Empowering Leaders

This week, Luke Darcy sits down with one of Australia’s most respected investigative journalists and two-time Gold Walkley Award winner, Hedley Thomas. For over four decades, Hedley has been pursuing stories that matter, with a career that has taken him from the fall of the Berlin Wall, to the groundbreaking investigation into the disappearance of Lynette Dawson in The Teacher’s Pet podcast. In this episode, you’ll hear about the experiences that shaped Hedley’s career, including the influence of his parents on both his storytelling style, and commitment to facts and detail. He reflects on the personal connection between his family history and The Teacher’s Pet , and the impact of bringing renewed attention to criminal cases that have remained unsolved for decades. Hedley openly discusses the personal toll that comes with covering traumatic events, his most terrifying moments, and reveals the surprisingly simple tool that helped him navigate his way through it all. This is a truly insightful conversation about the pursuit of justice through storytelling, with a man dedicated to leading with genuine care and compassion. … Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive. Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to build a winning culture, and then sustain it at the highest level? In this special live episode of Empowering Leaders , we sit down with NFL legend and San Francisco 49ers General Manager John Lynch during the team’s historic visit to Melbourne. John shares the lessons behind his extraordinary journey; from struggling to establish himself as an NFL player, to helping transform the 49ers into a consistent championship contender. He reveals why culture starts with the people you surround yourself with, how the 49ers assess the character and “spirit” of potential players, and why developing people is one of the most important responsibilities of a leader. He also reflects on the challenges of leadership at the top, the loneliness that can come with making big decisions, the importance of having trusted peers, and how his involvement with the Aleda community has connected him with other leaders that provided practical insights he could apply directly to his work. From resilience and self-belief to building teams that thrive, John offers a fascinating insight into what great leadership looks like when the margins between success and failure are incredibly small. … Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive. Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders like John? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For best-selling author, life coach and sociologist Dr. Martha Beck, living a successful and meaningful life isn't found in status or other people's expectations. It's found by discovering your own truth, and having the courage to live it. In this episode of Empowering Leaders, Martha explores why so many highly successful people often feel empty, how social and cultural expectations can pull us away from who we really are, and why small "one degree turns" can help us move towards a more authentic life. She shares deeply personal stories from her own journey, including the dramatic consequences of choosing to live with complete honesty, and reflects on her friendship with Oprah Winfrey, and what she taught her about courage and integrity. Martha also shares practical insights for leaders on turning anxiety into curiosity, staying connected to uniquely human qualities in an age of AI, helping children develop their own sense of truth, and finding moments of stillness and authenticity amid the demands of everyday life. Learn more about Martha’s work here. … Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive. Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Judd is one of the most decorated players in AFL history, but his second chapter is proving to be equally as compelling as his first. In this conversation, Chris discusses his transition from elite sport to the world of finance and investing, and the attributes and lessons he has carried across both careers. From the discipline required to think differently and stay calm under pressure, to why great leaders are the most important factor when investing in a business, you’ll hear the mindset behind Chris’s approach to success. He also shares how he got his start in finance, tracking all the way back to the beginning of his AFL career, and a conscious decision to avoid media commentary of his performance. You’ll also hear about the importance of financial literacy, AI and the future of work, family, leadership, and why knowing yourself is the most important skill of all. … Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive. Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick Truelson's career has taken him from a university work experience placement at Cadbury Schweppes, to senior leadership roles at some of Australia's most iconic sporting organisations. He has played integral roles at the AFL’s Essendon and Western Bulldogs football clubs, and now, he serves as CEO of the NBL’s Melbourne United basketball team. During his time as CCO of the Western Bulldogs, Nick played a pivotal role in the development of the Sons of the West Men’s Health Program, using the power of sport and community to support the health and wellbeing of men in Melbourne’s west. An achievement he reflects on as being one of his proudest to this day. You’ll hear Nick’s beautiful approach to leadership, including the importance of maintaining curiosity, and building genuine relationships with those around you. He also shares the powerful story of Melbourne United player Isaac Humphries coming out publicly, and what it meant to create an environment where a player felt safe enough to be his true, authentic self. This episode is a masterclass in what’s possible when you use your time to help others, nurture relationships, and work together to create something that really matters. … We’re so proud to have Nick as part of our Aleda Connect community. Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive. Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders like Nick? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Cousins and Scott Miller have both experienced the extraordinary highs that come with sporting greatness. However, behind the wins and accolades, they were both fighting personal battles that would eventually play out on a very public stage. In this conversation, Ben and Scott open up about their experiences with finding (and losing) their identity through sport, the terrifying spiral into addiction, and the role that prison played in forcing the change they both needed to recover. Ultimately, this conversation is one that looks at the most important leadership of all - self-leadership, and the role it plays in re-discovering yourself, re-defining your purpose, and re-building your life from the ground up. … Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive. Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Lucy Hone has spent her career researching resilience, wellbeing and human flourishing. But when her 12-year-old daughter Abi was tragically killed in a car accident, the science she had dedicated her life to suddenly became deeply personal. In this profoundly moving conversation, Lucy shares the lessons she has learned from both decades of research and her own experience of grief. She speaks about why adversity is an unavoidable part of life, how we can become active participants in our own recovery, and the practical habits that help us navigate both death and the "living losses" that so many people face, from divorce and illness, to career setbacks and unexpected life change. She also discusses the importance of self-compassion, psychological safety, embracing struggle rather than avoiding it, and why resilience isn't about pretending everything is OK; it’s about finding hope, meaning and purpose, even when life doesn't go to plan. Find out more about Lucy's work here . … Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive. Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders? Take the next step here . Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom Allen has spent more than 15 years at the highest level of professional football, including leadership roles at Aston Villa and Arsenal FC, where he helped shape one of the Premier League's most admired high-performance environments. Tom shares the leadership principles that transformed Arsenal from a club in turmoil, into Premier League champions under Mikel Arteta. You’ll hear some of the creatively brilliant strategies used to deliver messages with lasting impact, and the importance of curiosity, connection and clarity in creating a club where culture, not tactics, are their biggest competitive advantage. This episode explores what leaders in every industry can learn from elite sport. From creating psychological safety to build genuine trust across teams, to embracing continuous learning that allows people to perform at their very best, there’s something here for everyone. You can listen to the live podcast in London with Mikel Arteta and Steve Kerr that Tom references in this episode here and Luke's conversation with Milwaukee Bucks' Troy Flanagan here. We’re so proud to have Tom - and many others from Arsenal’s leadership team - as part of our Aleda Connect community. … Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive. Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/49tn4AD Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former professional footballer and Socceroo Bruce Djite knows what it takes to perform at the highest level on the field, but his most impressive achievement may be what came AFTER football. After retiring from a sporting career that saw him play across five countries, including representing Australia on the world stage, Bruce made the successful transition from elite sport into executive leadership. In this conversation, Bruce shares the mindset that made that transition possible, and the leadership lessons he's carried from the football pitch into the boardroom, where he now serves as Executive Director of the Property Council of South Australia. Bruce reflects on the power of perseverance, resilience and preparation required to make it as a professional athlete, and how those traits become the greatest benefits former athletes bring to the workplace. He also opens up about balancing a demanding career with family life, what success looks like in this season of his life, and why making time for the people who matter most is his greatest priority. ... Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive. Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/49tn4AD Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than two decades, Chris Lendrum has been immersed in the world of elite sport. A significant period of that time was spent leading the systems, culture and people behind one of the world's most successful high-performance sporting organisations, New Zealand Rugby, where he worked with the All Blacks, Black Ferns and the Olympic gold medal-winning sevens teams. In this episode of Empowering Leaders , Chris shares the leadership principles that have driven sustained success at the highest level of world sport. From building trust through connection and creating teams that thrive under pressure, to making difficult leadership decisions with empathy and integrity, he generously offers practical lessons that apply to leaders across all industries. At the heart of this conversation is the beautiful and powerful Māori concept of winning with mana, and the belief that success isn't just about the result, but about how you achieve it. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive. Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As an intensive care paramedic, Sally Gould has spent over 15 years on the front lines of emergency medicine, witnessing both the chaos of life-and-death situations and the quiet resilience that defines her profession. In this episode of Empowering Leaders, Sally reveals how she stays calm in high-pressure situations, the role humour and humanity play in managing trauma, and why empathy is one of the most important skills in a crisis. She also shares her thoughts on why building trust through great leadership, camaraderie and emotional support isn’t just advised - it’s critical. Whether you lead a team, work in a high-pressure environment, or simply want to maintain composure when life gets stressful, this episode is packed with practical insights and advice you’ll want to add to your life skills tool kit. You can learn more about Sally’s life and career in her brilliant memoir, Frog: The Secret Diary of a Paramedic. Find out more here . Learn. Lead. Collaborate. Start your leadership journey today with Aleda Connect, our signature, cross industry collaboration program. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect really is the learning experience of a life-time. Curious about what makes us so different? Head here and we'd love to tell you more. Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens to our relationships when the most available, most responsive, most patient listener in our lives is an AI? Bryony Cole has been sitting with that question longer than almost anyone. As the founder of the Future of Sex platform, she stepped into one of the most uncomfortable conversations a person could choose to have, more than a decade ago, and never looked back. What started as a curiosity about technology and sexuality has expanded into something far broader: a serious, global reckoning with what intimacy, loneliness, and human connection look like in an increasingly digital world. In this conversation, Luke and Bryony go to places that feel both strange and surprisingly close to home. From children in Australia using AI for companionship, to couples outsourcing their arguments to ChatGPT, to the very real question of what it means when your partner turns to an algorithm instead of you at 3am, this is a conversation that holds a mirror up to habits most of us already have but haven't fully examined. Bryony is not an alarmist. She is also not naive. She calls herself a through-topian: someone who believes we will find our way through, but only if we are honest about what we are already doing and clear about what we want to protect. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. Start your leadership journey today with Aleda Connect, our signature, cross industry collaboration program. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect really is the learning experience of a life-time. Curious about what makes us so different? Head here and we'd love to tell you more. Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a moment in this conversation where Matt Wadewitz describes getting a phone call at 3am. He'd saved the name in his phone just in case - because he'd hoped it was coming. The voice on the other end had a beautiful Spanish accent. It was Mikel Arteta. That call is a good entry point into who Matt is and what he's built. Because Aleda Connect - the global leadership program he co-founded with Luke - didn't find Mikel Arteta through a cold pitch or a clever marketing strategy. It found him the same way it's found nearly every one of its 700-plus members: through word of mouth, through one curious leader telling another, through the simple and powerful idea that great people want to be around other great people. This is episode 250 of Empowering Leaders, and it felt right to mark it with the person who was there for episode one. Matt and Luke go back further than Aleda - further than podcasting, further than leadership development - all the way to a cold Saturday morning at South Adelaide when a tall kid showed up without having trained, nicked Matt's position on the team, and still somehow left with a new best mate. In this conversation they go back to the beginning. The ankle injury that ended Matt's AFL dream the night before he was supposed to sign with Essendon. The year he took a group of disengaged kids to a beach in Adelaide and told them they were going to solve an unsolved murder. The conversation with Luke where he was expecting a high-five and instead got talked out of a job he was about to take. And the question Luke put to him that changed everything: why not just take it further? Eleven years later, the answer to that question is a community of leaders spanning sport, business, the arts, and everything in between - connected not by industry or geography, but by the shared conviction that you can always be better for the people you lead. People mentioned and their conversations with Luke on Empowering Leaders Steve Kerr & Mikel Arteta LIVE: The Leadership Playbook Emma Hayes LIVE from London: For Women, By Women, Football & Beyond Dr Troy Flanagan: Making history in the NBA with a 'no burnout' mindset John Bertrand - Achieving the impossible Eddie Jones - Striving to be the greatest of all time Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson - The Thinking Teacher (Part 1) Ben Northey — conductor, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Anna West — sleep specialist, Arsenal FC Craig McRae — Collingwood AFC head coach, Aleda member Stacey Morlang — Aleda team member Timmy Bristow — school principal, Aleda member, previous podcast guest Paul Waterson — founder, Australian Venue Co., Aleda member Luke Beveridge — Western Bulldogs head coach Neale Daniher — episode with daughter Bec Daniher — CEO of FightMND Learn. Lead. Collaborate. Start your leadership journey today. Meet with co-founder Matt Wadewitz or one of the amazing Aleda Connect facilitators to learn how you can grow within our signature leadership program. Head here to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly or monthly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Johnson holds the Western Bulldogs games record - 364 games. 558 goals, six All Australian selections, a Hall of Fame inductee. He is, by any measure, one of the greats of his generation. This is a beautiful conversation with a genuinely extraordinary person that still trains like he's trying to earn his spot - he drove an hour to be first at the track the morning this conversation was recorded. He's genuinely, almost inexplicably, one of the happiest people you'll ever come across - and, according to Luke, has been that way since he was seventeen years old. In this episode of Empowering Leaders, Luke Darcy sits down with his former teammate, and longtime friend for a conversation about what it actually looks like to give everything to something - in football, in business, in family - and still be standing tall on the other side. They talk about Brad's son Jack, who is chasing a career in motorsport at serious cost, and what it means to be a dad who shows up without getting in the way. About his daughter Ella, whose singing career paused through COVID and might just be starting again. About the eight years he and wife Donna spent building Zena - a protective sportswear brand for women in contact sport - starting from nothing, holding strong through two years of dead ends, to now being stocked in Rebel Sport and sold internationally. Brad opens up about his cancer diagnosis last year - a lump under his arm, six weeks of radiation, an operation, and a first clear scan six months later. He talks about what it took to stop trying to work through it and about Donna telling him to for once in his life to focus on himself. You'll hear this brilliant past episode referenced: Paul Waterson: From intensive care nurse to running pubs with the Australian Venue Co. Check it out or re-listen now. 01:49 AFL Legend Brad Johnson & Luke Darcy: 17-Year-Olds at the Western Bulldogs 03:49 The Athlete Brad Johnson Was — Endurance, Speed & Strength 04:52 Brad Johnson's Positivity: Natural or Performed? 06:02 Parenting Kids Who Chase Big Dreams — Ella's Singing & Jack's Motorsport Career 08:31 Supporting a Motorsport Career: The Real Cost of Jack Johnson's Racing Dream 10:33 Leadership Lessons from Jack Johnson's Pitch to Melbourne Business Leaders 12:01 Brad Johnson on Parenting Differently to His Own Father 14:34 364 Games for the Western Bulldogs: Habits, Discipline & the Scotty Wine Story 17:16 What AFL Players Underestimate When They Retire 18:42 Brad & Donna Johnson on Starting Zena Sport — Building a Business from Scratch 23:36 Finding Your Lane: Stop Chasing Everything (The Hedgehog Moment) 25:17 Brad Johnson on the Aleda Leadership Community 26:21 What Brad Johnson Is Most Proud Of at 50 31:10 Brad Johnson's Cancer Diagnosis: Radiation, Surgery & First Clear Scan 34:04 Brad Johnson's Daily Routine After Cancer — Walking, Sauna, Weights & Golf 35:24 Leadership Advice: Bring Your Quality to the Table 39:12 Collaboration, Paul Waterson & Learning Outside the Sporting Bubble 42:09 The AFL Premiership Brad Johnson Never Won — and How He Made Peace With It We are privileged to have Brad as part of our Aleda Connect community. Head here to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. Start your leadership journey today. Meet with founders Luke Darcy, Matt Wadewitz or one of the amazing Aleda Connect facilitators to learn how you can grow alongside people like Brad within our signature leadership program. Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Timmy Bristow was nine years old when he ruptured his pancreas playing footy at recess, crawled to the tap, and waited alone in a dark staffroom until his mum finished her shift. By the time she arrived he was blue. A few hours later he was on an ambulance plane to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne with a thirty percent chance of surviving surgery. While Timmy was in hospital, of the young AFL players who showed up on the ward to help cheer up the young patient was… Luke Darcy. But in that moment - neither of them could have possibly known they'd end up here, having this conversation today. Timmy grew up in country Victoria, excelled on the sporting field, and for twenty-one years carried the secret that he'd been sexually abused by someone in a position of authority and trust - in an institution that covered it up. He held it through his teens, through footy, through becoming a husband and a father. Until his sister said she'd tell their parents herself if he didn't. In this conversation on Empowering Leaders , Timmy and Luke talk about what that silence cost and what breaking the silence felt like. They talk about the 28.5% of Australian children who will experience sexual abuse before they turn eighteen, about Timmy’s mammoth effort to run seven marathons in seven states in seven days for Bravehearts, and about what Timmy has built on the other side of all of it - an incredible school he leads the way he wished he'd been led, a personal philosophy of connection, vulnerability and consistency, and a refusal to become a statistic. We are privileged to have Timmy as part of our Aleda Connect community. Head here to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. Start your leadership journey today. Meet with founders Luke Darcy, Matt Wadewitz or one of the amazing Aleda Connect facilitators to learn how you can grow alongside people like Timmy within our signature leadership program. Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Lexi Edmondson walked down to Bondi Beach to celebrate finishing her master's degree, she had no idea her life was about to change forever. What began as a summer evening by the water for hundreds of people became one of Australia's most devastating acts of violence - and Lexi ran towards it. In her most in-depth interview since the December attack, Lexi sits down with Luke Darcy to take us inside the night itself. She talks about the chaos, the moment her training kicked in, and about how the iconic Bondi community responded in the aftermath. Lexi shares the healing power of reconnecting with the people she helped, and the extraordinary gesture from Rabbi Levi Wolf and the Jewish community that brought everyone together. Armed with fresh surf lifesaving training and sheer instinct, Lexi and fellow volunteer Jimmy McIntosh became part of the community of first responders who helped treat and carry 60 people to safety that night. In the days that followed - amid the grief, the trauma processing, and the slow work of rebuilding - Lexi and Jimmy fell in love. In the six months since Lexi has been able to identify what a tragedy like the deadly Bondi attack can strip away - the corporate ambitions, the performative rituals of modern dating, the conditions we place on living fully. Lexi shares why she has walked away from a path she thought she wanted, returned to clinical practice to help people one-on-one, and said yes to a relationship that moved at the speed of life. Plus: the ChatGPT proposal fail, the ring they promised not to buy (and then bought!), and the moment Lexi's mum clocked Jimmy before Lexi even had a chance. Lexi speaks beautifully about the importance of community, finding courage, championing feminine leadership, and finding the light when everything feels so dark. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. Start your leadership journey today. Head here to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harry Moffitt spent decades inside one of the world's most demanding institutions - Australia's Special Air Service Regiment. He's served in conflict zones across the Middle East including Afghanistan, lost friends, mentored some of the country's most elite operators, and now works as a corporate psychologist helping leaders, athletes, and organisations perform under pressure. He's also the author of Eleven Bats and The Fourth Pillar , a book about a pillar he believes most high performance programs are missing entirely. In this conversation on Empowering Leaders , Luke and Harry explore what it means to train the whole human. Not just the body or the mind, but the philosophical and moral interior that most people never think to tend to. Harry traces the idea back to a remarkable Australian coach named Percy Cerutty, who in the 1950s and 60s built what might have been the world's first institute of sport from a tin shack on the beach at Portsea. His STOTAN philosophy blended the best of the Stoics and the Spartans into a radical approach to resilience and human performance. Harry also speaks candidly about the Ben Roberts-Smith war crimes case, one of the most significant and divisive legal proceedings in Australian military history. Harry has worked closely with people on both sides of the investigation and brings a perspective that is measured, informed, and unflinching. He talks about what the case has done to the SAS community, why he believes there is worse yet to come, and what integrity looks like when loyalty and accountability are in direct tension. Harry speaks with the kind of hard-earned clarity that only comes from actually living what you're writing about - the cost of being away from home, what he now understands about presence, about community, about the difference between chasing things and building a life. He talks about grief for his friend Lochlan Muddle, about leadership under pressure, about walking the floor as a leader, and about why talking to yourself out loud might be one of the oldest and most powerful practices a human can cultivate. 03:29 The four pillars of high performance 05:50 Percy Cerutty and the STOTAN philosophy 09:33 The whole human: Ancient wisdom and modern performance 14:46 A philosophy for living a meaningful life 18:41 Absence, regret and family 20:45 The SAS brotherhood 22:33 Lochlan Muddle: loss and pride 25:42 Ben Roberts-Smith and a divided community 31:51 Fog of war, moral armory and where the line is 35:17 Afghanistan: did we win? 40:37 What great leaders do consistently 45:50 The ancient art of talking to yourself 51:15 Routines, habits and self first 57:05 Walk the floor: the one piece of advice 1:00:14 Who would Harry collaborate with? 1:04:34 The greatest leader in Harry's life Learn. Lead. Collaborate. Start your leadership journey today. Head here to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What separates the leaders and athletes who perform under pressure from those who crack? According to Dr Phil Hopley, it comes down to one overlooked discipline: daily recovery. Phil is a consultant psychiatrist and one of the world's leading experts in mental performance. Through Cognacity - the specialist psychology organisation he leads - Phil has worked inside elite sport, global boardrooms and high-performance teams across Premier League football, Formula One, rugby and Olympic sport. His organisation was the appointed specialist team for the London Olympics and Paralympics. In this conversation with Luke Darcy, Phil unpacks the science behind sustainable high performance, the hidden cost of distracted working, and why the greatest predictor of long-term leadership success isn't intelligence or ambition - it's self-awareness. Phil explains the "tipping point" that separates productive pressure from burnout, shares what Kenyan distance runners can teach every corporate leader about recovery, and reveals the Big Five personality assessment his team uses to identify high-risk hires before catastrophic cultural damage is done. He also talks in-depth about building psychological safety, dialling up kindness in competitive environments, and why the greatest leader in his own life is his 90-year-old father. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. Start your leadership journey today. Head here to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alisa Camplin is one of Australia's most decorated and driven high performance leaders - an Olympic gold medallist in aerial skiing, Australia's first female winter Olympic gold medallist, and most recently, the first woman to lead an Australian Winter Olympic team as Chef de Mission at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games. Alisa shares so many of the mental frameworks that powered her greatest performances - and how those same skills carried her through the unimaginable loss of her son Finnan, who passed away after just 10 days following open heart surgery. Together with her husband, she channelled that grief into Finnan's Gift, a foundation that has now raised over $4 million for paediatric cardiac care. She opens up about recovering from two knee reconstructions in the lead-up to her second Olympics - the last one just 56 days before the Games - and why she believes the most important thing you can do after any setback is get up, find a plan, and be all in. She also shares what 16 years at IBM, a boardroom career, and leading an Olympic team have taught her about honest conversations, coaching people as whole humans, and the small daily habits that create real, lasting change. This conversation is a masterclass in what it means to lead with integrity, show up with discipline, and keep going when life gets hard. We’re privileged to have Alisa as part of the Aleda Connect community - connecting inspiring leaders from across Australia and around the world. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. Start your leadership journey today. Head here to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The AFL dream ended in tears at 20. A decade later, he was lifting the World Test Championship. Alex Carey's journey to becoming one of Australian cricket's most trusted performers is one of the sporting world’s great second-act stories. A talented junior who played both codes at a high level, Alex took a chance on AFL and moved to Sydney as one of the GWS Giants' foundation players - only to be let go with barely 24 hours' notice. Back in Adelaide, he drifted through a football pre-season and a stint in finance before a quiet conversation with the South Australian Cricket Association gave him one more shot. He almost didn't take it. He nearly quit that too. But he didn’t and what came next … is all part of Alex’s incredible story. In this episode, Luke Darcy and Alex Carey hit: Growing up in a sporting household and the father who shaped his values The AFL dream, and the brutal moment it was taken away How two delistings and a finance job led him back to cricket… and eventually to Test cricket The 2023 Ashes 'spirit of the game' incident at Lord's: online threats, mental battles, and what he'd do differently Working with performance psychologist Ben Crowe, and the value of having someone outside the system Fatherhood, sacrifice, and how he and wife Eloise make it all work Learn. Lead. Collaborate. Start your leadership journey today. Head here to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Book a discovery call today. Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.