I'm excited to be presenting to AFILE next month in the vibrant Brisbane CBD on how to navigate the future. In these dynamic times, navigating the shifting landscape is crucial. We will dive into some thought-provoking questions:
 
As leaders, what should we be doing in an increasingly complex world?
How can you stay agile amidst challenging and 'wicked' problems?
What strategies can you use to build resilience?
 
I look forward to seeing you there and sharing ideas!
 
#thestrategyguy
#navigatethefuture 
#AFILE

Doing leadership differently requires self-awareness. In this way, we can know ourselves as leaders and better understand others.

This week, the amazing community leaders at the Rotary Club of Paddington invited me to be their guest speaker on the topic of Conscious Leadership.

Together we learned about the three basic instincts that drive our thoughts and behaviours. As a speaker, I often find that both the entire audience and I can learn a great deal from brave audience members. Wherever possible, my goal is to bring courageous volunteers up on stage to be shining examples of the human spirit.

For instance, this week, we all learned that Debra has amazing contextual intelligence and a strong sense of purpose. As we peeled back her sweet layers, we discovered the playful, curious and creative instincts that make up Mish. Finally, the ever-reliable and loyal Steve shone through as a wonderful example of someone who is grounded, earthy and practical.

A big thank you to Debra, Mish, ...

In a world where conscious leadership is a rare phenomenon, this week it was refreshing to speak with a new generation of conscious leaders.
 
As we pass multiple irreversible global climate tipping points, it's disheartening to observe numerous unconscious government leaders in both the western and eastern worlds continuing to offer rebates to greenfield fossil fuel sites. Simultaneously, greedy bank CEOs persist in financing perilous coal, oil and gas developments.
 
By contrast, the extraordinary community leaders of the future at Brisbane Rivercity Rotaract were truly inspiring. Their many charitable endeavours include cleaning up our planet's beaches. A special thank you to  Alexandra Simmons for orchestrating such an enjoyable event. Additionally, a big shout-out to BDO for graciously hosting us.
 
#ConsciousLeadership #BDO #Brisbane #Rotaract #RiverCity #TheStrategyGuy

This week, Johanna and I attended the 2023 Scenic Rim Business Excellence Awards and Gala Dinner at The Centre in Beaudesert.

The evening unfolded as a splendid showcase, uniting businesses from across the Scenic Rim and illuminating business excellence across various industry categories.

Steering the event were the Scenic Rim's esteemed Mayor Greg Christensen, Economic Development Officer Cameron Thomas and his adept team, with the graceful guidance of 4BC Radio Host Sofie Formica as Master of Ceremonies.

Our table was graced with the presence of Greg and Denise Christensen, Sofie Formica, Oliver Pring, Greg Schossow, Martin Gray and Jill Gray and Jonathan Krause, all of whom added a delightful presence to the evening.

This year, I was honoured to serve as a judge for the awards in seven award categories:

Excellence in Trades and Construction
Excellence in Agriculture
Excellence in Transport, Logistics, Manufacturing, and Mining
Excellence in Community Services
Most Outstanding New Business
Exc...

For the first time in ages, my event calendar is filling fast.

Even more stages are opening in 2024.
Some conferences have not been held for 5 years!

Face-to-face engagement, entertainment, strategy facilitation and education are back.

Whether you are a corporate, government, not-for-profit or business chamber client from before, I look forward to sharing future trends, strategic thinking and digital business models with your leaders and teams.

Click below for my keynotes and workshops: 
www.halecg.com/keynotes 

#thestrategyguy 
#thestrategybook 
#johnhalespeaker 
#conferencespeaker

This week, I am off to ‘St Stradbroke’ on Stradbroke Island to inspire and collaborate with the island's community and business leaders.

We will be learning how to foster a strategic mindset to strengthen tourism resilience and pave the way for a brighter future, while capitalising on the power of the island's existing infrastructure and natural attractions.

Recent events, including the closure of sand mining operations and the challenges brought about by COVID-19 lockdowns, have had a significant impact on Stradbroke Island's local economy. Nevertheless, one of the island's inherent strengths lies in the deep connections between its businesses and people.

Looking ahead, it's evident that there is an urgent need to accelerate tourism development, with a special focus on nature-based activities and tours. Additionally, we will explore opportunities to increase investments in education, training, and infrastructure projects to generate new employment prospects for the community.

I wi...

This week I am honoured to be part of an informative interactive panel discussion with Miranda Mears, Paul Russell and our host Caitlin Baumann from Business Queensland.

During the session I will share stories about the seven bad actors and how to protect against them:

Identity Thieves: Crafty individuals who aim to steal and misuse personal and financial information for their gain.

Foreign Intruders: Hackers from around the globe seeking unauthorised access to sensitive company data.

Extortionists: Criminals who use threats to blackmail companies for financial or personal gain.

Blackmailers: Individuals or groups that attempt to tarnish a business's or individual’s reputation with sensitive information.

Terrorists: Groups or individuals who use digital means to create fear, chaos, or disrupt operations.

Bad Apples: Disgruntled employees with access to confidential information who might act against the interests of their employer.

Rotten Eggs: Individuals or insiders who intent...

This week, I enjoyed sharing with Rotary Hamilton how a strategic mindset can be used to increase hope and create a brighter future. Although I love working on big stages with hundreds of people, speaking with small and passionate groups of leaders focused on being useful to their communities is equally rewarding.

When Gordon R. McInally from Rotary International Events announced the theme for the 2023-24 Rotary year, “Create Hope in the World,” Gordon explained that the goal is to restore hope to help the world heal from destructive conflicts and to help achieve lasting change.

One of my audience members, Marcel, sent me a kind message today:

'I want to express my sincere appreciation for your presentation last night at the Rotary Club of Hamilton. It was nothing short of inspirational, and your storytelling, particularly your narrative about your mountain adventure, served as a brilliant guide throughout the evening. Your inclusion of the mysterious skull, ‘Wilma,’ was a truly out...

Recently over lunch, I discussed with a woman named Sally, her critique of Rotary's patriarchal 'boys club' culture. While some of her points were valid, it was disheartening to see many men within Rotary unfairly targeted.

Often, discussions on 'toxic masculinity' reflect the behaviour of an elite male minority, not everyday men. Many men in service organisations like Rotary find much of their worth tied to their Rotary roles.

By contrast, modern talented women like Sally seem to have many other avenues to find usefulness and worth in society.

More than a decade ago, I founded Everyman, a monthly men’s group at Broken Head. Back then, self-worth issues were recurring. Over five years, hundreds of men came along. Many were burdened by depression and addiction, and some with suicidal thoughts. Indeed, analysis of suicide notes reveals words like 'useless' and ‘worthless’ being used most often.

In the safe environment of the men’s group, dozens of men reframed setbacks and rebuilt pu...