Leadership development is often spoken about as a skill acquisition. This is horizontal development. Vertical development is when we see and value more of the bigger picture and can navigate complexity. It’s hard and essential work. Here’s an overview.
Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast
Podcasts
201 Leadership skills and corporate culture with Averil Foster
Ever wonder if you’ve got the right leadership skills and leadership mindset to create a great corporate culture? Family lawyer and mum of young kids Averil Foster joined her colleague, Brooke Johnson, to become business owners of an existing firm. In this interview, she reveals how she dealt with office politics, how she harnessed and developed leadership strengths, and how she’s created a culture worth belonging to.
Read More150 Bravery is a core leadership strength with Margie Warrell
Where are you playing it safe in your life? What is the emotional landscape of your life? What is your fear costing you in life and in leadership? These are some hard hitting questions from coach, author and speaker extraordinaire, Margie Warrell. You’ll be mesmerized by her energy and passion for emboldening people to live with courage.
Why you should listen:
Leadership is not about a title or position, it’s about how we show up every day being our best selves, and backing ourselves to make a contribution
How men and women need to do some deep work to buck social trends - playing it small for women, being more open-hearted for men
How to confront the parts of ourselves that we bury when we judge others - and what it can do for us
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Read More126 The importance of wise and compassionate leadership with Cindy Wigglesworth
Cindy Wigglesworth is best selling author of SQ21: The Twenty-One Skills of Spiritual Intelligence. Her work has had an enormous impact on my own perspective of leadership. The need to develop wise and compassionate leaders is needed more than ever. This is one of the most important interviews for leadership I have done so far. A must listen for those aspiring to make a bigger difference.
We discuss:
How the experience of divorce and raising a daughter was a profound stimulus for reflection and the impetus to explore better leadership
Why ego-driven leadership and its poorest forms of narcissism and self absorption is exhausting to be around
How leadership from the more expanded point of view the Higher Self attracts people willingly to follow you
The work of advanced spiritual intelligence as a continual practice
The calling “to be a light onto the world” is within us all, and the work we do can be the candle that lights the way for others
Why Cindy is grateful for President Trump as he has been a catalyst for Americans to examine the profound truth of how much racial divide is still systemic, and why there is still much racial and political healing to do in the USA
How Obama created the conditions that brought Trump forward
How we are all called to growth
The lotus flower blooms in mud, just as we can bloom through the muck and mess of our own lives
The role of a new thought Church to foster Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
Why you need to have your BS challenges (belief system, as well as the other B.S.)
How emotional intelligence is the first thing to address as leaders: name the emotion, identify what triggered, and practice inserting a PAUSE between stimulus and response
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Read More125 How to avoid the intelligence trap in leadership with David Robson
Science journalist David Robson, author of the brilliant The Intelligence Trap - Why smart people make dumb mistakes, takes us on a wild ride through the stupid things smart people do, and why.
We explore:
Why real life human vampires are more deserving of compassion than scorn
How the ancient study of wisdom (and how to live our best life) is having a resurgence and renewal through the lens of Evidence Based Wisdom
How intellectual intelligence is different to rationality intelligence, and how this can be measured
The frightening condition of DYSRATIONALIA - when smart people think and do dumb things
How mindfulness is a step towards diminishing this trap
Why we need to get analytical about intuition
The importance of developing an emotional compass - this includes emotional awareness, differentiation, and regulation of emotions
How Brexit is the perfect example of motivated reasoning by smart people that drives greater polarisation
Benjamin Franklin’s moral algebra and its ability to immunise a little bit against motivated reasoning
How finding common ground and assessing the quality of the evidence in someone’s argument is the best method to avoid being polarising
If you are susceptible to “Pseudo-Profound Bullshit” (statements that sound profound but are really vacuous), you might need to take the cognitive reflection test
Emotional intelligence can be a bridge between intelligence and avoiding some major biases
Key tips to help avoiding the intelligence traps: curiosity, humility, considering the opposite viewpoint through the lens of evidence
Maintain a child-like curiosity, wonder and awe at the world.
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Read More121 Alcoholism and Sobriety in the workplace with Rachel Hind
What do you do when your social drinking becomes a crippling habit in a downward spiral of destruction? We can admit defeat, we can surrender, we can ignore it, or we can own it. Rachel Hind chose complete responsibility. Her journey to sobriety is one of personal honesty, radical self healing, and personal transformation shows great courage.
We talk about how drinking for middle aged women has increased 85% in the last ten years, the warning signs for the start of liver cirrhosis, how the first stage of healing begins with honesty with oneself, why pain and suffering can be the biggest opportunity for self empowerment, is alcoholism an addiction or not, the two very different paths for recovery, Jack Canfield’s model of E + R = O (event plus response equals outcomes), the switch from success based on external markers to success based on living according to one’s values, and how one’s quality of life is directly related to how much uncertainty one can deal with.
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Read More120 The importance of your past with Men's Life Coach Greg Gillies
What does it take to be a real man? Life Coach for Men, Greg Gillies, knows that it’s not what we usually think. It’s not about material success, business goal achievement, or a facebook narrative. He believes we need to clear the programming from our past so we can embrace the best of who we can be.
Greg shares his own downward spiral from successful executive and business owner to numbed out alcohol abuser through to renewed and liberated healthy male leader. He reveals how kinesiology and quantum matrix therapy helped clear his unconscious past beliefs so he could choose more powerful ones.
We take a deep dive into sympathetic nervous system dominance, the body’s natural healing system, releasing negative emotions and beliefs from our past, resolving conflicts in our brain.
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Read More118 How diversity can impact your leadership effectiveness with Christina Ryan
Imagine in the lift at the end of the day, being asked for the 8th time, ‘so, what happened to YOU?’ People with disabilities are confronted daily with intrusive questions about the intimate details of their physical condition. Something we would not dare ask others. This is but one of the challenges people with disabilities endure every day. Disability leader and advocate Christina Ryan wants us to get beyond the discomfort of visible difference and get on with the job of talking leadership: how difference offers more viewpoints.
We explored disability as identity, disability disadvantage in employment, vertical developmental leadership through the lens of disability, the core attributes of disability at the leadership table (inclusion, collaboration, resilience, and innovation), how acknowledging the whole self including disability is fundamental component of spreading perspective and inclusion in workplaces and community.
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Read More114 Inclusion is a key leadership responsibility with Yenn Purkis
Yenn Purkis is a non-binary gender person with Asperger’s syndrome. They are an author of 6 books, a TED X speaker, and a passionate advocate for autistic people and their families. From an early age, Yenn knew they weren’t like other folks, and was bullied mercilessly for being different. Academically brilliant, they were dux of the school, but not fitting in and being ostracised for it led to several early adulthood years spent in self destruction. Yenn emerged from this determined to be successful and fulfil professional ambition. With a published book in hand, they applied to many jobs and was successful to land one. This is the origin story of a remarkable individual who overcame being singled out for difference to becoming a public champion for inclusion.
In this interview we explore what it means to be non binary gender, how to be aware of privilege as a generator of bias, how reading books is an excellent way to expand perspective and understanding of others, how becoming comfortable and aware of who we are drops anxiety about status, why diversity is a noun and inclusion is the verb or responsibility in leadership, how the intersection of elements of difference (like being non binary gender AND autistic) multiplies the challenge effect for inclusion, and how it is PRIVILEGE and not ‘norm’ that measures distance from center and influence. Reason to listen: learn about life from a different lens.
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Read More103 Canberra based leadership expert Zoë Routh on resilience
Some experiences are pretty awful. We can’t wish them away. We can’t pivot from them. We can’t reframe them. We can however learn something from them, make use of them, and grow stronger as a result. Strategic planning, and the core of what we leaders need to do in current times of tension.
Positive thinking can be good. It’s just not everything.
Useful beliefs can help.
Using the experience as fodder for growth, after doing a thorough assessment, is key.
#boundlessleadership
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Read More102 Leadership hacks with author Scott Stein
Do you use your intuition in leadership? Would you like to develop your inner knowing to a greater level? How about a 30-second hack to change your brain waves into a meditative state? Speaker, author, and advisor Scott Stein shares his insights and practical tips on these, delegation, strategic planning, and the core of what we leaders need to do in current times of tension.
Native American ancient wisdom: using the Fox Walk to change brain waves for movement meditation
Compression planning and how it saves tons of time and avoids ‘talk fest’ in strategic planning
The four levels of delegating and mistakes to avoid
#boundlessleadership
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Read More100 Canberra based leadership expert Zoë Routh on new year resets
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New year, new leadership mindset?
How are you starting 2019? Have you got a theme word? What boundaries, rituals, habits are you using to shape an extraordinary year? Have you got goals? Or are you using intentions? In this episode, I share the nitty gritty strategies, habits, rituals, and resources I am using to RESET my energy and focus. The theme this quarter on the podcast is ‘Personal Excellence’ and this is the perfect start to that.
Why you should listen: your leadership responsibilities start with self-care
How cultivating energy and focus is a leadership strength
Why a theme word is useful for shaping your year
Six nitty gritty tactics to build personal excellence for the year
A special give away as this is episode 100!
#boundlessleadership
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Shownotes:
Six Focus areas for an extraordinary year of personal excellence:
1. Boundaries: put time containers around your addictions (like work, or exercise, or social media)
2. Routines or Rituals: start of day and end of day rituals are the most important.
My morning routine 5am to 830am
Wake up - glass of water with lemon juice and pinch of sea salt (for minerals, digestion, and hydration)
Cup of green tea
Meditation: 20 minutes while tracking heart rate and heart rate variability
Journal:
How did I show kindness yesterday?
What was the one moment I want to remember from today? (one moment per day)
Decision journal: what questions or challenges do I have? What decision am I making? What led me to that decision?
Run or workout
Cold shower, dress
Start day with top 3 priorities
3. Nutrition
16/8 fasting protocol
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/16-8-intermittent-fasting
Carb cycling with low carbs Monday - Friday and carb re-feed on Saturday after long run
24 hour fast weekly: From Saturday after dinner to Sunday dinner
Weekly infrared sauna on Sunday during fast
Pescatarian slow carb diet
4. Sleep
My evening routine - in beta! 830-900pm
Ipad charging in separate room
Cold shower and moisturiser
Apply essential oils to bottom of feet
Meditation - 10 minutes
Track sleep quality and quantity with the Oura ring
5. Team support
Butt kicker - hiring my leadership trainer
Promoter - inviting a new board of advisors
Teacher - who can I learn from this year? Undecided
Pit crew - nutritionist and massage therapist
6. Physical environment
Declutter and tidy up as per the Marie Kondo protocol
Redesign physical surroundings as per Ingrid Fetel Lee
References and books mentioned (add with the hyperlinks)
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Decision Checklist by Sam Kyle
It’s Who you Know by Janine Garner
The Four Hour Body by Tim Ferriss
The Biohacker’s Handbook by Teemu Arina, medical doctor Olli Sovijärvi and nutritional expert Jaakko Halmetoja
The Life Changing Habit of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo
Joyful - Ingrid Fêtell Lee
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Related episodes on leadership mindset:
E98 - Manager to leader - a shortcut with these great questions
E96 - RETHINK FAILURE: it's not just feedback
E95 - Atomic Habits by James Clear - A book review
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About your host, Canberra leadership expert Zoë Routh:
Canberra based leadership expert Zoë Routh shares why your leadership responsibilities start with self-care
Zoë Routh is one of Australia’s leading experts on people stuff - the stuff that gets in our way of producing results, and the stuff that lights us up. She works with the growers, makers, builders to make people stuff fun and practical.
Zoë is the author of four books: Composure - How centered leaders make the biggest impact, Moments - Leadership when it matters most, Loyalty - Stop unwanted staff turnover, boost engagement, and build lifelong advocates, and People Stuff - Beyond Personalities: An advanced handbook for leadership. People Stuff was awarded Book of the Year 2020 by the Smart WFM Australian Business Book Awards.
Zoë is also the producer of The Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast.
96 Canberra based leadership expert Zoë Routh on the importance of failure
How do you deal with failure? Do you have a bunch of motivational quotes to help you reframe the experience? How do you process the deep shame and anxiety you feel with it? I think we need to RETHINK FAILURE. It’s not just feedback. We need to fail with a framework.
Give yourself permission to fail
How rejection is akin to physical trauma
Two frameworks we need for failure: external risks like financials and safety, and one for ego and reputation.
#boundlessleadership
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Read More95 Canberra based leadership expert Zoë Routh reviews 'Atomic Habits'
Do you have any bad habits? How many times have you tried to break them? New book by James Clear is an awesome antidote to intractable bad habits, and creating ones that nudge us towards what we really want. I walk you through the key points, and use myself as a guinea pig. (Nothing like fear of public shaming to create accountability!)
How to avoid being a Sea Squirt and not eat your own brain
Real behaviour change is identity change
Four steps to real change: cue, craving, response, and reward.
#boundlessleadership
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Read More94 Canberra based leadership expert Zoë Routh on the principles for a boundless leader
Do you ever wonder, ‘Am I living a life well-lived? Am I doing enough? Am I living up to my potential? Or am I wasting my time, letting life slip me by…’ If you have, then this podcast episode for you! I share the 9 principles for being an AMPLIFIER - someone who looks beyond results to true transformation, and life well-lived.
How being bored jolted me into a life-changing question: ‘what is a life well-lived?’
Jason Fried of Basecamp does not have goals or targets - he has 6 week improvement projects instead
Why RESULTS are for transformation, not for goals.
#boundlessleadership
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Read More83 Leadership expert Zoe Routh talks about why energy is the key to leadership success
Energy is key to everything in leadership! When you are worn out, sick, or otherwise flat-lined, you are no good to anyone, and everything is a lot harder. There is more to energy management than just diet and exercise. In this episode I share the 12 simple strategies to create boundless energy.
The three main strategies for energy boosting: give, receive, enhance.
The four pillars of energy to hone: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual.
How to use your journal to celebrate.
#boundlessleadership
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Read More70 Leadership expert Zoe Routh reviews 'A Higher Loyalty'
Comey's book is not just about his take on Trump. It also reveals:
Higher Loyalty - it's not loyalty to the person but to values
Listening as a push-pull experience for greater understanding
You need to be confident enough to be humble
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Read More62 Leadership expert Zoë Routh talks about how to deal with leadership failure
“Failure is just feedback.” Let’s get real. Sometimes failure is crippling and tragic. How do we deal with that kind of failure? When shame and tagged consumes us? We can recover, it takes focus and effort.
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Read More56 Leadership expert Zoë Routh talks about workplace morale
Here are some questions to check your morale DNA:
Belonging
Do you make a big deal of new employees?
Do you show them around and introduce them to all the team members?
Do you make sure they have their workspace ready to go?
Do you have some objects that let them know they are one of the tribe? (Yes, a branded coffee cup of their own can count here)
Meaning
Do you help employees connect with the bigger picture?
Do employees know what you care about, why you do what you do, and how what they do fits in to the bigger cause?
Do you measure and showcase the impact you’ve had on your clients and make sure everyone knows about it?
Gaming
How is the ‘game’ of your work?
What rules are you playing by?
Are they clear and agreed?
Or are there some outdated rules that are clunky?
What systems create friction rather than flow?
Frustration instead of fun?
How do you know if you’re winning the game of work?
Is progress visible and meaningful?
What prize do you get when you ‘win’ at work?
How often do you celebrate wins and winning?
Cleaning up the game of work is a very pragmatic way to boost morale. Just make things easier, simpler, and more fun.
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Read More39 How to develop a collaborative leadership style with Simon Dowling
Simon Dowling is a collaboration specialist who works with senior teams to create environments where their people really thrive. It starts by building what he calls supercharged teams. He is the author of Work With Me - how to get people to buy into your ideas.
Simon had a wondrous start to his professional career: commercial lawyer in a big city firm and improv comedy, and even appeared on Thank God You’re Here.
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