You may have seen in the news this week that the US Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsberg passed away from cancer at the age of 87. She was one of only 2 women on the US Supreme Court, but more importantly she was an incredible person.

When she started Harvard Law School in 1955 there were only a handful of women that were allowed to study. In addition, she was a mother of a young daughter and her husband was studying Harvard Law a year above her. In a twisted turn, her husband was diagnosed with cancer and to help him continue at Harvard Law Ruth not only attended her classes, she also attended his classes and in the evening she would share her notes with her bedridden husband so he could continue his studies. Wow, what an inspirational person.

Her true claim to fame was how she repeatedly fought and influenced the legal system to recognise the rights of women (and minorities). I had the pleasure of watching a movie on her life called ‘On the basis of sex’ with my daughters. It was fascinating to watch their reactions to what women were not able to do in the 1960’s and 1970’s. We had a great discussion about the courage that it must have taken her to stand up for what she believes in. More importantly she did this in a way that blended logic with the need to be human and follow what is right.

So what are you having the courage to step up for? Is it an idea that you believe will help others? Is it a project at work that you think will make a real difference? Or is it supporting someone who may be unfairly taken advantage of. With 2020 being a crazy and unpredictable year, it is easy to stay in the shadows and let fear stop you from taking action on what you believe.

On a personal level, I am having the courage to continue supporting and promoting Hands Across the Water, the charity that supports over 350 Thai children at 6 homes across Thailand. With the economic downturn, we are fighting harder than we ever have to continue having the courage to ask people to not forget others that are worse off during this time.

Rather than asking for a donation I would like to invite you to join me for a night of celebration. Normally this time of year we gather together and share our vision forward and have a celebration of what has been achieved.

This year Hands is having a Big Night In Event on Saturday the 31st of October (yes Halloween!) You can sign up on the website and host your family or a small group of friends for an evening of inspiration and connection, all from your home. I am having the courage to ask for anyone with donations of gifts, hotel nights, day on a boat, etc for our charity auction to reach out to me so we can all do a little to make a bigger difference.

As you go about your day remember to have the courage to act on what you believe in and help others to do the same and maybe we can make Ruth Bader Ginsberg smile from heaven.

It has been 19 years since America was attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001, this was a day that most of us remember. I still remember where I was and watching the horror on the news programs and the sense of shock that quickly grabbed the world’s attention.

In comparing that day many years ago to now, it is interesting how different America is. Back then everyone was unified and most American’s had a sense of pride in their country. The media did not vilify and divide the country, but provided well researched valuable insights that allowed people to be informed and educated.

It is amazing how things have changed. Although I have lived in Australia for over 25 years, I have never seen America so divided. I have friends that span from the left-wing liberal view to the right-wing conservative view. In the past there were disagreements, but still a sense of unity.  Unfortunately, today it feels like things are mostly divided.

Regardless of any political view, I feel today it is best to remember those that were forever impacted by this day. I remember the firefighters that ran into the burning twin towers, the police and medical staff all there to help others who lost their lives. The workers who were just going about their daily lives who would never return. The families who lost their loved ones and had to continue living knowing that a piece of their life would forever be different.

My eldest daughter was born a few weeks later. In her beautiful eyes I could see the hope for the future and my dreams for the world that she would live in. I was thinking beyond 9 September 2001 and thinking about the world that she would live in when she was an adult.

It is up to all of us to step up to be leaders that are compassionate, caring and kind and look for ways to unify, rather than divide. Just like when everyone pulled together to overcome the fear after 9/11 and the devastation of other disasters, if we can work together we can still make the world a better place.

With the lingering COVID19 pandemic and the lockdown in Melbourne, I’m noticing many offices operating on two different levels. When the pandemic first occurred, everyone had to get creative and change the way that they operated. The rise of the work from home dynamic and the massive increase in Zoom meetings to keep the communication open created a new way of operating. People seemed to get used to this approach and many enjoyed the connection with their family at home, not to mention not having to spend hours driving in traffic or on public transport to work.

Now I’m noticing a new speed that is occurring as people go back into the office. I worked with a client in their Sydney office this week, and they still only have 60% of their staff travelling in physically, whilst the rest are still working from home. One of the managers commented on how being back in the office was great as they could have faster catch ups with people from other areas. The other thing she mentioned was she was struggling with trying to reach out to those still working at home to keep them in the loop as it took a bit longer.

These are the two speeds that I am seeing across workplaces. One is the rhythm of working from home and the other is the rhythm of working in the office. When everyone is all one or the other, it is a bit easier. Now, with many organisations running a hybrid approach, it is creating 2 different environments or dynamics with different levels of speed or activity.

So what are you doing to manage this new dynamic? The best thing you can do as a leader is to ensure that regardless of whether people are physically in the office or working remotely that there is a common way to have everyone interact and connect. I have one client that has a 20 minute check-in on Monday morning and a 20 minute check in on Friday afternoon with all of their staff. Some participate physically and others dial in from home and their faces are put up onto the screen so everyone can see them and include them in the conversation. Another has a separate Zoom check in meeting with their virtual staff a couple of times a week. There are a number of different strategies you could use, the question is are you doing something to manage this dynamic?

If you would like to learn a number of strategies and gain some inspiration on leading, you should attend the Hands Leadership Bytes Online Conference. It takes place on the 10th of September from 10am-3pm AEST. You will learn from some leading thinkers including Mike Walsh, a futurist who will share insights on the new rules in a new world as well as the CEO Fast 5, which will provide insights for Senior leaders.

If you would like to find out more please go to the Leadership Bytes Website. This is a great opportunity to bring a group of your people along virtually to be inspired.

What are you doing to keep learning and mentally active? I have found that the COVID19 pandemic has impacted people in very different ways. Some of my friends have focused on getting fit and have been doing a lot of running and now back at the gym. Others have spent a lot more time on Netflix watching movie marathons (there are some good series on as well as a few poor ones too!) A few have turned to reading that book on leadership that they’ve been meaning to pick up for a while and were too busy to.

For me I have tried to focus on family as well as on learning. During the height of COVID when all 3 kids were at home we spent time every day shooting baskets with our basketball hoop, we have now switched to a ping pong table! I still have the image of my 14 year old son gliding across the living room on a skateboard while playing the electric guitar!

As a leader, I also recognise that it is important for me to keep stretching my thinking and my learning. With the downturn and uncertainty it can be easy to just coast and not be proactive (who doesn’t like trying to knock off early on a Friday!) However if we start getting complacent, this can create a pattern that often leads to inactivity and reaction, rather than leading and creating our future. 

So what are you doing to keep your learning happening? Are you watching Youtube videos that share interesting ideas? Have you signed up for webinars from people that you admire? Regardless, I think this is something we should do more of.

One way to get some leadership inspiration is from the Hands Leadership Bytes Online Conference. It takes place on the 10th of September from 10am-3pm AEST. You will listen to Adventurer Justin Jones as he talks about overcoming adversity and building resilience and Amanda Stevens who will talk about future proofing your brand in changing times as well as 15 other incredible leadership and business speakers who will help stretch your mindset and provide you with inspiration.

If you would like to find out more please go to the Leadership Bytes Website. Also if you would like me to explain how this or a number of other Programs (including a Virtual Fitness Week that could be the thing that your people need to get out of a funk), please let me know. Also if you would like a book that gives you some practical insights to be more effective in Leading, pick up a copy of my book Leadership Hacks here.

If you are like me you enjoy a bit of a special deal. You know something that rewards you for doing something early and allows you to share the benefit with your team.

Many of you would know about my relationship as a Board member of Hands Across the Water. Due to COVID19 we have had to adapt the Future of Leadership Conference to a number of online learning options.  

Leadership Bytes is an incredible online event that will bring together 15 of the most inspirational leaders and speakers across the country. This is a great opportunity to listen to: 

• Big Wave Surfer Mark Mathews talking about The New Wave of Opportunities
• AFL CFO Travis Auld sharing Leadership Insights
• Adventurer Justin Jones sharing about An Expedition into Resilience 
• Online Expert Yasmin London sharing strategies to Optimising Online Wellbeing
• TV Presenter Mike Walsh sharing New Rules for a new World

The focus will be on What’s Working, What’s Not & What the Future Holds for Leaders. It will include a number of interactive events including a fun filled ‘talk show’ style format, Q&A as well as a ‘Have You Been Listening?’ segment. This is definitely something that you will not want to miss.

I know that many leaders are looking for ways to inspire and motivate their people without having to take them out of the office for a full day. This online event allows your people to get the hit of inspiration they need and can be used to help refocus and re-energise your people. This is especially important as we tiptoe around the possibility of future lock downs due to COVID19.

Leadership Bytes takes place on the 10th of September from 10am-3pm AEST. Also today is the last day to get the early bird special.

If you would like to find out more please go to the Leadership Bytes Website. Also if you would like me to explain how this or a number of other Programs (including a Virtual Fitness Week that will rock your team culture), please let me know.