Leading Generous Teams

What if expertise isn't what makes a great leader?

When we first heard proud Bundjalung woman Mindy Woods speak, we couldn't stop thinking about one simple idea: leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about creating the conditions where people feel safe enough to contribute theirs. In this episode of Leading Generous Teams, Mindy shares how her cultural values have shaped the way she leads, why belonging unlocks high performance, and what leaders can learn from thinking beyond the next quarter.

Mindy's reflections challenge some of the most common assumptions about leadership, offering practical lessons for any leader ready to move beyond relying on expertise alone and build teams where people genuinely thrive.

In this episode:

• Why expertise gets people promoted, but leadership asks something different
• How creating belonging unlocks more than having all the answers
• How thinking beyond the next quarter changes the way we lead today

Free Weekly Leadership Series: Turning Managers Into Leaders

In this free five-week leadership guide, we'll explore the leadership capabilities organisations tell us matter most: decision making, feedback, coaching, strategy and collaboration. You’ll also see practical examples of how we leverage neuroscience to deliver measurable outcomes and we’ll also share real stories from leaders who have made these shifts. One capability delivered to your inbox each week. 

Get your copy at www.topfivemovement.com/connect

What happens when the very behaviours that made someone successful are the ones they need to let go of to become a great leader?

Over the past two years, we've had the privilege of partnering with more than 500 leaders at Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, seeing first-hand the leadership culture Stephen Cornelissen AM and his team are intentionally building. In this episode of Leading Generous Teams, Stephen reflects on one of the biggest shifts leaders face: moving beyond expertise, stepping out of the detail and creating the conditions for others to thrive.

Stephen's reflections on leading in complex, purpose-driven environments offer practical lessons for any leader wanting to spend less time solving every problem and more time building capability across their team.

In this episode:

• Why the shift from manager to leader starts with getting out of the weeds
• How to create capability instead of dependency by changing where you get your sense of value
• Practical ways to protect thinking time and lead with greater perspective under pressure

Free Weekly Leadership Series: Turning Managers Into Leaders

In this free five-week leadership guide, we'll explore the leadership capabilities organisations tell us matter most: decision making, feedback, coaching, strategy and collaboration. You’ll also see practical examples of how we leverage neuroscience to deliver measurable outcomes and we’ll also share real stories from leaders who have made these shifts. One capability delivered to your inbox each week. 

Get your copy at www.topfivemovement.com/connect

What happens when leaders stop trying to keep everyone happy and start making decisions anchored to purpose?

For many leaders, the pressure to be liked, avoid disappointment and find the "right" answer can make leadership feel heavier than it needs to be. But as Dr Dominique Meyrick shares in this episode, some of the most important leadership decisions come from being clear on your purpose rather than trying to please everyone.

This is what we talked about with Dr Dominique Meyrick, CEO of Financial Counselling Australia, on Top Five Movement's Leading Generous Teams podcast this week.

Dom's reflections on purpose-driven leadership, navigating disagreement and creating the conditions for others to thrive offer practical lessons for any leader working in complex, high-pressure environments.

In this episode:

• Why purpose beats people-pleasing when making difficult leadership decisions
• How to create the conditions for others to thrive without trying to have all the answers
• Practical ways to sustain yourself and avoid burnout while leading meaningful work

Links: 

To grab a ticket to Dom’s world record breaking concert, head to: https://www.palaistheatre.com.au/all-events/pitchface-tickets-ae1663887

Free Weekly Leadership Series: Turning Managers Into Leaders

In this free five-week leadership guide, we'll explore the leadership capabilities organisations tell us matter most: decision making, feedback, coaching, strategy and collaboration. You’ll also see practical examples of how we leverage neuroscience to deliver measurable outcomes and we’ll also share real stories from leaders who have made these shifts. One capability delivered to your inbox each week. 

Get your copy at www.topfivemovement.com/connect

We cannot wait! 

More incredible guests coming your way. 

In the meantime, learn more about our work here: 

Top Five Movement is a contemporary, neuroscience-focused behaviour change organisation that helps people think clearly, communicate effectively, and perform at their best, especially in the moments that matter most.

Find us at www.topfivemovement.com

A lot of leadership effort is proactive and long-term, and it’s so easy to (and can feel good to) get sucked in by your teams to put out day-to-day operational fires.

However one leader we’ve worked with closely has taken a deliberate approach to creating the bandwidth that allows him and his team to focus on the future.

This is what we talked about with Matt Carmichael, Chief Information Officer, University of Canberra on our Leading Generous Teams podcast this week.

Matt’s refreshing approach is famous for supporting teams to get in the right mindset before taking on transformation projects. He’s a leader to watch.


In this episode, we discuss:

• How Matt proactively prepares his team to thrive during change
• Uplifting others through coaching to create more bandwidth
• Insights into techniques for resetting + recharging leadership

Links:

To supercharge your leadership, grab your free leadership audit now: Mindset Shifts to Crack Culture, Build Psychological Safety + Raise The Bar.

This free Leadership Audit download includes:

• Questions and prompts to help leaders create bigger impact with more ease
• Jam packed with insights from conversations we’ve had with Australian CEOs + leaders
• Fuel trust, communication, and culture in your team

Grab your copy now: www.topfivemovement.com/tools

If you'd like to talk about how our programs can support your team's resilience, fuel their confidence or help them get unstuck, book some time in my diary and let’s chat. 

If you’ve been in our world for a hot minute, you’ll have heard us talk about the mental run up.

The mental run up is made up of automatic thought patterns in response to an upcoming situation. Some we’re not aware of, and some are easy to brush off as “I’m an overthinker.” But they can be a drain, pulling you further away from the task at hand.

They’re often happening behind the scenes without us even realising it, derailing our energy.

The mental run up falls between the moment you’ve made the decision to do something challenging and when you actually do it.

This is what we talked about with Co-Australian of the Year, Dr Richard “Harry” Harris on our Leading Generous Teams podcast this week.

Richard has worked in anaesthesia, diving and aeromedical medicine around the world.

Harry has a professional and voluntary interest in search and rescue operations,
establishing the first flooded cave rescue capability in Australasia. The 2018
Thailand cave rescue was an opportunity to put this training to work.

In 2018 he received the Star of Courage, Australia’s second highest civilian award
for bravery, and the medal of the Order of Australia for his role in the Thailand cave
rescue. Harry was the joint 2019 Australian of the Year with his dive partner Craig
Challen. He is now primarily working as a speaker, author and film maker.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Richard’s mental run up leading up to the Thai Cave Rescue.
• What Richard does to fuel his mindset during uncertain times.  
• Insights into techniques for resetting + recharging in life and leadership

Links:

To supercharge your leadership, grab your free leadership audit now: Mindset Shifts to Crack Culture, Build Psychological Safety + Raise The Bar. 

This free Leadership Audit download includes:

• Questions and prompts to help leaders create bigger impact with more ease
• Jam packed with insights from conversations we’ve had with Australian CEOs + leaders
• Fuel trust, communication, and culture in your team 

Grab your copy now: www.topfivemovement.com/tools

If you'd like to talk about how our programs can support your team's resilience, fuel their confidence or help them get unstuck, book some time in my diary and let’s chat. 

Getting to the end isn’t good enough. Whether it’s to the end of the year, the end of a restructure, or the end of a transformation project. It’s not about transactions and checklists. It’s about how you lead.

This is what we talked about with Rohan Charrett, an Executive with Greater Western Water on our Leading Generous Teams podcast this week.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What’s more important than just getting to the end result 
• How to build connected rather than burnt out teams through change
• Insights into techniques for resetting + recharging leadership

Links:

To supercharge your leadership, grab your free leadership audit now: Mindset Shifts to Crack Culture, Build Psychological Safety + Raise The Bar.

This free Leadership Audit download includes:

• Questions and prompts to help leaders create bigger impact with more ease
• Jam packed with insights from conversations we’ve had with Australian CEOs + leaders
• Fuel trust, communication, and culture in your team

Grab your copy now: www.topfivemovement.com/tools

If you'd like to talk about how our programs can support your team's resilience, fuel their confidence or help them get unstuck, book some time in my diary and let’s chat. 

Being a passionate leader is an outdated goal. In fact, trying to run your team on passion alone is akin to running a team on adrenaline. It’s just not sustainable. And it can get in the way of strong leadership.

This is what we talked about with Sacred Heart Mission CEO, Hang Vo on our Top Five Movement Leading Generous Teams podcast this week.

Within a second of meeting Hang, you know she’s a passionate force but Hang shares how she’s learnt to pace her passion as a CEO, because not everyone is encouraged and motivated by it alone.

As a self-diagnosed passionate leader, Hang shares how she keeps her passion in check as a CEO, because not everyone is encouraged and enthused by passion.

Hang has decades of experience in the for-purpose sector leading national and international services. Prior to joining Sacred Heart Mission, Hang was CEO of Whitelion Youth where she led the national organisation through transformational change and the COVID pandemic. Before this, she held various leadership roles at Australian Red Cross and EACH Social and Community Health.

In March 2023, Hang was elected as the President of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) where she previously served as Member of the Board and Vice-President. Hang is currently also Board Director with Respect Victoria, a statutory agency focused on family violence primary prevention. From 2021 to 2023, Hang also worked as the Chair of the Victorian Pride Centre.

Having come to Australia as a part of the Vietnamese refugee ‘boat people’ seeking asylum in the late 1970s, Hang has first-hand experience of dislocation and exclusion which drives her deep commitment to creating a more just, inclusive, and equitable society.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Hang fuels and engages her team.
• How to redirect your leadership from passionate and adrenaline fuelled  to connected and curious.
• Insights into techniques for resetting + recharging leadership

Links:

To supercharge your leadership, grab your free leadership audit now: Mindset Shifts to Crack Culture, Build Psychological Safety + Raise The Bar.

This free Leadership Audit download includes:

• Questions and prompts to help leaders create bigger impact with more ease
• Jam packed with insights from conversations we’ve had with Australian CEOs + leaders
• Fuel trust, communication, and culture in your team

Grab your copy now: www.topfivemovement.com/tools

If you'd like to talk about how our programs can support your team's resilience, fuel their confidence or help them get unstuck, book some time in my diary and let’s chat. 

We work with a lot of teams in crisis. And where leaders are blindsided by incident after incident, we see the opportunity for people to find a performance edge and not miss the leadership lessons this crisis will bring.
 
 This is what we talked about with Kelly Quirke, Royal Canin ANZ’s Vet Advocacy Director on our Leading Generous Teams podcast this week.
 
 We discussed how Kel has captured the leadership lessons after years of leading teams through issues and crises.
 
 With more than 15 years’ experience in managing crises and communications for leading global organisations, Kelly currently leads the veterinary business for Australia & New Zealand. This includes managing health outcomes for pets and partnering with organisations to improve the long-term sustainability of the people working in the veterinary industry.


In this episode, we discuss:

• How Kel fuels and engages her team and industry
• The one thing Kel does to ensure she never misses a leadership lesson
• Insights into techniques for resetting + recharging leadership

Links:

To supercharge your leadership, grab your free leadership audit now: Mindset Shifts to Crack Culture, Build Psychological Safety + Raise The Bar.

This free Leadership Audit download includes:

• Questions and prompts to help leaders create bigger impact with more ease
• Jam packed with insights from conversations we’ve had with Australian CEOs + leaders
• Fuel trust, communication, and culture in your team

Grab your copy now: www.topfivemovement.com/tools

If you'd like to talk about how our programs can support your team's resilience, fuel their confidence or help them get unstuck, book some time in my diary and let’s chat. 

If you require further information or support about issues raised in this episode please contact Lifeline Australia 13 11 14 or for dedicated mental health support for First Nations people contact 13YARN or 13 92 76.

When discussing imposter syndrome, it’s really common to find articles to “overcome it” but the truth is, your imposter syndrome can give you an edge.

This is what we talked about with The Brain Cancer Centre CEO + Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer GM, Sammy McGuane on our Leading Generous Teams podcast this week.

We discussed how Sammy leverages his imposter syndrome to drive purpose.

In 2017 Sam became Director and General Manager of Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain
Cancer Foundation. Sam leads the business and it’s people which has generated over
$22M for brain cancer research.

Since 2021 Sam has managed his role at Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer Foundation alongside the position of CEO, The Brain Cancer Centre, where he is responsible for revenue generation, operations, collaboration initiatives, marketing/communications strategy, and stakeholder management.


In this episode, we discuss:

• How Sam fuels and engages his team to focus on the long term
• How to leverage imposter syndrome to drive your team’s purpose
• Insights into techniques for resetting + recharging leadership

Links:

To leverage your imposter syndrome and supercharge your leadership, grab your free leadership audit now: Mindset Shifts to Crack Culture, Build Psychological Safety + Raise The Bar.

This free Leadership Audit download includes:

• Questions and prompts to help leaders create bigger impact with more ease
• Jam packed with insights from conversations we’ve had with Australian CEOs + leaders
• Fuel trust, communication, and culture in your team

Grab your copy now: www.topfivemovement.com/tools

If you'd like to talk about how our programs can support your team's resilience, fuel their confidence or help them get unstuck, book some time in my diary and let’s chat.