What does leadership look like when there’s nothing left in the tank?

In this episode, I sit down with Peter Baines following one of the most physically and emotionally demanding challenges of his life - running 1,400 kilometres across Thailand over 26 days to mark twenty years since the Boxing Day tsunami.

But this conversation isn’t about endurance for the sake of it.

It’s about leadership under pressure. About what it means to show up when you’re empty. About why leaders bring the weather, and how your response in the hardest moments shapes everyone around you.

Peter shares the mindset that carried him through extreme conditions, why whatever the conditions, they’re my favourite, and the critical role trust, preparation and team played in getting him to the finish line.

We also reflect on the deeper work behind his mission with Hands Across the Water, and what two decades of service has taught him about purpose, resilience and perspective.

This is a conversation about going further than you think you can - and what leaders can learn when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

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In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I’m joined by Christina Howard, a former Fortune 100 HR leader and founder of Intently, to explore what it really means to lead with intention.

Christina’s career spans large corporate environments, executive leadership, and coaching senior leaders through complexity and change. Along the way, she’s built a reputation for helping leaders move beyond theory and into practical, human-centred leadership.

We discuss how leaders can build self-awareness as a foundation for better decision-making, why values only matter when they are translated into everyday behaviours, and how to create cultures that are designed with purpose rather than left to chance.

We also explore the realities leaders are facing today. Navigating difference within teams, creating space for diverse perspectives, and leading with empathy without losing clarity or direction. Christina shares the distinction between intellectual and emotional empathy, and why that gap will matter even more as AI becomes embedded in the workplace.

This is a thoughtful and practical conversation for leaders who want to lead with intention, stay grounded in their values, and build organisations that are both high performing and deeply human.

https://www.intentlyco.com/about-us

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What happens when the career you worked so hard to build no longer fits?

In this episode, I speak with Dr Taryn Fletcher, a former school superintendent who led 18 schools and dozens of leaders before making a significant shift into entrepreneurship and leadership coaching.

From an early age, Taryn understood what it meant to have a voice, and what it feels like when environments ask you to quiet it. That tension stayed with her as she moved through leadership, eventually leading to a series of pivotal moments that forced her to reassess how she worked, led, and made decisions.

We talk about her Pivot Framework, purpose, integrity, vulnerability, ownership, and transition, and why vulnerability is often the hardest step for high-performing leaders. We also explore burnout as feedback, the pressure to be the one holding everything together, and what it takes to step out of that role.

This is a practical conversation about leadership, identity, and making decisions that align with the life you are actually living.

To find out more https://www.drtaryn.co/

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What makes a message land?

In this episode, I sit down with Carmen Sederino, founder of Illuminated Story, to explore why storytelling is one of the most underused leadership skills today.

Carmen brings a rare perspective. With a background in performing arts and nearly two decades in corporate leadership, she works with CEOs and executives to strengthen how they communicate when it matters most.

We talk about the gap between delivering information and actually connecting with people. Why data alone rarely sticks. And how leaders can use story, presence, and energy to bring their message to life.

This is a practical conversation on executive presence, communication under pressure, and how to move from simply presenting information to creating real impact.

If you lead people, present often, or carry responsibility for communicating change, this episode will give you a clearer way forward.

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In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I sit down with James Chisholm, co-founder of Peeplcoach, for a conversation that goes well beyond traditional leadership advice.

James shares his journey from leading in a global corporate environment to experiencing a mental health breakdown that forced him to step back and reassess everything. What emerges is not a story of failure, but one of clarity. A shift from chasing results at all costs to building leadership that is human, sustainable and grounded in purpose.

We talk about the reality many leaders don’t speak about. Burnout that goes unnoticed. Cultures where people stay silent. And the pressure to perform that quietly ties self-worth to outcomes.

James challenges the way we think about resilience. Not as pushing through at any cost, but as self-management. Knowing when to step forward, when to slow down, and when to ask for help.

We also explore what leadership needs to look like now. Empathy not as a soft skill, but a commercial one. Coaching not reserved for executives, but essential for emerging leaders. And the growing expectation that people can show up as themselves at work without judgement.

There’s a clear message in this conversation. The old playbook is no longer enough. Human-centred leadership is not optional. It is what will define the organisations that attract, retain and grow the best people.

If you lead people, or aspire to, this is a conversation worth your time.

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What does leadership look like in a world where robots inspect our infrastructure, AI shapes our healthcare, and automation transforms entire industries?

In this episode of Future Fit Leadership, I sit down with Dr Sue Keay, one of Australia’s leading voices in robotics, AI ethics and the future of work. Sue began her career as a geologist before moving into robotics and commercialisation, eventually leading major national initiatives in robotic vision and cyber physical systems.

We discuss Australia’s unexpected global strengths in field robotics, from automated ports to autonomous mining vehicles, and why we risk losing our competitive edge if we continue to export our best talent.

Sue shares her perspective on AI adoption in Australian workplaces, the growing divide between early adopters and those resistant to change, and why AI literacy is becoming a non-negotiable leadership capability.

We also explore ethical accountability in AI systems, the importance of keeping humans in the loop, and how robotics can support climate resilience, disaster response and personalised healthcare.

And in a powerful discussion on diversity in STEM, Sue speaks candidly about structural barriers for women in technology and why future systems must be shaped by diverse voices.

Her three words for a future fit leader? Curious, kind and authentic.

This is a practical, forward-looking conversation for leaders navigating rapid technological change and wanting to stay ahead of what’s coming next.

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Domestic violence is not a fringe issue. It is not a private matter. And it is not someone else’s problem.

In this episode, I sit down with family lawyer Cassandra Kalpaxis for a direct and deeply confronting conversation about domestic and family violence in Australia. Cassandra shares that in her practice, around 95 percent of her cases now involve domestic violence. Not always physical. Often invisible. Coercive control. Financial abuse. Psychological harm that slowly strips away identity and autonomy.

We discuss the warning signs many people miss, what meaningful support actually looks like, and why pressure can push survivors further into danger rather than towards safety. We explore where our systems are falling short, from policing to prevention, and the accountability that sits not just with government, but with workplaces, leaders, communities and men.

As International Women’s Day calls us to Balance the Scale, this episode asks a harder question. Where are we still failing? And what responsibility do we each carry to change it?

If you need support, confidential help is available through 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

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In this solo episode of Future Fit Leadership, Sadhana Smiles steps into the conversation herself.

In this special International Women’s Day episode of Future Fit Leadership, Sadhana Smiles offers a candid reflection on the 2026 theme Balance the Scale and what it means in the world we are navigating today.

For several years, Sadhana stepped back from celebrating International Women’s Day, not because progress has not been made, but because progress has not moved fast enough.

In Australia, one woman a week is killed through domestic and family violence. Women retire with significantly less superannuation than men, and older women are the fastest growing cohort experiencing homelessness.

If balance is the goal, it suggests something remains out of alignment.

This episode explores the role leaders play in correcting that imbalance through policy, culture and accountability.

Because balance is not symbolic. It is structural. And it requires action.

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