Industry experiences, expert advice & the latest tips and tricks for creating positive change in your industry.
Read our latest posts
Browse all posts
We live, lead and love in a fast-paced world. Nothing stands still! So, what skills will leaders need to lead effectively as we head towards 2030 and beyond? Leaders mustn’t be complacent. You must be agile and adaptive and must constantly reshape your leadership...
How much time do you spend thinking and preparing ahead? Do you find yourself making a “to do” list for today or jotting down your goals and plans for 5 or even 10 years from now? Time never slows. We are fast approaching 2030 and beyond. Then it will be on to 2050. I...
Relationships are one of the most important success factors in leadership. Interestingly, we are not usually taught how to develop effective relationships through our education and nor do we usually invest much time or effort into it throughout our career. Sure, we...
Own Your Own Space! These four words were shared by a participant in a recent group session for emerging leaders. You could have heard a pin drop. The discussion was around leading projects of impact and the importance of ensuring that you maintain the ownership of...
So much happens in a leadership program and especially when a leadership group meets up face to face. I get this and it’s important to gain the most you can when together. However, group dynamics are different to individual activity. I reckon there’s a lot that you...
I can remember the exact moment when I was introduced to the idea of leadership manifestos. I was with Dr Brene Brown in Sydney around 10 years ago. It was before she become a global conversationalist sharing research about leadership, courage and shame resilience. To...
I’m going to ask you some questions right from the get go here. How do you feel when someone reads their presentation word for word? Do you feel connected to the speaker? Do you feel a part of the presentation? Does it turn you on and do you want to hear more? So, if...
Maybe it’s a field day, an Expo, a forum; perhaps a Roundtable or an international industry event like BeefWeek that has hundreds of seminars, forums, launches, dinners, luncheons, exhibitions, competitions and exhibitors. Whichever it is, it’s a BIG deal and you have...
Have you ever been transported to another place or time? Or sat on the edge of your seat when listening to a person speak? Have you ever felt emotional when listening to a keynote address or felt compelled to share information you have heard with others after a...
Have you ever wondered what type of leader you are? Anyone can engage in leadership, it’s how you lead that matters! Many of us fall into leadership positions because we are asked and want to do something to help. But leadership is so much more than this, it drives...
It’s always a buzz to see people complete a leadership program. Sometimes the program is a year long, sometimes just a couple of days. I love seeing people achieve new knowledge and skills. You have a choice when you complete a leadership program. You can either sigh...
I find any groups of people or teams fascinating to be a part of and or to watch as they make their way towards achieving visions and goals together that wouldn’t be possible on their own. I’ve been involved in many conversations with leaders as they talk about their...
We often build field visits into our leadership programs. We research, identify and line up a field visit that we think aligns best to the needs of participants. This can be in the same industry or in a totally unrelated industry. These field visits provide access to...
Congratulations, you’ve gained a place in a leadership program. This is a BIG deal! If you pay for it yourself you have a financial stake and this should drive you to participate well and gain the most you can. If your enterprise or industry has invested in you then...
You’ve found yourself a mentor or been matched with one as part of a mentoring program. Your excitement levels are high and you can’t believe you have access to this person – someone you have admired for some time. You know about the value of mentoring and you are...
Having a mentor to believe in you, support you, guide and challenge you can be rewarding. Mentoring can make you aim high and achieve high. I have supported the matching of many mentoring partnerships both in and outside leadership programs. We have written materials...
About 20 years ago I found myself at a national conference. As part of this, I participated in my first Open Space Technology session and loved it. And I wasn’t the only one. Many people shared they loved the experience, felt they were heard, worked on something of...
There are loads of facilitation tools and techniques available. A key part of your role as a facilitator is to select which to use to achieve the best outcomes. We often use and are often asked about designing sessions based on the principles of The World Café...
Facilitation tools go well beyond talk time. When used well they can draw out conversation, opinions, feelings, priorities, inspiration, experiences, stories, issues and motivation. They can take the focus off the ‘directed nature’ of a session and place ‘çontrol’...
We are often asked what it takes and how long it takes to become an effective and sought after facilitator. And then it’s usually followed with “Do you think I would make a good facilitator?” To help answer this question, I’ve put together my list of top traits. They...
Have you ever wondered how to get started as a facilitator? Or maybe you’ve been asked to facilitate an issue, new project or change in your workplace or team. If you have, then please forgive yourself if you headed straight into the drafting of an agenda with...
“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” Amy Poehler People are our greatest asset. So much more can be achieved when we work together than we ever could alone. Whether you work...
Are you interested in making a difference in the world? Do you see things – even small things that you know could change your world or that of your career or business? Then it’s likely stepping into leadership will benefit others as well as yourself. Right now, I want...
If you haven’t already, then I can guarantee you that at some time in your life you will face adversity. Not all change we experience we choose for ourselves and it’s at these times that it pays to be as prepared as you can be. And I mean to be both physically and...
I want to share with you a real life and real time truth today. When I work with people in jobs and those who have their own business, many will ask me -How do I fast track my career? or How do I increase the profile of my business? And they often ask, can you help me...
Have you ever thought about what makes a stand out leader? And if you have, how you stack up? In my work as a leadership specialist, I see people put up their hands to lead without really knowing what it takes to even be a leader. True. Doesn’t make any sense does it?...
Yes, absolutely, first impressions count! As a leader, it is important that you are aware of the impression you give. And it's so important that this is the authentic you and is the impression you want others to have of you. It's also important that you own this from...
I’m often asked how we got to work in the Cotton industry, what’s it like and is it different to other sectors? I think these questions are super relevant for others in business as we had no prior experience with Cotton and didn’t know what a boll was (we pronounced...
“Leaders at all levels need a fresh take on how to approach the future and how to lead into it to prepare themselves and their teams for a next normal where certainty is off the table and moving forward means working with the flow without blowing in the wind.” Maggie...
Keeping an open or growth mindset can be harder than you think. It’s about utilizing your human capital assets. And to do this, you need to know how. It’s time to get intentional about putting open or growth mindsets into action.The growth mindset concept was...
Clients and colleagues are telling me that they are now getting back to participating in Face to Face meetings, forums, training and events. This means we are getting back to meeting people, sharing who we are, buying in (or not) to the ideas of others and...
A Deloitte study says strong leadership raises company valuation by 16%, and poor leadership discounts it by19%. The ability to lead a diverse, and inclusive team while ensuring equity is key. Ability Agriculture is shining a light on how to move forward.I read an...
“If you attend to the emotional nature of the folks you’re working with, they’re much more likely to attend to the nature of the work.” Doug Conant There’s a lot of chatter going on about workforce planning at the moment. About attracting, recruiting, and retaining...
“You have to be able to set boundaries, otherwise the rest of the world is telling you who you are and what you should be doing.” OprahBoundary riding (ooops) I mean boundary setting is a really important leadership skill. The setting of your boundaries is linked to...
Stepping in to lead a ZOOM call is an art. It takes energy to create a visible presence. Do you know that many people are fearful of meeting this way? As someone who leads online meetings, it falls to you to consciously use tips and tools to ensure engagement and...
Clarity comes before confidence is a simple concept. Or is it? Try putting it into practise and you will find that it's not as easy as it first sounds. Master the simplicity of it and you will be well on your way to building success in both your work and personal...
You’ve been told to get everyone together and host a ZOOM meeting. Doesn’t sound too difficult, does it? Setting up a ZOOM account is easy. Sending out a calendar invite is simple. What’s not so easy is how to navigate and facilitate a group of people to get the best...
Do you put off having difficult conversations - at work and at home? If you do, read on as there is a lot more to mastering difficult conversations than you think. It's not good enough to have a 'chat' and think you have dealt with 'it'. You need to get your head...
I've been reflecting.... While working with a group of leaders in agriculture last week we spoke about the importance of self reflection. It was a newish idea for many and for others it isn't something they have consciously practised or built as a leadership habit....
I recently attended the Brene Brown LIVE event in Australia. WOW. I came away committed to sharing the top 5 things I learned and to support you to apply these learnings in agriculture and beyond. In the last two decades researcher, Dr Brene Brown has become...
I have always loved reading, watching and learning from others who are successful. My bedside table always has at least one biography on there. If you know me well, you likely know I’m a bit of a sticky beak – a nice one – always interested in other people’s lives –...