Future Directors Podcast: Recent Episodes
Future Directors Institute
Welcome to the Future Directors podcast where every single episode we hope to bring you an insightful interview, diverse perspectives and exciting new ideas. Our guests include a who’s who of governance thought leaders and board directors from around the world. These are the people pushing the boundaries of the boardroom.
Brought to you by Future Directors, we have one very simple goal on the show, and that is to help you to become the most respected, influential and impactful board director you, can, be.
How easy is it to up the impact and influence in your board role?
In this episode, Paul is joined by upcoming Future Directors Faculty Member, former-NACD President, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and talented human of other governance things Erin Essenmacher.
Together we look at how positive psychology can help you navigate common but tricky human dynamics in the boardroom. We explore how to leverage your strengths to foster a more positive and influential boardroom culture.
NOTE: This is a recording of one of our Directors Circle sessions that we put on live for our Future Directors members (see link to join below). The sound quality is not our usual.
Also in this episode:
- Learn how to identify and leverage your strengths for greater impact and influence.
- Understand how to navigate and manage complex boardroom dynamics.
- Develop strategies to enhance collaboration and move towards a stronger, more inclusive leadership group.
Links:
Connect With Erin Essenmacher: LinkedIn
Join the Future Directors Community: Join for FREE
Connect with Paul Smith: LinkedIn
Many people think you have to be an accountant or finance professional to sit on a board.
Nope! But, you do need to know how to navigate financial statements AND, more importantly, ask all the right questions of the numbers...often with a bit of skeptisicm.
In this episode, Paul is joined by new Future Directors Faculty Member and sports nut, Dr David Bond. He also teaches this finance stuff to uni students, via his popular YouTube channel, and gets to live and breathe it too inside the multiple boards he serves on.
NOTE: This is a recording of one of our Directors Circle sessions that we put on live for our Future Directors members (see link to join below). The sound quality is not our usual.
Also in this episode:
- Learn how to leverage real-time financial data to enhance decision-making.
- Explore modern approaches to financial governance beyond static board papers.
- Gain insights on the future of financial literacy for board directors.
Links:
Connect With David Bond: YouTube | | LinkedIn
Join the Future Directors Community: Join for FREE
Connect with Paul Smith: LinkedIn
What a coup! Famed author Bob Burg joins Paul for a rare podcast interview.
Bob Burg is a world-renowned author who has sold over 2 million books. In this episode, Bob shared the timeless principles behind this influential work, The Go-Giver (co-authored with John David Mann) and explained why shifting your focus from GETTING to GIVING can transform your business (and your board) and also your life.
Together, we also explored the profound idea of "providing immense value to others" and how this mindset leads to better board performance.
Also in this episode:
- The foundational principles of The Go-Giver and why it's more relevant than ever.
- How focusing on value creation builds trust in any organisation.
- The Five Laws of Stratospheric Success and how apply in the boardroom.
- Shifting from a transactional mindset to a relationship approach in governance.
Best quote from Bob:
"To rationalize is to tell ourselves 'rational lies,' creating a justification for something we know deep down may not be right."
Links:
Bob's book: The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann
Learn more about Bob Burg: BobBurg.com
Join the Future Directors Community: Join for FREE
Connect with Paul Smith: LinkedIn
We love a good crossover episode!
In late 2024, your host Paul Smith featured on The Jasper Blueprint podcast with Bessi Graham. It was so relevant for Future Directors' listener...that we decided to add it to our episode list.
In this episode, Bessi and I explore governance as a competitive edge in small to medium-sized businesses. Focusing on future-fit boards that manage responsibilities across ALL stakeholders, our conversation went beyond the traditional view of governance as mere compliance.
The episode highlights the pivotal role governance plays in decision-making, particularly in privately-owned businesses where it is often overlooked.
Also in this episode:
- Effective governance includes diversity of thought, curiosity, and ongoing education for all involved participants in board settings.
- Stakeholder mapping reveals overlooked perspectives that significantly influences decision-making and strategic direction.
- Emphasising fit-for-purpose governance structures significantly improves the functionality and inclusivity of board and decision-making processes.
Links:
Subscribe to the Jasper Blueprint podcast: Apple Podcast | YouTube | Spotify
Connect With Bessi Graham: Website | | LinkedIn
Join the Future Directors Community: Join for FREE
Connect with Paul Smith: LinkedIn
NEW SEASON TIME!
I hope you all enjoyed the Future Boards Forum 2024 episode. That essentially acts as a break in my mercurial podcast. Now, I mix things up again. I can be like a magpie and shiny objects!
This season will be ALL interviews with cool people talking about corporate (and board) governance topics that don't get as much air time.
First up, the founder and MD of The Governance Collective, Lisa Coletta. She is obsessed with systems, frameworks and human nature's impact of board dynamics. She's also an expert in the critical administrative and strategic role of the Company Secretary.
Enjoy this, and the rest of the new season!
Links:
- Join Future Directors for FREE (also access Lisa's exclusive courses)
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
- Follow and Connect with Lisa (LinkedIn)
- Check out The Governance Collective
What are the Governance Trends for year ahead?
In this special episode, we bring you the highlights from the Future Boards Forum (held in December 2024), where I was joined by a panel of governance geeks to explore the biggest trends shaping board governance for the next 12 months.
It's a bit of a longer episode (and sorry about the sound quality), but stick with it and you'll hear insights on emerging challenges, innovative solutions, and the evolving role of boards in navigating an uncertain world. Topics include:
- The intersection of AI and governance
- Fostering stakeholder trust
- Building resilient board cultures.
Tune in to hear from Erin Essenmacher (former Head of Strategy at the NACD), Lisa Coletta (MD of The Governance Collective) and my old mate Matt Fullbrook (the one trying to redefine corporate governance).
Links
- Join Future Directors for FREE
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
In my last episode before a brand new (very special) season kicks off, I literally sit down and riff with my Governance Geek friend Matt Fullbrook to chat about good people and good governance.
This short episode was totally unplanned. We were working in his Brisbane AirBnB during our recent "Experimental Mindsets Tour" of Australia in October 2024. More on that next year.
For now...judge for yourself whether people make a difference.
Enjoy!
Links
- Join Future Directors for FREE
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
- Matt's OMG Podcast
Much of board education likes to zero in on technical knowledge—keeping up with regulatory updates, sharpening financial skills, risk management, and staying on top of industry trends.
These are crucial, no doubt. But they're only one part of the picture.
The often overlooked part is the necessary human skills...and for me, the real heart of what makes a board effective.
So, here's another little short podcast which describes the harmonic balance that any good boardroom needs...
Have a listen and see what you think.
Podcast links
- Join Future Directors for FREE
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
Commentary on corporate governance commonly focuses on what is wrong or missing. The mistakes, the downfalls, the ‘bad stuff’. Admittedly, I'm not immune to this.
With the world seemingly in increasing turmoil - divisive politics, endless wars, clashing ideologies… and just trying to keep up with the cost of living - it would be easy to keep focusing on the negative.
So, here's a little short podcast from me which brings a bit of love and positivity into the world of the boardroom.
Have a listen and see what you think.
Podcast links
- Join Future Directors for FREE
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
Diving into the heart of what makes or breaks the boardroom is not just a pastime for me—it's a mission. Some time ago, a few of my fellow future-focused enthusiasts and I went down a rabbit hole to talk about the most unpopular governance opinions.
I thought I would reflect on and summarise the themes in the podcast. Please note. Not all of these are mine, but I fully support how unpopular they might be :)
Have a listen and see what you think.
Podcast links
- Join Future Directors for FREE
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
A poorly executed board recruitment strategy can be the silent saboteur of a board’s success.
Quality board recruitment processes are the cornerstone that ensures the right mix of expertise, experience and vision exists to govern with confidence. Unlike executive recruitment, it’s also a process that most boards only engage in occasionally, so boards need a robust and repeatable process embedded in their culture.
This episode features a recent conversation between Paul and Tom Mutch, Partner, Board & Public Sector Practice at leading international recruitment firm Odgers Berndtson.
Their chat deep dives into board recruitment, succession planning, candidate assessments, and the pivotal role of nomination committees....and might also feature some references to British humour. Sorry!
Some links:
- Tom's written interview with Future Directors
- Join Future Directors for FREE
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
- Check out Tom and Odgers Berndtson
What type or style of board member are you? Are you the Stakeholder Champion, Data Chaser, Status Hound, Unprepared, or even the Narcissist?
These are the types identified in a recent article from Harvard Business Review, and in another bite-sized episode from Paul, he gives you a few more to play with. Then, Paul asks how can we harmonise so many different people into an effective team or board?
Have a listen and see what you think.
Podcast links
- Join Future Directors for FREE
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
Yes, 100 episodes! Wow.
Almost 70 hours worth of conversation about boards, directors, technology, diversity, education, careers, challenges and more.
It's been a blast.
To welcome us into the next century, you have a new host, Matt Fullbrook. Amongst his claims to fame he's the single most repeated guest on Paul's podcast and one of the few others governance podcasts to hit 100 episodes.
In this episode, the tables are turned and Matt interviews Paul about his journey.
And, it gets super embarrassing for Paul...
Some links:
- Join Future Directors for FREE
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
- Matt Fullbrook's podcast
- Matt Fullbrook's website
As we near our ONE-HUNDREDTH episode, Paul shares his favourite episode of all time. It also happens to be one of the most downloaded episodes in the podcast's history.
Featuring repeat offender Matt Fullbrook, alongside younger directors Nurain Janah and Hannah Stenning, this replay of Ep57 dives into why we need intergenerational diversity in the boardroom.
This is the first part of an eventual two-parter, so feel free to drop back to Ep58 straight afterwards.
See you next time for EPISODE 100!
Some links:
- Join Future Directors for FREE
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
- Nurain Janah's website
- Hannah Stenning on LinkedIn
- Matt Fullbrook's podcast
- Matt Fullbrook's website
Hello, fellow governance geeks, director dorks and boardroom boffins! This special technological episode features your host Paul Smith - founder of Future Directors - chatting with the hugely popular Generative AI tool, ChatGPT 4.0.
Having crowdsourced some questions from his network, Paul ask Chat questions, follow-up questions, agrees to disagree and more with a voice-enabled version of the revolutionary tech.
- Learn what ChatGPT says about governance, diversity, decision-making and more
- Learn how boards can use tools like this to support critical thinking and decisions
- Hear how it copes with some real-world boardroom scenarios
(Please do note that this episode was recorded in February 2024. Technology moves fast, so who knows what it will be capable of when you listen).
Some links:
- Join Future Directors for FREE
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
- Image generated by DALL-E (actually by Matt Fullbrook - yes, him again!)
In this episode, Paul takes a backseat to his colleague Aisling Blackmore who recorded this webinar with William Rae and Elaine Crichton from Inspiring Scotland in late 2023.
(Please note, there were some sound issues during this recording)
Inspiring Scotland is a UK-based charity that identifies and solves problems on a national scale, working together for a Scotland without poverty or disadvantage.
The episode brings together lived experience leadership, models for inclusive decision-making, and stakeholder-focused governance. Prepare to challenge conventional thinking by exploring both personal growth and crucial changes within the boardroom environment to foster inclusivity and safety. William is a board director and Chair who brings lived experience of learning disability. Elaine, from Inspiring Scotland, delivers inclusive governance training.
Here are some links:
- Join Future Directors for FREE
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
- Connect with Aisling Blackmore (LinkedIn)
- Check out Inspiring Scotland
- Connect with William Rae
- Connect with Elaine Crichton
Can you believe we are four episodes away from the Magic 100?!?
This is a wonderful in-depth chat between two people obsessed with board governance.
Jess Bulger is a proud Wiradjuri woman from Tumut in NSW, Australia. She is the CEO of the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute and Co-Chair at Outward Bound Australia. She cares deeply about indigenous leadership, capacity building and seeing communities thrive.
In this wide-ranging conversation between two governance geeks, Paul and Jess cover:
- The importance of language. Is it First Nations, Indigenous, or Aboriginal?
- Is Indigenous Governance singular or does it take many forms?
- What can companies do to engage their indigenous stakeholders better?
Here are some links:
- Join Future Directors for FREE
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
- Connect with Jess (LinkedIn)
- Check out AIGI (Australian Indigenous Governance Institute)
Are you looking to build a board of directors from scratch or enhance your existing board composition? If so, then this episode is the one for you.
This ep features a recent conversation between Paul and special guests, Rosie and Lucy Thomas from Project Rockit. A few years ago, these two sisters worked with Paul to enhance the board composition of their social enterprise.
The chat dives deep into their thinking, their blindspots, the Future Director's process and how it all came together. We also touch on the lessons learnt and how it's all going in the boardroom. Fascinating stuff!
Here's some links:
- Join Future Directors for FREE
- Follow and Connect with Paul (LinkedIn)
- Check out Project Rockit
As we see big brand companies like Qantas and OpenAI go through what we can safely say from the outside is a bit of a ‘governance crisis’, it has brought up the need to be very clear about what is board leadership and why is it different to other leadership roles.
In another bite-sized episode of Paul by himself (guests are back soon), he will give you a twist on the usual elephantish analogy.
SPOILER ALERT. Elephants are excellent swimmers.
But, what has this got to do with the Modern Board Leader? You'll have to listen to find out...
In a world of ever-evolving organisational governance, where boards serve as the nerve centre of decision-making and strategy, it is surprising how often the simple question of PURPOSE remains unanswered.
Boards of directors, entrusted with steering companies through complex waters, frequently grapple with their roles, often searching for their true north.
In this short episode, Paul is back to help deconstruct why boards need a unifying force that guides them, in alignment with the company’s values and long-term vision.
In this special episode, we share a recent recording of Paul hosting a live webinar on the subject of AI, its impact on boardrooms, policies, governing and the role of board directors themselves.
Is it a risk, an opportunity, or (spoiler alert) both?
In this episode, Paul discusses:
- What is AI, Generative AI and what stage are we at?*
- How to develop an AI Governance Policy for your company or organisation...that will keep pace the rapid changes in AI
- How you should (and shouldn't) use AI inside the boardroom
- What could the future hold for AI Governance?
*Note. This was recorded in late 2023. The world of AI is changing so fast that some facts will be out of date when you listen. Can't be helped :)
On the back of episode 89, we've been looking at another study. This time by Monash University in Australia, which delved deep into board diversity and inclusion.
They interviewed remarkable women from diverse backgrounds, and what they unearthed is a wake-up call for every boardroom across the world.
In this episode, Paul is back to quickly distill the main points of this latest study and what it means for you, your board and for the wider industry. Warning, he has some strong opinions on this one...
Another year, another survey of board directors. Does this one show us anything new?
Earlier this year, the Global Network of Director Institutes released their “The Future of Board Governance” report. The GNDI is a collection of 24 national governance institutes from North and South America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, with combined memberships of 150,000.
In this episode, Paul briefly covers the main findings of the report and the implications for boards and companies.
This episode is a bit special and serves two purposes. For our Australian listeners, it continues on the discussion about navigating the Voice to Parliament discussion with your board. Paul hosted a webinar recently and this is a snippet from a special panel discussion with guests Jessica Bulger (from the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute) and Kate Hillman (from Ernst & Young). For our overseas listeners, there is still some great stuff here for you if you are interested in how indigenous governance differs from modern governance norms, and what we can learn fro each other. It was a fascinating chat. Please note, the audio is not up to the usual standard. More from Jessica:AIGI Website: https://aigi.org.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-bulger-3993925b/ More from Paul: Website: https://futuredirectors.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/ More from Kate: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-hillman-11007040/
In a special episode of the podcast, we take a look at how to navigate the 'Voice to Parliament' Referendum in your boardroom. For our non-Australian listeners, this won't mean much unless you keep up to date with First Nations affairs globally.
In this webinar (converted to podcast), Paul was joined by author, Uluru Statement from the Heart signatory and Yes23 Spokesperson, Thomas Mayo, and CEO of the Australian Indigenous Governance Insitute, Jessica Bulger.
They explored this crucial topic, delving into the significance of acknowledging First Nations communities and how (and why) boards can play a role.
Thomas explores the historical struggle for regocognition, whilst Jessica provides an important context and perspective on the principles of effective Indigenous governance.
You'll finally hear a panel discussion featuring Paul, Jessica, Thomas and Future Directors' Head of Programs Aisling Blackmore, talking about how boards can engage, listen, and respond to society and social issues.
More from Thomas: Website: https://www.thomasmayo.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-mayo-70774378/
More from Jessica: AIGI Website: https://aigi.org.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-bulger-3993925b/
More from Paul: Website: https://futuredirectors.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/
More from Aisling: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acblackmore/
This is part 2 of Paul's fascinating (we think) conversation with technologist and all round nice guy, Josh Klein.
If this is your first listen to the podcast, we recommend you go back to Part 1 a few episodes ago.
Josh is a truly fascinating guest. He specialises in translating technological insights into actionable strategies. He's a sought-after speaker, writer and consultant even though he now lives on the island country of Iceland.
This was a meeting of the minds. Josh and Paul vibing on so many levels that we had to record across two episodes. Enjoy!
More Josh here:
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Klein
Josh's website: https://josh.is/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaklein/
More Paul here:
Wiki: Yeah right!
FDI website: https://www.futuredirectors.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/
High-performance teams, from the pitch to the boardroom, need to build up rapport together. This takes time.
But, one of the major problems in most boardrooms is the lack of time together. Whatever time a board has is usually spent on the business instead of getting to know one another. Compound this with the infrequency of meetings and you have a recipe for a less effective team.
In this episode, Paul discusses why there is always time to build rapport in the boardroom. From informal small talk to more formal structures and social gatherings. You'll reap the benefits with just a little investment in getting ti know each other.
Paul's back chatting to with the best and brightest in his latest episode of the Future Directors Podcast.
This week is Part 1 of a two-parter with technologist, Josh Klein.
Josh is a truly fascinating guest. He specialises in translating technological insights into actionable strategies. He's a sought-after speaker, writer and consultant even though he now lives on the island country of Iceland.
This was a meeting of the minds. Josh and Paul vibing on so many levels that we had to keep recording into a second episode. Enjoy!
More Josh here:
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Klein
Josh's website: https://josh.is/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaklein/
More Paul here:
Wiki: Yeah right!
FDI website: https://www.futuredirectors.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/
Did you know that fewer than 1% of board directors worldwide have a formal qualification? Should this worry us? Do qualifications indicate competency? Do we miss out on better candidates when we seek assurance from a qualification?
In this short episode, Paul ruminates on a recent conversation between scholars Scott Galloway and Byron Auguste on The Prof G Pod, and seeks to connect it to the boardroom.
For some background, here's that conversation between Scott and Byron.
We’re always working toward inclusivity and intersectionality at Future Directors. And, today, it’s particularly important that I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Paul recorded this episode – the Whadjuk Noongar people.
So, can we learn anything about governance from the oldest living civilisation in the world? In this week's episode, Paul shares his thoughts having spent the last few years talking with and listening deeply to First Nations Indigenous people around the world.
Not to spoil the next 8 minutes but Paul's answer is emphatically YES.
This might be a bit confronting for some listeners to hear...
Our most provocative episode (title) ever.
The week Paul - in just a few minutes - discusses the power of systems, language and stakeholders. How do these things play out in and around boardrooms?
Paul investigates some different ways of looking at effective governance structures that move us away from the traditional "top floor down" thinking of where boards belong.
Are directors the problem or is it something else?
Some answers await...
This week's short snippet from Paul focusses on a bit of research by those smart people at Havard and Penn universities called “The Liking Gap In Groups”.
Apparently, we can routinely underestimate how likeable we seem to others, but this gap shrinks as we get to know one another.
What does this have to do with governance, the boardroom and the role of the director?
IT'S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS!!!
Ok, there's more to it, but in just a few minutes you'll know more...
We are back...again!
Yes, the Future Directors Podcast is crazily inconsistent but you can't beat the content right?
For the next little while, FDI Founder Paul Smith will be sharing his thoughts in bite-size monologues of under 5 minutes each. Governance geekdom at its finest.
This episode is all that little thing bandwagon called AI - Artificial Intelligence. Paul is interested in ChatGPT’s (and more broadly, AI’s) implications for boards, strategy, risk and their role as organisational stewards. What things should it be making board directors think and talk about? What risks and opportunities does it pose for your organisation?
Some answers await your ears...
It’s part two of last ep’s convo with FDI’s Paul Smith and tech & governance experts, Pia Turcinov and Alan Jones. This time they’re thinking about how those ‘dangerous and disruptive tech folk’ can reframe what they offer, in order to get a seat at the boardroom table in the first place.
The conversation spans:
- Why techy directors are seen as risky.
- Creating bridges in to the boardroom that can then grow more organically - from digital innovation subcommittees, to just one expert at the table.
- Getting the supply by reframing technologists as innovators. Speaking the language the board is speaking right now.
- Not just bringing in the technology of innovation, but also the processes of innovation – including, comfort with failure.
Pia Turcinov is a Non-Executive Director and Innovation Strategist, and founder of Venture X and Fund WA.
Alan John is a startup founder mentor and tech investor, who is a partner with M8 Ventures, and the chair of Catalysr, an entrepreneurship program focused on marginalised migrants and refugees.
You could be a banana farm. An insurer. A school network. It doesn’t matter. Digital tech is now so integral to day-to-day life that, whatever business you’re in, you’re now a technology business. So why don’t more boards have tech at the top of their minds? Why are Australia’s ASX toppers the top tech laggers? That forms the topic of conversation today between board directors Pia Turcinov and Alan Jones and FDI’s Paul Smith.
The conversation spans:
- Why techy directors are seen as risky.
- Creating bridges in to the boardroom that can then grow more organically - from digital innovation subcommittees, to just one expert at the table.
- Getting the supply by reframing technologists as innovators. Speaking the language the board is speaking right now.
- Not just bringing in the technology of innovation, but also the processes of innovation – including, comfort with failure.
Pia Turcinov is a Non-Executive Director and Innovation Strategist, and founder of Venture X and Fund WA.
Alan John is a startup founder mentor and tech investor, who is a partner with M8 Ventures, and the chair of Catalysr, an entrepreneurship program focused on marginalised migrants and refugees.
In the last of our series we Matt we talk about one of the most important people in the boardroom...the Chair.
You’ve probably heard the analogy about the board chair being like an orchestra conductor. Matt Fullbrook of Fullbrook Board Effective thinks that’s bunkum. He has a different analogy - and it’s to do with dinner parties. FDI’s Paul riffs with Matt on making board leadership better.
We workshop:
- Is leadership evolving?
- The conventional understanding of a board chair
- Introducing a new analogy - board chairs as great dinner hosts
- The role of the board in co-creating the right atmos for decision-making
- How to chair better in a virtual environment
- Should we have 2 chairs? 1 for the mechanical stuff, another for the generative stuff?
- The power of practice and play in breaking board norms
Connect with Matt FullbrookLinkedinTwitter Board Effectiveness
Connect with Future Directors InstituteFuture Directors Insititute Paul Smith on LinkedIn Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
Leah Fricke has a term for the meat she brings to her non-executive director roles: “Deliberate Practice”. It’s about consciously and continually reflecting on what your board will need in 3 years, and actively becoming it – through extracurricular learning and self-development. It’s what made Leah stand out to FDI judges to become 2022's first ever Future Director Of The Year. And it’s what might make you stand out in the boardroom too (and this year’s Awards).
Paul and Leah discuss:
- Leah’s traditional, yet untraditional, journey to the boardroom
- How limited time/money can actually focus a board’s attention
- A cut-throat quality that keeps Leah sharp – upskill or step aside
- Expounding on “Deliberate Practice”: The power of a growth mindset and continual questioning of oneself
- And lastly, Leah’s judging this year’s Future Director/Board Of The Year Awards. What’s she looking for?
In another departure from my normal episodes, I'm flying solo again and this time I'm discussing how you test for those soft skills when interviewing for new board members.
I don't like the phrase soft skills as they are harder to master than most hard skills. So, I use "human (or interpersonal) skills" instead. Hope that's ok!
Connect with Future Directors InstituteFuture Directors Institute
Paul Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
Here's another short episode with Paul sharing his wisdom to help you in your board career. This week, it's all about your why. As Simon Sinek's book suggests "Start with Why" but for us at Future Directors, there are far more reasons beyond the start point that makes your why such a critical (non-negotiable) element of your journey. Enjoy!
Does the phrase ‘corporate governance’ apply to non-profits, schools, community groups etc?
Yes, but for many, it doesn't and Paul (solo this time) is here to explain why governance has a positioning problem.
“How does this impact us?” is a question you’ll often hear in boardrooms. But less so, “Who is the us?” and “Isn’t the us also the environment and the community?” or “Should we think about what we can have a positive impact on, versus just thinking about what we’ll be negatively impacted by?”. Powerful questions, all discussed by FDI’s Paul and governance guru Matt Fullbrook of Fullbrook Board Effectiveness, in this podcast about how ‘left-of-field’ issues might not be that ‘left’ after all.
We spitball:
- Reasons to think outside your board’s direct impact zone
- Why it’s impossible to benefit everyone, but important to consider everyone
- Stakeholder representation in the boardroom and conflicts of interest in being a representative for other voices on the board
- How to bake stakeholder thinking into your board’s practices
Connect with Matt FullbrookLinkedin
Twitter
Board Effectiveness
Connect with Future Directors InstituteFuture Directors Insititute
Paul Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
Spotify’s big drawcard Joe Rogan said some stuff. Stupid stuff. And Spotify got heat because Joe’s values butted against their publicly stated ones. So what’s a board to do? Today, FDI’s Paul yacks with good friend Matt Fullbrook of Fullbrook Board Effectiveness, about what things a board could do better in a crisis.
We cover:
- How a Future Director should respond to an ethical dilemma
- Why knee-jerk reactions are wrong and current crisis meetings are broken
- Are day-to-day crises even in the board’s purview?
- Mutual vulnerability between management and their board, and the board’s responsibility to create this
- The need to be imaginative when developing a Risk Register
Connect with Matt FullbrookLinkedin
Twitter
Board Effectiveness
Connect with Future Directors InstituteFuture Directors Insititute
Paul Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
Today is another joyful forum with Matt Fullbrook of Fullbrook Board Effectiveness and FDI’s Paul Smith. This time, the question’s squarely on what sort of director is the director the future needs? Let’s hear Matt dimensionalise what being a Future Director means to him.
We explore:
- A strong definition of corporate governance (and by extension, good governance)
- The 4 villains to good decision-making
- The upside of being untethered to orthodoxy, naive in a sense
- Making a fit-for-purpose board, rather than a one-size-fits-all board
- How an overboarder could flip a boardroom for the better
- What a board full of Matt Fullbrooks would look like
Resources:
‘Decisive’ by Chip & Dan Heath
Connect with Matt FullbrookLinkedin
Twitter
Board Effectiveness
Connect with Future Directors InstituteFuture Directors Insititute
Paul Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
A weird cultural thing’s emerged through the history and formality of boardrooms, which has made it a space that makes directors lonely. Vulnerability is seen as a weakness because comradery is weak. Today, FDI’s Paul chats with Matt Fullbrook of Fullbrook Board Effectiveness - on how what boards and directors can do to click. Obnoxious wisdom awaits.
We discuss:
- Why boards breed loneliness, and whether this is just a human problem
- How boards can make people comfortable by switching up rigid ways of doing things
- What individual board directors can do to feel less lonely
- The power of being consciously obnoxious
Connect with Matt FullbrookLinkedin
Twitter
Board Effectiveness
Connect with Future Directors InstituteFuture Directors Insititute
Paul Smith on LinkedIn
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
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Future Directors Podcast #69
Governing for Burnout Series
Part 2 - How to create a workplace culture that limits staff burnout
When people are working weekends and not taking leave, it’s clear mental ill health is a-brewing. How do you ensure it doesn’t get to that point? That’s the focus of Part 3 of our ‘Governing For Burnout’ series, with Dr Jaelea Skehan, Director of Everymind.
We discuss:
- How a workplace’s culture helps its bottom line
- How Covid’s fucked everything up
- Going beyond wellness lessons. Building wellbeing into people’s job designs.
- Lag signs and lead signs of burnout
- Jaelea’s secret ingredients to a great mental health culture (not that secret at all)
Connect with Everymind
Dr Jaelea Skehan on Twitter
Everymind
Connect with Future Directors Institute
Future Directors Insititute
Paul Smith on LinkedIn
Aisling Blackmore on LinkedIn
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Future Directors Podcast #68
Governing for Burnout Series
Part 2 - Burnout, board director to board director
When a board is at their limits, they can’t take their org to its potential. This is Part 2 of our ‘Governing For Burnout’ series. In it, Dr Jaelea Skehan, Director of Everymind and mental health advocate, breaks down how board directors can prevent each other from breaking down.
We chat about:
- The need to make boards a safe place to say you’re burnt out
- Your duty to govern your mental health, and check in with others
- Creating codes of conduct and adopting an org’s wellness plans at board level too
- Board directors being vulnerable about burnout outside the boardroom
Connect with Everymind
Dr Jaelea Skehan on Twitter
Everymind
Connect with Future Directors Institute
Future Directors Insititute
Paul Smith on LinkedIn
Aisling Blackmore on LinkedIn
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Future Directors Podcast #67
Governing for Burnout Series
Part 1 - How to manage your own burnout as a board director
Boardrooms breed burnout. Most board directors are the hard-nosed sort to gloss over it. That’s a problem. In this, Part 1 of our ‘Governing For Burnout’ series, Dr Jaelea Skehan, Director of Everymind and mental health advocate, sits with FDI’s Paul and Aisling to skirt the start of a solution.
We go through:
- What burnout is and isn’t
- Why board directors are prone to it
- Warning signs you’re burnt out
- Steps to reverse your fizzle and fatigue
Connect with Everymind
Dr Jaelea Skehan on Twitter
Everymind
Connect with Future Directors Institute
Future Directors Insititute
Paul Smith on LinkedIn
Aisling Blackmore on LinkedIn
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We are called the Future Directors Institute, but what exactly isa Future Director and why is it not a future director?
In this short trailer for the podcast, we want to give you a clue as to why it's worth listening to Paul and his guests.
You could say that the entire podcast going forward is designed around this simple, yet deep concept.
Wow, it's been 12 months since our last podcast. So much has happened. All you need to know is we are back!
What can you expect?
- Shorter episodes of 15-20min or less
- Fascinating guests from around the world
- Huge focus on real solutions to director & board issues
- Perhaps the odd longer interview dropped in
In this special Decision84-related episode, we have two amazing guests, Sharon Sutherland and Dr. Dean Blomson, discussing the future of boards.
Sharon is the leader with Ernst Young’s Global Center for Board Matters. In her work, she enables board members and directors to navigate their increasingly complex roles. Dr. Dean Blomson is a highly experienced business transformation strategist and professor at UTS Business School in Sydney.
In this episode, we chat about Decision84, our upcoming annual virtual board governance summit, and give a sneak peek into the opening session featuring Sharon and Dean:
- How do we make sure the board can ask the right questions at the right time on the right topics and with the right information?
- How do you exercise stewardship, focusing on how to leave something in a better shape than you found it?
- What ways can the investments in the major capital projects be better thought through and better implemented?
- What are the global megatrends affecting society, organizations, and communities in the longer term?
- Technology and transformational change.
- Shift in geographical dynamics and values dynamics.
- How can the organization address the challenges by looking at the root cause?
- How do we know as a board that our operating model is fit for purpose?
Connect with Sharon:
Connect with Dean:
Connect with Paul: LinkedIn
Future Directors
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This special episode features Paul Smith chatting with this podcast's former co-host, Anna Byrne, about our upcoming virtual board governance summit, Decision84.
Decision84 is the world’s leading board governance virtual summit. Held over 2 weeks from 31 August to 9 September, hundreds of decision-makers come together to learn, connect, debate and stretch their thinking. Decision84 is the only international event designed exclusively for those ready to stretch their thinking, push boardroom boundaries and help create the next era of governance.
In this episode, you will find out:
- Why did Anna and Paul start Decision84 last year?
- What were the highlights of the inaugural event in 2020?
- Why is it called Decision84?
- What makes the summit different from other governance conferences?
- What will be discussed at Decision84 this year?
- What is the special discount code for listeners of the podcast?
Check out www.decision84.com for more information.
Connect with Anna:
NeuroPower Group
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
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Quick reminder that this is Part 2 of Charlotte’s episode. If you’ve not already listened to Part 1, we suggest checking it out first, then coming back to enjoy the second half.
In Part 2, Charlotte and Paul question why board governance just doesn’t seem exciting to many people – and we think they’ve found the answer. Listen to the episode to find out.
You’ll also hear about:
- The benefits of reverse mentoring
- How to overcome intergenerational clashes
- How do these clashes feed into the bigger picture?
- Do we need less ‘numbers people’ and more ‘people people’ in the boardroom?
- What are Charlotte’s hopes for the future of governance, and what are her fears?
- Charlotte’s essential tips for aspiring directors (of any age/gender/experience)
- Why vulnerability and authenticity are key attributes for great directors
If you loved this, you’ll love hearing Charlotte speak at our upcoming Decision84 event.
Connect with Charlotte Valeur:
Effective Directors: The Right Questions to Ask
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
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Charlotte Valeur is an experienced non-executive director and listed company Chair, with over 35 years of executive and governance experience. She is a former Chair of the Institute of Directors (UK) and now heads up the Global Governance Group.
Her board resume is highly impressive.
Charlotte is also neurodiverse. She first spoke publicly about her autism diagnosis last year (2020) and now works to showcase the strengths and talents of neurodiverse people, especially in the boardroom.
In this first of two episodes with Charlotte, you’ll hear about:
- Charlotte’s experience opening up about her autism diagnosis
- Why aren’t more directors and executives able to speak up?
- Has Charlotte’s diagnosis changed the way she approaches her role on boards?
- How can we create inclusive decision-making cultures?
- Is ‘fitting in’ dangerous for good governance?
- How can board directors balance fitting in and being different?
- How to deal when people get defensive to new ideas
If you loved this, you’ll love hearing Charlotte speak at our upcoming Decision84 event.
Connect with Charlotte Valeur:
Effective Directors: The Right Questions to Ask
Connect with podcast host and award-winning author Paul Smith:
Future Directors
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This episode features Scott Baldwin, certified board director, governance advisor and co-founder of DirectorPrep.com and The Savvy Director blog.
Scott is well-known as a board director who asks really good questions, so it was exciting getting him on the show and asking him some (hopefully) really good questions. As it turns out he turned the tables on Paul and started asking him great questions!
In this episode, we find out what initially got Scott into board governance and why he’s on a mission to create environments where collaboration and inclusivity are the norm. The chat also dived into:
- Why is it that too many CEOs dread board meetings?
- Who should drive an organisation’s board agenda?
- What’s the number one tool a board has that can effectively control their focus and priorities?
- Which type of board director can be highly valuable, but not often heard at the table?
- How can we create collaborative, inclusive boardroom cultures?
- What are some of the trends in the boardroom at the moment?
If you loved this conversation, you will definitely enjoy the conversations we’ll have at our upcoming virtual and international board governance summit, Decision84.
Back for its 2nd year, this ground-breaking event is brought to you by Future Directors, NeuroPowerGroup and BoardPro. Decision84 is the event for those directors, governance specialists and business leaders looking to challenge their assumptions and stretch their thinking as high performance decision-makers.
With an international lineup of speakers, multiple timing options so anyone, anywhere can attend live, PLUS the opportunity to connect meaningfully with an extraordinary group, this is an event that can’t be missed.
Grab your ‘VIP Early Adopter’ ticket now for exclusive discounts + digital goodie bag worth almost the same as the ticket price + exclusive replays and more. This ticket is limited to the first 84 attendees only). Group discounts are also available.
Connect with Scott:
DirectorPrep.com
The Savvy Director Blog
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Future Directors
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We’ve been on a short hiatus while lining up a number of awesome Australian and international guests. But, we’re kicking back into gear with our latest guest Maali Khader, CEO of the Middle East Institute of Directors.
Maali is driving change within the corporate culture of the Middle East. She focuses on building awareness, education and behavioural change across governance, diversity and corporate social responsibility practices.
She’s also a speaker in our upcoming Decision84 event and it was a pleasure to chat to her about:
- What does ‘good governance’ mean?
- How diversity affects decision-making processes
- What’s the common trigger that leads to discussions around diversity and inclusion?
- Why are we so slow to adopt diversity on a corporate level? Does this change across different cultures?
- Can we measure the impact and effectiveness of a board
- One question all board members should be asking themselves
Connect with Maali:
Middle East Institute Of Directors (MEIoD)
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
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We’re back with Part 2 of our latest episode with Erin Essenmacher, the award-winning documentary film writer, director, producer, and former president and chief strategy officer of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).
(Haven’t listened to Part 1 yet? We suggest you do that first. Context!)
In Part 2, Erin and Paul focus on the big question: should there be agreed standards or even legislation around the required education for directors?
Erin and Paul also dive into:
- Which mindset is found most often in the boardroom; growth, learner or fixed?
- How inexperience can be a positive addition to diversity
- Is it up to companies to educate board members, or the individual directors?
- The benefits of working with people from different backgrounds, skills and experiences
- Do boards have the right controls in place to make sure the diverse voices feel important and can contribute?
- What does Erin think will change most in the boardroom over the next 20 years?
Connect with Erin:
LinkedIn - Erin Essenmacher
Erin Essenmacher
Mine - Award-winning Documentary
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
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This episode features Erin Essenmacher, who has a long list of achievements we can mention after her name; she’s an award-winning documentary film writer, director, producer, and former president and chief strategy officer of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).
Oh, and she’s also a cancer survivor.
As we’re sure you can already guess, Erin’s story is amazing. In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Erin and Paul discuss her passion of innovation and disruption, as well as the importance of understanding your boardroom audience – and how Erin’s filmmaking experience enables her to do that.
Erin and Paul also dive into:
- Why storytelling is such an essential skill for directors to have
- How boards can better mitigate the constant uncertainty in the world
- The common view that age and experience are intertwined
- The best way to create stronger connections within your network
- What is the one factor that some boards and businesses have in common, that has helped them thrive through the COVID pandemic?
- The highest priority skill Erin would look for in directors if she were to build a board from scratch
Connect with Erin:
LinkedIn - Erin Essenmacher
Erin Essenmacher
Mine - Award-winning Documentary
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
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Welcome to the second part of our ‘Youth in the Boardroom’ panel, with governance specialists Nurain Janah, Hannah Stenning and Matt Fullbrook.
Part 2 is just as awesome as Part 1, and a must-listen for any young person considering a role as a director – or perhaps more importantly, for any young person who has NEVER considered a role as a board director.
We think it’s also important for any board who hasn’t looked at a bit of age diversity yet.
In Part 1, Paul and his guests discussed why young people make excellent directors, and indeed, what an ‘excellent director’ actually is.
In Part 2, they ruminate on the topic: how to get more young people into the boardroom?
- What can we do collectively to make the boardroom an exciting place for young people?
- How can we help ideal would-be directors understand that they can be directors?
- Young people’s potential misconceptions about the boardroom, and how we can change their view of it
- If our panel were putting a board together from scratch, how would they go about it? (Hannah lets loose here!!)
- Is the reverence that comes with a board, only existent because of the seniority of its members?
- How can we convince non-believers that young people can belong in the boardroom?
- What does modern leadership look like? How does it relate to young people?
- And, what can young people, who are already on boards, do to build a pipeline of young directors to follow in their footsteps?
Connect with Nurain:
Nurain Janah
Connect with Hannah:
Leading Through The Pandemic: Unconventional Wisdom from Heartfelt Leaders
Connect with Matt:
Fullbrook Board Effectiveness
‘One Minute Governance’ on Apple Podcasts or Android
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
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We have an amazing episode of the podcast for you this week, part 1 of a double episode.
Paul has invited three of his governance friends to join him in a discussion about one of our favourite topics: intergenerational diversity, or more accurately the role of younger people in the boardroom.
Paul is joined by previous podcast guests, Nurain Janah (Episode 48 – How to influence in the boardroom as a young director) and Matt Fullbrook (Episode 33 – Redefining governance), as well as Future Directors Alumni Hannah Stenning.
All three of Paul’s guests are aged under 40 (just). Nurain is not yet 30. Paul himself is technically 'Board Young' at 44. But, they all have a rich pedigree in the world of board governance, as directors, chairs and advisors.
This incredibly thought-provoking episode contains so many soundbites of inspiration, information and motivation, we had a problem summarising it. The panel discuss:
- What positives do young people bring to board governance?
- Why it’s important to redefine what boards look for in directors
- Should the role of young board directors be ‘to bring experience’?
- The one word that isn’t used in the boardroom enough
- Is inexperience an advantage?
- Imposter syndrome, and the pressures faced by young board members
- How are Chairs typically chosen? There is a better way to choose, but what is it?
- The worst enemy of good governance
- Which tools should be given to younger directors in their board orientation (or on-boarding)?
- The ONE thing that young people can do if no one is listening to them in the boardroom
Connect with Nurain:
Nurain Janah
Connect with Hannah:
Leading Through The Pandemic: Unconventional Wisdom from Heartfelt Leaders
Connect with Matt:
Fullbrook Board Effectiveness
‘One Minute Governance’ on Apple Podcasts or Android
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know!
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My first podcast guest for 2021 is Shannon Sedgwick; cyber security and tech expert, board director, consultant, and keynote speaker. We cover a lot of ground but make sure you stick around to the end for some very practical boardroom tips on cyber risk.
Shannon is renowned in both corporate and government circles through his ability to provide future-focused leadership to executives and boards in relation to their cyber security and technologies, which, as we discuss in the episode, are two particularly timely topics.
We also get into:
- What Shannon learned from his years in the military, and how he applies that to business, governance and life
- Taking the leap by moving to the US in the early stages of his career
- The book that helped Shannon overcome anxiety and burn-out
- The benefits of physical activity, and the positive mindset it can encourage
- Unconscious bias as a barrier to true diversity
- Shared frustrations towards ‘The Director’s Club’ (check out Episode 55 for more on that topic)
- Cyber security and tech, and why they should be on the radar of every boardroom
- The practical steps every board can take, whether they are new to cyber or already taking steps, to mitigate this critical and growing core business risk
Resources:
Shannon Sedgwick – Blog
ACSC | Cyber.gov.au
Connect with Shannon:
Shannon Sedgwick: Home
LinkedIn: Shannon Sedgwick GAICD - Senior Managing Director
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Future Directors
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This episode of the podcast features Craig Dunn, a highly regarded business leader with over 20 years of both senior executive and non-executive experience. He is on the boards of two of Australia’s largest listed companies, telecommunications giant Telstra and the Westpac Banking Group. Craig is also chair of the Australian Ballet.
Paul and Craig get into the following:
- What was Craig’s route to the boardroom, especially his most senior positions?
- How many board roles is too many, and should directors limit their roles to avoid overwhelm, information overload and underperformance?
- Craig’s tips for maintaining peak director performance?
- Board role hoarding, and the ‘Director’s Club’ that is alleged to exist
- Could businesses be doing more to develop diverse director talent pipelines?
- Should boards cast their nets wider than just the C-Suite and executive talent pool?
- Paul drops an idea on Craig…. introducing probationary periods for non-executive directors?
- What’s working well in the boardrooms of today? And, what’s missing?
Follow/Connect with Craig:
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After the latest episode with impact specialist Rosemary Addis, she and Paul sat down in the green room to keep the conversation going...
(We recommend checking out that episode first).
They continue to ask essential questions like:
- What steps can directors take to introduce the impact investment conversation into their boardroom?
- How can this approach act as a revenue generator?
- The Holy Grail of ‘untied funds’
- What boardroom mindset is essential when discussing impact investing?
- And, Paul has Rosemary both ask and answer her ideal interview question
Social Impact Resources:
- Companies need to make impact count to stay ahead of the game
- The Impact Principle
- SDG Impact | United Nations Development Programme
- Impact Management Project: Home
Connect with Rosemary:
Impact Strategist
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
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This week on the podcast we have Rosemary Addis AM, a globally recognised social innovation and impact investment specialist.
With an international portfolio of both advisory and board roles, Rosemary encourages big conversations to be had where big decisions are being made – the boardroom.
Rosemary delivers an unparalleled depth and breadth of practical knowledge on all things impact and innovation. In this episode, she and Paul discuss:
- Defining social innovation and impact investment, in terms of governance and the board agenda
- How to introduce essential impact conversations into the boardroom, a space renowned for being too fixated on what’s been done in the past, instead of what to do in the future
- The critical differences between the conversations happening (or not) in government, NGO, nonprofit and corporate boardrooms
- The correlation between successful economic performance and social innovations
- Rosemary’s advice for anyone wanting resources and information about bringing social innovation into the boardroom, or elevating existing discussions
- Rosemary’s hopes and fears for the future of social innovation and the role that boards will, and must, play in its development and success
Social Impact Resources:
- Companies need to make impact count to stay ahead of the game
- The Impact Principle
- SDG Impact | United Nations Development Programme
- Impact Management Project: Home
Connect with Rosemary:
Impact Strategist
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
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Welcome back to the second part of Beverly Cole’s podcast. We think it was well-worth the wait, with Beverly and Paul continuing to discuss big questions like:
- What kind of director is the best for recruiting?
- Who should take responsibility for properly on-boarding new directors?
- Are boards just not looking hard enough for the right people? Or are there too few ‘right people’?
- Getting into the boardroom is one thing – influencing the boardroom is another. But is it just about building relationships?
- Is ‘fitting in’ a good thing in governance?
- How can directors and leaders be receptive to learning about the culture of their fellow board members and employees?
- Is there a difference between culture and race?
- And, what advice would Beverly give to her younger self?
Connect with Beverly:
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Future Directors
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Every now and then, someone comes along whom we could listen to for hours. Our latest guest, Beverly Cole, has rich lived experiences, a relaxed wisdom, and a softly spoken influence about her. With so much to talk about we couldn’t stop, we split her conversation with Paul into two feature episodes.
This week is Part 1, and Beverly and Paul discuss:
- The ONE THING Beverly has learned through her career
- As governance evolves, what should we hold onto and what should we let go of?
- The vital importance of thought diversity in any decision-making group
- How COVID19 changed the dynamics of board meetings
- Timezone fatigue and how to overcome it
- The art of asking great questions
- What are the big questions we must be asking boards right now?
- And, what questions should boards be asking themselves?
Connect with Beverly:
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Future Directors
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Our guest this week is Sara Faivre, a board director, business owner and coach who mentors executives and entrepreneurs in developing critical business and personal skills to create sustainable businesses.
Coming from a biotech background with a love of agriculture and life-science, Sara believes one of the key aspects to finding long-term success in business, and on boards, is by placing importance on holistic thinking and interpersonal intelligence.
Sara and Paul unpack the following:
- The biggest life lesson Sara has learned, and how she’s applied it to the boardroom
- Sara’s advocacy for ESG, and her role in shaping better board culture
- The divisive state of politics (and how to keep it from impacting board meetings)
- How to maintain structured communication as a board in online meetings
- Sara’s experience being the only female ‘lone voice’ in the room
- Does a chair need a different set of skills to lead effectively during a major crisis like COVID19?
- Sara’s secret sauce to the power of influence
- Are robust discussions still possible through virtual mediums?
Connect with Sara:
Sara Faivre – Business Evolution Coach
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
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In a follow up to Episode 48, Paul continues his conversation with Nurain Janah.
Also known as ‘the podcast after the podcast; the Green Room is the chance for guests to debrief. We find out if there’s anything they wished they’d said, and anything they wish they hadn’t.
In this episode, Nurain and Paul discuss:
- The ability to voice thoughts as lived experience, rather than opinion
- Why Nurain finds authenticity so important
- Why calling people out and pushing boundaries can be positive
- How to deal with stereotypes and stereotyping
- Why people need to find the courage to step down, so diversity can step up
- Does Nurain see a future where negative stereotypes have changed? Is she hopeful and optimistic about this?
Connect with Nurain:
Nurain Janah
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
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This week’s dose of audio inspiration comes from our latest guest, Nurain Janah.
Nurain is an amazing young person with a dedicated passion for change. She has already achieved so much in a short period of time – with no signs of slowing down.
Nurain combines a day-job as a senior consultancy with Ernst & Young NZ with her superpowers of social entrepreneurship, multiple board governance and advisory roles, as well as acting as a conduit for the voices of young migrant women, and women of colour.
Paul and Nurain go deep on a number of topics, such as:
- The barriers faced by young migrant women in society, work and the boardroom
- The definition of cultural competency
- How to create a culture where individuals feel empowered to be authentic
- How New Zealand has blended First Nations and European cultures
- How to begin influencing when you’re new and ‘different’
- The pros and cons of board quotas
- Is legislative diversity a valuable tool in reaching the ultimate goal?
- And, what words of advice does Nurain have for outsiders who know they would be beneficial to the boardroom, but don’t know how to get there?
Connect with Nurain:
Nurain Janah
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
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This episode of the Future Directors podcast is fascinating. Voyt Krzychylkiewicz comes on to share his seemingly endless insights on a number of governance topics.
Voyt is an investment executive, governance expert, founder and diversity advocate. Born in Poland, raised in South Africa and currently living in Canada, Voyt has a lot of cross-cultural experience, inside and outside the boardroom. He shares his views on the key differences across the world – especially in terms of risk and culture – and the benefits of including international directors on your board.
Voyt and Paul also chat about:
- Unexpected shocks to governance (like COVID19) and how to navigate them
- How do we build unpredictability into governance structures?
- What led Voyt to start the Young Directors Forum?
- How to look beyond the C-Suite when recruiting new directors
- Innovative thinking in the boardroom
- How can a board effectively hold themselves accountable?
- Why a bad board can be a great learning experience
- How can we help directors through the challenges they may face, without perpetuating a ‘revolving door’ of directors?
- Are there benefits to a probation period for new board members?
Connect with Voyt Krzychylkiewicz:
LinkedIn - Young Directors Forum
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
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This week’s episode of the Future Directors podcast features professional non-executive director and chair, Yasmin Allen.
With an extensive international career, Yasmin has a wealth of experience across a wide range of industries and now holds multiple board roles across ASX100 corporates and influential organisations. It was fascinating to hear her perspectives on a wide range of topics.
Paul and Yasmin discuss things like:
- How to maintain a respectful patience when you’re trying to influence others
- Dealing with increasing time pressures and the complexities of a board role
- Are boards really getting more complex, or is that just an external view?
- How to create and encourage influence when you’re new to a board (and industry)
- Is there a need to change the way boards operate?
- Is there anything missing from today’s boardrooms?
- Chair, Chairman, Chairwoman. Which word is most appropriate?
Connect with Yasmin:
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
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Recently we’ve been ruminating on the topic of board appointments – namely, Bridget Louden’s appointment to the Telstra board at the age of 32. Given that the average age of board directors around the world – especially corporate boards – is early sixties, this appointment is encouragingly ground-breaking.
It made us reflect on age in the boardroom, and with that we were prompted to remember the first EVER Future Directors podcast episode, featuring Alumni member Parrys Raines. We spoke to Parrys who, at the young age of 21, had joined two formal boards before she'd even graduated university. She had some amazing things to say about being a young board director during this episode, and it’s well worth a revisit.
Paul and Parrys discuss:
- The one thing people need in order to overcome any obstacles they face
- Some sage advice from Parrys regarding those who haven’t yet discovered their purpose and passion in life
- What changes should we be seeing in the boardroom? How can younger people help with such changes?
- Why an intergenerational mentorship can be so beneficial – especially for an older mentee
- Career paths for millennials, and the spectrum of opportunity they have
- Changes in the status quo regarding how we view the career path, and why these changes are positive
- Why we need to understand and accept that we can learn something from everyone – even those who are younger than ourselves
Connect with Parrys Raines:
Future Business Council
Twitter
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
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Future Directors on iTunes
This week on the Future Directors podcast, Paul interviews Matt Boyd, co-founder and CEO of the fast-growing remote volunteering platform, Vollie. Since its creation just a few years ago, Vollie has helped connect over 2,000 skilled volunteers to cause-related projects within the NFP and social enterprise sectors. Over 90,000 hours of volunteering which have created $2 million in savings.
Vollie is a remarkable platform, and Matt is equally remarkable. Not just a CEO of his own company, Matt is also a board director for several organisations and institutions, a mentor to young social entrepreneurs, and public speaker in the social impact space. It was a pleasure to chat with him on the show.
Listen to the episode to find out:
- The advantages of skilled volunteering, both personally and professionally
- What COVID19 has done for the online volunteering space
- How to help people find their purpose, cause and passion
- The issues with previous volunteering models, and how Vollie changed that
- The benefits of including entrepreneurs in the boardroom
- How to pivot between the pace of the boardroom and that of an entrepreneur
- Why you should focus on three wins at the end of every day, no matter the size
Connect with Matt:
Vollie
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know!
Leave a quick review here:
Future Directors on iTunes
This episode is a Green Room follow up to Episode 42 with Anoushka Gungadin.
Anoushka and Paul had such a rich conversation about Cultural Intelligence (CQ), afterwards they headed into the Green Room to debrief on their episode, or as Anoushka so aptly puts it, bring it all together.
They discuss:
- What surprised Anoushka about some of her responses in the interview?
- Was there anything they missed out on speaking out? Did Anoushka wish they talked about anything further?
- How important is brand loyalty for an organisation? And who can you get in the boardroom to aid that?
- Are all businesses going to end up being for-purpose and for-profit? Is there any alternative?
- Who are the most important stakeholders in an educational facility?
- The importance of understanding people
Connect with Anoushka:
AnoushkaGungadin.com
GlobalCQ.com
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know!
Leave a quick review here:
Future Directors on iTunes
This episode of the Future Directors podcast features guest Anoushka Gungadin. We’ve been wanting to get Anoushka on the show for a while now because we knew it’d be an amazing discussion, and Anoushka certainly delivered on that!
Anoushka is an experienced leader and non-executive director, international speaker and best-selling author on Amazon. She’s the CEO of Australian India Chamber and the founder of Global CQ – an organisation that “champions cultural intelligence and inclusive diversity as a toll to build the modern world”.
Paul and Anoushka hold a conversation that takes several surprising turns, focusing around the topic of cultural intelligence (CQ). As a global citizen, Anoushka is someone who knows a lot about CQ, and she explains it beautifully in this episode.
Paul and Anoushka also discuss:
- Is CQ simply about accepting people from different races, or is it more than that?
- How can CQ help us to navigate complex situations and challenges that arise in the boardroom?
- How can we motivate those who don’t share similarly positive values about CQ?
- As a society, could we ever move into a space where inclusion occurs naturally?
- How can diversity act as a pathway for others to come through?
- How to use diversity to build a better pipeline of potential directors
- Can we stop future generations from becoming cynical, and making the same mistakes we have?
- What can we do to accelerate acceptance of diversity?
Connect with Anoushka:
AnoushkaGungadin.com
GlobalCQ.com
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know!
Leave a quick review here:
Future Directors on iTunes
This week we’ve taken a bit of a breather. No guest. Just for this week. However, we do have a quick announcement instead. Simply, we are changing the name of the podcast.
It’s not that exciting, but we wanted to tell you why.
We’ve decided to stop hustling the boardroom, and move into alignment with the brand behind the podcast, Future Directors.
So, it’s now simply called the Future Directors Podcast.
Why have we changed the name? Over the past few months, we’ve lost our love of the word ‘hustle’. Initially, we were all about directorships as a side hustle for young professionals looking to disrupt the status quo of the boardroom in parallel to the rest of their purposeful career. While this is still an important factor, we don’t want anyone to feel like you have to ‘hustle’ your way in and around the boardroom.
Your journey should be patient. It should be seamless. Challenging, yes, but something that comes naturally. We considered a few different names, but essentially we wanted to streamline and keep it simple.
The name also needed to speak to the organisation behind the podcast, but more importantly, it needed to speak to our audience, the future directors of this world – you.
But even though the name is different, our aim is still the same: to bring you the best in the business, the diverse voices that will support you in your boardroom journey and help you become the best board director you can be. We hope that you’ll continue to listen, subscribe, and leave us reviews if you love the show.
We’ll be back next week with a new episode, so stay tuned!
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Follow Future Directors on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know!
Leave a quick review here:
Future Directors on iTunes
Welcome to episode 40 of the podcast! As promised last week, this episode is focused on the second roundtable discussion from our Decision84 virtual summit held in June 2020. The discussion centres around one of the strong themes of the conference; the need for global systemic change.
The lineup of guest speakers is just as impressive as Roundtable #1, and features:
- Beverly Cole
- Cassandra Kelly
- John Harte
- Kirsten (KP) Patterson
- Dr. Marianne Cooper
- Voyt Krzychylkiewicz
- Again, hosted by our very own Paul Smith
Our panel field spectacular questions from attendees on that need for global change, as well as the nature of modern governance and whether current directors are actually fit for duty or not.
Some of those questions include:
- How do you deal with those directors who are not aware of how their behaviour is impacting the board (and company) negatively?
- Do we need to redefine ‘fiduciary duty’ in order to free boards up and pay attention to stakeholders rather than just shareholders?
- When does a boardroom dissenter (also referred to here as an ‘eyeroller’) stop being a person that adds diversity to the group and begins to be a problem instead?
The discussion also focuses on:
- The two main ‘currencies’ for any board, and what happens if they are lacking them
- Some expert advice on how to make your governance career long-lasting, considering how overloaded boards and directors are
- How can we help heal boards that have lost their focus?
There is a wealth of information within this session. It is a must-listen.
Connect with our guests:
Beverly Cole
Cassandra Kelly
John Harte
Kirsten (KP) Patterson
Dr. Marianne Cooper
Voyt Krzychylkiewicz
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Join Future Directors Group on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know!
Leave a quick review here:
Boardroom Hustle on iTunes
For this episode of our podcast, we’re treating you to something a bit different. Instead of one spectacular guest, we have six. That’s because this episode is one of the roundtable discussions held at our recent virtual summit, Decision84.
If you attended, you’ll know that each day of the conference was filled with enriching conversation from a who’s who of governance leaders and board visionaries from all over the world. And now we’re bringing the discussion to our podcast listeners with this episode, where your host, Paul Smith, leads a roundtable on an insightful back and forth about one very important topic: the role of boards in our society.
Our guests, Anoushka Gungadin, Catherine Brenner, Dottie Schindlinger, Matt Fullbrook, Steven Bowman and Venita E. Fields provide their diverse views on whether boards should do more or less to shape our future, and whether, after COVID19, it really will be back to ‘business as usual’ – or will we go beyond that?
This discussion was recorded soon after the death of George Floyd in the USA and the subsequent protests and movement around racial injustice and inequality all over the world. During the episode, Venita shares one of her most personal experiences as an African American board director. It’s truly profound.
It’s a truly motivating, thought-provoking discussion. Some highlights include:
- What are the key roles of any modern board?
- What are the challenges that boards will face if they don’t focus on the future?
- The one thing that high-performing boards should keep in sight at all times
- How has board director representation evolved over the past few decades?
- Do boards have a duty to reflect the diversity of the community it serves?
- The best ways to encourage diverse representation in a board – and what to avoid
- How can we listen to all voices in the community a board serves, especially when there are so many to hear?
Connect with our guests here:
Anoushka Gungadin
Catherine Brenner
Dottie Schindlinger
Matt Fullbrook
Steven Bowman
Venita E. Fields
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Join Future Directors Group on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know!
Leave a quick review here:
Boardroom Hustle on iTunes
In the Green Room after Episode 37, Peter and Paul discuss their podcast discussion, most notably that it was Peter’s first ever experience being interviewed on a podcast.
Peter and Paul found their conversation to flow in a sense of calmness, and that continues through to this episode where they touch on topics like:
- What’s the sign of a good conversation?
- Did Peter learn anything through the podcasting experience?
- Introversion in the boardroom, and how it can be beneficial
- Why board diversity can be so difficult to achieve
- How to deal with dominant boardroom personalities
- Are ‘board buddies’ a good idea?
- How do global boards operate?
Connect with Peter:
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Join Future Directors Group on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know!
Leave a quick review here:
Boardroom Hustle on iTunes
This week on Boardroom Hustle, people and culture extraordinaire, and young board director Peter O’Sullivan joined us for a chat. Peter is an inspiring figure, specialising in employee engagement, organisational change, business strategy, leadership and governance.
Peter’s real passion lies in wellbeing and education, with a focus on how the working environment and culture can impact people’s wellbeing and performance.
Today, he and Paul discuss:
- How does Peter handle the pressure of having several board roles alongside a busy professional and personal life?
- What has he learned about making things happen effectively in the boardroom?
- The best things to implement in your life to help you manage all your different roles
- What’s the key aspect of a boardroom that allows things to get done successfully?
- How can we build stronger relationships in the boardroom, and what are the benefits from doing so?
- What got Peter into governance in the first place?
- How we can get our elephants under control (Wondering what this means? Check out Episode 17 of Boardroom Hustle to find out!)
- What’s the number one skill every board director should be developing right now?
- What are some practices that Peter suggests bringing into the boardroom to help with individual director wellbeing?
- And a question that we received from a listener, what does Boardroom Hustle actually mean?
Connect with Peter:
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Join Future Directors Group on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know!
Leave a quick review here:
Boardroom Hustle on iTunes
In the follow up to Episode 35, Dottie and Paul head to the Green Room to debrief about their conversation.
As a fellow podcaster, Dottie opens up about some of the more surprising podcast guests that she has interviewed, and both she and Paul discuss what they find to be the most challenging thing about interviewing people.
They also discuss the following:
- An interesting tangent about chimpanzee studies and how we can equate their behaviour to our own
- The neuroscience behind why we often don’t embrace diversity as easily as we think we might
- A neurological reason behind why we don’t embrace change so easily
Connect:
LinkedIn - Dottie Schindlinger
Twitter - Dottie Schindlinger
Governance in the Digital Age: A Guide for the Modern Corporate Board Director
The Corporate Director Podcast
Diligent Corporation
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Join Future Directors Group on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know!
Leave a quick review here:
Boardroom Hustle on iTunes
This week on Boardroom Hustle we had Dottie Schindlinger on the show, whom you might remember as a speaker from our recent virtual governance event, Decision84.
Dottie is the executive director of Diligent, an international board portal software and partner of Decision84. Dottie is co-author of Governance in the Digital Age: A Guide for the Modern Corporate Board Director, co-host of The Corporate Director Podcast and an experienced thought leader on governance and cyber security.
Paul and Dottie dive into discussions like:
- What sparked Dottie’s interest in the field of governance?
- What essential questions have boards been asking during the COVID19 pandemic?
- Have board meetings been entirely disrupted due to our sudden shift to a virtual world?
- Do we need to rethink board meetings as a whole?
- What does the research say about the different ways directors prepare for their board meetings?
- Are we going to see more pressure from board regulators in the future?
- How do we leverage technology to help us do things differently in the boardroom?
- What is the definition of a high performance board director?
Connect:
LinkedIn - Dottie Schindlinger
Twitter - Dottie Schindlinger
Governance in the Digital Age: A Guide for the Modern Corporate Board Director
The Corporate Director Podcast
Diligent Corporation
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Join Future Directors Group on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know!
Leave a quick review here:
Boardroom Hustle on iTunes
Welcome to the follow up of Episode 33 with Matt Fullbrook, board advisor and experienced governance consultant.
In this Green Room episode, Paul and Matt continue their discussion on redefining board governance and decision making.
They talk about:
- What 20 years of governance experience gets you, and what got Matt involved in the first place
- Why everything we do matters in some way to someone, and boards would do well to realise this
- The importance of separating ‘soft skills’ from the nuts and bolts of governance, and why they both involve different types of attention
- The number one trait of effective board directors
- Why boards used to be seen as ethereal, untouchable groups of people – but the rise in required transparency has revealed the people underneath are just like us
Connect with Matt:
Board Effectiveness
David and Sharon Johnston Centre for Corporate Governance Innovation
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Join Future Directors Group on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know!
Leave a quick review here:
Boardroom Hustle on iTunes
Joining us this week on Boardroom Hustle is Matt Fullbrook, a governance consultant and board effectiveness researcher.
Matt helps boards maximise their effectiveness by developing and implementing high quality governance processes, policies and structures. With 20 years experience in the study of corporate governance and board advisory, Matt is undeniably knowledgeable.
You may remember Matt from our recent Decision84 event (June 2020), where he participated in the Day 4 roundtable discussions around the question: how should boards influence the world?
This episode is equally insightful, with Matt and Paul discussing things like:
- Is there a better way to define board governance?
- Why we shouldn’t consider boards ‘one size fits all’
- The pitfalls of a boardroom routine, and why we shouldn’t do something just because it’s the way we’ve always done it
- The major benefits of a racially diverse boardroom
- Why, even if you’re an intelligent board member, you might not make a good chairperson
- Is the current 200-year-old board model still valid? What’s the alternative?
- How does a board choose who to recruit? What should they consider during recruitment?
- Why we should aim to have high EQ
- The importance of being willing to change our minds as we learn new information
- Should boards have their own purpose statement to use as a guide in decision making?
Connect with Matt:
Board Effectiveness
David and Sharon Johnston Centre for Corporate Governance Innovation
Connect with Paul:
Future Directors
Join Future Directors Group on LinkedIn
If you enjoyed the show, we'd love to know!
Leave a quick review here:
Boardroom Hustle on iTunes
After such a rich conversation in Episode 31, it’s no wonder Paul and Lauren had even more to discuss in the Green Room. At one point, Lauren even becomes the impromptu podcast host and invites Paul to share how his governance journey started, which is an inspiring story.
They also touch on topics such as:
- Lauren’s strong learner mindset
- Her current book recommendations
- The lessons we can learn from failed companies
- The openness and transparency that is becoming increasingly expected from boards
- And, why some boards aren’t measuring up!
- Why it’s essential to be comfortable asking the obvious questions
- The benefits of professional scepticism
- What does the boardroom of the future look like? And will we even have one?
Connect with Lauren:
This week’s Boardroom Hustle guest is Lauren Harrell, a highly experienced board director that has served over a dozen not-for-profits and for-profit boards, and who also happens to be under the age of 40 – which, in governance, makes Lauren quite a rare find indeed!
Lauren manages to juggle a complex day job, four separate board roles (one of which she chairs on), plus motherhood. She’s a truly encouraging figure for anyone seeking to get into the boardroom, and her superpowers include conscious networking and an obsession with learning.
In this episode, Lauren gives us a detailed insight into the benefits of networking and teaches us some of the most effective ways to network both online, and offline.
Lauren and Paul chat about a range of different topics, including:
- The benefits of knowing your Gallup strengths, and how Lauren used hers to shape her board value proposition
- The various ways she’s been able to apply those Gallup strengths in different situations
- Lauren’s experience being a younger director, and the challenges that can bring
- Have these challenges changed for the better over her career? Or are they still relatively the same?
- How to get the most out of any younger board director
- What made Lauren consider starting a board career back in her 20s
- How Lauren networks, and whether the recent pandemic has changed the way networking can occur
- Why is the boardroom such a natural fit for some people?
- What are some of the things Lauren has learnt throughout her journey?
Connect with Lauren:
This week’s Boardroom Hustle episode features Steven Bowman, a seasoned governance advisor, global entrepreneur and author (of 14 books!). Amongst his other businesses, Steven is the Managing Director of Conscious Governance, an international business that works with nonprofits and corporations to help create the future, specifically focussed in areas such as strategic planning, governance, risk management and leadership development.
Steven joins us today to provide deep insights into the challenges often faced in the boardroom, and applies his vast knowledge and experience to the thought-provoking question: do you think we’ll even have boards in the future?
Paul and Steven discuss topics like:
- What is ‘strategic awareness’?
- Why his business is called Conscious Governance
- Can we measure levels of consciousness? And if so, how?
- How we can make strategic awareness an unstoppable force
- The interpersonal challenges directors can face in the boardroom, and how to overcome them
- Steven’s advice for those who might be up against a fellow director with stubborn personal preferences
- How does a great chair(person) operate?
- How can we ask powerful questions that can potentially change the dynamics of a board?
- The greatest gift to an organisation, and how they can receive it
- The one single thing that can make a board irrelevant
Connect with Steven here:
- The 2 Bowmans Website
- Conscious Governance
In this week’s episode of Boardroom Hustle, Paul chats to Hugh MacLeod, a highly experienced leader, educator, speaker, consultant, coach, advisor AND facilitator. Hugh has written over one hundred articles, essays and papers on leadership, and has also authored the successful book Humanizing Leadership: Reflection Fuels, People Matter, Relationships Make The Difference.
Hugh’s advice and input are hugely sought after when it comes to leadership and transformational strategy, and once you listen to this episode, you’ll see why. Hugh believes that leadership isn’t just for business and that we are all leaders in various roles from spouses and siblings, to parents and community members.
But what makes a good leader? And how can we be sure we are one of them? Listen to this podcast to find out.
Paul and Hugh discuss all things leadership, with interesting points such as:
- Is there any difference between a business leader and a personal leader?
- The basic elements of being a real leader – that you might already have
- The shackles that people find themselves attached to that impact their ability to be an effective leader, and how you can throw yours off
- The benefits of allowing yourself to be vulnerable
- Why the single most dangerous person in any organisation is the one who proclaims to know everything
- “The Winner’s Trap”, and how to avoid it
- Why mind, heart and spirit are crucial for any leader
- How Hugh’s leadership journey impacted both himself and those around him
- The benefits of listening to understand versus listening to respond or react
- How can we have reasoned, informed debates and discussions when we’re living in a time-and-attention deficit?
- The 3 things you need to pay attention to if you want to be a conscious leader
- The similarities in skill sets required for both personal environments and business environments
Connect with Hugh here:
- Humanizing Leadership: Reflection Fuels, People Matter, Relationships Make The Difference
If you listened to Episode 26 of Boardroom Hustle, featuring Gemma Major, you would know that she and Paul had a LOT to talk about. They touched on everything from radical accountability to ego death, and they were able to continue their interesting discussion in the Green Room afterward.
Gemma and Paul reflect on the questions that were asked and the ease in which their conversation was able to flow. Gemma surprises Paul with a very insightful question, which takes them to a conversation around the benefits of masculine/feminine energy, and recognising them in yourself.
They also talk about:
- Spiritual and gender intelligence
- Being mindful about the particular energy that is driving you to act, and whether it’s the best energy for that action
- Abundant mindsets
- Cognitive biases, and making sure they’re not impacting our decisions
- Empowering and inspiring people who aren't typically in the governance pipeline, but should be
Connect with Gemma:
Seed Waikato
We recently had the pleasure of Gemma Major’s company as a guest on Boardroom Hustle, and wow, what an episode it turned out to be. Paul and Gemma hold a conversation filled with inspirational soundbites, motivational encouragement and even a bit of spirituality and life purpose.
Gemma is an incredible woman. She sits on the board of Philanthropy NZ as both a board member and youth advisor, and is also the Co-Founder of Seed Waikato, an organisation that works tirelessly to strengthen the wellbeing of young people, enabling and empowering them to create solutions by enabling holistic, regenerative change that will serve to imprint on their own tamariki (Māori for ‘children’).
Gemma has a heart for philanthropy. However, she noticed there was a definite lack of cognitive diversity within this area, and felt encouraged to fight in order to fill these gaps. Gemma knows that young people can bring unique strengths and skills to the board dynamic, and as such, she wanted them to be properly represented at that level.
Paul and Gemma also deep dive into topics like:
- How did Gemma feel encouraged to walk into the philanthropic space – a space traditionally dominated by much older people?
- Imposter syndrome – how has it manifested in Gemma? And what’s more, how has she worked to overcome it?
- The surprising frequency of people experiencing imposter syndrome – and the best tips to overcome it
- How a growth mindset is essential as a board director
- Ego death – what is this, and how does it relate to the boardroom?
- How to better serve your inner child so you can in turn better serve your board
- Why it’s essential to have radical accountability and responsibility for yourself and your behaviour
- What will Gemma’s role be moving forward, as boards and governance evolve?
- The importance of bringing in more diversity into the boardroom, in order to represent everyone as fairly as possible
Connect with Gemma here:
Seed Waikato
Welcome to the very first In The Green Room edition of Boardroom Hustle!
The Green Room is where Boardroom Hustle host, Paul Smith, debriefs with his guests after the show, to discuss the things they enjoyed, questions they found interesting, comments they may have missed, or topics they wanted to elaborate on.
This first episode features Marianne Cooper, whom you may remember from Episode 25. In the Green Room, she and Paul continue their conversation on COVID19, with a focus on the after-effects of this pandemic.
They ruminate on questions like:
- How can society ensure the support and survival of marginalised people during pandemics and world catastrophes?
- What is the role of the government when pandemics happen? Should that role change?
- What can businesses ask themselves as they begin to move out of isolation?
- Can such a dire situation really be the kick in the pants we needed to create real, long-lasting change on a bigger scale?
Connect with Marianne:
MarianneCooper.com
This latest installment of Boardroom Hustle is a must-listen, featuring your host, Paul Smith, interviewing Marianne Cooper, PhD. Marianne is a hugely influential woman and an absolute powerhouse of information, and it was an absolute honour to have her on the show.
Marianne is a sociologist at Stanford University, and was the lead researcher for Sheryl Sanberg’s incredible book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead. She’s also an author, a contributing writer to various news outlets like The Atlantic, and an all-round expert on gender, women’s leadership, diversity, inclusion and economic inequality.
Marianne isn’t afraid of answering the hard questions. And in this episode, Paul serves her with some big ones. They discuss things like:
- What is Marianne observing about inequality during the COVID19 pandemic, that she hasn’t seen before?
- The high level of inequality on a global scale, and how COVID19 acted as the kindling that dragged these inequalities out on the global stage
- What’s caused the obvious lack of much-needed infrastructure surrounding healthcare and women’s rights?
- How will this pandemic affect the mental health of not just us, but our children as well?
- The devastating circumstances of domestic violence and family abuse that quarantine has forced many women and children to experience on a chronic level – all around the world
- What is Marianne’s hypothesis about what comes after this?
- Will we eventually slip back into our old ways and return to the status quo, or will we take this rare opportunity to advance to the next phase and level up as a society?
- And, perhaps most importantly, what role will the corporation play after this pandemic?
Marianne encourages everyone to be their biggest, best, boldest selves. And after listening to this episode, you’ll be feeling that way too.
Connect with Marianne here:
MarianneCooper.com
If you loved this episode, you might love our upcoming virtual conference, Decision84.
This ground-breaking event, brought to you by Future Directors, Diligent, NeuroPowerGroup and World Future Society, stretches across 4 sessions, over 4 days, and asks 4 really big questions – the answers to which you won’t find anywhere else.
With an international lineup of speakers, and the chance to network and connect with a carefully curated group of motivated changemakers just like you, this is an event that you’ll want to be involved in.
Interested? Then click this link here to purchase your group or individual tickets.
See you at Decision84, and enjoy the latest episode of Boardroom Hustle.
Boardroom Hustle is back! After over a year of hiatus, we’re back and better than ever. We’ve got some amazing episodes in the pipeline, with guests that will provide you with wise insights, inspirational encouragement, and the answers to some incredibly profound questions.
So if you’re a conscious leader, aspiring or experienced board director, seeking to become more influential, or just plain crazy about all things board governance, then hit the subscribe button to make sure you’re one of the first to hear the latest installments.
Our first episode kicks off with a bang, with host Paul Smith chatting across the Pacific with guest, good friend and host of his own podcast (Boardroom Bound), Alexander Lowry. Alex is a Professor of Finance who also acts as a Board Member and Advisor for various fintech and financial services companies. He holds a unique perspective of what makes for the best board practice, is truly a fountain of information and inspiration!
Alex has been in the boardroom for decades now, and has been through a wealth of different experiences during that time. In this episode, Alex shares what got him into governance, and the big realisation he had that led him to it.
Alex and Paul also get into topics like:
- The difficulties people have getting into big-time board roles – especially if it’s early days in their professional career
- Why is it more typical for younger people to head down the NFP track?
- Learning to think about things on every level, plus how to challenge that thinking AND other people
- Throughout his years of experience, who has Alex recognised to be the most helpful person in any boardroom?
- How to think about what’s coming ahead and using foresight wherever possible
- The benefits of having both a fresh perspective and a mentor
- The fine line that boards need to balance on, juggling healthy scepticism with an encouraging culture
- Why trust is the currency of the boardroom, and how you can promote more of it
- The one big issue with how board roles have (usually) been filled in the past
- That growing sense of diversity on a governance level, and why it’s just so important
- How to stop being reactive and start being proactive instead
- And, perhaps most interestingly, what will the world look like post COVID19?
Connect with Alex here:
Boardroom Bound Podcast
If you loved this episode, you might love our upcoming virtual conference, Decision84.
This ground-breaking event, brought to you by Future Directors, Diligent, NeuroPowerGroup and World Future Society, stretches across 4 sessions, over 4 days, and asks 4 really big questions – the answers to which you won’t find anywhere else.
With an international lineup of speakers, and the chance to network and connect with a carefully curated group of motivated changemakers just like you, this is an event that you’ll want to be involved in.
Interested? Then click this link here to purchase your group or individual tickets.
See you at Decision84, and enjoy the latest episode of Boardroom Hustle.
All You Could Possibly Need To Know About The Future In this latest episode of Boardroom Hustle, Paul Smith talks to Dr. Fern Evitt, a highly esteemed strategist, expert innovation specialist, futurist, business improvement consultant, start-up advocate and a Ph.D. in open innovation. Dr. Evitt has extensive experience in tech, collaboration, transformation management, and leading companies into the future with the best possible outcomes.
Dr. Evitt is a fascinating guest due to her naturally futuristic perspective on life and business, and if you've ever found yourself wondering what it is a futurist actually does, then this podcast is for you. Dr. Evitt discusses futurism, social scientists, the importance of long-term viewing, a disrupted board dynamic and how to build knowledge and awareness around the future.
They also touch on things like:
- The difference between Applied Futurism and Predictive Futurism
- How far forward should a board focus to get the best results?
- How to futureproof your boardroom
- What to do when you come across someone who refuses to accept change
- Technology's impact on companies, their mechanics, responsibilities, and roles
- The perils of 'short-termism'
- Negative narratives around futurism, and why it isn't all dystopia and evil robots
- Receptive ways of teaching, and how Dr Evitt incorporates them into her work
- How institutions can build better trust with all stakeholders
Links:
Future Directors Website: https://futuredirectors.com/
Paul Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/
Anna Byrne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-byrne-13901262/
Dr. Fern Evitt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-fern-evitt/
Welcome to the final instalment of Boardroom Hustle for 2018! Our guest this episode brings such motivation and positivity that it's truly the perfect way to end the year; esteemed board director and entrepreneur, Cassandra Kelly.
Cassandra is a very highly experienced international board director, acknowledged by the US Directors & Boards journal as a director to watch, listed in the Top 10 Chairpersons of Australia, and noted as one of Australia's most influential business woman.
Cassandra has a zest for life that inspires awe in just about everyone. She's a champion for equality and diversity, aiming to bring humanity back to leadership in a time where it's severely lacking. Fearless in doing what she feels is right and brave in standing up for what she believes in, Cassandra shares a wealth of intelligent insight with us in an episode so full of quotable material it's been hard to pick just a few.
Discussing subjects such as how to bring fun and humanity back to the boardroom, improving a lacklustre board, the importance of culture in the boardroom and shifting gears to drive faster towards diversity, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
They also touch on topics like:
- How the role of a director has evolved over time
- Should the board pack be redesigned? In what ways could that be done?
- Why board roles are no longer a comfy resting place for the C-Suite
- The importance of cultivating an inspiring culture within the boardroom, and creating a knock-on effect that inspires the entire company too
- Simple tactics Cassandra employs in order to bring humanness to the forefront of boards
- Observations towards how board dynamics are shifting, the glacial pace in which this shift is occurring, and effective ways you can speed up the change
- How to bring out the best in your colleagues, and why it's so important to do so
- Changing the entire feel of the boardroom by simply choosing hugs over handshakes
- Clever advice for start-ups regarding governance, compliance, and the things they should be focusing on
- The important aspects that should be embedded in the DNA of any business, that many people often simply forget about
- Three things you need to start encouraging within your boardroom that will increase your performance tenfold (and they’re super easy, too!)
Links:
Future Directors Website: https://futuredirectors.com/
Paul Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/
Anna Byrne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-byrne-13901262/
Cassandra Kelly LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandrakelly/
Cassandra Kelly Website: http://www.cassandrakelly.com/
The latest instalment of Boardroom Hustle has co-hosts Paul Smith and Anna Byrne discussing something that affects every single one of us. Something that many of us aren’t even aware of…...cognitive bias.
Our episode is a sort of follow-on of the fifth episode of Boardroom Hustle, The Elephant in the (Board)room, where we talked about cultivating clearer decision-making, but focusing on how cognitive biases affect our decision-making, not just as directors in the boardroom, but as people in life!
But first, what is a cognitive bias? Simply put, it refers to the mental shortcuts our brains take when we make decisions. The brain is an enormously intelligent piece of machinery that has created a way to jump to conclusions rather than spend precious energy trying to sort through the never-ending stream of information that is constantly being downloaded. While cognitive biases often have a bad reputation, they’re actually quite useful – to a point. We live in such a rich, complex, stimulating environment that, in order to be more efficient, our brains collect a number of cognitive biases (or shortcuts) about a wide aspect of topics in order to help us make decisions faster.
So, how can we make our cognitive biases work for us? Have a listen to the episode to find out. Anna and Paul also discuss things like:
- The biggest thing that impacts cognitive bias
- Are biases infectious?
- How can a boardroom environment influence individual biases?
- One particular bias that can be hugely detrimental to the boardroom
- Following the peanuts; how our emotional elephants encourage us to jump to conclusions and how we can train them to make better, more effective decisions
- The different types of biases we experience, such as social, information, confirmation and anchoring, and how we can make them work for us rather than against us
- The best strategy you can implement in your boardroom/s, to unpack cognitive bias and create a more powerful method of decision-making
- How integrative AI may eventually be able to assist us in recognising and deleting any bias from our decision-making
- The five killer questions you can ask yourself and your board to discover any existing biases you might have and begin to overcome them
Links:Future Directors Website: https://futuredirectors.com/
NeuroPower Website: http://neuropowergroup.com
Paul Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/
Anna Byrne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-byrne-13901262/
On the latest episode of Boardroom Hustle, co-hosts Paul Smith and Anna Byrne talk to Brian Stafford, the CEO and President of Diligent Corporation, whose company provides governance management software to almost half a million users and organisations worldwide, making it the largest in the world. Diligent is a portal that allows simple, functional cloud management with security, allowing boards to mitigate risk while enabling effective governance in a way that’s easy, yet empowering.
Paul and Anna talk to Brian about a wide range of topics, including the increasingly demands on board directors, the need for more technology knowledge in the boardroom, the driving motivation behind why people seek out directorships in the first place, and how that motivation changes over the years. Furthermore, they answer a common question so many novice board directors have; what’s the best time to speak up as a new board member?
If you’re wondering how to use technology to advance your board, or how to be seen and heard as a first-time board director, then listen to this episode, where you’ll also find the answers to other burning questions like:
- What are the benefits of having new directors who don’t have any prior boardroom experience?
- At what point in your board career should you feel comfortable speaking up in meetings?
- What’s the biggest hurdle new directors are most likely to come across, and how can they overcome it?
- What is the one thing many boards know they need to improve on?
- What trends are being seen in the ways boards communicate?
- How can you use technology in a way that keeps your board data and information secure and safe?
- Is there a ‘right number’ of boards you should sit on? At what point are you sitting on too many, and in what ways can that impact your effectiveness as a director?
- What are some of the things Brian is excited about regarding future technology in the boardroom?
Links:
Future Directors Website: https://futuredirectors.com/
Paul Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/
Anna Byrne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-byrne-13901262/
Brian Stafford LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-stafford-048aba1/
Diligent Corporation: https://diligent.com/
Some of the brightest minds in the boardroom feel out of their depth when it comes to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) topics, but few readily admit to it. That’s why unique individuals like our latest podcast guest, Crystal Dilworth, are essential.
Dr Crystal Dilworth is a science communicator, presenter and business consultant, recognised worldwide for her work in translating very complex technical jargon that comes with STEM industries into simplified language that just about anyone can understand. Her wildly successful TEDxYouth talk, “The Myth of the Scientist”, TV and movie roles have seen her excel in an industry that has long seemed mysterious and enigmatic. She’s interviewed some of our most famous STEM celebrities, including Elon Musk.
Now, she gets to be on the other side of the mic.
Through Crystal’s work, she is able to facilitate dialogue, build consensus and create understanding around the science side of business, removing that mystery. Breaking down barriers is her forte, and she has a knack for making science enjoyable all. This ability comes at a time when science and technology are infiltrating all aspects of our lives, and having even a very general understanding of them is imperative to progress.
Do you want to know how you can better understand and appreciate science and technology? Listen to this episode.
Co-hosts Paul Smith and Anna Byrne also quiz Crystal on things like:
- The communication problems most often seen in boardrooms
- How and why these problems occur, and what we can do to diminish them
- How information can so often be misconstrued
- The lack of any deliberate structure around how professionals in business communicate with one another, and why this creates new difficulties
- What are the more imaginative ways we can teach new information in boardrooms?
- When does communication become exclusive in the boardroom?
- How your board can enhance communication skills and take them to the next level
- The benefits of better communication
- How generational gaps can create communication errors
- Crystal’s tips and recommendations for anyone struggling to become more literate with STEM concepts
Links:
Future Directors Website: https://futuredirectors.com/
Paul Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/
Anna Byrne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-byrne-13901262/
Crystal Dilworth Twitter: https://twitter.com/PolycrystalhD?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Crystal Dilworth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystal-dilworth-phd-4405659b/
Ignorance might be blissful for some, but it certainly doesn’t help a successful career in the boardroom. If there’s one thing directors need, it’s the ability to remain forever curious, open-minded, and both internally and externally aware. Without these, ignorance flourishes. But if you want to combat that ignorance, then listen to the latest instalment of Boardroom Hustle.
In this episode, Paul chats to Jeff De Cagna, author of Foresight is the Future of Governing, who gives us the most effective antidote to common ignorance: foresight. Jeff is the CEO of Foresight First LLC that aims to improve the way non-profit and association boards perform by cultivating their use of foresight. For over 15 years, Jeff has taught people how to encourage foresight, helping them use it effectively. He provides actionable advice that allows individuals to apply their learned skills to director roles in order to improve and better the performance of both themselves and their boards.
Paul and Jeff also discuss the positive ways that foresight impacts diversity, the best perspective to view voluntary (not volunteer!) director positions in a way that gets the most out of them, and why fear can be used as a highly effective motivational tool.
This podcast episode is perfect for you if you’re also wondering:
- What is foresight and how you can encourage it in your own thinking
- How boards can utilise foresight to make themselves the best possible decision-makers for their companies or organisations
- The fundamental changes that need to occur in the boardroom right now, in order to begin really making a difference
- Why a ‘bigger’ boardroom doesn’t actually always mean ‘better’
- How you can help your board look beyond the present scope to consider all things future, without becoming futurists
- The opportunity we’re facing at the moment that will allow us to redesign the boardroom in a way to make it really compelling, satisfying and rewarding
- How boards can invest their capabilities even more effectively to make the best impact on the important issues, and how foresight is such an integral part of this
- And, an insight into Jeff’s own foresight, namely, what issues does he think boards will come up against in the near future?
Links:
Future Directors Website: https://futuredirectors.com/
Paul Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/
Anna Byrne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-byrne-13901262/
Jeff’s eBook: http://futureofgoverningbook.co
Foresight First: http://foresightfirst.io/
Jeff De Cagna LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/foresightfirst
In this episode of Boardroom Hustle, co-hosts Paul Smith and Anna Byrne flip the script and interview Anna herself, to discuss her fascination with decisioning – the cognitive process we undergo with every single choice we make. But how much of this process is subconscious? Are we really making decisions based on new information, or are we merely running on autopilot? And could technology possibly replace decision-making for us? Understanding this intricate process is key in unlocking higher cognition, which can lead to making better choices and, ultimately, creating a greater impact in what we do.
Anna has an avid interest in cognitive neuroscience, and she takes us on an interesting journey in which she explains the importance of “training an elephant” to cultivate clearer decisioning. Anna developed a love of neuroscience at a young age, thanks to her mother’s psychiatric career path, and she has such an easy, natural way of explaining tricky subjects – like the mechanics of the brain – that just about anyone can understand. So, if you’re eager to hear more about this elephant and peek behind the curtain to see how we make decisions, as well as how you can apply certain tricks and tips to your own cognitive thinking to create the best possible outcome for your life, and how you can improve your board through doing so, give the episode a listen.
You’ll also dive deep into the following:
- Decisioning, the cognitive process that leads us to choose the things we choose
- Why we can lose up to 75 percent of our cognitive functioning if we try to avoid how we’re really feeling
- The positive and negative impacts that technology can potentially have on human-based decision making
- How we can use technology to enhance, rather than replace, our humanness
- Why we need to understand the complex, fascinating process of decisioning, and how we can use it to our advantage
- The three lenses we use to view decision-making
- Common problems that are often seen in small groups of powerful people (and what you can do to solve them!)
- The danger in constantly referring back to habitual perspectives
- How our brains are controlled by two systems that have very different approaches to problem-solving
- Changing your narrative so you can take on a brand new perspective
- Wasting valuable bandwidth with emotional reactions, and how we can get more time by taking control of our decisioning
Links:
Future Directors Website: https://futuredirectors.com/
NeuroPower Website: http://www.neuropowergroup.com
Paul Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/
Anna Byrne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-byrne-13901262/
Welcome back to season two of Boardroom Hustle. This season, co-hosts Paul Smith and Anna Byrne are switching gears to focus more on the future of boardrooms. They’ll hypothesise and theorise about the technological changes that we’ll be seeing, the regulation that will come with it, and how societal influences and a rapidly shifting status quo will serve to better the boardroom.
The guest on this episode is Amon Woulfe, founder of Collective Minds, an organisation that works with people and teams across the globe in various situations, helping them to boost their performance, especially in high pressure and stressful environments. Amon has a refreshing, enormously intelligent perspective when it comes to improving mental resilience, understanding how to train the mind, and the tools and skills most necessary in order to do so.
If you’re looking to enhance your own performance, or you’re in a leadership role and are wanting to give your team an added edge, give the podcast a listen. Not only will you find out how to start upgrading your brain and avoiding professional burn-out, you’ll also find out the answers to things like:
- How to improve your mental cognition
- The knock-on effect that can occur when you and/or your team isn’t performing at their peak
- The three aspects of your mind that you need to cultivate in order to start really winning at life
- Neuro-rigidity, neuroplasticity, and why your brain dislikes being wrong
- The potential positive and negative impacts that come from biometric technology
- Theories behind how the future boardroom might approach the use of bio-technology
- Alpha, Beta and Gamma brain waves, and which one is the best for creativity, innovation and better performance
- Why we’re all walking around in various states of stress and anxiety
- What influenced Amon to work with human potential, and the one thing he thinks this planet needs more than anything else
- Actionable steps that you can take today to help elevate your mental and emotional performance
Links:
Future Directors Website: https://futuredirectors.com/
Paul Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futurepaulsmith/
Anna Byrne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-byrne-13901262/
Amon Woulfe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amonwoulfe/?originalSubdomain=au
Collective Minds Website: https://www.collectivemind.com.au/
We’ve heard the warnings - machines are coming to take our jobs! But is that really how it’s going to happen? What impact will Artificial Intelligence have on the boardroom?
Anna Byrne and Paul Smith discuss the new technology that is around the corner, the impact it could have on businesses and boards, and what it could mean for you.
In this episode, we discuss:
[3:05] The three types of Artificial Intelligence (assisted intelligence, augmented intelligence, and autonomous intelligence)
[4:30] Paul’s views on the most exciting implication of AI in the Boardroom
[4:55] Harnessing AI to improve diversity in recruiting
[7:45] Reducing ‘groupthink’
[10:30] Using AI as an ‘observer’ to monitor decision making, as well as the quality of discussion
[12:02] Adherence to policies, ethical frameworks and codes of conduct
[15:30] Issues around privacy and confidentiality
[17:15] What types of activities would be best monitored by AI?
[19:40] Carefully designing ecosystems to ensure there are no misaligned incentives and unintended consequences
[20:55] AI at an individual level: AI as a ‘coach’ or ‘manager’
If there are topics that you’re particularly interested in or any new buzzwords floating around, we’d love to hear from you so that we can talk about these ideas on the show. Email Paul at psmith@futuredirectors.com or Anna at anna.byrne@neuropowergroup.com.
After Paul Smith from the Future Directors Institute spent Season 1 interviewing successful board directors, the tables have been turned: now, Paul finds himself on the other end of the microphone. Anna Byrne interviews Paul about his upcoming presentation at a conference in Savannah, Georgia in the USA.
Paul is in the enviable position where he has many options that he COULD talk about during his presentation, so now he needs to works out what he SHOULD say. The presentation is for The International Policy Governance Association and is targeted to look into new possible governance models and the future of governance in general. Paul was approached to give the closing keynote for their 2018 Annual Conference.
If there are topics that you’re particularly interested in or any new buzzwords floating around, we’d love to hear from you so that we can talk about these ideas on the show. Email Paul at psmith@futuredirectors.com or Anna at anna.byrne@neuropowergroup.com.
Welcome back to the Boardroom Hustle podcast for Season 2. Boardroom Hustle is the only podcast dedicated to serving all types of board directors at every stage of their journey, all around the world. Whether you’re aspiring to one day join a board, or you’ve just started your board journey, or you can confidently claim that you’re an effective and innovative future director, this show is for you.
Season 1 was centred around inspiring leaders and we spoke about their passions and their work inside and outside the boardroom. Season 2 is purely focus on the future.
There is plenty of hype around governance in the future. Change is coming, both technological and societal, and directors need to always be looking ahead to what will shift the status quo. It’s all about constantly upskilling to better serve your organisation and its stakeholders. We’ll be looking specifically at how these changes will impact directors inside the boardroom and what it means for their abilities and responsibilities.
Today’s episode is an introduction to Season 2 where we begin our discussions around what the future might look like. If there are topics that you’re particularly interested in or any new buzzwords floating around, we’d love to hear from you so that we can talk about these ideas on the show. Email Paul at psmith@futuredirectors.com or Anna at anna.byrne@neuropowergroup.com.
The Best of Season 1: "Disrupting the Status Quo"
This episode makes the end of Season 1, which I’m retrospectively titling ‘Disrupting the Status Quo’.
We’ll be kicking off Season 2 in a couple of weeks. I’ll be co-hosting this season with previous Anna Byrne (episode 5), and we’ll be focusing on the FUTURE of the boardroom and the things that are coming on the horizon that will impact boardrooms and how board members need to constantly adapt change.
This episode features five of my favourite snippets from the guests we had on the show in the first season of Boardroom Hustle:
-
[1:55] Penelope Twemlowe (episode 6). The importance of saying ‘no’, being selective in what you do so that you can dedicate more time and energy to fewer things (stop spreading yourself so thinly - say no to little things so that you can say yet to the big ones).
-
[6:00] Alan Jones (episode 3). Career inflection points and answering the question ‘what’s making you feel most vulnerable right now? (heart arrhythmia, transition point in life)
-
[11:20] Alison Rowe (episode 4). ‘Fail early, then try again’ (tips for building resilience and dealing with imposter syndrome, importance of learning from failure, injecting fun and work-life balance, confidence in decision-making without 100% information, managing risk in the boardroom)
-
[16:30] Raph Goldsworthy (episode 7). The ‘art and science’ of the boardroom, most problems in the boardroom are perennial because we still haven’t addressed them properly
-
[22:00] Parrys Raines (episode 1). Finding your passion, trying things on the side, determining what works best for you
Geoff Hetherington is ‘The Clarity CEO’, helping business owners to de-clutter their ideas (and their lives) with his compassionate but no-nonsense approach. He is also a Chairman and an advisory board director to several Australian companies.
In this episode, we dive into topics such as:
- Being brutally selective with your focus and your energy
- The importance of having a regular ‘reset’
- Advisory boards VS Governance boards
- The ideal size for an effective board
- Stepping back before deciding how to react
- Observe -> Understand -> Identify -> Decide
- The four stages of learning
- The importance of putting away your privilege
- Key ground rules for directors
- And much more!
Links
LinkedIn - https://au.linkedin.com/in/geoffhetherington
Website: http://geoffhetherington.com/about/
Dancing Blind Man consulting: http://dancingblindman.com/
Top Quotes
- “My Dad always said to me the only thing you’ve got to strive to achieve in life is to be happy at the guy who looks back at you from the mirror every morning”
- “The hard thing for young people is to figure out how to avoid playing the politics”
- “It is so hard to find people that actually run businesses to come and sit on the board. That’s the other thing that’s happening with boards - the people that make up the boards are not necessarily the best or the brightest: they are the most available”.
- “If you understand or at least you can identify what is wrong, you can then make a conscious decisions about what you’ll do or how you’ll react”
- “Really good directors have the ability to step back and observe what’s happening. They are also smart enough to understand that nothing makes you do anything, because you have the choice of how you react to external stimuli”.
- “There’s four stages of learning: you start off unconsciously incompetent, you become consciously incompetent, then you become consciously competent, then you become unconsciously competent”.
- “What I say to my clients is: ‘don’t hire staff’. What you should be hiring for is for talent. You can always teach talented people something”.
One of the biggest challenges that entrepreneurs face is authenticity, not least of all in the boardroom. This is a topic that my guest today knows all too well.
Ronsley Vaz is the founder of the award winning Amplify agency, author of Amplify: Raise Your Voice, Boost Your Brand and Grow Your Business, and host of Bond Appetit - Australia’s #1 food podcast. He’s also the creator of the We Are Podcast conference - the largest podcast conference in the Southern Hemisphere. And throughout his illustrious journey, one of his biggest learning curves has been confronting himself in difficult situations.
Top 3 quotes:
- "That is what’s fascinating now about about business - that everyday I find out how much I don’t know".
- "Every time I’m exposed to someone, I learn more about myself".
- "Be yourself so much that people want to hang out with you and appreciate you for who you are, then you don’t have to impress anyone".
We also get into all of this too...
- Ronsley’s top inspirational quotes
- The different definitions of success, and how they vary from one entrepreneur to the next
- Why you have to be selfish to be an entrepreneur
- The importance of having the right people around you
- How to stay in the present, rather than being in the past or living in the future
- Why fear won’t go away, and how to deal with it when it comes along
- Learning how to appreciate the problems you come up against as an entrepreneur
- Ronsley’s legacy, and the importance of questioning everything
- How Ronsley’s personality has fitted into the boardroom
- Why being authentic in the boardroom is so important
- The values of millennials and why it matters in business and the boardroom
- Effective listening as a critical part of how we interact with the world around us
Our Mission is to empower, support and connect a generation of directors steering meaningful change from the boardroom. Check us out at https://futuredirectors.com.au/
Links
Amplify Agency
Ronsley’s book, Amplify: Raise Your Voice, Boost Your Brand and Grow Your Business
The Bond Appetit Podcast
Should I Start A Podcast
We Are Podcast Conference
Anne-Marie Elias is a force of nature. Her title is ‘Chief Disrupter’ and she’s spent three decades challenging the status quo and breaking down the cycle of social disadvantage. Disruption runs in her DNA. She’s worked as an adviser to government ministers, in the NGO sector, in the private sector, and in the boardroom. Anne-Marie shows us that we need to realise that what we might think is ‘the best that we can do’ is a long way off our best - we need to embrace change, disrupt what isn’t working, and build toward a better future for all.
In this episode, we dive into topics such as:
- The essence of disruption: challenging the status quo
- The difference between ‘disruption’ and ‘destruction’
- Telling stories to humanise real problems beyond statistics
- Inspiring action and moving toward a greater cause
- Being aware of those that fear change and feel threatened
- Reimagining ‘the best we can do’ (we’re currently not doing it)
- Productivity in the workplace and rethinking work hours to solve traffic congestion
- Collaborating virtually and working remotely
- Reconnecting with reality
- Boards taking a ‘long hard look at themselves’
- Getting more things done
- And much more!
Links
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiefdisrupter/
Chief Disrupter - https://chiefdisrupter.com/
Disruptor’s Handbook - https://disruptorshandbook.com/
Techfugees (Australian Chapter) - https://techfugees.com/chapters/australia/
Spark Festival - http://sparkfestival.co/
Top Quotes
- “I’m not apologetic to disrupt the hell out of whatever’s going on because we’re failing people”
- “We have to look out for everybody, and that’s where the real disruption happens”
- “I think people that fear change think disruption is destructive”
- “We are so disconnected from reality at every level of society”
Dale Simpson is one of the Principals of Bravo Consulting, which is a blend of executive coaching, systems design, leadership and boardroom development, and operates across Australia and India. Dale was a suggestion from one of our previous Boardroom Hustle guests, Alison Rowe.
In this episode, we dive into topics such as:
- Shifts in our mentalities
- The search for more meaning in our work
- The difference between coaching and mentoring
- Curiosity as a learning tool
- The importance of forgiveness as well as humility
- The benefits of imperfection
- Harnessing vulnerability
- Working in India
- And much more!
Links
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalepsimpson/
Bravo Consulting - http://bravoconsulting.com.au
Bravo Blog - http://bravoconsulting.com.au/blog/
Top Quotes
- “I think the first thing that precedes any foreign intervention or help that we seek is knowing when to seek help, that’s what makes us humans – is knowing when to seek help.”
- “I don’t want us to feel that we are somehow obligated to be perfect, we just need to also know what happens and what we need to do when things don’t work out the way we intended.”
- “We live in a world where we value extraverts as vital to leadership, but in fact, there are many, many great leaders who aren’t”
- “What you want at any table is diversity. Not just in gender, race and ability, but also diversity in thinking”
- “Good coaches are the ones that teach people how to coach themselves”
- “We in the west think we will be happy if we are successful. The Hindus, Buddhist and Jains have taught us the opposite: we will be successful if we are happy.”
Action Items
- Seek out work or experience in an unfamiliar area. Try and join a project in which you are not already an expert.
- Always be curious and stay humble - that allows you to ask more questions, which unlock the door to learning.
Raph Goldsworthy is the Managing Director of ‘Better Boards’, an organisation that provides professional development around being a board director.
Raph is someone who has had very little interest in actually sitting on boards himself, but understands the power boards have on shaping the future. He feels he isn’t personally suited to the boardroom, but has been instrumental in impacting boards through his curation of the annual ‘Better Boards’ conference, the ‘BoardWise’ online program, and providing resources to help directors with their professional development in their own journeys.
In this episode, Raph and I talk about:
- Growing the ‘Building Better Boards’ conference to 600 annual attendees
- The ‘art and science’ of the boardroom
- How directors in the NFP sector can connect with those that can help them on their journey
- How to address the reoccuring, perennial problems of the boardroom
- Thinking about how we can learn from history
- Leaving your ego at the door
- Embracing risk and stepping outside the comfort zone
- The power of asking questions
- Impacting boards without sitting on boards
- Specialists vs Generalists
- Diversity and the future of boards
- And much more!
Links
LinkedIn - https://au.linkedin.com/in/raphgoldsworthy
Better Boards - http://betterboards.net/
Upcoming Better Boards conference: http://conference.betterboards.net/
Sign up to the Better Boards newsletter - http://betterboards.net/newsletter/
BoardWise - http://www.boardwise.net/
Sprout - http://sprouthq.net/
Sprout Podcast - http://sprouthq.net/podcast/
Penelope Twemlow has a lengthy list of positions and accolades. Just a few include:
- CEO, Energy Skills Queensland
- Project and Change Manager, Glencore
- Co-Founder and Chairperson, Women In Power
- Ambassador, White Ribbon Australia
- 2016 Queensland Telstra Businesswoman of the Year (Social Enterprise & Not-For-Profit)
- 2016 APAC Insider CEO of the Year
Penelope spent almost 11 years in the Australian Defence Force before transitioning to a ‘civilian life’. Whilst the myriad of skills and qualifications she’d built up in the ADF didn’t directly transfer, she was able to lean on a few key mentors that helped her apply the abilities she’d developed and quickly climb the ranks. In recent years, she has flourished, winning multiple awards and being appointed to new positions.
In this episode, we dive into topics such as:
- The current ‘No’ crisis
- How we can avoid being pulled in too many different directions
- How to be more selective in our approach to what we choose to do (or more importantly, NOT do)
- Giving others the ability to step up and take on greater responsibility
- Tools and tips for time management & productivity
- Scheduling time for yourself to clear your mind and get some space to do some thinking
- How her medically-diagnosed insomnia has helped her think strategically and put new plans into action
- The TRUE role of a CEO (hint: it doesn’t begin until 5:30pm when everyone else has gone home)
- The importance of professional mentors and advisors
- Breaking out of your pigeon hole and broadening your experience
- And much more!
Links
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/penelope-twemlow-40012246/
Glencore - http://www.glencore.com.au/EN/Pages/home.aspx
Women In Power - http://womeninpower.org.au/
White Ribbon Australia - https://www.whiteribbon.org.au/
2016 Telstra Business Woman of the Year - https://www.telstrabusinesswomensawards.com/brilliant-business-women/past-winners/
Anna Byrne specialises in solving complex people problems and shaping mindset decisions and behaviours. She is a Partner at Neuro Power group and is a strategic advisor to boards and CEOs. Anna began her own board career at the age of 17 when she joined the United Nations Youth Association.
Anna has always been fascinated by how humans operate, and she brings a combination of neuroscience and behavioural economics to understand the deeper experiences that shape how we see the world.
Anna published a book called ‘Behavioural Economics for Business’ in 2016, and is currently working on another book called ‘Boardroom (R)evolution’, to be launched in 2018.
In the conversation, we discuss:
- The characteristics of ‘complex systems’
- Behavioural economics and Cognitive biases
- Experimenting within a board career
- The different filters through which we all see the world
- How board members can get to know each other better
- Ways to increase your ability to perform
And much more!
Links:
Neuro Power Group
‘Behavioural Economics for Business’ book
Alison Rowe is the CEO of the Moreland Energy Foundation and the inaugural Chairwoman of the Future Business Council, among other Executive and Non-Executive Board Directorships. Having started her working life in the Navy and finding herself driving warships at the age of 22, Alison brings a strategic approach to the organisations she is involved with.
From an early age, Alison learned the benefits of failing fast, failing early, and most important, trying again. It takes time to build courage and resilience, but these are vital characteristics of an effective CEO and Director. You need to be willing to try innovative things and be willing to failing in order to achieve something great.
We get into a wide range of topics, including...
- Techniques for building and developing resilience and accepting failure
- Unintentionally becoming a non-conformist
- Having trusted advisors outside of the boardroom that you can reflect with and get any feedback you need
- Having courage and making decisions when you don’t have all of the information
- Being comfortable with the fact that you will never have 99.9% of the inputs, and how you can harness your skills and experience to still achieve the desired outcomes
- Developing a ‘Risk Appetite Statement’ to allow you to walk the tightrope between managing risk appropriately but maintaining innovation and entrepreneurialism
- Having multiple pathways and a complex web of stakeholders through which you can influence outcomes, so that you don’t have any single point of failure
- Having an appropriate Decision Making approach so boards members feel empowered
- The different size boards required for different stages of growth in startups
- And much more!
Links
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonrowe1/
Moreland Energy Foundation - https://www.mefl.com.au
The Future Business Council - http://www.futurebusinesscouncil.com
Climate Alliance - https://www.climatealliance.org.au
Episode four of Boardroom Hustle is a powerful one. My guest today is an old friend, Claire Maloney. Founder and director of The Bravery, chairperson of the charity One Girl, proud feminist and advocate for total diversity, Claire is relentless in standing up for the things she’s passionate about. In today’s episode, we discuss those passions, and how they’ve driven her to succeed.
In the show, Claire and Paul Smith have an insightfully philosophical conversation about a variety of things such as the journey that led Claire to where she is today, the importance of knowing when to shut up and listen, what makes her tick and what she considers the most valuable thing in the world – and how you can make the most of yours.
We also get into the following:
- Fear, courage, sustainability and social causes
- What Claire is feeling most vulnerable about right now
- How the boardroom can act as a conduit for social change and positive impact
- Confidence, privilege and coping without a safety net
- Where Claire’s business, The Bravery, is planning to go in the near future
- The high emotions that come from being face-to-face with confronting issues, and how to handle them
- Avoiding business burn-out and keeping a strong sense of purpose
- How to de-stress quickly and effectively
- Refining your passions down into a successful career path
- Claire’s love of crisis management and how that’s been beneficial in her board career
- Being real, honest and (in Claire’s words) owning your shit
Links:
The Bravery Website
Claire Maloney's Twitter
Claire Maloney's LinkedIn
One Girl Website
One Girl Twitter
This episode of Boardroom Hustle covers a wide variety of different topics. My guest, Alan Jones, and I get into things like EQ, IP and everything in-between. Alan is an entrepreneur, investor, board director and startup mentor, and he sheds some light on the life-changing moments he’s experienced throughout his journey: the relationships between startup founders, investors and the boardroom. He also talks about the big changes he’s trying to encourage and bring about in the world.
Throughout Alan’s career, he’s been lucky to realise the importance of stopping and smelling the roses. Today, we discuss how he came to that realisation, as well as:
- Why serenity is such an important part of Alan’s day
- The Darwinian approach that many industries take towards business, and how this can be of detriment to those industries
- How Alan came to value taking time out from the daily grind and learned to relax
- The various flaws within his industry, and who is the most likely to come up against discrimination
- How Alan came to be known as the Chief Hindsight Officer
- Why EQ is such a vital aspect of business, especially in the boardroom
- How to get that ‘spark’ back into your boardroom
- Why we tend to have shallow interactions rather than deep and meaningful ones, and how to start digging deeper with your directors
- The best way to take minutes for your meetings to ensure you get the most out of your time
- The one common theme that can be found in every single boardroom
- Negative outcomes that come from living a hard, fast lifestyle, and how you can avoid falling prey to them
- What it means to be a whole person, and how you can aim to become one
- Can a younger director find that balance between work and life, or is that something that comes with time?
Links:
Alan Jones LinkedIn
Alan Jones Twitter
The New Agency
Startmate
Blue Chilli
For anyone who has ever been told, ‘You’re too young to do that…’ then you need to listen to this latest episode of Boardroom Hustle. My guest this week is Parrys Raines, whose resume reads like someone decades older than her 22 years. Parrys has led a remarkable life thus far, taking on various roles such as law student, international speaker, writer, blogger, business owner and board director, and she has never let her age hold her back.
Parrys is passionate about sustainability and pushing for a better future. She’s a prime example of success at an early age, and is a wonderful reminder that you’re never too young to start changing the world.
In this episode, we get into loads of fascinating topics, such as...
- Why imperfection is sometimes better than perfection
- Parrys’ advice to those who haven’t yet been able to connect to their passions and purpose
- What Parrys considers to be changes that should be (but aren’t) occurring in the boardroom, and how younger people are intertwined with that
- How the career ladder has transformed into the career lattice, and what this means for everyone across all generations
- The benefits of an intergenerational mentoring relationship
- The drive behind Parrys’ decision to start her first website business at the age of fourteen
- Board roles, building a company and how to remain optimistic towards the unknown
- The roadblocks and difficulties Parrys has come up against in starting up her second company, and how she has overcome them
- How you can find and create opportunities to do what you really love in a job you only just like
- Parrys’ devotion to sustainability, and how she managed to combine that with her paralegal position
Links:
Centre for Sustainability Leadership
The Future Business Council