Author: MartinWhatPod

Shane Fitzsimmons was the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service during the unprecedented fire season that engulfed the State in late 2019 and early 2020. In the midst of managing the crisis, Shane received high praise for his leadership qualities – particularly his openness, authenticity and vulnerability – as he demonstrated a deep commitment and care for the country, as well as the people under his command.

So, having the chance to talk to him about his philosophies, experience and approach to leadership, and some of the lessons learned during the crisis, was an incredible privilege.

This conversation is packed with practical ideas from a leader who has delivered in the most demanding conditions. Shane shares what his day looked like at the peak of the fires, how he consistently made decisions involving high complexity and consequence; as well as how to maintain the high levels of motivation that lead to the long hours of dedication needed to conquer a crisis.

I hope you enjoy this phenomenal conversation with the current Commissioner of Resilience NSW, Shane Fitzsimmons. The kind of leader I personally believe we need a lot more of, in this Country.

I read a lot about leadership, culture and performance, and often question how much of the theory, would survive contact with
reality. The constant demands, competing priorities and competitive
environments that constantly challenge how we work, lead and live.
So, I sought out this month’s guest to gain a real world perspective on leading high performing people, teams and cultures.

JM is a proven entrepreneur who has founded, scaled and sold multiple businesses across marketing, media and digital platforms. She’s been a Director of the Melbourne Football Club, is a sought-after advisor in the Australian start up scene and is also Chair and co-founder of Smiling Mind. The tech based NFP that delivers mindfulness meditation programs to 5 Million people since launching in 2012.

Along with her success, Jane has built a significant portfolio of wisdom that she shares in this conversation. We talk about how she makes
decisions, the common failure point for most business ideas, what she has noticed about companies who do culture well, as well as how she manages her time, energy and attention.

So grab a pen and paper and get ready to jot down some seriously
practical advice from one of Australia’s best entrepreneurs and leaders, Jane Martino.

This global pandemic is a plausible reason for all of us to be feeling a little flat. And while this episode of The Messy Middle with lifestyle physician Dr. Jenny Brockis doesn’t solely focus on COVID, our conversation will certainly help you navigate the Corona coaster, as well as life’s ups and downs, a little more easily and effectively.
With insights and advice taken from her latest book Thriving Mind, Jenny’s counsel is practical, insightful, and comes at a time when many of us are looking for ways to rise above the current difficulty and demands, to cultivate a better life.
So whether you are ready for some change, are looking to maintain a high level of performance, or simply want to embrace some new ideas, this conversation offers some practical strategies that will help you succeed. Please enjoy this conversation with the author of Thriving Mind, Dr. Jenny Brockis.

Damien Fleming made an immediate impact on the Australian Cricket Team on his debut and went on to become an important part of the team during their most dominant period under captains Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting.

In this conversation, we talk about what it took to reach the pinnacle of his chosen sport, and how he sustained that success after being selected to play for Australia. We also talk in depth about the infamous Semi Final at the ’99 World Cup where he shares some brilliant insights about performing in the moments that matter.

Super fun, and full of insights that can be transferred to business and life, I hope you really enjoy this conversation with author, commentator, and the world’s first Bowlologist, Damien Fleming.

When we’re stretching ourselves for something worthwhile, fear, doubt and difficulty inevitably turn up to drain our energy and derail our effort. Rather than just accept the struggle and status quo, Janine Garner, in her new book Be Brilliant, shares how we can harness the potential that already exists within us, to lead a life of influence.

Janine is a global thought leader on networking, collaboration and leadership who has written two other books, but her most recent Be Brilliant, broke into the global Top 20 business books in the first month of its release.

This book is being noticed because we need leaders who can solve complex problems, collaborate with other people and capture new opportunities. And in this conversation with Janine, we discuss how being an authentic leader will help you deliver on such a demanding requirement. Please, enjoy this conversation, with the author of Be Brilliant, Janine Garner.

The world is a little topsy-turvy right now and we are all trying to navigate a new normal. This month, I am talking to peak performance researcher Dr. Adam Fraser about his new book Strive. In this episode, Adam shares why we must embrace the gift of struggle
in order to find more fulfillment in our lives.

In this conversation, we talk about our bias for happiness, how avoiding difficulty can be detrimental to our personal growth, how we can balance striving with strong mental health; and how we can identify those areas of our life that we might just need to lean in a little more, to pursue the things that matter to us and motivate us.

Please enjoy this conversation as we listen and learn, from peak performance researcher, Dr. Adam Fraser.