A letter to Damian and Jake, the co-hosts of the High Performance Podcast from Andy Fell

Dec 20, 2021

 

24 November 2021

Damian, Jake,

As Damian knows, I have been writing this letter to you both for a considerable length of time.

On my 50th birthday (29/9/2016) I made a life-changing decision. I decided to quit a very high paying job as a General Manager of a major Australian bank to follow my passion and set up my own business, GiFT631. In short, I grew up at a property numbered ‘631’ in a suburban town between Birmingham and Coventry. I wanted my grandfather’s and parent’s legacy to live on in the name of my business. My grandfather was my first great teacher. Once my grandmother died he lived with us at 631 for 3 months every year .

I left the corporate world about 6 months later and started again as a business of one! I had a clear purpose, exciting goals, a strong mindset and powerful daily winning habits and routines.

My business revolved around speaking, coaching, business consulting and leadership/talent development. It soared to new...

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The Winning Mind - Lessons from Lord Seb Coe

Dec 06, 2021

Following Manny Martinez' advice to shed some autumn leaves to make way for new growth and learning, I have been having a big clear-out across many aspects of my life.  

One such area has been to work through all the business articles, books and papers I have had for many years.

This weekend I came across an article written by Lord Seb Coe in April 2009 when he shared some of his lessons on how to succeed. Lord Coe was an Olympic champion, politician and businessman.

I thought I would share the lessons over a series of blogs:

1) The vision thing: I can not overstate the importance of having a vision. It is what you cling to when a project is proving particularly difficult. A vision is intended to inspire people. It is bold, it is optimistic, it is often pioneering and usually intensely personal. It is the highest point of achievement you can imagine for yourself and your team. (AF: It is #futureyou).

2) You can't inspire people unless you understand them first: ...

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The Killer Question by Jonathan Stevens

Nov 22, 2021

“We all need an opinion, a point of view about my leadership contribution, what value I bring to this organisation as a leader - and why it matters. If I don’t know, how will anyone else?”

 I heard this recently from a somewhat chastened senior leader who had been ambushed by a senior colleague in the elevator at work and asked what difference exactly s/he made to the organisation. Judging by the rueful expression, s/he had clearly fumbled their response.

 Why should anyone be led by you?

It’s a tough question and one that was famously the subject of a celebrated article in the Harvard Business Review (Goffee, R. and Jones G. HBS 2000) Very often it’s a difficult one to answer in the moment, without appearing clichéd, awkward or (worse) pompous and arrogant.

 So, can you answer the killer question? Can you talk about the leadership difference you make in your organisation and why anyone else should be led by you in the first place?...

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Entertain, Educate, Empower - Guest blog by Jeffrey Liu

Sep 19, 2021

Living the dream provides one with the highest satisfaction and happiness on this planet. However, the journey WILL be difficult and I believe that it will take HARD WORK and REPETITION to be a master in any chosen field. Why not stick to what you’re passionate about to make this process easier and more fun?

People usually see me as an entertainer, teacher, speaker, or financial coach. No matter what it may be, my passion is located at the centre of three aspects which I call “3Es” including “Entertain, Educate and Empower”. This 3E strategy has given me many opportunities to work with and learn from great teachers, leaders and organisations around the world. 

Believe it or not, I was in a totally different world just before I decided to come to Australia for study alone at the age of 15.

I was raised up in a conservative culture where I was an introvert. I did not know where life would lead and what I might become in life. I have been...

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Guest Blog - Climbing the Corporate Ladder - Dilan Perera

Sep 13, 2021

Too many people bounce through their career without an effective roadmap. Others expect promotions in exchange for years on the job and believe a “big break” will simply land in their lap. The reality is, in order to get where you want to be, you need to have a success strategy. After all, failing to plan is planning to fail.

Here are the things that have contributed towards my progression through the ranks over the last 15 years.

1. Build Your Blueprint

It’s critical you have a clear view of what you want to do, where you want to arrive at the pinnacle of your career and the interim steps required to get there. Of course, make adjustments as you go, but a robust blueprint will help you to position yourself in the right places at the right times. Believe me, seizing progression opportunities as they present themselves is much more about preparation and foresight than good fortune!

2. Attitude is Altitude

Companies look for people who fit their existing culture and...

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How to be successful by an ultra marathon runner - Guest Blog by Brian Kennedy

Aug 09, 2021

Would you take advice on how to be successful from an ultra marathoner?

Ultra marathoners have many skills that make them successful, skills that can be brought into personal and career lives if only people would listen.

Listening can be your secret weapon in moving forward to success.

In order to be a successful ultra marathoner you must work on your training plan for 40, 50,100 mile races and understand the level of commitment it will take to reach your goal. Build a foundation and have a decent time frame to meet your goal.

The ability to understand, use and manage your emotions is crucial to overcome challenges, obstacles and injury and personal conflict.

The real prison is in our minds, the voices chatter and won’t stop until you identify it name it and then ignore it by letting it know it has no space in your mind.

Believing in yourself, the strength that comes from your heart and your soul deliver possibilities in life that once we thought not possible.

Running...

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The Breakfast Club I Didn’t Want - by Dijana Josevski

Jul 23, 2021

God this was tough. 

I had lifted myself off the grass at 6 am after collapsing for the third time in an exhausted heap. What was I doing? I had dragged my sorry ass to the other side of the world to peruse a dream that was fading fast. 

In my early 20’s  I decided to travel to the US to become a student-athlete. I love football and had some success as a junior here in Australia and the lure of having a shot at a career had me confronting this brick wall of pain I had just hit. 

In the US college sport is huge. however, the expectations from your team and coaches are even bigger. Forget about the glamour that is sometimes discussed, being a student-athlete comes with high expectations and many sacrifices along the way.

During preseason student-athletes can be often found on the training pitch 2-3 times a day whilst balancing study commitments and other compulsory community commitments

Everyone was expected to be at a certain fitness level and...

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Smile by Almas Tauriq

Jul 19, 2021

I MADE MYSELF SMILE, AND I'M ACTUALLY FEELING BETTER!

In a world where you can be anything, choose to be the best version of yourself.

Daniel Kahneman writes in his book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, simple, common gestures unconsciously influence our thoughts and feelings. In one experiment, people were asked to listen to messages through new headphones. They were told that the purpose of the experiment was to check the quality of the audio equipment, and were instructed to move their heads repeatedly to check for any disturbance in the sound. Half the participants were told to move their heads up and down (like a nod, a yes gesture), while the other half were told to shake their heads from side to side (like a no gesture). The messages they heard were news editorials.

Those who nodded tended to accept the message they heard, but those who shook their head tended to reject it. There was no awareness, just a habitual connection between an attitude of acceptance and rejection based on the...

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Guest Blog - 'dinna ‘er waste a minty!' by Amanda Reid

Jul 05, 2021

WOW!! What a week! 

I have spent a great deal of time this week practicing gratitude 

  • Grateful for the fact I am fit & healthy and able to smash my morning movement goals 
  • Grateful that I have an amazing family around me, who support me tirelessly to achieve my goals 
  • Grateful for the business I’m part of and the culture of that business, that encourages me to bring my best self each day and makes going to work a joy

 But, as much as I am grateful for my present, I am equally as grateful for the experiences of my past, that have led me to the place I am today. 

 My Granny used to say when I was young, in a very broad Dundonian (Scottish) accent…..“What’s afore yi, will nae go past yi, hen….dinna ‘er waste a minty!” ……I will translate “What’s before you, will not go past you……don’t ever waste a minute.”

 Essentially, she meant that...

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'Prepare 3 envelopes' - Guest Blog by Kevin Griffen

Jun 12, 2021

Prepare 3 envelopes..

 There’s a classic story called ‘prepare three envelopes’ which purports to provide ‘advice’ on leadership transitions. This story was first shared with me over 15 years ago by Jens Olsen, client and friend, during our days with BHP. It seems that business has not learned from this folly and the story will make you both smile and wince, but ultimately, I hope you as leaders reflect and refrain from such poor behaviour.

 

A new executive is hired to take over a struggling business unit. During the handover meeting, the previous executive gives the newbie three numbered, coloured envelopes with the recommendation to open them when things go poorly.

After a couple of quarters, profits don’t improve, and the new executive starts to feel significant pressure from his boss. Remembering the three envelopes, he opens the first one and reads the message, “Blame your predecessor.” He dutifully explains to his boss...

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