Leading Beings

Portfolio careers are having a moment. But I don’t think everyone suddenly wants to ditch the 9–5, build five income streams and become a multi-hyphenate. I think the trend is pointing to something bigger: a growing need for more agency, adaptability and possibility in the way we work.

In this episode, I introduce Professional Architecture — the broader frame I’m using to think about how we earn, contribute and design our working lives now and into the future. I explore why a portfolio career is only one possible architecture, why all of us already have a professional architecture whether we’ve consciously designed it or not, and how looking at our work this way can help us respond more intentionally to changing careers, businesses, technology and life.

I also get into the difference between Professional Architecture as a noun and a verb, the hidden potential that may already exist within yours, and why I believe learning to consciously architect our professional lives will become an increasingly important capability of modern work.

Ultimately, this isn’t about building the most diversified or flexible career possible. It’s about creating a professional life that is viable, sustainable and meaningful — for you, in the context of the life you’re actually living.

Show notes
Janel Abrahami - The Great Millenial Career Crisis

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In April my corporate role was made redundant, which gave me what I'd wanted for a long time — my business, full time, again. Except the business I came back to wasn't quite right for the moment I was in, or the moment the world is in.

So I set about reimagining it. What followed was four months of spinning: looping, second-guessing, arriving at clarity and then talking myself out of it. On reflection, less looping than spiralling — each pass over old ground landing somewhere slightly clearer than the last.

The epiphany, when it came, was almost embarrassingly plain. I just want to help good people do cool shit.

This episode is about what those four months actually gave me, why the answer being obvious doesn't make the work wasted, and what I've come to understand about depth, difference, and designing work around your own life, strengths, season and conditions rather than a shape someone else drew.

For anyone looking at this strange new world of work and wondering what to build in it.

Check out and subscribe to my Substack.

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What is an Indie Leader? Why is this way of working and leading on the rise? And why might it be exactly what you need to shape your career, business, and impact in 2025?

In this episode of the Leading Beings Podcast, Kate McCready introduces the concept of Indie Leadership—a mindset, a movement, and a way of showing up in work and life with independence, innovation, and intrinsic motivation.

Kate unpacks:

✅ What defines an Indie Leader (and why you might be one!)

✅ The rise of indie leadership and why it’s reshaping work and success

✅ The challenges indie leaders face and how to navigate them

✅ Why building a community of indie leaders is crucial for impact

If you’ve ever felt like traditional career paths don’t fit, or you’re carving out your own unique way of working and leading, this episode is for you.

🎧 Tune in, and if this resonates—let’s make it a movement!

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@katemccready

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In this episode, I open up about my personal journey of managing professional responsibilities amidst personal upheaval. I share my experiences after the loss of my and how it led me to reassess my professional and personal life. This episode explores the profound identity shifts that can arise from various life changes such as loss, caring responsibilities, or a midlife crisis and more. Join me as I provide practical tips and strategies for navigating these challenging transitions, including taking time to explore, treating the period as a learning phase, creating a transition plan, and seeking support. Tune in to gain insights on how to realign your work with your evolving life circumstances and find a fulfilling path forward.

LINKS

Meaningful Career Change Course
Purpose Statement Workbook

00:00 Introduction

01:04 Personal Story and Challenges

03:49 Navigating Big Identity Shifts

08:45 Tips for Successful Transition

24:51 Conclusion and Support

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We all have times in work, life and business when things get full. Times where some things become more important or when there's just too much on our plate to keep everything going. So how can we intentionally manage our load in these full or stressful times?

In this episode I explore a number of strategies you can use, when things get tough. I'll discuss the conscious decisions you can make about what's essential and what's not, the the standards you choose to uphold and those you let slip. And how you can be kind to yourself when you're the one holding it all.

Episode References:

Nisha Moodley Devotion Podcast - Dropping the Ball on Purpose

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We are all well aware of the fact our working lives have changed since we've moved on from the thick of the pandemic. But have our organisations and our leaders caught up? And are we really making the most of the new opportunities this 'now' of the future of work is presenting?

In this episode I chat to Aaron McEwan: top 100 HR Influencer, coaching psychologist, strategic advisor,  innovation expert and self confessed tech geek. Aaron wears a number of professional hats, but his main one is VP of Research & Advisory at Gartner. And his recent work and research dives deep into how we need to reimagine a more human centred kind of organisation, with leaders to match, since all discovering there's more to life than work. And that working with a dog at your feet can't be matched by any kind of fancy cafeteria. 

Join us as we discuss some of the trends, insights and implications of this new working world and some serious considerations leaders must make relating to people and employee experience. Unless they want their organisations to become the Blockbusters or Kodaks of tomorrow.

You can connect with Aaron on LinkedIn or check out Gartner's research on their Website.

Mentions

Other Life Podcast - Writing in the Age of Machine Intelligence
Work for Humans - The Great Resignation and the Future of Work Aaron McEwan

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You may have heard of the concept of Keystone Habits. But what is a Keystone Action?

In this episode I share:

• What is a keystone action?
• Why keystone actions are important
• How can you use keystone actions to achieve greater flow, particularly when you are overwhelmed with possibility and ideas

Keystone actions is based off the idea of Keystone Habits which Charles Duhigg speaks about in his book The Power of Habit. 

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The start of a new year can be an excellent time to set goals. But research tells us very few of us actually follow through with and achieve the goals we set for ourselves at this time.

One way we can make sure we set sticker goals is by brining greater intentionality to our goal setting. In this episode I share how you can do this using Goal Exploration. What is goal exploration? Taking the time to reflect on some of the things that are most important to us BEFORE doing our goal setting, such as values, purpose, impact, who we want to be and how we want to feel.

Download my Goal Exploration Canvas & Guide to step you trough the process.

Or if you would like support working towards your goals over time, learn about my integrative business or leadership coaching and book in for a discovery call.

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Many of us fall into the trap of working how everyone else works. Or working how society, or our workplaces have trained us to work. But are the working rhythms imposed on you by external forces aren't necessarily the best working rhythms for you.

So how do you create working rhythms that work for you?

In this episode I explore six things to consider to design working rhythms that work with your unique strengths, energy and ways of working.

1. Challenge norms
2. Understand yourself
3. Catalogue your work tasks and projects
4. Consider your constraints
5. Craft your cadence
6. Test and iterate

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Want to work with me in 2023? Head to my coaching page to learn more about my coaching packages and to book a discovery call.

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Dr Shyam Barr is an education consultant and Assistant Professor of Learning Sciences at the University of Canberra. 

In this episode Shyam shares with us how self regulated learning can contribute to us all becoming not only better learners, but also better leaders. And how learning is a key, yet often overlooked keystone for better businesses and organisations. He also shares with us how he has integrated self regulated learning into his own life. 

We also explore ideas around:

• Motivation, cognition and meta-cognition
• Self efficacy
• Imposter Syndrome and comparison
• Mindset
• Personal development
• Trust
• Professional learning communities

You can find Shyam at shyambarr.com.au or on social media @ShyamBarr.

You can also check out his podcast Educate to Self Regulate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via his website.

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