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Talent and motivation matter less than where you actually point your attention, because misallocated focus quietly drains performance even when you're busy. Adam Williams calls this the attention tax, and it's at the centre of his debut book, Mega Focus.  Adam is an award-winning innovator and keynote speaker with 30 years' experience in creative innovation and product development, having worked with brands including Toyota, Ikea, McDonald's, Mazda and Lego. He won the 2022 ACRA and B&T Best of the Best Award and studied at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Kellogg and the London Business School.  Adam explains the difference between the brain's architect and builder modes, why cognitive outsourcing to AI doesn't make us smarter, and how leaders unknowingly train their teams' attention through their own behaviour. He shares his own story of rebuilding his life around what actually matters, and offers a practical way to audit and retrain where your attention goes.  Takeaways  Attention sits upstream of thought, decisions and strategy execution.  The attention tax is the hidden cost of misallocated focus.  Declining IQ scores may reflect attention, not intelligence, decline.  Cognitive outsourcing to AI doesn't make you better at thinking.  The brain's builder favours comfort, ease and immediate reward.  Leaders' own attention habits silently set team-wide group norms.  Being busy is often mistaken for being important or productive.  Mega focus means aligning who you are with what you do.  Follow Adam Willams https://theattentionarchitect.au/  Adam’s book Mega Focus: Take Back Control. Join the Attention Revolution. https://link.amazon/B05xHKYUE  Books recommended Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention by Johann Hari https://link.amazon/B0eG5pzpI  Atomic Habits by James Clear https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0735211299/ Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman  https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1784704008/ Attention Span: Finding Focus for a Fulfilling Life by Gloria Mark  https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0008526001/  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)   Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most workplace tension doesn’t need to be avoided. It needs to be studied, because conflict handled well produces better decisions, stronger relationships and more creative work than harmony ever does. That’s the case Tim Duggan makes after spending three years researching why so few leaders are ever taught how to disagree productively.  Tim co-founded Junkie Media and ran it for 15 years, chairs the Digital Publishers Alliance, writes a weekly column for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and has written four books including his latest, Clear In Tention. He trained with negotiators at Oxford and became an accredited mediator through the University of Western Australia.  Tim unpacks the four terrains of conflict, the difference between positions and interests, and his five-step CLEAR process for working through tension. Getting better at conflict changes how people work, lead and connect with everyone around them.  Takeaways  Conflict is a learnable skill most of us were never taught.  Tension is a pulling force revealing hidden interests beneath stated positions.  Four terrains, summit, arena, swamp, minefield, shape how conflict unfolds.  Trust builds simply through making commitments and consistently following through.  Not every fight is worth having, so test if it matters.  Listening generously means surrendering the urge to interject with yourself.  Pay rise conflicts are rarely about money alone, they signal values.  Relationships inevitably rupture, but repair depends on trust and clarity.  Follow Tim Duggan https://timduggan.com.au/  Tim’s book Clear In Tension: How to Get Better at Conflict https://link.amazon/B04sZQXwJ  Books recommended Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer https://link.amazon/B0doxgH9N  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Great teams don't fail because of a lack of talent or technology, they fail because the relationships between teammates never get the attention that trust, alignment and shared purpose actually require. That's according to Mike Robbins, who has spent 25 years working with leaders and teams on what makes people perform well together, drawing on his own path from being drafted by the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals to a long career studying team dynamics.  Mike explains the difference between healthy conviction and self-righteous debate, how psychological safety shapes the way expectations and consequences land, and why AI can't replace human connection. He also unpacks how leaders should handle talented but toxic performers, individualise feedback, and keep competition constructive rather than corrosive.  Takeaways   Teams underperform when relationships receive less attention than technical strategy.  Healthy debate requires conviction, not self-righteous certainty about being right.  AI has intelligence but lacks the wisdom born from lived experience.  Talented but toxic performers quietly damage team trust and culture.  Healthy competition pushes people forward, unhealthy competition roots against teammates.  Psychological safety determines whether expectations feel motivating or feel threatening.  High expectations without genuine care produce short-lived, stressed performance.  Feedback lands better when people already feel valued day to day.  Follow Mike Robbins https://mike-robbins.com/  Mike’s books Nothing Changes Until You Do: A Guide to Self-Compassion and Getting Out of Your Own Way https://link.amazon/B07zzZpFP We're All in This Together: Creating a Team Culture of High Performance, Trust and Belonging https://link.amazon/B071hwUiY Bring Your Whole Self to Work: How Vulnerability Unlocks Creativity, Connection, and Performance https://link.amazon/B05yr6nYD  Books recommended Theo of Golden by Allen Levi https://link.amazon/B0fQ4a3q6  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discipline, ambition and experience are not enough to sustain high performance, because what actually runs out is biological capacity, not capability. That's according to executive performance advisor Alessandra Edwards, author of The DNA of Performance, which introduces the DNA energy signature, a framework for sustaining high performance around individual biology rather than one-size-fits-all routines.  Alessandra explains how genetic factors like circadian wiring, glucose metabolism and stress chemistry determine when and how someone performs best, and unpacks superhuman syndrome, the deceptive high-functioning state that often precedes burnout.  She shares the early warning signs leaders miss, from needing more caffeine to shortened emotional fuses, and offers practical guidance for self-assessment and for supporting a struggling direct report.  Takeaways   Capability rarely declines with age, but daily capacity often does.  Circadian wiring determines when someone naturally reaches peak cognitive performance.  Genetic testing revealed one client's early rising was undermining their sleep.  Understanding your energy rhythm beats copying someone else's morning routine.  Blood glucose stability affects focus, mood and leadership quality daily.  Superhuman syndrome feels invincible but quietly drains long-term capacity.  Needing more caffeine than usual signals approaching burnout, not resilience.  Knowing your stress-response genotype helps you turn pressure up or down.  Follow Alessandra Edwards  Alessandra’s book The DNA of High-Performance Leadership Action Plan https://link.amazon/B05CehPJb  Book recommended by Alessandra Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Dr Peter Attia with Bill Gifford  https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1785044559/  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Kristy Goodwin has spent her career studying what technology does to the way we think, work and perform, and her own descent into burnout taught her the cost of ignoring the warning signs. With a PhD examining the impact of digital technologies, she works with leaders and organisations to understand how stress, distraction and constant connection affects sustainable performance.  Kristy explains why our ancient biology can't keep pace with AI-driven acceleration, and how the "botsitting" left over from automation is quietly exhausting knowledge workers. She unpacks the concept of a success tax, the hidden price high performers pay when they live out of sync with their human operating system.  Kristy shares her three pillars of powered-up performance – stress adaptability, focus and proactive recovery – along with practical tools like the energy audit and piccolo, tall and grande breaks.  Takeaways   We are living and working incompatible with our ancient human operating system.  AI adoption increased digital intensity instead of delivering promised efficiency gains.  “Botsitting” now consumes nearly a full workday evaluating AI output.  Burnout is a slow, erosive process that blindsides even the experts.  Stress adaptability, focus and recovery form the three performance pillars.  Piccolo, tall and grande breaks structure recovery throughout the working day.  Energy, not time, is the real lever leaders should be pulling.  Consistent sleep and wake times matter more than total sleep hours.  Follow Dr Kristy Goodwin https://www.drkristygoodwin.com/  Kristy’s books Dear Digital, We need to talk: A guilt-free guide to taming your tech habits and thriving in a distracted world https://link.amazon/B0dqwwuQk Raising Your Child in a Digital World: What You Really Need to Know! https://link.amazon/B0fsF3UX9  Books recommended Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less https://link.amazon/B0bunCrL1 Four Thousand Weeks: Embrace your limits. Change your life. Make your four thousand weeks count. https://link.amazon/B0hCB3Pui  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review    Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The best person to facilitate a company’s planning session is often the one who knows the business least. Because their job is to challenge assumptions, surface disagreement and create genuine alignment. A plan only becomes powerful when the people responsible for executing it have helped build it.  I’m joined by my fellow Evolution Partners coaches Andres Zylberberg, Richard Peake and Sue Turk, to discuss the role of the facilitator in creating a planning process where everyone has a voice, ideas are challenged and the team genuinely commits to the outcome.  We explore why AI can support strategic planning but shouldn’t replace human debate, how the “power of the pen” can create unconscious compliance, and why an external facilitator can uncover blind spots, encourage psychological safety and challenge the thinking inside the room.  Takeaways   A good plan creates commitment when the people involved build it.  AI can support planning, but it cannot manufacture genuine team commitment.  External facilitators challenge assumptions that internal leaders may unconsciously overlook.  The team that builds the plan is less likely resisting.  Leaders cannot effectively facilitate while simultaneously participating in strategic planning discussions.  Psychological safety allows teams to surface disagreements, concerns and alternative perspectives.  Great facilitators create tension that leads to better strategic decisions.  The cost of executing a weak plan far exceeds facilitation fees.  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)   Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can't out-hack evolution, says cognitive performance specialist Clint Rahe. Business leaders who try to operate at peak intensity all year are setting themselves up for burnout instead of sustainable results.  A former Royal Air Force physical training instructor, Clint has since worked with business leaders, teams and elite athletes on preparing for high-stakes moments without running at full throttle year-round.  Clint explains why leaders should treat their calendar as a performance tool, how to train for high-pressure moments the way athletes and military operators do, and why recovery doesn't require a week in Bali. Sometimes it's just the gap between two meetings. He also unpacks how AI is quietly increasing cognitive load, and why after-action reviews deserve a place in business as much as they have in sport and the military.  Takeaways  Elite athletes and soldiers train hard, then deliberately recover fully.  Business leaders rarely rehearse the high-pressure moments that matter most.  Cognitive periodisation structures your year, quarter, month, week, and day.  Treat your calendar as a genuine performance tool, not clutter.  Schedule preparation and decompression time around your hardest meetings daily.  Recovery can simply be the gap between two back-to-back meetings.  After-action reviews turn experience into lessons instead of repeated mistakes.  AI creates spare capacity, and leaders instantly refill it again.  Follow Clint Rahe The Cognitive Athlete https://thecognitiveathlete.com.au/  Clint’s book The Cognitive Athlete: Sustainable Peak Performance for Leaders, Thinkers and Doers https://link.amazon/B0hA2t6el  Books recommended Turn the Ship Around by David Marquet https://link.amazon/B04xHQKaH  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The right business operating system isn’t the one with the best software or the most passionate followers. It’s the one that helps your people consistently execute, adapt and achieve what the business needs at its current stage.  I’m joined by Evolution Partners leadership coaches Andreas Zylberberg, Sue Turk and Richard Peake to explore what happens when a business outgrows its operating system — and whether the real problem is the system at all.  We discuss why habits, discipline and execution matter more than methodology, how a business’s needs change as it grows, and the difference between an implementer, advisor and coach. We also explore why the quality of the coach can matter more than the tool, and why the best coaches meet businesses where they are rather than forcing them into a one-size-fits-all framework.  Takeaways  The right operating system adapts as your business evolves.  Software cannot compensate for poor habits, discipline and inconsistent execution.  Your business needs change as complexity, people and markets evolve.  The best coach adapts frameworks to your business’s specific circumstances.  Don’t choose a system because everyone else says it works.  The quality of coaching matters more than the software itself.  Great coaches identify blind spots and strengthen leadership team capability.  Choose what helps your business achieve its desired outcomes.  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)   Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lawrence Lam has spent his career studying why founder-led companies consistently outperform, and his answer comes down to three traits: bold judgment, aligned incentives, and public influence. Founders with real skin in the game make decisions salaried executives rarely can.  Lawrence is Founder and Managing Director of Luminary Investment Management, which runs the Luminary Global Founders Fund, investing in listed companies where founders retain meaningful ownership and influence.  Lawrence unpacks findings from Luminary's global study of thousands of listed companies, explains why founder DNA often outlasts the founder, and shares lessons from Steve Jobs, Jensen Huang, and Chemist Warehouse's Jack Gantz. He also explores psychological ownership, the risks of "professionalising" too fast, and why long-term incentive design matters more than most boards realise.  Takeaways   Founder-led companies outperform through bold judgment, alignment, and public influence.  Long-term thinking matters more than any single founder's personal presence.  Aligned incentives mean leaders share both the upside and downside risk.  Adding too many decision-makers slows companies and breeds conservative, cautious thinking.  Intrinsic motivation builds longer-lasting commitment than bonuses or external financial rewards.  Psychological ownership can exist in leaders who never actually founded anything.  Investors should look beyond reports by talking directly to frontline employees.  Founder-led companies are growing fast across every industry and global region.  Follow Lawrence Lam https://lumenaryinvest.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-lam-354b84bb/  Lawrence’s book The Founder Effect: Three Pillars of Success in Founder-Led Companies https://link.amazon/B0bLEzEQ6  Books recommended Shoe Dog by Phil Knight https://link.amazon/B04Ccoaeu  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working longer hours doesn't necessarily lead to better results. According to accountant and author John Briggs, the key to higher productivity is working in focused blocks, taking genuine recovery breaks, and measuring outcomes instead of time at a desk.  A CPA with a master's degree in tax, John built Insight Tax from a solo practice into a multi-million-dollar firm with almost 300 employees. After implementing his 3.3 Rule, the business grew 492% while averaging just 42-hour work weeks during tax season.  John explains the science behind cognitive load, why scrolling your phone isn't a real break at all, and how restorative pauses can improve focus, profitability and wellbeing. He also shares practical advice for leaders wanting to shift their teams from measuring hours worked to measuring meaningful results.  Takeaways  Working smarter beats working longer when results matter most every day.  Recovery breaks improve focus, productivity, wellbeing, and long-term business performance consistently.  Measure employee outcomes instead of hours spent sitting behind desks daily.  Scrolling your phone rarely provides the restorative break your brain actually needs.  The best recovery break often starts with an unplugged walk outside alone.  Focus deeply, recover intentionally, then return with renewed clarity and energy.  Redefining personal success creates happier leaders and stronger, more sustainable businesses together.  Productivity rises when leaders trust people instead of monitoring every hour.  Follow John Briggs  https://therealjohnbriggs.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealjohnbriggs/  John’s book Author’s book Take Breaks, Work Better: Measure Impact, Not Hours, and Transform Your Profitability https://link.amazon/B0bpQgyXA or https://takebreaksworkbetter.com/  Books recommended Rich Relationships: Create a Million-Dollar Network for Your Business  https://link.amazon/B0a82yqB4  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The biggest obstacle to growing your business may not be your strategy, your market or your team. It could be your own ego. In this roundtable discussion, the Evolution Partners coaching team explores how founders and CEOs can unknowingly become the bottleneck by shutting down ideas, limiting autonomy and creating cultures where people stop speaking up.  Brad Giles is joined by leadership coaches Andres Zylberberg, Richard Peake & Sue Turk, who collectively work with business owners and executive teams across Australia to help them build stronger leaders, healthier cultures and more valuable businesses. Together they unpack the subtle ways ego shows up in leadership, why blind spots are impossible to see alone, and how curiosity, feedback and great coaching can unlock better decisions, stronger teams and sustainable business growth.  Takeaways   Your biggest business bottleneck might be the leader staring back at you. Great leaders stay curious, especially when their instincts tell them otherwise.  Your team cannot outperform the limits created by your own ego.  Blind spots become dangerous when leaders stop inviting honest, challenging feedback.  Empowered teams make faster, better decisions than founder-dependent organisations every day.  Ego builds businesses but unchecked ego eventually limits their future growth.  The best founders create problem-solvers instead of becoming every problem's solution.  Growth begins when leaders question themselves before questioning everyone else.  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The biggest threat to your team's focus isn't distraction from outside the business. It could be you. Shawn Vanderhoven, partner at the Wiseman Group, says driven leaders often unintentionally create the very chaos their teams are trying to escape.  Shawn helped grow his family software company 30-fold before moving into leadership development, later collaborating with Liz Wiseman on the second edition of her best-selling book, Multipliers.  Drawing on research into hundreds of leaders and employees, Shawn explains why personal productivity habits collapse under team pressure, and what leaders can do instead. He unpacks digital distraction archetypes, why "turning out your pockets" reveals hidden workload, and how tapping the brakes creates space for teams to do their best, most focused work.  Takeaways   Driven leaders often create the very distractions their teams struggle with.  Productivity is a social problem, not just a personal discipline issue.  Turning out your pockets reveals hidden workload before setting new priorities.  Jump-in delegation disrupts focus; tuning in respects existing priorities first.  Digital distractors like novelists and arsonists quietly sabotage team focus.  Naming your digital wake helps leaders build healthier communication habits.  Facing the pain of saying no protects space for real priorities.  Labelling ideas as soft or hard opinions prevents unintended instructions.  Follow Shawn Vanderhoven https://www.pausebook.co/  Shawn’s book PAUSE: How to Lead Brilliant Work in a Busy World with Shawn Vanderhoven https://link.amazon/B0eMnTLXx  Books recommended Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships by Marshall B. B. Rosenberg https://link.amazon/B0cdlcC0g  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)   Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under pressure, capable people don't lose their skills — they lose access to them, as fear shuts down the brain's decision-making centre. That's according to leadership advisor and psychotherapist Errol Amerasakara, owner of Bluestone Edge, who has spent almost two decades working with executive teams and elite sporting organisations on trust and performance.  Errol unpacks his concept of "adaptive safety", explaining how teams stay honest, connected and capable of learning when stakes are high, and why psychological safety is too often confused with comfort. He shares the micro-behaviours that build or erode trust in thirty seconds, how leaders should read silence in a room, and why the best teams debrief weekly rather than waiting for the next offsite.  Takeaways   Fear physiologically shuts down the brain's skills and decision-making centre.  Teams unconsciously mirror each other's stress through nervous system contagion.  Psychological safety means willingness to speak up, not mere comfort.  Adaptive safety must be built continuously through small daily behaviours.  Micro-behaviours in any given moment build or erode team trust.  Debriefing weekly builds a team's muscle for honest self-reflection.  Leaders should stay curious about silence rather than rushing decisions.  Shorter gaps between insight and action signal stronger team safety.  Follow Errol Amerasekera https://errolamerasekera.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/errol-amerasekera-a254154/  Errol’s bookFrom Fear to Flow: The Adaptive Safety Revolution https://link.amazon/B0aNthDCI  Books recommended The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World by Ronald A. Heifetz https://link.amazon/B0gKTELR5  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The biggest productivity gains rarely come from adding more—they come from removing what no longer serves you. Productivity expert Donna McGeorge calls this “red brick thinking”: identifying what can be removed to create space for better decisions, clearer priorities and more meaningful work.  Donna is an international speaker and bestselling author of 15 books. Her practical approach to reclaiming time has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes and Fast Company.  Donna explains why “addition bias” keeps organisations overloaded, how reducing meetings and protecting thinking time improves performance, and why the greatest gift you can give your future self is removing the red bricks that no longer belong. She also shares why leaders should aim to operate at 85% capacity instead of 100%, how to build room for better thinking, and why creating space – not filling it – is becoming one of the most valuable leadership skills of all.  Takeaways   Stop adding solutions before asking what can be removed instead first.  The best productivity gains come from strategic subtraction, not constant addition.  Protect thinking time because busy leaders rarely make their best decisions.  Too many meetings often reveal low trust rather than genuine collaboration needs.  Operate at 85% capacity to create room for unexpected challenges daily.  Creating space is becoming one of today’s most valuable leadership advantages everywhere.  Your future self will thank you for removing unnecessary red bricks today.  Artificial intelligence saves time only if you intentionally protect that newfound space.  Follow Donna McGeorge https://donnamcgeorge.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnamcgeorge/  https://www.instagram.com/  Donna’s books https://donnamcgeorge.com/books/ Red Brick Thinking: Make Space. Find Focus. Move Forward The ChatGPT Revolution The 1 Day Refund: Take Back Time, Spend It Wisely The First 2 Hours: Make Better Use of Your Most Valuable Time The 25 Minute Meeting: Half the Time, Double the Impact  Books recommended It's Who You Know: How a Network of 12 Key People Can Fast-track Your Success https://link.amazon/B0exg5l0Z  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The central challenge of AI is not learning new tools. It’s learning to organise information, redesign workflows and lead change. Dave Hajdu argues that businesses focusing only on AI are solving the wrong problem.  Dave Hajdu is an entrepreneur, technology leader and founder whose career began at Microsoft before launching and scaling multiple technology businesses, including TinyPulse, the employee engagement platform acquired by WebMD. Today, as founder of Edge8 and the AI Officer Institute, he helps organisations prepare for the next generation of AI-powered work.  Dave explains why successful AI adoption is driven far more by information, processes and leadership than technology itself. He shares practical examples of compressing recruitment, marketing and business workflows, explains why prompting is becoming less important than business frameworks, and outlines how leaders can build organisations where humans and AI agents work together to create lasting competitive advantage.  Takeaways   AI rewards better thinking, not simply faster adoption of new technology today. Organised information creates greater competitive advantage than expensive AI tools alone today. Leaders must redesign workflows before expecting meaningful results from artificial intelligence initiatives. Successful AI implementation depends more on planning than rapid execution and experimentation. Future leaders will manage both talented people and intelligent AI agents together. Business frameworks produce stronger AI outcomes than clever prompting techniques ever will. Companies embracing AI thoughtfully will attract stronger talent and outperform slower competitors. The biggest opportunity is transforming processes, not chasing the latest AI applications.  Follow Dave Hadju https://www.davehajdu.com/ https://www.ai-officer.com/ https://edge8.ai/  Dave’s book https://www.davehajdu.com/books The Other 50% The Four Offices of the Future Books recommended The Innovator's Dilemma - Clayton Christensen https://amzn.to/4eowAqF Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review.  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.