There seems to be an expectation that we have to … know all the answers and coach our people, be compassionate and be tough, be strategic and answer all our emails, manage staff wellbeing while delivering every project outcomes, collaborate with our peers and fix problems immediately, be innovative while following the rules, don’t challenge too much while creating change, implement new ways of working but don’t upset anyone doing it… all while looking like none of it is hard and we have it all together. Is it any wonder our good leaders are burning out?

People are fallible, and leaders are people. Leaders need to fill their own cup first to ensure that they are prepared to serve and support. We need to stop the world-wide trend of leaders dropping out of leadership and people saying that they don’t want to be promoted because leadership looks like a terrible career choice if you want to stay well and healthy.

Key take aways:

1. The 3 key reasons that people are quitting leadership
2. The 7 elements we need for a healthy leadership mind
3. Setting and maintaining boundaries for self care
4. Embedding a practice of reflection and self-compassion

This keynote is focused on giving leaders the skills, and most importantly, the permission to take care of themselves and become strong enough to lead effectively. During this keynote Michelle shares her personal journey of ‘burnout and bounce’ to reconnect with her passion for leadership.

Gallup tells us that 85% of the world’s workforce is disengaged at work!

What if you and your employees could be 35% more satisfied and engaged at work? AND what if these engaged people actually deliver 30-40% more profit and productivity to your business? Would you be curious to find out how?

Current research shows that having the right kind of culture in your business delivers these kinds of results and more. It also shows that the culture you have, is because of the experience of work that you are accepting. So if you want a better experience, you need the right kind of culture.

So what is the right kind of culture…

Through years of research, trial and error, and experience working with business leaders across Australia, Michelle has discovered the three essential elements to creating cultures where success, satisfaction and sustainability happens.

Key takeaways:

• understand how you can create an experience of work that benefits you and your customers
• the three key elements of culture that creates success
• learn from the culture stories from eight different types of business
• the key actions you can do to create the experience of work that you want

Michelle takes the audience on a journey from the bad to good to great in culture transformation. Sharing current research, case studies, and evidence she demonstrates the fundamental links between culture, success, results and leadership.

Based on Michelle’s new book “Culture Inc: Create a business that gets results and people love” OUT NOW.

Maybe people aren’t actually resisting change, perhaps they are just reacting to it?

Change takes many forms, but one thing remains consistent… the people. Whether you are making a personal change, a process or procedure change, an organisational wide change, or a change in technology you need the people who are affected by the change to adopt new ways of working if the changes you are making will be successful.

One of the perceived greatest challenges for leading change is when the group of people you are leading through change… refuse to budge. They are ‘resisting’ the change. Resistance to change appears to be a go to reason why changes fail. But there is something you can do about this so called ‘resistance’.

• Explore the Top 10 Reasons why people appear to resist change
• Learn what you can do to manage change consistently
• Discover the top secrets of an experience corporate change specialist

Michelle has worked with business leaders to guide them through change and transformation for over 20 years. Based on Michelle’s eBook “Change Resistance – 10 top reasons people resist change and what you can do about it“. This eBook is provided free for participants.

Now tell me what impact did your culture have on the success of that change?

More often than not my clients tell me that their “culture” is holding them back from the changes they want to make in business. The people aren’t engaged and are rejecting the new way of working. Have you thought about how much of that is to do with the individual and how much is systemic?

This talk explores the business culture as a living ecosystem and the impact that this system has on the individuals ability to make change in business. Through case studies we explore why change fails and how understanding the ecosystem creates better outcomes.

Key Takeways:

• understand why culture can be your greatest… friend or foe in change
• discover the culture ecosystem and how knowing this can support your next change program
• the key secrets of every great change manager and change leader

Based on Michelle’s new book “Culture Inc: Create a business that gets results and people love” OUT NOW.

Change starts with a spark of an idea.  Anyone can have this spark. But only the truly brave take that spark, create something new, build the fire underneath, engage others, and turn it into a reality. Only through courage and meaningful conversations does true change happen. But there’s a downside to courage and conversations… sometimes you fail at them. 

Research conducted by University of Virginia’s innovation team tells us that the only certainty in life is uncertainty. Dr Brené Brown* defines vulnerability as the feeling of uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. Tell me any time you’ve done something worthwhile and meaningful and haven’t felt vulnerable…

Michelle shares  the research and the skills that are the keys to courage and therefore the gateway to meaningful conversations and change.

takeaways:

• what goes up must fall down… the physics of courage
• the intersection between courage, vulnerability, change and meaningful conversations
• the proven skills of brave, authentic and innovative leaders

This talk is based on Michelle’s leadership and innovation journey (including co-founding an IT startup company), her work with Dr Brené Brown, and professional experience in leadership for over 20 years.

*Dr Brené Brown, is a researcher, storyteller, Professor at Houston University, and Author of five #1 New York Times best sellers. Her TED talk “The Power of Vulnerability” has been watched over 40 million times. Dr Brown has recently made a discovery that she calls the greatest of her career. That is, courage is the number one skill set required for the future of leadership AND it’s teachable, observable and measurable.

1. Dare to Lead™ training
2. Courageous and Meaningful Conversations
3. Leading Change
4. Authentic Leadership
5. Executives Leading Leaders
6. Culture of Belonging