Leadership Insights

Trust is the cornerstone of effective leadership, yet it is fragile and can take seconds to break. Rebuilding trust, however, is a journey that requires intentional actions, emotional intelligence, and unwavering commitment. For leaders, the process is challenging but crucial to fostering a cohesive, motivated, and high-performing team. Acknowledge and Take Responsibility The first step to rebuilding trust is acknowledging the breach and taking full responsibility for the act

Labour costs are among the highest expenses for any organisation, regardless of industry. In today’s competitive landscape, maximising the potential of your workforce is not just a goal—it’s a strategic necessity. High-performing teams drive innovation, productivity, and profitability, yet many businesses struggle to fully unlock their employees' potential. At the heart of high-performing teams is a culture that values autonomy,  accountability and is driven by an outstanding

Understand Their Priorities : Align your communication with the strategic goals of the executive team and Board. Know what matters to them and tailor your messaging to demonstrate value. Be Transparent and Proactive : Regularly share insights, updates, and potential challenges. Don’t wait for them to ask—show initiative in keeping them informed. Deliver Results : Focus on outcomes. Executives and Board members appreciate data-driven results that show measurable progress towar

When businesses undergo restructuring or downsizing, employers may offer redeployment as an alternative to redundancy. However, it’s critical that the redeployment offer is considered "reasonable" under Australian employment law, ensuring both the employee's and employer's interests are protected. A reasonable redeployment offer is generally defined by the Fair Work Act 2009 as one that aligns with the employee’s skills, experience, and current pay level. To be legally suppor

In any organisational change cycle, there will always be those who are quick to embrace new directions, those who lag behind, and a few who remain resistant. Successful change management hinges on focusing efforts where they will have the greatest impact. Investing in individuals who are already inclined to adapt, along with those who may need some guidance, is far more valuable than exhausting resources on those who will never engage. By prioritising early adopters and suppo

At RdL, we had the privilege of collaborating with the top 14 leaders of Datec (Papua New Guinea's leading provider of innovative ICT solutions and services, delivering end-to-end technology support to businesses and communities across the nation.) as they embarked on an exciting journey to shape their 2025-2027 strategy. This was no ordinary exercise—it was a deep dive into the fast-moving world of tech, pushing boundaries to envision what their customers will need in the fu

Here are five practical tips for dealing with burnout in everyday businesses: Integrate Microbreaks into the Workday: Encourage employees to take short, regular breaks throughout the day to reset their minds and reduce stress. The Pomodoro Technique focuses on 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5 minute micro break. This approach can help prevent burnout. Promote the Use of Wellness Apps and Tools: Leverage technology by encouraging the use of wellness apps that offer

Australia’s and many of our close neighbours' workforces are grappling with a significant skills gap, with nearly one in five employees not proficient in their roles, according to a recent AHRI report. This shortfall is stifling productivity for over half of the businesses and the answer is not to stop investment in people development. As AI and advanced technologies rapidly integrate into workplaces, the challenge grows. Traditional skills and qualifications, once sufficient

The workplace is evolving rapidly, and leaders must adapt to stay ahead. Traditional leadership methods, like rigid hierarchies and command-and-control models, are becoming obsolete. Four critical skills leaders need to navigate this new landscape include; 1. Empowerment Over Hierarchy The shift towards hybrid and remote work is challenging traditional power structures. Leaders must move away from hierarchical control and embrace a culture of empowerment and alignment. This r

Burnout extends beyond mere exhaustion, manifesting in various symptoms that require proactive management to sustain a healthy work culture. As productivity pressures rise, leaders globally are investing in advanced tools like AI and VR to boost efficiency. However, Dr. John Chan, Managing Director at Infinite Potential, emphasises that the real focus should be on the wellbeing of employees using these tools. It is reported that nearly 38% of employees report experiencing bur

Bolstering middle managers’ capabilities needs to be a key priority for organisations if they want to reap the rewards of efficiency gains and an improved workplace culture. Effective middle managers are able to reduce friction points, accelerate solutions, create a harmonious workplace, and help an organisation achieve its goals. We often invest in our executives and neglect the people that make the real difference assuming they know what they are doing. The middle managers

Inclusive leadership is a style of leadership that fosters an environment where every individual feels valued, respected, and included. Inclusive leaders actively seek out and welcome diverse perspectives, backgrounds, experiences, and recognise the unique strengths and contributions that each of their people have to offer. 3 areas that can make a real difference have been highlighted below. Be champions for being the last to speak We all hear that we need to learn to listen,

Done well, networking can be more than just a chance to meet new people – it can open you and your organisation to a world of opportunity. Networking must be a key skill in your leadership toolkit and usually requires you to step outside of your comfort zone. We all know that feeling of being in an unconventional space – we don’t necessarily feel confident, and we start over-analysing everything we do and say, rather than actively listening to what others have to say. We shou

The amount of change businesses need to manage each year is increasing and does not look like it will let up in the near future. In 2016, the average business experienced approximately two major planned changes per year. Now businesses are experiencing an average of ten major planned changes per year ranging from structure changes to new technology, systems, innovation, and employment changes. If organisations are trying to innovate, grow, and work in new ways, a workforce th

Recent global issues have transformed the modern workplace into a complex, hybrid environment. Consequently, burnout is a bigger risk than ever. Work requirements mean employees need to be at the top of their game. They must be well-equipped to manage high workloads, undertake complex problem solving and meet competing deadlines all whilst remaining focused on delivering a quality outcome. With the ever changing environment and demands placed on our people, their mental wellb

Collaborative decision-making can be a powerful tool, but leaders should take care to ensure teams are engaging in critical thinking and not succumbing to groupthink. When an important decision needs to be made at work, it’s often our first instinct to call together a group of minds to tackle the problem. After all, two – or five, or 10 – heads are better than one, right? When a group dynamic leaves teams reluctant to challenge the ideas on the table, the desire for consensus

Globally we continue to be faced with severe talent shortages and it is the organisations that nurture an internal talent pipeline that continue to grow above their competitors. These successful organisations have created a workplace culture of continuous learning and development. If we have the right people on board, that means the right attitude, commitment, loyalty, respect, and mindset, then we are 75% of the way to creating success. We can always teach skills, but it is

“It was not my fault”, “I thought that was good enough”, “Does it really matter”, are all phrases from people and it was their choice to make the comments. We have been delivering customer service training to an international airline and through the program we continue to share with the participants a little model that is so simple yet so important. As individuals, we are all responsible for our attitudes. Your people need to know that you are predictable in your attitude and

For far too long leaders have been reaching out to the same few go-to people in our team that we can rely on to deliver a quality outcome for us. This in itself is not the issue as we always turn to people we can rely on. The problem is that we are not broadening our go-to people and risk burning out the ones that help us deliver. We have leadership pipeline deficiency and put ourselves and our key go-to people at risk of burnout if we do not change this old habit. A progress

By applying some of these simple tips, you may find your daily productivity naturally increases making work a more pleasurable place to be whilst increasing the time you have to spend with family and friends. Email Set certain times when you will check email. Load an auto reply stating you only check emails at these times and if the matter is urgent to call your office or mobile. Turn off email when outside of these times. Meetings Ensure every meeting has a clearly defined a