Employee retention rose from 52% to 87%
• Income doubled
• Profit increased three-fold

The secret?

They scrapped performance reviews altogether.

In their place, they created year-long coaching conversations centered around each team member’s IMPACT measures:

I – Innovation

M – Motivation

P – Professionalism

A – Accountability

C – Communication

T – Teamwork

The philosophy is simple and deeply effective:

Take care of your people, your people will take care of your clients, and your clients will take care of your profit.

This episode is a masterclass for leaders wanting to build a conscious, high-performing, human-centred workplace—without the burnout, bureaucracy, or outdated reviews.

Tune in to hear Julie’s wisdom, courage, and the powerful cultural transformation that is reshaping what leadership in law can look like.

Connect with Julie here (11) Julie Morley | LinkedIn

Connect with AJ here (11) AJ - Alexandra Joy 🔥GAICD, MBA, MAHRI | LinkedIn

Subscribe to our Newsletter for regular free tools and ideas to grow high performing leaders and amazing culture alexandrajoy.com.au

The Manager to Leader Shift – Interview with Malcolm Smith, Chairperson of Yakuway Indigenous Corporation In this episode of The Manager to Leader Shift, I sit down with Malcolm Smith — a respected business leader, Aboriginal lore man, and Chairperson of Yakuway Indigenous Corporation.

Malcolm and I share a long history, having gone to school together, and today I’m also honoured to serve alongside him as a Board Member of Yakuway. Malcolm reflects on his upbringing, the strong influence of his parents, and the values they instilled in him: respect, fairness, and the importance of giving everyone a go. We talk about his football career and lifelong journey with fitness and wellbeing, as well as his path as an Aboriginal lore man. Malcolm shares what it means to go through initiation, to hold responsibility for land and people, and to walk with the wisdom of mob and tribe. Our conversation weaves through the heart of leadership — collaboration, vision, and the future goals of Yakuway in supporting the holistic wellbeing of people across Lake Macquarie and Newcastle.

Together, we explore the importance of Steward Eldership and preparing the next generation to step into leadership with presence and responsibility. This is both a personal and powerful dialogue about what it truly means to lead, care for community, and honour the legacy of those who came before us. Learn more about Yakuway Indigenous Corporation or make a donation visit www.yakuway.com.au

To connect with me, head to https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriajoy/

With over 22 years of experience in the resources industry in a diverse portfolio of functions, Renata Roberts has worked around Australia and Internationally, making a difference and positively influencing the future of people in her teams, community and beyond. A woman in a male dominated industry of mining and resources where there was only 3% women when she joined, Renata had to find her confidence, her voice and mentors to support her reflection and growth along the way. She has been awarded the 2020 NSW Exceptional Woman in Mining Award and then went on to be the first NSW nominee to win the 2020 Exceptional Woman in Australian Resources Award for her leadership and work within the industry. In her efforts to also inspire future leaders, Renata has become an author of children's books launching Join Jackson's Journey, a series of 20 books aimed at strengthening the leaders of today while building the leaders of tomorrow. These books are making their way into the homes, schools, and libraries around Australia and Internationally and into the hands of our future leaders.

You can purchase copies here at https://joinjacksonsjourney.com/

To connect with Renata send her a message at / renata-roberts-06921226

For more stories from amazing inspirational leaders subscribe to this channel and visit me at / alexandriajoy and https://www.alexandrajoy.com.au/

I've been so excited in the lead up to this year with Jandamarra Cadd, tune in and you will see why.

Jandamarra is an Aboriginal (Yorta Yorta) man who was introduced to the paintbrush at age 15 by a counsellor in juvenile detention after a troubled childhood growing up as an outsider in his own land.

Painting became an outlet to transform his pain and trauma, and a visual voice for the oppressed. Today Jandamarra is a pioneer artist, with his unique blend of traditional Aboriginal art techniques and inventive, contemporary application as well as his moving depictions of unification, walking together and seasonal indicators.

In this in-depth yarn Jandamarra shares with AJ his story, his philosophies and his journey towards greater sovereignty, healing and awareness - something we can all learn from greatly. We discuss Dadirri or Gupanewal (deep listening), regenerative living practices, finding calm in the constant eternal stream, handling the pressure of modern life as well as seasonal indicators and other aspects of learning to walk in more collective, rich way rather than simply linear.

Appropriately this interview was recorded during NAIDOC week 2025 .with the theme of The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy. I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land.

I am honoured to have the opportunity to speak with him - may his words resonate in your heart and soul as they have in mine.

With respect

AJ - Heidi Alexandra Joy

www.alexandrajoy.com.au

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriajoy/

Follow Jandamarra and his work here:

https://www.instagram.com/jandamarrasart/

https://www.facebook.com/jandamarrasart