Leadership Lane with Rita Cincotta

This week we welcome Alessandra Edwards to The Deliberate Leader Podcast. Alessandra Edwards is a leading expert in the DNA of performance and well-being, dedicated to empowering high-performing leaders to harness their genetics and biology for optimal health and vitality. 

With over 16 years in the field, she has guided high level leaders across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the US, helping them tap into their genetic blueprint to unlock boundless energy and resilience.  Working closely with leading CEOs, executives, founders and business owners, Alessandra offers a distinct approach by combining her expertise as a clinical health scientist, nutritionist and epigenetic expert with her background as a UK corporate executive, all the while integrating the latest scientific advancements. 

When not working with clients, Alessandra pushes personal boundaries, training for triathlons and always seeking the next step in health and longevity optimisation.  

Alessandra Edwards is the go-to professional for leaders serious about elevating their health, performance and longevity. 

Show Notes

• https://alessandraedwards.com/

In this conversation, we explore deliberate leaders and deliberate strategy, particularly around purpose, feedback, accountability, self-awareness and perspective.

David Fish is a globally recognised strategist, business leader, best-selling author and record-breaking pilot.

His 30-year career in marketing and advertising saw him rise to become Chief Strategy Officer, and he has worked with and advised some of the world's largest brands as well as global agency networks, tech start-ups and media companies, giving him a deep understanding of what it takes to connect, engage and convince.

But David Fish is more than just a corporate powerhouse. He's a world record holder, a British and Australian aviation champion, and a commercial pilot. Fishy, as he's affectionately known, brings a fresh perspective that not only excites the mind but challenges our perceptions of the boundless possibilities that await us.

To explore Fishy’s work please visit: https://www.davidfish.com.au

In this week’s episode author and psychologist, Dr Kirsten Peterson talks to us about grit and performance and draws parallels from the sporting world.

Kirsten’s book, “When Grit Is Not Enough” serves as a great tool for leaders who have been taught that gritting your teeth and getting through despite fears and challenges will serve you well.

Kirsten provides insights about how deliberate leaders can improve their relationship with vulnerability, fear and effort.

Show Notes

• When GRIT is Not Enough: Reworking Mindset and Purpose for Easier Effort in Hard Times - Available NOW!⁠

In this week’s episode, Rita chats with Megan Buntine, Board and Executive Team Advisor and Executive Coach.  Megan draws on her extensive experience across a range of sectors to share insights on what she sees exceptional deliberate leaders do. She shares her views on the importance of self-leadership first and also puts out the “50 coffees challenge” to anyone who is keen to strategically expand their network.

In this episode we speak to Siobhan Mulcahy, Partner at Gaden’s law firm, specialising in Employment Advisory.  Siobhan discusses how she leverages her intuition to be a more deliberate leader.  Siobhan also shares insights from a profound learning experience over the last two years and how this has helped to shape how she leads her team.

In this week’s episode of The Deliberate Leader podcast I am joined by Rhea Mercado. Rhea leads The Intelligent Rebellion, revolutionising organisational structures, and fostering open forums to empower professionals to shape a brighter future. As an exercise physiologist, injury management specialist, and business owner, Rhea grasps the delicate balance between the mission of healthcare and the margin of business. Having experienced occupational burnout herself and witnessing it in her colleagues, Rhea shifted her focus from patients to professionals. Authoring "Compo: A Rehabilitation Consultant's Journey” inspired her to establish The Intelligent Rebellion and Threesticks Training and Development, safe spaces that champion creativity and imagination, igniting impactful conversations and solutions, and for professionals to unleash their superpowers. As a speaker, Rhea infuses dynamism, credibility, relatability, sass, and charisma, challenging audiences to ask better questions, and to understand they are capable of creating change. Show Notes:

@rheamercs on Linkedin and Instagram #intelligenrebellion
Rhea Mercado HQ
The Intelligent Rebellion
Threesticks Training & Development

This week I am joined by AFL sports star and now CEO, Nick Maxwell.

Nick Maxwell is the epitome of hard work, persistence & ‘team’. After years of knockbacks, he became one of the Australian Football League’s greatest success stories, going from the rookie list to an AFL Premiership Captain, leading the Collingwood Football Club to a drought-breaking flag in 2010.

Maxwell is recognised for his excellent leadership capabilities, becoming a successful Leadership coach with the Melbourne Storm, GWS Giants & an advisor to Leaders in business, presenting to and working with companies like Telstra, Barry Plant Real Estate, PWC, BHP, Holden and the Melbourne Stars. He also completed his MBA, focusing on Sports Administration.

In November 2017, Maxwell returned to Collingwood where he is GM of Football Operations, also responsible for Leadership and Culture across the AFL, AFLW, Netball and administration. After that, he left football to become CEO of Eclat, a hospitality infused workspace in Melbourne, Australia.

In this conversation, Nick shares many insights from how he went from being Captain to one of the most successful AFL teams to now being a corporate CEO in a completely different industry.  He talks about defining moments that matter in leadership, and how focusing on these makes a significant difference to your team and organisation.  Nick shares many stories that helped shape his leadership, from the football field to the board table.

This week's episode is all about hybrid working three years post-pandemic.  We have learned a lot about how to navigate this different way of working, and in this conversation, I had the pleasure of speaking to an expert in this area, Associate Professor John Hopkins. 

John Hopkins is an Associate Professor of Management from Swinburne University of Technology, and the Founder of WorkFLEX, a Melbourne-based company offering a range of online courses, coaching and training, to help workers and organisations successfully transition to new ways of working.

John has been one of Australia’s leading experts in flexible and remote work practices for the past decade and has led a range of projects for both public sector and private sector clients, including: the Australian Fair Work Commission, The National Workplace Institute, Regional Development Victoria, NSW Public Service Commission, Deloitte, Transport for NSW, and the Australian Productivity Commission.

In our discussion, John provides the latest research on hybrid working, productivity, a four-day working week and what people are looking for when they do come into the physical office space.  John also discusses what this means for leaders and teams.

John offers an online workshop on ‘Mastering the 4DW’.  As a special offer for our listeners, John is offering a 30% discount for the workshop.  To take advantage of this, use the code RITA30.  

In this episode, I had the great pleasure of welcoming Barb Hyman to the show.  Barb is the Founder and CEO of sapia.ai

We had a great discussion about vulnerabilities and challenges in leadership and how these occurrences helped Barb to shape her own leadership style.  Barb shares stories of important mentors and leaders who have helped her move through her own leadership lanes.  We also discussed what the Leader of 2028 look like given the pace of change with AI ( 5 years post recording). 

Show Notes

• Steve Vamos Ted Talk: Digital Disruption is a human thing⁠
• Sapia.ai: Try smart chat, and experience what 3 million people across 47 countries have – empowering, motivating – we call it Smart Interviewer™