Author: MartinWhatPod

What makes elite athletes perform? Not just become Olympians, which is a feat in itself, but become a medal winning Olympian. What do the athletes, their coaches, technical staff, and systems they are training in, do differently to those athletes who work hard – but don’t peak at the right moment – and miss out on a podium finish.

These are just some of the questions I asked Richard Young. An athlete who has won gold medals in cycling, coached world champions, and created medal-winning programmes for three countries using his research, innovation and experience across 10 Olympic cycles.

In this conversation we discuss common barriers that prevent people performing at their best, why simplification is essential to success, how we can alter our behaviour in the moments that matter, as well as the important role reflection plays on performance.

I hope you extract some lessons around your own leadership and performance in this conversation with Richard Young.

Leadership can be difficult at the best of times, but for David Knoff, this took on a whole new meaning, when as Station Leader at Davis Research Station in Antarctica, he was told due to the Covid pandemic, that his ride home was being cancelled – indefinitely. David and his team were stuck in one of the most isolated and challenging places on the planet.

What was supposed to be a routine mission turned out to be one of David’s most challenging leadership experiences. Lessons he has dissected and shared in his compelling book, 537 Days of Winter. In this conversation, we discuss navigating uncertainty, decision making, how he balanced risk, safety, and the well-being of his team, strategies David used to keep the team motivated, as well as the lessons he learned leading a team in such challenging circumstances.

While many of us will never face Antarctic level challenges, the lessons David provides in this conversation are practical, insightful, and worth applying in the everyday challenges we all ace as leaders. It’s time to listen to the compelling story and leadership lessons, from David Knoff.

Nick Maxwell knows a thing or two about leadership. A highly respected leader who played 208 games at the Collingwood Football Club, he was appointed Captain in 2008, and led the club to their 15th Premiership in 2010.

Following his illustrious 208 game AFL career, Maxy transitioned into various leadership roles at the GWS Giants, rugby league club Melbourne Storm, and the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League. Nick has not just lived a leadership role but contributed to some of our countries most successful sporting organisations as a leadership advisor.

But by his own admission, the science and art of leadership is one Maxy had to work for, learn, and develop throughout his career, which is one of the things that makes this conversation so compelling. The insights Nick provides are born from the trenches of leading and advising high performance coaches, athletes and teams.

In our conversation Maxy shares his leadership philosophy, how to build high performing teams and cultures, the role that struggle plays in success, how to balance learning and performing, frameworks he found useful for motivating people and performance… and so much more.

This conversation is about leadership from a man who has lived the role throughout his personal and professional life. I hope you enjoy the valuable insights in this conversation with Nick Maxwell.

On a score of 1 to 10, 1 being frazzled and 10 being fired up, where are you sitting right now? Do you feel alive and inspired, full of energy? Or are you dragging yourself through the day, racing from one demand to the next, your mind full of mental clutter?

Wherever you scored yourself, Marc Champagne believes improving your mental fitness, is essential, if you want to thrive in the modern world of work, and the demand of your day-to-day life.

Marc is a keynote speaker, host of the podcast Behind the Human, and author of the best-selling book Personal Socrates. He’s also a sought after consultant, who provides mental fitness strategies, to Fortune 500 companies such as VaynerMedia, Google Pixel and Coca-Cola.

In this conversation, Marc and I talk about why being mentally fit matters, the positive impact of removing our psychological clutter, specific strategies you can use to start your own mental fitness routine, as well as the power of asking questions, taking time for self-reflection, and how doing this, can positively impact our mental well-being and happiness.

Generous, wise, and powerful, this conversation is a game changer for anyone looking to upgrade their mental capability and performance. I hope you enjoy this conversation with mental fitness strategist, Marc Champagne.

Based on the average age in Australia, I have 1,506 Mondays left to live. For some people, this mathematical mortality might cause some anxiety or discomfort. But for Jodi Wellman, having a consciousness about death, gives us the opportunity to live our life more fully.

Jodi is the author of the book You Only Die Once and Founder of Four Thousand Mondays. A consulting practice designed to help people live more fully in order to avoid the coulda/should/woulda’s that can occur when we sleepwalk through life.

In this conversation, Jodi shares why satisfaction and content are hard for us to find, how boundaries help manage a busy life, when habits and routines don’t serve you, how you can start to take a risk or try something new, and so much more. Packed with personal anecdotes and practical insights, this conversation will resonate with anyone who wants to live more boldly by adding the two ingredients that help create a compelling life: meaning and vitality.

If you want to reach the end of your life with less regret, you’ll enjoy this conversation with author, coach, and best friend of the Grim Reaper, Jodi Wellman.

When you think of your organisation and how it operates – is it more like the Titanic or a speedboat? Is it hindered by friction, slow systems, and bureaucracy? Or is it full of flourishing people and projects that are connected and empowered to realise their full potential?

Sam Spurlin from The Ready is committed to changing the way we work. To move away from the traditional systems and structures that served us in more stable times – to a more modern approach that can meet the challenges associated with constant complexity and change.

In this conversation we talk about how work has changed, what new skills leaders require to thrive, how we can all contribute to curating a positive culture, and the role iteration plays in driving progress and performance. To succeed in the future of work, we all, in some way, must make a shift from business as usual to brave new work.

Sam offers some sage advice about how you can make a start. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Sam Spurlin.

Are you waking up and walking through life wishing it was better? Do you have a deep desire lying dormant that you wish you could reignite? Maybe you doubt the path you are on, or feel like things are fine, but you’d prefer to be starting your day feeling fired up and full of energy?

If any of these sound familiar you are going to enjoy this conversation with Bonnie Wan. A Brand Strategist who, at a moment of deep despair, used her skills and expertise in creating client briefs, to write herself a Life brief. A personal blueprint that saved her marriage and catapulted her career, that she details in her book The Life Brief: a playbook for No regrets Living.

This is one of the best books I have ever read about why we need to live with intention and purpose, and more importantly, the practical steps we can take to align our actions and aspirations. This conversation is a deep exploration about why we need to slow down and listen to ourselves, how we can unearth the things that matter and motivate our life, the role courage and curiosity play in living more courageously, and the benefits of choosing a life that is compelling, rather than conforming.

This is one of the best conversations I have had on the podcast. If you are eager to create a life that is wholly your own, you are going to enjoy this conversation with Brand Strategist and author, Bonnie Wan.

Marc is a professional coach that plies his trade at the elite levels of both tennis and AFL football.

Apart from being a coach, he has spent the past decade mentoring and training coaches in the art of athlete development and has deep practical experience in developing and working in high performance sports programs. So when I wanted to speak with someone about how we see and seize upon opportunities to advance, I immediately thought of Marc.

This conversation extends well beyond the boundaries of sport as Marc’s practical insights and advice are equally relevant to leaders with teams, parents raising kids, as well as individuals who are committed to being the me that they want to be.
We cover a lot of ground in this episode from why we should embrace learning and growth, how to establish positive learning environments, common obstacles we must overcome when pursuing personal or professional development, the import role rest, reflection and recovery play in growth, and so much more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Marc. His down to earth nature and accessible wisdom will help you improve the way you see and seize upon your opportunities to advance. Enjoy this conversation with elite coach and educator, Marc Sophoulis.

Are you feeling constantly under pressure and overwhelmed? Are you taking work home with you or finding it hard to switch off? If so, this conversation with Malissa Clarke is really going to resonate with you.

Malissa is an Associate Professor of industrial and organisational psychology at the University of Georgia, and she’s written a brilliant book called, Never Not Working – Why the Always On Culture is Bad for Business and How to Fix It. A deeply insightful book that has gained attention and accolades from people like Adam Grant and Daniel Pink because of the beautiful way it explores why a large percentage of us are overworking – and how we can face and fix our own tendencies to be tethered to work.

We covered a lot of important issues in this conversation like: why we overcommit to work, common tendencies we should be aware of (and it’s not just how many hours you are working), why hustle cultures are harmful – and the things we can all do to achieve excellence as well as endurance.

Malissa provides a practical voice to a common problem most of us face. How we can manage the competing demands of modern life. It’s time to listen and learn as we speak with Associate Professor, author, and proud working mum, Malissa Clarke.

If you are a leader in charge of a team, a coach striving to be successful, or a parent committed to raising reasonable kids, this conversation with Cody Royle will resonate with you.

Cody is an author, speaker and coach who spends the majority of his time coaching Head Coaches working at the elite level of sport. And while you may think this kind of work would mean a testosterone fuelled discussion about motivation, peak performance and success, you’d be mistaken, as Cody takes a more considered, and counter-intuitive approach, to his work.

In this conversation we discuss the cognitive demands leaders have to deal with and how you can navigate the stress and anxiety that can come with leading people. We explore the importance of identifying the gaps between your aspirations and the obstacles in your path, the importance of awareness, communication and decision making, how continuous learning can propel your leadership to new heights, and so much more.

This episode will help you embrace your ambitions and pursue your boldest objectives. I hope you are ready to absorb the valuable insights that come from this conversation with Coach of the Head Coaches, Cody Royle.