What does it really take to succeed as a CEO today and what does it take to leave a legacy that lasts?

In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I’m joined by the brilliant Kate Mason, a trusted advisor to CEOs, boards, and executive teams across some of the most complex organisations in Australia and globally.

Kate shares what she’s seeing at the top of organisations right now. How CEO pathways are changing. Why diverse experience matters more than ever. And why the most successful leaders know they cannot, and should not, do it alone.

We talk candidly about the CEO–board relationship, where trust is built or quietly eroded, the rookie mistakes that derail succession planning, and why starting that conversation too late is one of the biggest risks businesses take. Kate also unpacks the idea of the “glass cliff”, how leaders can assess whether someone is truly ready for the next role, and the question she always asks: how far down the runway are they?

This is a practical, honest conversation about leadership at the top. About empathy, adaptability, forward thinking, and keeping the human at the centre of decision making in an environment that keeps shifting.

If you are a CEO, an aspiring leader, a board member, or someone thinking seriously about what the next generation of leadership should look like, this conversation is for you.

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In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I’m joined by educator, speaker and author Bethan Winn for a timely and thoughtful conversation about critical thinking in an age shaped by AI, speed and constant information overload.

Bethan’s journey began in a small Welsh town, grounded in language, community and curiosity, before taking her from teaching in London to building a new life and career in Australia. What started as a one year adventure became a long term commitment to education, learning and helping others think more clearly. A personal health scare in 2019 became a turning point, prompting Bethan to step away from traditional roles and focus on the work she now does so powerfully, helping leaders, teams and organisations strengthen judgement, curiosity and courage.

We explore the ideas behind her book The Human Edge: Critical Thinking in the Age of AI, including what critical thinking really means beyond the buzzwords, how AI is subtly reshaping the way we process information, and the early warning signs leaders should watch for when thinking starts to slip. Bethan shares practical frameworks, real world examples and a deeply human perspective on why experience, reflection and dialogue still matter.

This conversation is for leaders navigating complexity, change and technology, and for anyone who wants to think well, lead well and stay human in the process.

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More than half of Australian workers say they are quietly cracking. Not burning out. Not falling apart in obvious ways. Just holding it together on the outside while something frays on the inside.

In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I’m joined by Dr Michelle McQuaid, senior fellow at the University of Melbourne and founder of The Change Lab, to unpack the findings from her latest national research, The Change Lab 2025 Workplace Report. Drawing on insights from more than 1,000 workers across Australia, Michelle shares what “quietly cracking” actually looks like, why younger workers are feeling it most, and how leaders are being impacted in very different but equally challenging ways.

We talk about the supercycle of change leaders are operating within, the cost of living pressures shaping behaviour at work, the hidden risks of poor change management, and why wellbeing initiatives are falling short when they miss the emotional and social realities people are living with. Michelle also shares her HEART framework for leading change, practical ways leaders can support their people right now, and why connection matters more than communication in this next chapter of work.

This is a timely, data-led conversation for leaders who know their people are carrying more than they can see, and who want to lead with clarity, care, and credibility in a decade that will demand all three.

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