Leadership Odysseys

Jeremy Senior: Building Strong Teams Through Clarity, Not Comfort

What happens when leadership is tested not in theory, but in the moments where everything is on the line?
In this conversation, Jeremy Senior takes us inside the reality of leading in high-pressure, high-stakes environments. From early personal loss to navigating corporate hierarchy, retail collapse, global culture clashes, and burnout, his story is not linear. It is shaped by tension, responsibility, and the quiet decisions that define who you become as a leader.
This is not a conversation about titles or outcomes.
It is about clarity when others stay silent.It is about leading people through uncertainty when the system is bigger than you.And it is about what it costs to keep showing up when performance is public and pressure never switches off.
Jeremy’s odyssey reveals a truth many leaders feel but rarely say.
Leadership is not just about results.It is about how you hold yourself, and others, when things get hard.
Key Highlights
~ Clarity is everythingAcross every role, culture, and company, one principle held true. If people do not understand the why, they disengage, resist, or stay silent. Leadership starts with making things clear, especially when they are uncomfortable.
~ Silence is where businesses breakAt Dick Smith, Jeremy saw what happens when people stop speaking up. The warning signs were there, but fear and culture suppressed them. The result was not just commercial failure, but a leadership failure in communication and trust.
~ The reality of leadership lonelinessAt Samsung, Jeremy experienced something many leaders never admit. Isolation. The higher you go, the fewer people you can speak to honestly. His lesson is simple. Every leader needs someone they trust. Without it, judgment suffers.
~ You cannot lead without radical candourKindness is not about being nice. It is about being honest, with care. Avoiding hard conversations does not protect people. It limits them. The best leaders say what needs to be said and stay to help improve it.
~ Burnout does not arrive loudlyIt builds quietly. For Jeremy, it was only visible when everything stopped. After years of constant pressure, he found himself unable to get out of bed. Not from exhaustion, but from depletion. A reminder that recovery is not optional, it is essential.
Jeremy’s story is not defined by the companies he worked for, but by how he chose to lead within them.
In systems built on hierarchy, pressure, and performance, he chose clarity over politics.He chose conversation over silence.And he chose to stay human in environments that often reward the opposite.
This episode is a reminder that leadership is not about having all the answers.
It is about creating environments where truth can be spoken, people can grow, and clarity replaces confusion.
Because in the end, the strongest leaders are not the loudest.
They are the clearest.
Connect with Jeremy Senior: LinkedIn 
Channel Axis: LinkedIn 
This episode is brought to you by: Naturally Glutenfree
Connect with Kirsty Gee:  LinkedIn |  Instagram | Website

Future-Fit Leadership: Why Most People Aren’t Doing Their Best Work | Cherie Mylordis

There’s a quiet truth sitting inside many workplaces right now.
People are capable.They care.They want to do great work.
But something is off.
In this episode, Cherie Mylordis takes us deep into that tension. From shaping strategy and workforce for the Sydney Olympic Games to leading transformation across some of Australia’s largest organisations, she has spent decades inside complex systems, watching what helps people thrive and what slowly breaks them down.
What she found is confronting.
It’s not that people aren’t capable.It’s that the way we work hasn’t kept up with the world we live in.
This is a conversation about rethinking leadership, rebuilding workplaces, and asking a simple but powerful question:
What if the problem isn’t the people, but the system they are operating in?
Key Highlights
~ Only one person out of 200 leaders said they were doing the best work of their lifeCherie’s global research revealed a hard truth. Most people are constrained by culture, not capability. Even high performers are held back by outdated structures and unclear purpose.
~ The Olympic Games changed everythingWorking on the Sydney Olympics showed what is possible when purpose is clear, hierarchy is removed, and people are trusted. No playbook. No legacy systems. Just collaboration, ownership, and a shared goal that mattered.
~ The modern workplace is still built on a 100-year-old modelCommand-and-control leadership was designed for factories, not thinking humans. Yet many organisations still expect creativity and innovation inside rigid hierarchies. That tension is where disengagement begins.
~ The 3D framework: Dare, Ditch, DialA simple but powerful reset for any team or organisation:
Dare: define a bold purpose people can rally behind
Ditch: remove what slows you down
Dial: increase autonomy, trust, and better ways of working Small shifts here create meaningful change.
~ You don’t need a title to leadLeadership is not a position. It is how you show up.Curiosity, intention, and small daily actions can shift culture more than hierarchy ever will.
This episode stays with you.
Because it challenges something most people accept without question.
Work shouldn’t feel like survival.
It shouldn’t drain your energy, limit your voice, or make you question your value.
And yet, for many people, it does.
Cherie reminds us that there is another way.One built on purpose, trust, and the belief that people are capable of more when given the space to step into it.
Not someday.Now.
And maybe the real shift begins with a simple decision.
To stop waiting for permission.And start leading from where you are.
...
Connect with Cherie Mylordis: LinkedIn | 
Nextgenify: Website | nextgenify academy | Whitepaper
This episode is brought to you by: Cell Wellness Co
Connect with Kirsty Gee:  LinkedIn |  Instagram | Website
 

When Fear Is Real: Mark Mathews on Leadership, Fear, and Performance

There are moments in life where fear arrives without warning.Not the kind you can ignore. The kind that asks something of you.
This episode is not about big waves.It is about leadership when the stakes feel real.
Mark Mathews is an Australian big-wave surfer who built his career in some of the most dangerous conditions on the planet. In that world, hesitation costs oxygen. Ego costs lives. And psychology determines survival.
But what makes this conversation powerful is not the ocean.It is what Mark understands about fear, pressure, and human behaviour.
From near-fatal wipeouts to rebuilding after a career-ending injury, Mark shares what it takes to stay composed, make decisions under pressure, and lead yourself through uncertainty.
Because whether you are leading a team, building a business, or facing a personal challenge, the question is the same.
How do you respond when fear shows up?
Key Highlights
~ Leadership starts with how you handle fearYou cannot think your way out of fear. You build confidence through experience, repetition, and preparation.
~ Preparation changes performance under pressureMark shares how training for worst-case scenarios allows leaders to stay calm and make better decisions when it matters most.
~ Your brain treats business stress like physical dangerWhether it is financial pressure or a critical decision, your mind responds the same way. The answer is not avoidance. It is building skill and clarity.
~ Identity is tested when everything is stripped awayAfter a career-ending injury, Mark was forced to rebuild not just his body, but his sense of self. A powerful lesson for any leader navigating change.
~ Gratitude is a leadership advantageSmall actions can shift perspective, strengthen connection, and improve performance across teams and individuals.
 
Leadership is not built in calm moments.It is revealed under pressure.
This conversation is a reminder that fear is not something to eliminate.It is something to understand.
Through preparation.Through perspective.Through the people around you.
Mark’s story shows that the edge you are standing on is not the problem.It is the opportunity to lead yourself differently.
Connect with Mark Mathews: LinkedIn | Instagram | Website 
This episode is brought to you by: Naturally Glutenfree
Connect with Kirsty Gee:  LinkedIn |  Instagram | Website

From Corporate Career to Industry Leader: Camilla Bullock on Leadership, Trust, and Building the Payments Ecosystem

Some leaders build companies.Others build rooms where progress happens.
Camilla Bullock is one of those rare connectors.
Born in a small working town in Sweden and now CEO and co-founder of the Emerging Payments Association Asia, Camilla sits at the intersection of banks, fintechs, regulators and global innovators shaping how money moves across the Asia-Pacific region. But her story is not about payments. It is about people.
In this conversation, Camilla shares the unexpected path that took her from corporate life at Thomson Reuters to building one of the region’s most influential industry communities. Along the way she speaks openly about impostor syndrome, redundancy during maternity leave, founding an industry body almost by accident, and the quiet leadership required to bring competitors into the same room.
This is a conversation about trust, resilience, and the courage to step forward before you feel ready.
Key Highlights
From a small town in Sweden to the global payments stage
Camilla’s journey began far from boardrooms and industry conferences. Growing up in a small Swedish town, she developed a curiosity about the world early, travelling abroad, studying financial services, and eventually landing in London where a “banana peel moment” dropped her into the world of financial data and markets.
The unexpected lessons of corporate life
Fourteen years inside Thomson Reuters shaped Camilla’s leadership philosophy. Working in sales taught her that influence does not start with pitching a product. It starts with listening deeply and offering value first. Relationships, curiosity and trust became the foundations of everything she built later.
A moment that changed everything
Redundancy during maternity leave, combined with serious health challenges within her family, forced Camilla to pause and reassess her life. Instead of retreating, she chose to give back. For her 40th birthday she raised close to $50,000 for charity by organising eleven community events. In the process she discovered something powerful - when people gather around a shared purpose, extraordinary things happen.
Building an industry community almost by accident
The Emerging Payments Association Asia was never part of a grand master plan. What started as a side project alongside a boutique consultancy quickly grew into a full-time mission. Today the organisation connects banks, fintechs, policymakers and innovators across one of the most complex payment ecosystems in the world.
Camilla’s role is not to be the smartest voice in the room.Her role is to build the room.
Leadership without ego
One of Camilla’s greatest challenges came when her co-founder stepped away from the organisation. Suddenly she had to claim the title of CEO and lead the industry body on her own. It took time and courage to step fully into that role. Her approach since then has remained simple: surround yourself with brilliant people, stay curious, and keep moving forward.
What makes Camilla Bullock’s story compelling is not the scale of the industry she works in. It is the humanity behind how she leads.
Payments may power economies, but progress happens through relationships. Through listening. Through creating spaces where different perspectives can meet without conflict.
Camilla reminds us that leadership does not always begin with confidence. Sometimes it begins with a small step, a willingness to connect people, and the courage to build something meaningful before you know exactly where it will lead.
And often, the most powerful thing a leader can do is simply bring the right people into the room.
Connect with Camilla Bullock: LinkedIn 
Emerging Payments Association Asia: LinkedIn | Website
This episode is brought to you by: Cell Wellness Co
Connect with Kirsty Gee:  LinkedIn |  Instagram | Website

Kindness + Math: The New Rules of Leadership with James Rhee

In this episode of the Leadership Odysseys leadership podcast, James Rhee, private equity investor, former CEO of Ashley Stewart, Harvard Law graduate and author of red helicopter, shares a powerful redefinition of leadership in business.
This is a conversation about kindness in business, corporate leadership, culture transformation and high performance. James challenges traditional finance and management thinking, arguing that goodwill is a measurable asset and that kindness, when paired with disciplined math, becomes a competitive advantage.
From leading a distressed retail turnaround to teaching leadership at MIT, Howard and Duke, James explains why systems fail when they ignore belonging, dignity and agency. He also shares what modern leaders must understand about trust, long-term value creation and the future of capitalism.
If you care about leadership development, organisational culture, private equity, entrepreneurship or building human-centred systems, this episode will shift your perspective.
Key Highlights
1. The Red Helicopter Origin Story and Leadership Identity
How a childhood moment shaped James’s philosophy on agency, belonging and leadership long before titles and capital entered the picture.
2. From Private Equity to CEO: Turning Around Ashley Stewart
James shares how he rebuilt a bankrupt retail company by centring trust, transparency and accountability instead of fear-based management.
3. Kindness as a Business Strategy
Why kindness is not softness. How goodwill compounds like capital and drives measurable performance, innovation and resilience.
4. Systems Leadership and the Future of Work
Why traditional economic models fail to account for human dignity, and what leaders must redesign inside their organisations.
5. Belonging as a Performance Multiplier
How psychological safety, agency and trust create sustainable growth in companies and communities.
Leadership is not about control. It is about stewardship.
James Rhee reminds us that long-term performance does not come from pressure alone. It comes from systems that centre humans, leaders who tell the truth, and organisations that measure what truly matters.
Kindness plus math is not a slogan. It is a leadership operating system.
And in a world facing disruption, burnout and distrust, this conversation is not optional. It is necessary.
Connect with James C.Rhee: LinkedIn | Website | Instagram 
This episode is brought to you by: Cell Wellness Co
Connect with Kirsty Gee:  LinkedIn |  Instagram | Website

Leadership, Story, and the Power of Owning Your Voice with Tory Archbold

Leadership, Story, and the Power of Owning Your Voice with Tory Archbold
Leadership is not built in the spotlight. It is built in the quiet decisions that shape who you become when no one is watching. In this episode of Leadership Odysseys, I sit down with Tory Archbold to explore what real leadership looks like when you stop performing and start leading from truth. This conversation moves beyond titles and success to examine voice, self-belief, connection, and the inner work required to lead with clarity and impact.
Tory is a global brand strategist, founder of Powerful Steps, and author of Self-Belief Is Your Superpower. She has spent two decades inside rooms where power and influence are shaped, advising founders, CEOs, and leadership teams across Sydney, Riyadh, and Los Angeles. What makes this conversation powerful is not her résumé, but the depth and honesty she brings to how leadership is actually lived.
Key highlights from the episode
From performance to powerTory shares what shifts when leaders stop proving themselves and start leading from who they truly are. This is a conversation about identity, not optics.
Why self-belief is a leadership skillWe explore how self-belief is built through experience, choice, and courage, not confidence theatre or external validation.
The role of story in leadershipTory breaks down how owning your story creates trust, authority, and connection, and why not every detail needs to be shared to be authentic.
The 45 Second RuleA simple but powerful framework for decision-making that helps leaders avoid sitting in fear, overthinking, or old patterns.
Connection as a strategy, not a soft skillFrom coffee dates to boundaries, Tory explains how intentional connection shapes opportunity, influence, and long-term impact.
This episode is a reminder that leadership is not about becoming someone new. It is about returning to who you already are, with clarity and intention. If you are navigating a transition, questioning your direction, or redefining what leadership means for you, this conversation will meet you where you are.
Listen in, take a pause, and reflect on this question:Who are you when your story, not your title, leads your life?
If this episode resonated, share it with someone who is in their own messy middle. And as always, keep leading with courage, clarity, and heart.
 
Connect with Tory Archbold: LinkedIn | Instagram | Website 
This episode is brought to you by: Naturally Glutenfree
Connect with Kirsty Gee:  LinkedIn |  Instagram | Website
 

Lucy Lin on Leadership, Curiosity, and Building a Non-Linear Career in Technology

Lucy Lin on Leadership, Curiosity, and Building a Non-Linear Career in Technology
Lucy Lin didn’t follow a straight line.She followed her curiosity.
In this episode of Leadership Odysseys, Lucy Lin, award-winning innovation leader, founder of Forestlyn, and host of the Emerging Tech Unpacked podcast, shares her leadership odyssey across technology, STEM, and education. Her path spans startups, corporates, universities, and national tech bodies, shaped by curiosity, clarity, and a deep commitment to ethical leadership.
This is a leadership conversation about navigating fear, building trust, and learning to translate complexity without losing humanity. Lucy reflects on the highs and the quieter lows of building a portfolio career, the mindset shifts required to step beyond corporate structures, and the responsibility that comes with visibility and influence in tech.
At its core, this episode explores what leadership looks like over time.Not just in moments of recognition.But in the choices made when the path is unclear.
Key Highlights
Leadership through curiosity, not conformityLucy shares how following curiosity became her leadership compass, shaping a non-linear career across five countries and multiple industries in technology and STEM.
Translation as a leadership skillWhy the ability to make complex technology human is one of the most under-valued leadership capabilities in today’s organisations.
From corporate leadership to a portfolio careerAn honest look at the mindset, pace, and identity shifts required when transitioning from corporate roles to a portfolio-based leadership path.
Fear, isolation, and the unseen weight of leadershipLucy speaks openly about the emotional realities behind visible success, naming fear, self-doubt, and isolation, and how she learned to keep moving forward.
Building platforms that create accessFrom Forestlyn to Emerging Tech Unpacked, Lucy explains why leadership means creating space for others, particularly women and diverse voices in STEM.
Lucy’s leadership odyssey reminds us that meaningful careers are built through courage, reflection, and sustained contribution. Leadership is not about mastering every technical detail. It is about clarity, trust, and staying human as complexity grows.
This episode will resonate with anyone navigating leadership, career transition, emerging technology, STEM pathways, or a portfolio career built on purpose rather than titles.
Connect with Lucy Lin: LinkedIn | Instagram | Website 
Emerging Tech Unpacked: Instagram | You Tube | Website 
This episode is brought to you by: Naturally Glutenfree
Connect with Kirsty Gee:  LinkedIn |  Instagram | Website
Western Sydney University Launch Pad: Website
 

Mark Jones – A Leadership Story Beneath the Title

This episode contains discussions of suicide, mental health crises, and related topics. If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available. You can contact [Lifeline: 13 11 14] or your local helpline for help
 
Burnout does not arrive with a warning. It arrives quietly, after years of carrying pressure, expectation, and identity without pause. In this episode, Kirsty sits down with Mark Jones, author of The Story Code for Leaders, to explore the moment his body said “enough” and how that breaking point became the beginning of a new story.
From a panic attack in a Bunnings aisle to rebuilding his life, work, and identity, Mark shares a deeply human conversation about burnout, anxiety, fear, and the stories leaders tell themselves to survive. This is not a conversation about fixing yourself. It is about remembering who you are, separating your identity from your struggle, and learning how to take the pen back.
This episode goes beneath the title, beyond success, and into the messy middle where real leadership is formed.
Key Highlights
1. The moment the body takes control
Mark recounts his “Bunnings moment” – a panic attack that stopped him in his tracks and forced him to confront the cost of years of unrelenting pressure. It is a powerful reminder that burnout often appears after long periods of silent endurance, not visible failure.
2. Burnout is not a workload problem
This conversation reframes burnout as an identity issue, not a productivity issue. When work becomes who you are, exhaustion does not just drain energy – it erodes self-worth. Mark explains why losing a sense of self is often more devastating than losing a job.
3. The missing pillar of wellbeing
Alongside sleep, movement, and nutrition, Mark introduces the fourth pillar most leaders ignore: self-talk. Through narrative therapy, he learned to identify the inner critic, separate the problem from the person, and replace a story of doom with one of possibility.
“The problem is the problem. You are not the problem.”
4. Fear, anxiety and the stories we hide
Fear and anxiety are present in many leaders, even when life looks successful from the outside. Mark speaks openly about how anxiety shapes internal narratives, why men in particular struggle to name it, and why prevention begins with asking the second question: Are you really okay?
5. The courage to choose a preferred story
Rewriting your story requires stepping into uncertainty. Mark shares the concept of “willingly entering a crisis of faith” – the moment where leaders must choose between staying comfortable or becoming honest. Growth begins when we lean in, not back away.
The Story Code Framework
Mark breaks down the four steps he now uses to help leaders rewrite their internal narrative:
Challenge – Identify the inner critic and limiting beliefs.
Overwrite – Define a new, preferred story and personal archetype.
Decide – Commit to aligned choices that support well-being and identity.
Encode – Build small, repeatable habits that make the new story real.
This is not about overnight change. It is about steady alignment between who you are and how you live.
True leadership begins when your internal story and external life come back into alignment. As Mark shares, success is not certainty. It is peace. It is living in a way that feels honest, sustainable, and human.
If you are feeling tired, disconnected, or quietly questioning the story you are living, this episode offers something rare: permission to pause, reflect, and rewrite.
You are not broken.You are not behind.You are allowed to choose a different story.
Connect with Mark Jones: LinkedIn | Website 
This episode is brought to you by: Naturally Glutenfree
Connect with Kirsty Gee:  LinkedIn |  Instagram | Website

Dean Salakas: The Discipline of Decisions

Dean Salakas has built his career around decisions most people avoid, and the discipline to stand by them.
From turning down public opportunities to letting go of a legacy family business at the right moment, Dean’s leadership has been shaped by judgment, not noise. He grew up inside retail, questioned how things were done, and learned early that progress comes from clear thinking, not applause.
In this episode, Dean reflects on the decisions that defined his path, the discipline behind his success, and how clarity, not hype, has guided every reinvention.
Key Highlights
Learning leadership from the ground upDean started working in his family’s party shop as a child, doing the unglamorous work that taught him how businesses really operate. That early exposure shaped his leadership style and his respect for the work behind the scenes.
Innovation driven by usefulness, not trendsFrom early ecommerce to click-and-collect and Google Ads before the industry caught up, Dean explains why he only backed ideas that genuinely improved the customer experience.
Choosing profit and discipline over fast growthRather than chasing scale, Dean focused on building a profitable, sustainable business. Growth came from cash flow, clarity, and discipline, not external pressure or validation.
Courage as a decision-making muscleDean shares the thinking behind turning down a Shark Tank deal, selling parts of the business at the right time, and ultimately exiting the family company. For him, courage shows up quietly, long before the outcome is obvious.
Why community matters more than everAfter exiting, Dean co-founded a fast-growing retail community built on connection and shared learning. His belief is simple: leadership is harder in isolation, and progress accelerates when people learn together.
 
Dean’s story is not about retail alone.It is about how leaders make decisions when the stakes are real and the answers are not obvious.
This conversation is a reminder that reinvention rarely comes from bold announcements. It comes from small, consistent decisions made with clarity and intent. When leaders stay grounded in what matters, the next chapter tends to reveal itself.
If you are building, leading, or standing at a crossroads, this episode will resonate.
Connect with Dean Salakas: LinkedIn 
Connect with the Retail Doctor: LinkedIn | Website
Whatsapp Retail Community: LinkedIn | Whatsapp Community
This episode is brought to you by: Naturally Glutenfree
Connect with Kirsty Gee:  LinkedIn |  Instagram | Website

Raj Nanra – Leadership Built on Listening, Culture, and Courage

Some conversations stay with you long after the microphones turn off.This is one of them.
In this episode of Leadership Odysseys, Kirsty sits down with Raj Nanra, CEO of SLE Worldwide Australia, for a powerful conversation about leadership shaped through lived experience, cultural belonging, resilience, and loss. From growing up as the child of one of Melbourne’s first Sikh families, to leading businesses across Asia for two decades, to building culture through human connection, Raj’s story reveals how leadership is built not in boardrooms alone, but in the moments where listening, empathy, and courage meet.
Raj speaks openly about the devastating loss of his 21-year-old son, Sachin to cancer, and how that grief became the catalyst for purposeful action. In response, he founded the annual You Can Charity Golf Day in partnership with the Sony Foundation, mobilising his industry community to support young Australians facing cancer. Over the past four to five years, these events have raised close to $250,000 to fund youth cancer programs and provide tangible support to families during their hardest seasons. What emerges is a story of choosing to transform pain into service and leadership into something that extends far beyond business.
This episode explores the human side of leadership: culture as behaviour, presence over performance, and the deep power of staying curious about people.
Key Highlights
Culture is built in conversation, not slogansRaj grew up learning to speak with anyone, without judgement, background bias, or status filters. That lesson still defines how he builds teams today. Culture, he believes, is not written on walls. It is shaped by daily behaviour, attention, and genuine conversation.
Asia taught him how connection earns trustTwenty years across China, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and beyond taught Raj that leadership begins with curiosity. Learning names, languages, foods, and customs became a bridge to trust. His willingness to listen before leading turned short assignments into long partnerships and shaped his approach to people-first leadership.
Listening is a leadership disciplineRaj draws a clear line between leaders who speak and leaders who listen. He prefers presence over performance, relationship over hierarchy, and dialogue over distance. From meeting every staff member personally to prioritising uncomfortable conversations, listening became both his cultural strategy and leadership edge.
Turning grief into impactThe loss of his son Sachin changed everything. Supported by his industry community, Raj chose to respond with purpose rather than retreat. By founding the You Can Charity Golf Day alongside the Sony Foundation, he created a practical way to support adolescents and young adults with cancer, raising nearly $250,000 to fund programs that care for families as they walk through the most difficult chapters of life.
Purpose comes from action, not sentimentFor Raj, giving back is about more than fundraising totals. It is about showing up with time, care, and presence. Whether supporting families facing the long road of treatment or donating simple items that restore small moments of joy, leadership, he says, is measured by how you help when no one is watching.
Raj’s odyssey reminds us that leadership is ultimately human work.Culture grows through conversation.Trust is built through listening.Purpose is forged when pain meets service.
His story shows leadership matters most when leaders lift others, even while carrying their own moments of challenge.
Connect with Raj Nanra: LinkedIn 
Connect with SLE Worldwide Australia: Linkedin | Website
Sony Foundation Australia: Website | LinkedIn | You Can Golf Day 
This episode is brought to you by: Naturally Glutenfree
Connect with Kirsty Gee:  LinkedIn |  Instagram | Website