The Inner Chief

"Being difficult to give feedback to means people will stop giving it completely and you'll have no idea about your true performance and reputation."

In today's minisode, we finish our series on How to Give Feedback and we're going to bring this home by giving you some strategies to implement a culture of feedback within your department or organisation.

Remember, as a leader, their performance is also your performance and you've both got to own it, otherwise you risk negatively affecting your track record.

Chief, if you haven't listened to Part 1 (preparing like a coach) or Part 2 (tools and strategies), please go back and listen to them first as it will give you some vital context to the final episode.

🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/359 👂

ARE YOU GIVING THE RIGHT FEEDBACK? LEARN HOW TO EMBED EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK IN YOUR CULTURE: www.chiefmaker.com/feedback

In this episode, I talk about:

✅ Three vital strategies to build a culture of feedback in your team,

✅ The secret ingredient to harnessing these strategies as a collective, and

✅ Why it is so important - personally and professionally - to foster a feedback culture.

Stay epic,

Greg

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🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

"An insight made by the coach is owned by the coach. An insight made by the client (or the person you're giving feedback to), is owned by the client."

In today's minisode, we continue with our series on How to Give Feedback and we're going to talk about how to deliver like a true chief with some specific feedback methods and scripts that might help you bring this process to life.

Chief, if you haven't listened to Part 1 in the series, please go back and listen to it as it will give you some vital context.

🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/358 👂

HAVE YOU BUILT ENOUGH TRUST AS A FOUNDATION TO GIVE FEEDBACK? DISCOVER HOW CRUCIAL THIS STEP IS: www.chiefmaker.com/feedback

In this episode, I talk about:

✅ The SIX methods for giving effective feedback that will land properly, and

✅ A series of quotes, scripts, templates and ideas around how to deliver the message.

Stay epic,

Greg

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

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📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

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🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

"Feedback is never done in isolation; there's a whole range of things going on around someone in your team, and so it's really helpful to prepare properly before you give feedback."

Chief, today we are kicking off Part 1 of our How to Give Feedback Series.

In today's episode, we are diving into the essentials of preparing to give feedback like an elite sporting coach, as well as some core principles of this process.

Feedback is the breakfast of champions of high-performance teams and is vital for personal and team growth. And you, as the leader, are your team's coach, helping to guide them to kicking business goals, ultimately which reflects on you, Chief, and your track record.

🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/357 👂

ARE YOU GIVING THE RIGHT FEEDBACK? LEARN HOW TO EMBED EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK IN YOUR CULTURE: www.chiefmaker.com/feedback

In this episode, I talk about:

✅ The core principles and mindsets for effective feedback preparation.

✅ The importance of feedback for all team members, from low to high performers.

✅ Factors to consider before giving feedback, such as business performance, team culture, and trust levels.

Stay epic,

Greg

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts

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🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

"One of the big lessons anyone can take out of COVID was that everyone was forced to live in a world that was out of control and you just had to adapt and respond."

This is a special episode only available to our podcast subscribers, which we call The Mini Chief. These are short, sharp highlights from our fabulous guests, where you get a 5 to 10 minute snapshot from their full episode.

This Mini Chief episode features David Knoff, Antarctic Expedition Leader and author of 537 Days of Winter.

His full episode is titled: High-stakes risk and crisis management, and being adaptable around your mission.

You can find the full audio and show notes here:

🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/355 👂

DOWNLOAD THE CHIEF MAKER OPERATING RHYTHM HOW TO GUIDE AND PUT YOUR VISION AND MISSION INTO ACTION FAST: chiefmaker.com/operatingrhythm

David brings over 15 years of experience and expertise in diplomacy, conflict resolution, resilience and remote leadership in some of the world's most challenging environments, where he has faced extreme adversity head-on.

From serving as a young Platoon Commander in the Solomon Islands to a pivotal diplomatic posting in Pakistan during a period of intense regional conflict, David's journey has been shaped by moments that demand empathy, adaptability, and strength in uncertainty.

David took a sabbatical as a photographer in Turkey, capturing the Dastories of refugees escaping the Syrian conflict, before working in high-stakes environments to contribute to the international fight against ISIS.

More recently, he led Australia's Davis Research Station in Antarctica, navigating the isolation of COVID-19 and an extended mission in one of the harshest environments on earth. Off the back of that, he has just released a book called 537 Days of Winter, and he discusses in the episode the harrowing life and death story that inspired it.

In the full Masterclass we will share:

✅ Being comfortable with uncertainty and not being under control

✅ His anecdotal evidence on human response mechanisms to fear and threat

✅ How to factor in risk and crisis management in strategic planning, and balancing this process with instinctive action, and

✅ Being adaptable around your mission, in particular his experiences during the COVID-induced extended mission where they were stranded in the Antarctic.

Stay epic,

Greg

You can connect with David via LinkedIn or Facebook and E-mail.

• 537 Days of Winter - by David Knoff

• Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage - by Alfred Lansing

• Ant Moorhouse, Co-Founder and CEO of Earthech, on Purpose-driven leadership, and changing the planet by harnessing technology and capitalism

• Ian Snape, CEO of Frontline Mind, on Resilience by design leading antarctic expeditions and relaxing in high stakes environments

• Peter Scott, Former Chief of Submarines on Leadership in high stakes environments and keeping purpose alive in your team

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

"You've got to have the wherewithal and the EQ to know when to stick your nose in and ask the questions, and other times to trust and let people get on with it. Noses in, fingers out."

In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, I speak to Angela Tsoukatos, CEO and 20 years executive team member, on pivotal career moments, how to focus on core business, and the most effective ways the Board and C-Suite can work together.

🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/356 👂

DOWNLOAD THE CHIEF MAKER GUIDE FOR SENIOR LEADERS ON HOW TO HAVE DIFFICULT PERFORMANCE CONVERSATIONS: chiefmaker.com/difficult

Angela is an experienced Executive with a successful track record in Australia's largest water utility, local government, and the Not-for-Profit sector, having held senior roles in Corporate Public Affairs & Company Secretary, Customer Services, People Leadership & Culture, and Corporate Services.

Angela was the CEO of Participate Australia up until May 2023, facilitating a successful merger with SydWest Multicultural Services, which she is now the Chair of. She is also a member Director with SSI, is the Chair of SSI Legal, and was recently appointed to the Board of the NSW Energy and Water Ombudsman as a community director.

Angela is passionate about ethical and inclusive leadership and creating constructive cultures where people live the values, put clients first and work together towards a fairer society for all.

She holds a Bachelor of Social work, a Master of Management (Public Sector), is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a certified Gallup Strengths coach. In 2018, Angela was selected as one the Top 50 NSW Public Sector Women.

In this CEO masterclass, we talk about:

✅ The 4 fundamental questions she asks when taking on a new role

✅ How to manage key priorities to ensure focus on core business

✅ On turning a toxic relationship around to one which flourished and changed her career decisively, and

✅ Getting boards and executive teams to work together properly.

Stay epic,

Greg

You can connect with Angela via LinkedIn.

• Lean In - by Sheryl Sandberg

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - by Stephen Covey

• Isabelle Nüssli, author of the book "Cockfighting", on CEO-Chairperson relationship and overcoming the drivers of conflict.

• Alison Gaines, MD & Founder of Gaines Advisory, on Hiring great executives, becoming an NED, and characteristics of successful boards.

• Scott Williamson, Managing Director of Blackstone Minerals, on The CEO-Chair relationship, taking career risks and injecting fun into business.

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts

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🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

"In 10 years' time, are you going to look back and be happy with how you spent the last 10 years?"

This is a special episode only available to our podcast subscribers, which we call The Mini Chief. These are short, sharp highlights from our fabulous guests, where you get a 5 to 10 minute snapshot from their full episode.

This Mini Chief episode features Nigel Marsh, Former CEO Leo Burnett and Y&R Brands, Founder Earth Hour, viral TEDx Talker, bestselling author and podcaster.

His full episode is titled Following your own path to achieve balance, getting cut-through, and authentic success.

You can find the full audio and show notes here:

🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/352 👂

INFLUENCE DIFFICULT STAKEHOLDERS USING THIS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: chiefmaker.com/stakeholders

Nigel is the former National CEO of D'Arcy and Leo Burnett, Regional Group CEO of communications group Y&R Brands ANZ, and the Chairman of strategic and research consultancy, The Leading Edge.

Alongside his 30+ years experience in business leadership roles, Nigel has pursued a number of creative ventures including writing four bestselling books ('Fat, Forty and Fired', 'Overworked and Underlaid', 'Fit Fifty and Fired-Up' and 'Smart, Stupid and Sixty'), co-founding the global environmental initiative Earth Hour, founding The Sydney Skinny and creating The Five Of My Life podcast.

His TEDx speech on work-life balance, with nearly 6 million views, remains the most watched talk ever given outside of the US.

In the full Masterclass we will share:

✅ Why you should stop following the masses and rather seek balance by treading your own path.

✅ That clarity of purpose is the most fundamental pillar of any business, and how to do it in a simple way.

✅ How he got cut-through in launching Earth Hour globally and how you can use that in your marketing and communications, and

✅ Using reflection to achieve authentic success in your life and career.

Stay epic,

Greg

You can connect with Nigel via LinkedIn.

• The Halo Effect - by Phil Rosenzweig

• Nigel's TEDx Talk - How to make work-life balance work

• Deep Work by Cal Newport

• The 5 of my life Podcast

• Minisode on Is work-life balance actually possible?

• Damien Price, Spiritual Guru on Balance, Life Chapters and Your Rhythm

• Mike Schneider, Managing Director of Bunnings Group, on Career diversity, genuine empathy, and the 4Hs of authenticity

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

"One of the big lessons anyone can take out of COVID was that everyone was forced to live in a world that was out of control and you just had to adapt and respond."

In this episode, I chat to David Knoff, Antarctic Expedition Leader and author of 537 Days of Winter, on high-stakes risk and crisis management, and being adaptable around your mission.

🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/355 👂

DOWNLOAD THE CHIEF MAKER OPERATING RHYTHM HOW TO GUIDE AND PUT YOUR VISION AND MISSION INTO ACTION FAST: chiefmaker.com/operatingrhythm

David brings over 15 years of experience and expertise in diplomacy, conflict resolution, resilience and remote leadership in some of the world's most challenging environments, where he has faced extreme adversity head-on.

From serving as a young Platoon Commander in the Solomon Islands to a pivotal diplomatic posting in Pakistan during a period of intense regional conflict, David's journey has been shaped by moments that demand empathy, adaptability, and strength in uncertainty.

David took a sabbatical as a photographer in Turkey, capturing the Dastories of refugees escaping the Syrian conflict, before working in high-stakes environments to contribute to the international fight against ISIS.

More recently, he led Australia's Davis Research Station in Antarctica, navigating the isolation of COVID-19 and an extended mission in one of the harshest environments on earth. Off the back of that, he has just released a book called 537 Days of Winter, and he discusses in the episode the harrowing life and death story that inspired it.

In today's Masterclass we will share:

✅ Being comfortable with uncertainty and not being under control

✅ His anecdotal evidence on human response mechanisms to fear and threat

✅ How to factor in risk and crisis management in strategic planning, and balancing this process with instinctive action, and

✅ Being adaptable around your mission, in particular his experiences during the COVID-induced extended mission where they were stranded in the Antarctic.

Stay epic,

Greg

You can connect with Davidl via LinkedIn or Facebook and E-mail.

• 537 Days of Winter - by David Knoff

• Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage - by Alfred Lansing

• Ant Moorhouse, Co-Founder and CEO of Earthech, on Purpose-driven leadership, and changing the planet by harnessing technology and capitalism

• Ian Snape, CEO of Frontline Mind, on Resilience by design leading antarctic expeditions and relaxing in high stakes environments

• Peter Scott, Former Chief of Submarines on Leadership in high stakes environments and keeping purpose alive in your team

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

"No high performance happens without those three big things, so make sure they're embedded into a new year ahead."

In today's episode, I've just got three big questions for you.

If you can answer these, I think you can make 2025 your best year ever.

🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/354 👂

INFLUENCE DIFFICULT STAKEHOLDERS USING THIS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: chiefmaker.com/stakeholders

Stay epic,

Greg

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

"Make it your goal in 2025 to not just simplify, but focus. Get more dialed in on just a few things, stuff that will make a difference. Make some hard calls."

In our final episode for 2024, we are going to cover the five big themes from 2024 that are going to be vital in 2025.

I'm seeing these 5 themes emerge more and more through the work we do with executives and boards. And what I'm seeing is if we don't all lean in and get better at these five things, life is going to get more difficult and frustrating and we're going to find it harder and harder to win.

Chief, the best executives right now are nailing these things. And all the best organisations need people with these five traits right now, more than ever.

🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/353 👂

INFLUENCE DIFFICULT STAKEHOLDERS USING THIS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: chiefmaker.com/stakeholders

Stay epic,

Greg

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker

"If you spend too much time worrying about the outcome and not about the process, then you just create anxiety and a lack of focus."

This is a special episode only available to our podcast subscribers, which we call The Mini Chief. These are short, sharp highlights from our fabulous CEO guests, where you get a 5 to 10 minute snapshot from their full episode.

This Mini Chief episode features Rob Patterson, Managing Director of Parkins Lane.

His full episode is titled Humility, relationships and scaling fast.

You can find the full audio and show notes here:

🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/351 👂

IS YOUR PROGRESS BLOCKED BY DIFFICULT STAKEHOLDERS? Download this step-by-step guide to build trust, get buy-in and turn difficult stakeholders into ambassadors: http://chiefmaker.com/stakeholders

Rob is a CEO and COO with extensive experience in leading the significant growth of national professional service firms.

He is the former COO of HWL Ebsworth, where he played a key role overseeing the metamorphosis of a small Melbourne-based legal practice (40 employees, turnover $3m) into a national commercial law firm of over 600 people and turnover in excess of $150m, now Australia's largest firm by partner numbers.

Rob then joined Macpherson Kelley as COO and led a similar transformation there, followed by an MD stint at Rankin Business Lawyers. For the past 2 years, Rob was GM of FCW Lawyers but has returned to Parkins Lane Consulting Group as the Managing Director once again. The firm focuses on creating and executing on strategy, growth and marketing for professional services firms.

Outside of work he is a keen surfer and he also grows Sangiovese vines.

In the full episode we talk about:

✅ How he grew their business from $3M to $150M

✅ The importance of relationships and being a known quantity when going for roles

✅ Humility and self-regulation

✅ How to grow your personal brand and business

Stay epic,

Greg

You can reach Rob on LinkedIn and on X.

• Built to Last - by Jim Collins

• Good to Great - by Jim Collins

• Starts with Why - by Simon Sinek

• Vince LeBon, CEO of Rollie Nation, on Streamlining systems, scaling up and business rhythm

• Ben Lipschitz, Co-Founder and CEO of FoodByUs, on Being data-driven, starting and exiting a business, and successfully securing funding

• Celebrity Apprentice Mentor, Nick Bell, on the threat of AI on addressing productivity gaps, looking after his A-players and living to 150 years old

📝 Subscribe to the Finish Strong monthly newsletter and podcast drops

👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn

📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA

🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses

🍏 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts

🎵 Subscribe to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify

🎬 Subscribe to the Chief Maker YouTube channel

🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker