Future Fit Leadership

What does resilience really look like in a world that never seems to slow down? In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I sit down with resilience coach, speaker and facilitator Russell Harvey to explore one of the most important leadership capabilities of the decade. As workplaces face rapid technological change, shifting expectations and growing levels of uncertainty, resilience has moved well beyond being a personal wellbeing concept. It is becoming a critical leadership skill. But according to Russell, resilience is not about pushing harder, bouncing back, or pretending everything is fine. It is about learning how to adapt, grow and move forward through challenge. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in leadership development and organisational change, Russell shares the lessons that shaped his own journey and the insights he has gained from working with leaders across a wide range of industries. Together, they discuss why resilience matters more than ever, the common misconceptions leaders have about it, and the practical habits that help individuals and teams thrive under pressure. The conversation explores the cost of constant change, the importance of self-awareness, the relationship between resilience and leadership, and why the future will belong to those who can remain adaptable, curious and grounded in uncertain times. Whether you are leading a team, navigating change, or simply trying to stay ahead of an increasingly complex world, this episode offers a thoughtful and practical perspective on what it takes to build resilience that lasts.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when the workplace that is meant to support you becomes the very thing that breaks you? In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I sit down with Jane Phipps, author of The Heart-Centered Leader, to explore a topic that affects more people than we often realise: toxic workplace cultures and the lasting impact they can have on our wellbeing, confidence, and sense of self. Drawing on her own experiences of workplace bullying, narcissistic leadership, and growing up in an environment shaped by control and fear, Jane shares how those experiences influenced her leadership philosophy and ultimately led her to a very different way of leading. Together, we discuss psychological safety, emotional intelligence, accountability without fear, and why trust remains one of the most important foundations of leadership. Jane also shares the moment her body told her something was wrong before her mind was ready to acknowledge it, and how that experience changed the way she views work, leadership, and personal responsibility. We explore why many people stay in unhealthy workplaces longer than they should, the hidden cost this can have on women, carers, and those who cannot simply walk away, and what leaders can do to create environments where people feel safe to contribute, challenge ideas, and bring their whole selves to work. This is an honest conversation about courage, recovery, self-awareness, and the kind of leadership the future requires. One built not on control, but on trust, kindness, and humanity. Guest: Jane PhippsBook: The Heart-Centered Leader: Transformation and Healing from Narcissistic Abuse to Self-EmpowermentSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I sit down with Kirsten Taylor Martin from Grant Thornton to unpack one of the biggest leadership and economic shifts facing Australian business today. Over the next 20 years, more than $3.5 trillion is expected to transition from one generation to the next in family businesses. But as Kirsten explains, succession is not just a financial process. It’s emotional, deeply personal, and far more complex than many families expect. We discuss why succession planning has become the number one challenge facing family businesses, the growing tension between incumbent leaders and the rising generation, and why many experienced successors are still waiting well into their 40s, 50s, and beyond to take over leadership. Kirsten shares insights from Grant Thornton’s 2025 Family Business Survey, including the clash in priorities between generations. While founders are focused on business performance, economic pressure, and protecting what they’ve built, the next generation is increasingly focused on family relationships, communication, and creating a future that works for everyone involved. We also explore why retirement feels so confronting for many founders, the emotional weight of stepping away from a business that has shaped their identity, and the risks that emerge when families avoid difficult conversations for too long. This is a practical and human conversation about leadership transition, legacy, governance, and the future of family business in Australia. If you lead a family business, work in one, or expect to inherit one someday, this conversation will give you a clearer understanding of what’s at stake, and why starting early matters more than ever.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to lead with impact when the world won’t stop changing? Holly Ransom (author of The Leading Edge) shares how to lead with courage and mattering while navigating constant change. Learn practical habits and decision steps for leading from the edge, building influence, and creating future-ready teams. Key takeaways: 1) How to make courageous choices that signal organizational values; 2) Small actions that increase mattering and staff buy-in; 3) Tactical approaches to lead through uncertainty. Ideal for emerging and experienced leaders seeking actionable leadership tools. A sharp, energising conversation with insights from Holly’s own journey and her conversations with leaders like Barack Obama and Richard Branson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I sit down with Emmy Sobieski, a former fund manager who ran the number one fund in the world and now coaches high performers on how to build real, lasting wealth. Her career is anything but linear. It is shaped by sharp decisions, missed opportunities, sustained pressure, and a growing clarity about what actually matters over time. We explore the concept of leverage and why many people spend too long trying to break into roles rather than building equity in their careers. Emmy explains how small shifts in where you sit within a business can significantly change your financial trajectory, and why focusing on the next pay rise can distract from building something more meaningful and durable. We also talk about the reality behind high performance. The long hours, the trade-offs, and the point where success begins to come at a cost. Emmy shares how she has rethought health, energy, and sustainability, while still maintaining ambition and drive. If you are looking to take a more deliberate approach to your career, your financial future, and how you lead, this conversation offers a clear and practical perspective. Show notes: Guest: Emmy SobieskiTopic: Career leverage, wealth building, high performance, sustainability Listen and subscribe:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/future-fit-leadership/id1665791866See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I’m joined by Christina Howard, a former Fortune 100 HR leader and founder of Intently, to explore what it really means to lead with intention. Christina’s career spans large corporate environments, executive leadership, and coaching senior leaders through complexity and change. Along the way, she’s built a reputation for helping leaders move beyond theory and into practical, human-centred leadership. We discuss how leaders can build self-awareness as a foundation for better decision-making, why values only matter when they are translated into everyday behaviours, and how to create cultures that are designed with purpose rather than left to chance. We also explore the realities leaders are facing today. Navigating difference within teams, creating space for diverse perspectives, and leading with empathy without losing clarity or direction. Christina shares the distinction between intellectual and emotional empathy, and why that gap will matter even more as AI becomes embedded in the workplace. This is a thoughtful and practical conversation for leaders who want to lead with intention, stay grounded in their values, and build organisations that are both high performing and deeply human. https://www.intentlyco.com/about-usSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What makes a message land? In this episode, I sit down with Carmen Sederino, founder of Illuminated Story, to explore why storytelling is one of the most underused leadership skills today. Carmen brings a rare perspective. With a background in performing arts and nearly two decades in corporate leadership, she works with CEOs and executives to strengthen how they communicate when it matters most. We talk about the gap between delivering information and actually connecting with people. Why data alone rarely sticks. And how leaders can use story, presence, and energy to bring their message to life. This is a practical conversation on executive presence, communication under pressure, and how to move from simply presenting information to creating real impact. If you lead people, present often, or carry responsibility for communicating change, this episode will give you a clearer way forward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does leadership look like in a world where robots inspect our infrastructure, AI shapes our healthcare, and automation transforms entire industries? In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I sit down with Dr Sue Keay, one of Australia’s leading voices in robotics, AI ethics and the future of work. Sue began her career as a geologist before moving into robotics and commercialisation, eventually leading major national initiatives in robotic vision and cyber physical systems. We discuss Australia’s unexpected global strengths in field robotics, from automated ports to autonomous mining vehicles, and why we risk losing our competitive edge if we continue to export our best talent. Sue shares her perspective on AI adoption in Australian workplaces, the growing divide between early adopters and those resistant to change, and why AI literacy is becoming a non-negotiable leadership capability. We also explore ethical accountability in AI systems, the importance of keeping humans in the loop, and how robotics can support climate resilience, disaster response and personalised healthcare. And in a powerful discussion on diversity in STEM, Sue speaks candidly about structural barriers for women in technology and why future systems must be shaped by diverse voices. Her three words for a future fit leader? Curious, kind and authentic. This is a practical, forward-looking conversation for leaders navigating rapid technological change and wanting to stay ahead of what’s coming next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this solo episode of Future Fit Leadership, Sadhana Smiles steps into the conversation herself.  In this special International Women’s Day episode of Future Fit Leadership, Sadhana Smiles offers a candid reflection on the 2026 theme Balance the Scale and what it means in the world we are navigating today. For several years, Sadhana stepped back from celebrating International Women’s Day, not because progress has not been made, but because progress has not moved fast enough. In Australia, one woman a week is killed through domestic and family violence. Women retire with significantly less superannuation than men, and older women are the fastest growing cohort experiencing homelessness. If balance is the goal, it suggests something remains out of alignment. This episode explores the role leaders play in correcting that imbalance through policy, culture and accountability. Because balance is not symbolic. It is structural. And it requires action.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it really take to succeed as a CEO today and what does it take to leave a legacy that lasts? In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I’m joined by the brilliant Kate Mason, a trusted advisor to CEOs, boards, and executive teams across some of the most complex organisations in Australia and globally. Kate shares what she’s seeing at the top of organisations right now. How CEO pathways are changing. Why diverse experience matters more than ever. And why the most successful leaders know they cannot, and should not, do it alone. We talk candidly about the CEO–board relationship, where trust is built or quietly eroded, the rookie mistakes that derail succession planning, and why starting that conversation too late is one of the biggest risks businesses take. Kate also unpacks the idea of the “glass cliff”, how leaders can assess whether someone is truly ready for the next role, and the question she always asks: how far down the runway are they? This is a practical, honest conversation about leadership at the top. About empathy, adaptability, forward thinking, and keeping the human at the centre of decision making in an environment that keeps shifting. If you are a CEO, an aspiring leader, a board member, or someone thinking seriously about what the next generation of leadership should look like, this conversation is for you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than half of Australian workers say they are quietly cracking. Not burning out. Not falling apart in obvious ways. Just holding it together on the outside while something frays on the inside. In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I’m joined by Dr Michelle McQuaid, senior fellow at the University of Melbourne and founder of The Change Lab, to unpack the findings from her latest national research, The Change Lab 2025 Workplace Report. Drawing on insights from more than 1,000 workers across Australia, Michelle shares what “quietly cracking” actually looks like, why younger workers are feeling it most, and how leaders are being impacted in very different but equally challenging ways. We talk about the supercycle of change leaders are operating within, the cost of living pressures shaping behaviour at work, the hidden risks of poor change management, and why wellbeing initiatives are falling short when they miss the emotional and social realities people are living with. Michelle also shares her HEART framework for leading change, practical ways leaders can support their people right now, and why connection matters more than communication in this next chapter of work. This is a timely, data-led conversation for leaders who know their people are carrying more than they can see, and who want to lead with clarity, care, and credibility in a decade that will demand all three.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if you only had 4000 Sundays in your lifetime? And what if the way you work today is quietly stealing them away? In this conversation, Dr Kristy Goodwin takes us inside her own life-altering wake-up call — a moment in a Code Red hospital ward that forced her to confront burnout, mortality, and the “success tax” so many high performers pay. Kristy shares why our bodies keep score, how to stop crawling to Friday and start arriving at Sunday fully alive, and why protecting your focus, energy, and relationships is non-negotiable if you want to lead into the future. This is not just about wellbeing, it’s about the kind of leaders we choose to become — human-first, sustainable, and fiercely intentional. 🎧 Listen now and ask yourself: how many Sundays do you have left, and how do you want to spend them?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if your brand had a signature scent that made clients feel exactly what you wanted them to feel — trust, luxury, energy, nostalgia? In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I sit down with doctors-turned-entrepreneurs Suji and Jeeva, co-founders of BrandScent, the game-changing business behind some of Australia’s most memorable branded fragrances. From maternity leave side hustle to Shark Tank and scent tech innovation, their journey blends science, storytelling, and serious startup grit. We explore how scent influences behaviour, memory, and brand loyalty — and why scent might just be your most powerful (and overlooked) branding tool. If you’ve ever said, “This place smells like success,” this episode is for you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.