I've always been fascinated by high performance people. Hearing stories about those that have faced set backs and then bounced back better, have amazed me.
Those that outperform have a certain psychology and I love hearing what they've been through on their journey to success.
Rarely is the journey to success linear and straightforward. There's ups and downs, hiccups and meltdowns, but those that achieve their goals, or do better, seem to have a certain resilience about them that would be great if it could be bottled up and sold to those that need it!
Real Talk with Outperformers is a podcast hosted by Brad Eisenhuth. Eisenhuth is the CEO of Outperformers, a consulting firm that works with organisations to help manage and create a high performance culture.
Culture is very important to an organisation. It's socially contagious, so if the culture is bad, it can break, not make, the organisation. Good culture means higher morale, which leads to better performance. Leaders that master this can have exceptional organisations that perform really well. It's not rocket science, but so many organisations and teams fail to foster a good culture, so there's certainly a need to learn from those that do it well.
What Makes A Good Culture?
So what makes a good culture? Eisenhuth has special guests on his podcast where he explores such questions. Some of these leaders have grown businesses from the ground up, so they know a thing or two about good leadership. Others have managed diverse teams across several organisations, so they know why being an example of good leadership is important.
Listening to Dan Krigstein, former executive at Qantas, he discussed the essential ingredients needed for high performing teams, including the importance of being an example of a great leader for his team.
One of the things Dan discussed that stood out to me was radical candour. I liked his description of being candid with his team because it is centred on empathy. Feedback culture as a whole can become toxic, but if we give feedback with empathy as our foundation, then this opens up a dialogue for people to be vulnerable. The feedback is authentic and shared with compassion and gentleness, which fosters growth not defeat.
Other things that Dan raised were centred on learning from anyone around us. I resonate with this idea a lot because I've always been a firm believer in an egalitarian approach at work. The CEO can learn from the receptionist and vice versa. Everyone plays a fundamental role in the symbiotic nature of the organisation; that is, the running of the company depends on everyone playing their part.
Hearing about Ryan Meldrum's journey to business success, navigating the global financial crisis, and facing some of life's biggest challenges is really inspirational. Entrepreneurship has its challenges, and sometimes this means being faced with negative voices, but hearing from those that have come through, despite adverse situations, is truly helpful.
My background in London was in business psychology consulting, so I'm forever gravitating to new concepts in the field. Having a podcast from leaders talking about organisational culture, success, and leadership is right up my alley. I know this stuff fascinates a lot of people, and, since a lot of you are entrepreneurial in your own way, I'd definitely recommend checking out Eisenhuth's podcast. It definitely makes for a good listening when you're on the Peloton!
You can listen to Real Talk with Outperformers on Spotify, YouTube, and iTunes. Check out the website here.