This is a conversation that's close to my heart as I first met Benny Callaghan way back in 1999 when he joined Outward Bound as a trainee and I was his first trainer. His potential was obvious from day one and I couldn’t be more thrilled at his trajectory since then and to have him on the podcast!
Benny is a leadership coach and facilitator extraordinaire who excels at seeing complexity and the dynamics at play between human relationships. We discuss the challenges of leadership and organisational dynamics, the difficulty of breaking down silos within organisations and how high workloads can prevent leaders from engaging in crucial relationship-building.
It’s a time travelling episode where we reflect on our shared past and ponder the future of leadership and what that means today. We tackle some tough questions about power dynamics, the challenges of organisational systems, and how to maintain trust and collaboration in complex environments. Benny shares a powerful story about overcoming competing priorities within an organisation, and it's a tale that's sure to resonate with many of you.
Do you struggle with the balance of leadership power and authority?
Why you should listen: Fixing broken systems is a leadership imperative
Building better leadership relationships to bridge the divide
We explore: dismantling silos and challenging the status quo
Think about personal agency when it comes to team development
Why sacrificing relationships is not a leadership growth strategy
Complex environments need a diversity of leadership thinking
Take action
Draw the system. Make it visible. Make visual the interactions and connections you have within an organisation and the context in which you find yourself.
Make sure you make time for people to get together, to have conversations, to get to know each other.
Tip of the week
This one’s from Terra Blanca: Insurrection which you can read for free when you sign-up to Bookish, my eJournal for all things reading and writing. And the insight is towards the end of the book: A system is only as strong as the people who manage it. And people need support.
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About Benny Callaghan
Benny Callaghan is a Leadership Educator and Certified Professional Coach who works with leaders from early-career managers to senior executives, across Australia and around the world. He has studied ethics, neuroscience, emotional intelligence, whole-body thinking, and identity formation and is known for creating safe spaces where people can show up authentically to explore real—and often hidden—issues with deep compassion and understanding.
Find out more: www.bennycallaghan.com
Key moments
Benny Callaghan’s Leadership Journey (00:03:22)
Benny discusses his career journey, including his experience at Outward Bound and founding the School for Social Entrepreneurs.
Interest in Social Entrepreneurship (00:05:14)
Benny explains his interest in social entrepreneurship and the challenges of blending purpose with a commercial mindset.
Leadership and Systems in Disaster Recovery (00:10:16)
The Regenerate programme, focusing on leadership and system dynamics in disaster recovery, particularly in the context of bushfires.
Power Dynamics in Organisational Systems (00:13:47)
Delving into power dynamics within organisations, particularly in emergency services, and the challenges of integrating diverse voices.
Maintaining Relationships and Agency in Organisations (00:18:48)
Exploring the difficulty of maintaining relationships and a sense of agency in organisations, especially when dispersed, and the need for discipline and deliberate attention.
Fostering Individual Agency (00:16:25)
The importance of recognising and addressing inherent blind spots and power privilege, particularly in empowering younger individuals within organisations.
Designing Organisational Systems (00:21:12)
Challenges in breaking down silos, leadership maturity, and workload impact on cross-functional collaboration.
Confronting Reality and Collaboration (00:23:50)
Addressing competing priorities, implementing incentive systems, and fostering collaboration through frank conversations.
Systems Thinking and Organisational Design (00:30:05)
Leaders' lack of systems thinking, understanding organisations as systems, and mapping relationships and interconnectivity.
Facilitating Conversations and Relationship Clarity (00:36:48)
Importance of external facilitation, role clarity, and relationship clarity in building a powerful system.
Feedback Loops and Co-location (00:40:17)
Informal communication, feedback loops, and the value of spending time in co-location for understanding challenges.
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About your host, Canberra leadership expert Zoë Routh:
Zoë Routh is a leadership futurist, podcaster, and multiple award-winning author. She works with leaders and teams to navigate future horizons.
She has worked with individuals and teams internationally and in Australia since 1987. From wild Canadian rivers to the Australian Outback, and the Boardroom jungles, Zoë is an adventurist! She facilitates strategy and culture sessions with audacious teams.
Zoë's fourth leadership book, People Stuff - Beyond Personality Problems: An advanced handbook for leadership, won the Book of the Year at the Australian Business Book Awards in 2020. Her fifth book is a near future science fiction dystopian novel, The Olympus Project.
Zoë is the producer of the Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast, dedicated to asking “What if…?” and sharing Big Ideas on the Future of Leadership.
Zoë is an outdoor adventurist and enjoys telemark skiing, has run six marathons, is a one-time belly-dancer, has survived cancer, and loves hiking in the high country. She is married to a gorgeous Aussie and is a self-confessed dark chocolate addict.