10 Lessons Learned

Garry Browne - Learn to be Vulnerable

                                   
 
Listen to Duff discuss the 10 lessons that Garry Browne learned over his 50 years. Invaluable information such as: " To be the fastest doesn’t mean you’re the winner" , "Change the people or change the people"  and the cryptic "Message to Garcia" plus 7 more. 
Garry Browne AM
Garry Browne AM has extensive CEO and Chair experience across business, not-for-profit, and education sectors, including the Centre for Social Impact, Legacy, Rotary Foundation, UTS and UNSW. Garry is a highly regarded industry leader, known for his expertise in consumer branding, leadership, cultural change and business innovation.
Garry was CEO and Managing Director at Stuart Alexander & Co. for over 20 years and was appointed Chair in January 2018. One of Australia’s largest privately owned companies, Stuart Alexander imports, distributes and markets premium consumer goods in Australia and New Zealand, turning over in excess of $300 million annually. Garry has a proven record for introducing and building brands.
Garry is passionate about building community and charitable organisations through working with young CEO’s and up and coming leaders.
“Brand New Brand You” was inspired by the desire to share his learnings and experiences building reputation and maintaining relevance.
Episode Notes
Lesson 1: You can’t do it on your own 05m31s.
Lesson 2: Learn to be vulnerable 10m50s.
Lesson 3: To be the fastest doesn’t mean you’re the winner 16m27s.
Lesson 4: Reputation; It’s yours to lose 17m 59s.
Lesson 5: Disrupt yourself and your business 23m16s.
Lesson 6: Change the people or change the people 26m54s.
Lesson 7: Loyalty and competency need to be in balance 30m 54s.
Lesson 8: Failure is part of life so be prepared for it 37m32s.
Lesson 9: A job description is not a job prescription 43m 10s.
Lesson 10: Message to Garcia 46m 13s.

Alan Kilfoyle - You Can Recover

 
                                           
This week Robert Hossary speaks with our guest Alan Kilfoyle who shares some of his valuable lessons that helped him navigate his career and life for the past 5 plus decades. He'll share why it's important to : "Be open to opportunities" and "Be resilient". Also why "The show must go on". Most importantly, no matter what happens "You Can Recover". 
 
Alan Kilfoyle
Alan Kilfoyle has had over 40 years in HR in the corporate world and private consulting. He has worked with prestige recruitment companies and also twice run his own recruitment and consulting company
Alan is qualified as a Master Coach and began 4Seasons Consulting as a sole trader, largely specialising in Career Coaching and Counselling. He has a Graduate Diploma in HR Management and is a Professional Member of the Career Development Association of Australia and has served on the Victorian State Committee.
Along the way he has been an actor on stage and screen skills he still uses in consulting and counselling. 
 
Episode Notes:
Lesson 1: Keep open minded 06m:20s
Lesson 2: Be open to opportunities 08m 16s
Lesson 3: Be Culturally aware 10m 45s
Lesson 4: Be aware of yourself as a product 15m 39s
Lesson 5: Be Resilient 19m 39s
Lesson 6: The Show must go on 24m 19s
Lesson 7: Be on top of everything but don’t micromanage 28m 36s
Lesson 8: You can recover 31m 18s
Lesson 9: Teamwork 34m 47s
Lesson 10: Listen, learn, live up to. 39m 33s

Ten Lessons – Recap Ep 5-8

                               
 
In this unique episode the four of us, Dr. Duff Watkins, Siebe Vanderzee, Jeffery Wang, and Robert Hossary will be reviewing the previous episodes and share with you, our audience, what we found most fascinating about our guests.  We will be discussing our interviews with André Alphonso, Jack Milligan, Rod Mewing and Michael Kelly. Join us and hear what we learned from our guests.

Michael Kelly - All Agreements Are With Yourself

 
Duff Watkins speaks with Michael Kelly who is a communications guru. Michael talks to us about the lessons that have been significant in his career. 
Michael Kelly
Michael Kelly is a leadership communication trainer and has been working in this domain for 20+ years.’ He is a leading body language and speech expert and holds a Master of Science degree in speech pathology. Michael is a popular media commentator and writes The Winning Voice weekly blog post on all aspects of memorable listening, speaking, and presenting.
Many leaders struggle to make an impact when delivering important presentations. Michael’s programmes help leaders communicate their ideas and vision with confidence, energy, and certainty. Leaders who work with Michael deliver influential presentations, win more pitches, and grow thriving careers.
 
Episode Notes
Lesson 1: Every person is fighting a battle that I know nothing about 05m 16s
Lesson 2: Have great respect for high intelligence and culture BUT… 07m 02s
Lesson 3: All agreements are with yourself 10m 16s
Lesson 4: We are what we pretend to be. So therefore… 13m 07
Lesson 5: Show up on time and do what you say you’re going to do 18m 04s
Lesson 6: Complete the task in front of you 20m 46s
Lesson 7: Maximise the number of positive impressions you leave 25m 33s
Lesson 8: Project Energy 31m 17s
Lesson 9: Project Certainty 33m 13s
Lesson 10: Simplicity Sells 36m 14s

Rod Mewing - Business Is Not Personal

 
                                     
 
This week Jeffery Wang speaks with Rod Mewing. Rod looks back at his significant career and shares lessons that were significant in his career.
ROD MEWING BEng (Mech)
Rod Mewing has over forty years’ experience in senior executive and management roles. His most recent role prior to leaving Telstra Corporation Limited was as Principal Business Consultant within Business and Enterprise Marketing. This role supported strategic customer engagement programs with particular focus on the implications of new technology trends and developments on enhancing competitive differentiation. He is currently providing strategic consulting services in addition to executive coaching, mentoring and peer group facilitation with The Executive Connection (TEC).
Rod has previously been Managing Director of David Jones Australia Limited, CEO of Tempo Services Limited and Group General Manager of AWA's Services and Distribution Divisions.
He has served on numerous industry and community boards and councils including Tempo Services Ltd, Woolworths Ltd, David Jones Limited, Retail Traders Association of Australia, Retailers Council of Australia, the Centre for Workplace Learning (NSW), Australian Student Traineeship Foundation, Ravenswood School for Girls, The Sydney Committee Ltd and the NSW Economic Strategic Development Committee.
Rod is also immediate past Chairman of HammondCare and HammondCare Health and Hospitals Limited.
 
Episode notes
Always under promise and over deliver 2:01
Think like a customer 5:04
Listen and understand the customer’s needs 11:04
Business is not personal 15:06
Consistency is key to effective team leadership 18:51
Know when to transition from captain coach to side-line coach 23:09
Self-awareness underpins humility 27:59
Good judgement is both inherent and comes with experience 30:36
Always treat the business assets as if your own 34:18
Be patient, persistent and positive 36:52

Jack Milligan - Shine Your Shoes

                                                       
This week Siebe Van Der Zee speaks with Jack Milligan. Jack is an Author, Lecturer, Business Leader, HR Professional and Community Leader. Jack is passionate about all things HR and shares 10 lessons with us that he has learned throughout his leadership journey.
Jack Milligan SPHR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP
Jack Milligan is a founding partner of Leathers, Milligan & Associates (LMA) a Human Capital consulting firm headquartered in Phoenix.  He recently sold his interest in the business which continues to thrive serving global clients from offices in Phoenix and Tucson.  He spent over 20 years with ITT in HR positions all over the globe and then served two years as Corporate VP of HR for a publicly traded multi-national firm in California, before starting LMA. 
He continues to teach Human Resources courses for two local universities, and he has taught the HR Certification Institute preparation class for over 20 years.  He is now semi-retired but still leads his own HR consulting firm (The HR Academy) focusing on business and HR strategy, assessment, coaching, talent selection and executive compensation.   
He has been a proud and active member of Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) since 1970.  In 2003, the SHRM Arizona State Council awarded him the Professional Excellence Award and again in 2015 SHRM honoured him the Lifetime Achievement Award.  Both of these are given to only one HR professional in Arizona each year. His new book on salary negotiations titled Make More Money! was published in July 2016 and is available on Amazon.   
Jack is active in his community and has served on the United Way board, various Mayor’s committees, the East Valley Cultural Alliance and the advisory board of the Desert Samaritan Hospital.  For the past six years he has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Goodwill of Central Arizona.
Jack has obtained the SPHR, GPHR and SHRM-SCP professional certifications, and he holds two certificates in Employee Relations Law.  He earned a master’s degree in Human Resources and Organizational Behaviour and a Bachelor of Science degree in Labour Economics from California State University at Northridge, CA.  He is a past president of the Valley of the Sun HR Association (VSHRA) and a past State Director of the AZSHRM State Council. 
Jack and his wife Trisha, have three grown daughters, two granddaughters and have lived in the Phoenix area since 1980.  He is an Army Brat, Vietnam Veteran and still donates his time to veterans’ re-employment issues.
 
Episode Notes 
Lesson 1: Live a goal directed life of accomplishments 07m 52s
Lesson 2: In your professional life understand your industry 11m 25s
Lesson 3: When people report to you. Hire them with care, treat them with honour. 14m 38s
Lesson 4: Be a developer of human talent 19m 30s
Lesson 5: Stay Humble, maintain a servant mentality and remember to say thank you 23m 16s
Lesson 6: Admit your mistakes, be reliably honest and promote trust 24m 54s
Lesson 7: Prepare anticipate and think 29m 44s
Lesson 8: Communicate with crystal clarity what you want, and expect & it tends to happen 32m 17s
Lesson 9: Shine your shoes 36m 15s
Lesson 10: You have trouble with your boss…you lose! 37m 57s
 

André Alphonso - Collect Adventures Not Things

                                               
In this week's episode, Duff Watkins speaks with André Alphonso. André shares his 10 lessons with us and his unique philosophies about life, business and fulfilment. 
André Alphonso
André Alphonso is an entrepreneur, owner and leader of multiple businesses, published author, executive coach and keynote speaker who uses storytelling as a way of communicating his message.
Australia is his base and he works in the US, Europe, and Asia. He is the Managing Director of The Ariel Group in Australia, an organisation that combines best practices from actor training, adult learning, and common sense. Their unique methodology develops presence and influence: the ability to connect authentically, communicate effectively, inspire action and build the relationships that help them achieve results.
André is also Founder and Chairman of The Forum Corporation in India. An organisation he went and set up in 2008 where he says he had “a corporate adventure of a lifetime.”
Andre’s singular focus is to enhance the personal presence of all individuals, be they leaders, salespeople, professionals or individual contributors in all types of organisations. He is passionate about helping people think bigger and be bolder than where they are in their world so that they can claim their value. He will tailor his keynotes to the client and conference outcomes to deliver a session that will engage your people from the start to the end and they will walk away with communication tactics that will be used for life.
He is the co-author of Strategic Connections – The New Face of Networking in a Collaborative World released worldwide in 2015.
Episode Notes 
Lesson 1: Don’t eat your lunch on the way to work 07m57s.
Lesson 2: Hand craft your personal solar system 12m 48s.
Lesson 3: Banish psychic vampires 17m 14s.
Lesson 4: Engineer a halftime pause 20m 45s.
Lesson 5: Collect adventures not things 28m 30s.
Lesson 6: Dare to be curious…Dare to be present 33m56s.
Lesson 7: Let light entre through your wounds 39m 37s.
Lesson 8: From Cavemen to Neuroscientists 45m 27s.
Lesson 9: Use noise cancelling headphones to filter out the dirty noise 53m 12s.
Lesson 10: Burn your masks 57m 37s.

Ten Lessons - Recap Ep 1-4

 
In this unique episode the four of us, Dr. Duff Watkins, Siebe Vanderzee, Jeffery Wang, and Robert Hossary will be reviewing the previous episodes and share with you, our audience, what we found most fascinating about our guests. 
 
We will be discussing our interviews with Ligia McLean, George Bradt, Matt Bai and Duff Watkins. Join us and hear what we learned from our guests.
 

Matt Bai- People Make YOU Feel the Way THEY Feel

     
 Hear top US political reporter MATT BAI explain why, “People make YOU feel the way THEY feel”, “Life is in the re-write”, “Look away from the ball”, and 7 other lessons for career and life on 10 Lessons It Took Me 50 Years to Learn.  Making the world wiser place, lesson by lesson.
MATT BAI
Matt Bai is a nationally known journalist, author and screenwriter. Starting in 2002, he covered three presidential campaigns for the New York Times, where he was the chief political writer for the Sunday magazine and a columnist for the newspaper. He then spent five years as the national political columnist for Yahoo News. In January 2020, he became a contributing columnist for the Washington Post.
Bai’s most recent book, All the Truth is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid(Alfred A. Knopf, 2014) looks back at the ruinous scandal involving the presidential candidate Gary Hart in 1987 and how it shaped the political and media culture. It was selected as one of the year’s best books by NPR and Amazon and was one of 10 books long-listed for the PEN Faulkner Award in nonfiction. 
Bai also co-wrote, with Jay Carson and Jason Reitman, the feature film adapted from the book, titled “The Front Runner.” The film, directed by Reitman and starring Hugh Jackman as Hart, debuted in theatres nationally in 2018. Bai and Carson have co-written two other feature films that are currently in production. 
Bai is also the author of The Argument: Billionaires, Bloggers and the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics (Penguin Press, 2007), which was a New York TimesNotable Book for 2007. He contributed a personal essay to the anthology I Married My Mother-in-Law: And Other Tales of In-Laws We Can’t Live With—And Can’t Live Without, published by Riverhead Books in 2006. 
Bai has appeared frequently on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and played himself in a recurring role on season two of the Netflix drama “House of Cards.”  
In his early twenties, Bai was a speechwriter for UNICEF, where he worked with Audrey Hepburn during the last year of her life. He began his journalism career as a city desk reporter for the Boston Globeand spent five years as a national correspondent for Newsweek. His international experience includes coverage from Iraq and Liberia. 
Bai is a graduate of Tufts and Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism, where the faculty awarded him the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship. He has been a visiting fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, Harvard, the University of Chicago and Stanford. He serves on the board of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts. 
A native of Trumbull, Connecticut, Bai lives with his wife and two children in Bethesda, Maryland. He rarely misses a Yankee game or a Timescrossword. You can follow him (occasionally) on Twitter at @mattbai.
 
Episode notes 
Lesson 1: Life is in the rewrite 11m 17s
Lesson 2: there is no such thing as abhorrent behaviour 16m 15s
Lesson 3: listen to the things people say about themselves 18m 57s
Lesson 4: Don’t fight with someone you don’t know 23m 26s
Lesson 5: Have the difficult conversation 28m 20s
Lesson 6: People always make you feel the way they feel 314m 04s
Lesson 7: Know what you don’t know 33m 32s
Lesson 8: No one really likes surprises 36m 37s
Lesson 9: Choices are everything 39m 27s
Lesson 10: Look away from the ball 48m 30s

Ligia-McLean- Turn an obstacle into an advantage

                                           
On this episode, our host Siebe Van Der Zee speaks with Aerospace professional Ligia McLean. Ligia shares valuable lessons she learned that have helped her advance her career.
About Ligia McLean
Ligia has been in the Aerospace industry since 1982. She has led strategy and international partnerships for Boeing and McDonnell Douglas and now heads her own Aerospace consultancy.
She has a Masters in International Management from the Thunderbird Graduate School (ASU) and a Bachelors degree in Business Management.
Ligia shares with us 10 lessons that she has learned that have helped her succeed in business and in life.
Episode  Notes 
Lesson 1: Relationship building is the most effective skill that will help in your career 5m 56s
Lesson 2: Know your Audience 7m 19s
Lesson 3: Prioritise giving back 12m 42s
Lesson 4: Complete your efforts; Deliver Results 19m 50s
Lesson 5: Be resilient 22m 34s
Lesson 6: There are things that you may not be good at on your first try… 25m 44s
Lesson 7: Celebrate successes and learn from disappointments 27m 41s
Lesson 8: Focus on your strengths and get help on your weaknesses 33m 02s
Lesson 9: Keep things in perspective 37m 26s
Lesson 10: Turn an obstacle into an advantage 41m 37s

George Bradt -There are only three interview questions and you need to know them.

                                             
 
On this episode, our host Dr Duff Watkins speaks with best selling author, Forbes.com columnist and onboarding guru George Bradt. George shares lessons for how to secure that dream position and how to succeed and lead like a professional. 
About George Bradt
George has led the revolution in how people start new jobs, engendering the structure, leverage, and confidence new leaders and teams need to get done in 100 days what normally takes 6-12 months in complex situations, reducing 18-month failure rates from 40% to less than 10%.
Author/co-author of 9+ books on onboarding and leadership:
"The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan" (Wiley, 2016 4th edition)
"Onboarding: How to Get Your New Employee Up To Speed in Half the Time" (Wiley, 2009)
"The Total Onboarding Program" (Wiley/Pfeiffer, 2010)
"First-Time Leader" (Wiley, 2014)
"The New Job 100 Day Plan" (GHP Press, 2012)
"Point of Inflection: Frameworks and Tools to Accelerate Team Results" (GHP Press, 2019)
"CEO Boot Camp: Frameworks and Insights from 15 Years of CEO Boot Camps" (GHP Press, 2019)
"The New Leader's Playbook" (GHP Press, Volumes I-IX 2011-2019)
"Executive Onboarding" Volumes I-IV (GHP Press, 2020)
+ "Influence and Impact - Discover and Excel at What Your Organization Needs From You The Most" (Wiley, 2021)
Author of over 650 articles for Forbes:
"The New Leader's Playbook" weekly column on Forbes.com (February 2011-present)
Co-creator of iPad app:
"New Leader Smart Tools"
Prior to founding PrimeGenesis, George had twenty years of experience in sales, marketing and general management around the world at companies including Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and J.D. Power and Associates' Power Information Network as chief executive.
Currently on board of directors for PrimeGenesis, CEO Connection, Curtain Call theatre. On several advisory boards. Has served on various fiduciary, advisory and non-profit boards around the world through the years.
Episode Notes 
Lesson 1: Fit in! 9m 12s
Lesson 2: Deliver 10m 15s
Lesson 3: Adjusting never ends 16m 03s
Lesson 4: Adopt a 90/10 position 18m 58s
Lesson 5: Differentiate what you will talk about; what you will do; and what you will not do 24m 54s
Lesson 6: Avoid the consultant’s roller coaster 28m 31s
Lesson 7: There are only three interview questions and you need to know them. 31m 39s
Lesson 8: Prepare answers for the three questions from THEIR perspective 35m 53s
Lesson 9: They don’t care about you. They care about what you can do for them 38m10s
Lesson 10: Avoid the 100 day interview trap 42m 39s

Dr Duff Watkins - Never Engage in Civil War

                                       
 
Our host Robert Hossary explores the wisdom of author and executive coach Duff Watkins. Duff shares 10 powerful lessons that will make you think.
About Duff Watkins
Duff Watkins is Director, ExecSearch International - Australia, with more than 25 years’ experience in conducting searches across Australia, New Zealand, US and UK.
In addition to executive search, Duff conducts Executive Development Programmes for senior executives to enhance their skills, while on-the-job, through a specific and personal plan of action.
Duff obtained his - BA at Centre College of Kentucky - Master's Degree at Yale University and - Doctorate at the University of South Africa (in group psychotherapy).
Duff Watkins is a former group psychotherapist. He's past President of the Yale Club in Australia, a long-time Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia. He hosted the international podcast "How Business Really Works" and is a founder of this podcast, 10 Lessons It Took Me 50 Years to Learn. Though born and raised in the USA, he is an Australian citizen.
Episode Notes
Lesson 1: Life’s a persuasion 03m 15s
Lesson 2: Style is not to be despised 06m 44s
Lesson 3: Don’t cling 09m 40s
Lesson 4: Most people can't support themselves emotionally. Let alone you 14m 46s
Lesson 5: Husband your attention 17m 09s
Lesson 6: Every person is a foreign country.26m 48s
Lesson 7: Just tell yourself the truth 30m13s
Lesson 8: Never engage in civil war 34m30s
Lesson 9: Above all else, do not panic 38m30s
Lesson 10: You deserve happiness as much as any person on this planet 42m34s

Pilot Episode - What is this podcast about and who are we?

This episode introduces the podcast hosts; Dr Duff Watkins, Siebe Van Der Zee, Robert Hossary and Jeffery Wang. They discuss what this podcast promises to deliver and how each week they will interview some of the worlds leading executives, celebrities, academics, leaders and ordinary people and bring to you 10 lessons that it took their guests 50 years to learn.