The Unified Team

Becoming a leader is a journey of managing fear.

Am I enough?

Will I be accepted as an authority?

Who am I to lead this group?

These fears are at the core of the challenge of leading.

In these three mini clips three successful leaders:

Clark Ray

Thomas Courts

Tony Walmsley

talk about the challenge of becoming comfortable leading and the skills needed to lead well.

Let's talk about Gen Z...

They're lazy!

They're entitled!

They want everything yesterday!

Or are they the force that is going to change organisations?

Is the problem that we've built structures where people are expected to sell their souls for a job?

Are we demanding too much and giving too little to employees?

Is it time the work-life balance was rethought?

Is it time to bring your whole self emotions and all to work?

I got together some bright passionate people to talk through some of these issues.

Representing Gen Z - Sandy De Jesus

Representing Millenials - Saieed Sadeghzadeh

Representing Gen X - Sarah Gruneisen

When you want to make a change what do you do?

You can force people with a stick. You can entice them with a carrot. Or you can talk it through and agree how to work together.

Today Paula Anastasiade goes into organisations and works to make changes happen. Without bribery or force. But through dialogue and listening

Change happened through force and fear. Later she trained as a Social Scientist. Her Master's degree involved Conflict Resolution and mediation processes.

She understands how people work and interact together in groups.

Today Paula goes into organisations and works to make changes happen. Without bribery or force. But through dialogue and listening.

I had a fascinating conversation about her experiences and how to make change work.

Careers are made and broken on getting things done... or not.

You can devise the most brilliant strategy in the boardroom, but if you can't get people to execute it... you fail.

When your success relies on hundreds or thousands of employees, how do you get people on board?

How do you ensure projects get people adopting changes to processes or technology?

Sophisticated leaders employ specialist Change Managers. They work to get people adapting and adopting the change.

I asked three experienced and successful Change Managers...

Paula Anastasiade

Lisa Cunningham DeLauney

Daniel Lock

...what they wish Leaders knew before a change.

If you want to sharpen a knife what do you do?

You use a sharpening steel. In the right hands the knife becomes sharper. And then it cuts through with more ease.

The world of work is changing.

What worked once isn't anymore. We need to cut to the heart of the matter. They say steel sharpens steel.

Enter Waldemar Zimmer the steel to sharpen the next generation of leaders.

Waldemar saw poor leadership and set out to prove their could be a better way. After working himself up to CEO he sought a new challenge. His new mission is to develop a new generation of leaders.

After a childhood of facing and meeting challenges @waldemar allowed himself no excuse.

The complaints are that Gen Z are snowflakes, whiners and soft. I see no better Mentor than Waldemar to sharpen the next generation of leaders.

Listen in to our conversation to see how I came to that conclusion.

They say when life gives you lemons you should make lemonade.

My guest on today's episode is the living embodiment of that motto. He has been challenged in every way and still found a way to succeed. Today he's helping others to lead more successfully.

Muhammad Mehmood crossed continents to take up a job in the UK National Health Service.

When he got here, a technical hitch meant he couldn't start. Imagine being in a new country without an income, home or knowing anyone. Homeless and jobless he started from rock bottom.

He found a job as a Kitchen Porter.

Soon he found an opportunity. To turn an idea into a thriving hospitality business that could be successfully sold. After succeeding he was hired in to be CEO of a Tech company.

From homeless to leading 10,000 employees 

Muhammad Mehmood's journey meant completing nine degree/diploma courses (including qualifying as an MD). Learning to speak six languages. And visiting to around 55 countries.

I was lucky enough to spend a fascinating hour in discussion with Muhammad Mehmood.

And the best thing is that it was all recorded so you can listen in. 

What do you get if you combine data science, coaching and a team?

A happy team coached by Giannis Chatzidis.

Giannis is a Data Scientist. Team Leader. And a Coach.

He found purpose and joy in merging tech and coaching to help people reach their full potential.

He shares his journey and process in our conversation.

What if everything you did at work was being reported and analysed... in public!

Every decision was pulled apart in the media. Every failure was booed by tens of thousands of people. There was a running critique on social media.

When feedback is this immediate there is no hiding.

Two Football Managers shared how they manage pressure, ego's and extreme competition. Clark Ray was sharing his parellel experiences in Manufacturing Companies. Together we tried to look for the universal leadership lessons.

The Panel

Thomas Courts ex professional footballer and Manager. He led Dundee United into qualifiction for Europe and also managed Budapest Honved.

Tony Walmsley is an ex-Coach for Sheffield and Manchester United. And Manager in the Australian A League, Chinese and Indian leagues. He now runs The Leadership Advisory.

Clark Ray until a recent accident consulted with Manufacturers using The 10th Man Principle. He now coaches Individuals using the same core principles.

Rob McPhillips host and creator of Unified, a program to unify teams.

In one moment, everything in your life can change!

Three months ago Clark lived that moment. A careless SUV driver smashed into his motorbike. Breaking 5 ribs, his sternum, right shoulder, collarbone and two vertebrae.

An event like this changes everything.

But Clark is not your average guy. He already operated from the 10th Man. The principle that everything should be challenged.

Even so, he's had to adapt to recover.

No longer able to challenge the boards of Manufacturers he challenges individuals. If life isn't how you want it to, there's no one I could recommend more to change your circumstances. My strategy has always been to change the frame so our philosophies are aligned.

His posts are profound and deeply thought provoking.

So he was long on my radar to talk. As soon as he was well enough I pinned him down to a time to talk. Here's our conversation.

You're in charge of a team...

How do you spend your time?

Are you a Leader or a Manager?

What's your key responsibilities?

How do you create a culture that performs?

These were some of the topics we discussed. The panel was...

Matthew Ward

Muhammad Mehmood

Johan Meyer

and me, Rob McPhillips.