The Evolution Partners

Evolution Partners
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

A place for the world’s leading thinkers, planners and doers. The Evolution Partners is a weekly podcast hosted by Brad Giles. Join Brad as he engages in conversations with some of the world’s sharpest minds, learning a bit more about them and delving into what makes them tick.

  1. 1 day ago

    E113 | Building trust without sacrificing accountability with Errol Amerasekera

    Under pressure, capable people don't lose their skills — they lose access to them, as fear shuts down the brain's decision-making centre. That's according to leadership advisor and psychotherapist Errol Amerasakara, owner of Bluestone Edge, who has spent almost two decades working with executive teams and elite sporting organisations on trust and performance.  Errol unpacks his concept of "adaptive safety", explaining how teams stay honest, connected and capable of learning when stakes are high, and why psychological safety is too often confused with comfort. He shares the micro-behaviours that build or erode trust in thirty seconds, how leaders should read silence in a room, and why the best teams debrief weekly rather than waiting for the next offsite.  Takeaways   Fear physiologically shuts down the brain's skills and decision-making centre.  Teams unconsciously mirror each other's stress through nervous system contagion.  Psychological safety means willingness to speak up, not mere comfort.  Adaptive safety must be built continuously through small daily behaviours.  Micro-behaviours in any given moment build or erode team trust.  Debriefing weekly builds a team's muscle for honest self-reflection.  Leaders should stay curious about silence rather than rushing decisions.  Shorter gaps between insight and action signal stronger team safety.  Follow Errol Amerasekera https://errolamerasekera.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/errol-amerasekera-a254154/  Errol’s bookFrom Fear to Flow: The Adaptive Safety Revolution https://link.amazon/B0aNthDCI  Books recommended The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World by Ronald A. Heifetz https://link.amazon/B0gKTELR5  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    E113 | Building trust without sacrificing accountability with Errol Amerasekera

  2. 26 July

    E112 | Red Brick Thinking with Donna McGeorge

    The biggest productivity gains rarely come from adding more—they come from removing what no longer serves you. Productivity expert Donna McGeorge calls this “red brick thinking”: identifying what can be removed to create space for better decisions, clearer priorities and more meaningful work.  Donna is an international speaker and bestselling author of 15 books. Her practical approach to reclaiming time has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes and Fast Company.  Donna explains why “addition bias” keeps organisations overloaded, how reducing meetings and protecting thinking time improves performance, and why the greatest gift you can give your future self is removing the red bricks that no longer belong. She also shares why leaders should aim to operate at 85% capacity instead of 100%, how to build room for better thinking, and why creating space – not filling it – is becoming one of the most valuable leadership skills of all.  Takeaways   Stop adding solutions before asking what can be removed instead first.  The best productivity gains come from strategic subtraction, not constant addition.  Protect thinking time because busy leaders rarely make their best decisions.  Too many meetings often reveal low trust rather than genuine collaboration needs.  Operate at 85% capacity to create room for unexpected challenges daily.  Creating space is becoming one of today’s most valuable leadership advantages everywhere.  Your future self will thank you for removing unnecessary red bricks today.  Artificial intelligence saves time only if you intentionally protect that newfound space.  Follow Donna McGeorge https://donnamcgeorge.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnamcgeorge/  https://www.instagram.com/  Donna’s books https://donnamcgeorge.com/books/ Red Brick Thinking: Make Space. Find Focus. Move Forward The ChatGPT Revolution The 1 Day Refund: Take Back Time, Spend It Wisely The First 2 Hours: Make Better Use of Your Most Valuable Time The 25 Minute Meeting: Half the Time, Double the Impact  Books recommended It's Who You Know: How a Network of 12 Key People Can Fast-track Your Success https://link.amazon/B0exg5l0Z  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    E112 | Red Brick Thinking with Donna McGeorge

  3. 19 July

    E111 | AI is changing the Operating System of Work with Dave Hadju

    The central challenge of AI is not learning new tools. It’s learning to organise information, redesign workflows and lead change. Dave Hajdu argues that businesses focusing only on AI are solving the wrong problem.  Dave Hajdu is an entrepreneur, technology leader and founder whose career began at Microsoft before launching and scaling multiple technology businesses, including TinyPulse, the employee engagement platform acquired by WebMD. Today, as founder of Edge8 and the AI Officer Institute, he helps organisations prepare for the next generation of AI-powered work.  Dave explains why successful AI adoption is driven far more by information, processes and leadership than technology itself. He shares practical examples of compressing recruitment, marketing and business workflows, explains why prompting is becoming less important than business frameworks, and outlines how leaders can build organisations where humans and AI agents work together to create lasting competitive advantage.  Takeaways   AI rewards better thinking, not simply faster adoption of new technology today. Organised information creates greater competitive advantage than expensive AI tools alone today. Leaders must redesign workflows before expecting meaningful results from artificial intelligence initiatives. Successful AI implementation depends more on planning than rapid execution and experimentation. Future leaders will manage both talented people and intelligent AI agents together. Business frameworks produce stronger AI outcomes than clever prompting techniques ever will. Companies embracing AI thoughtfully will attract stronger talent and outperform slower competitors. The biggest opportunity is transforming processes, not chasing the latest AI applications.  Follow Dave Hadju https://www.davehajdu.com/ https://www.ai-officer.com/ https://edge8.ai/  Dave’s book https://www.davehajdu.com/books The Other 50% The Four Offices of the Future Books recommended The Innovator's Dilemma - Clayton Christensen https://amzn.to/4eowAqF Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/ Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review.  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    E111 | AI is changing the Operating System of Work with Dave Hadju

  4. 12 July

    E110 | Critical Thinking in the Age of AI with Beth Winn

    The biggest risk of AI isn’t that it will replace us. It’s that we’ll stop exercising the critical thinking, judgment and curiosity that make us human. Speaker and facilitator Bethan Winn helps leaders and teams strengthen critical thinking, communication and decision making through her work at Human Skills Co. She works across business, government and education, helping people think more clearly, question assumptions and make better decisions.  Bethan explains why convenience always comes with trade-offs, how leaders unintentionally train people not to think for themselves, and why judgment is now a core leadership skill. She also shares practical frameworks for making better decisions, developing stronger thinking habits, and using AI to challenge our thinking rather than replace it.  Takeaways  Critical thinking weakens when we outsource too much thinking to artificial intelligence. Leadership improves when questions replace answers and people develop independent judgment together. Convenience always carries trade-offs, especially when thinking becomes someone else’s responsibility entirely. Strong leaders coach decision-making instead of solving every problem for their teams. Better decisions require curiosity, humility, patience, and willingness to challenge personal assumptions regularly. Artificial intelligence works best when questioning our thinking instead of replacing it. Reading deeply and reflecting carefully strengthens mental muscles increasingly weakened by convenience daily. The future belongs to people combining human judgment with technology’s extraordinary capabilities wisely. Follow Bethan Winn https://www.bethanwinn.com.au/  Bethan’s book The Human Edge: Critical Thinking in the Age of AI by Bethan Winn https://amzn.to/43q8lDn  Books recommended Why You Can't Pay Attention by Johann Hari https://amzn.to/4fS33In  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    E110 | Critical Thinking in the Age of AI with Beth Winn

  5. 5 July

    E109 | World Class Service with Monique Richardson

    Customer service expert Monique Richardson argues that exceptional service starts long before a customer interaction. It begins with leadership, culture and how people inside the organisation are treated. Monique is an author, speaker and consultant, for more than two decades, she has helped organisations across Australia create customer experiences that build loyalty, trust and lasting relationships.  She explains why service is everyone’s responsibility, how leaders can create a culture that empowers employees, and why ease of experience is often the most overlooked driver of customer satisfaction. Monique also explores trust, service recovery, psychological safety, difficult customer behaviour and the powerful connection between employee experience and business performance.  Takeaways  Great customer service starts with leaders who genuinely care about people.  Employee experience directly shapes the quality of every customer interaction.  Customers remember how simple, easy and human experiences feel.  Trust begins when frontline teams are present, engaged and empowered.  Training creates confidence, consistency and better service across every generation.  Service failures become opportunities when businesses learn from them properly.  Empathy matters, but abusive customer behaviour must have clear boundaries.  Customer service is an attitude, not a separate business department.  Follow Monique Richardson https://www.moniquerichardson.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/monique-richardson-customerservicetraining/  Monique’s books World Class Service https://amzn.com/0645792721 They Serve Like We Lead https://amzn.com/0645792705 Managing Difficult Customer Behaviour https://amzn.com/B08HL8MJQS Books recommended Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl https://amzn.to/3PUJLqS  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)   Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    E109 | World Class Service with Monique Richardson

  6. 28 June

    E108 | Why Simple Wins with Lisa Bodell

    The biggest barrier to growth is often not a lack of talent, effort or ideas. It is the complexity that quietly accumulates inside organisations, consuming time, energy and attention. Lisa Bodell believes that when leaders focus on removing unnecessary work, rather than adding more, they create the space for better thinking, stronger performance and more meaningful results.  Lisa is a futurist, keynote speaker, and founder of FutureThink. Her work has helped organisations including Google, Pfizer, Citigroup and the U.S. Navy simplify how they operate.  Lisa explains why subtraction is a powerful leadership skill, how unnecessary rules and processes damage culture, and why simplicity creates a competitive advantage. She also explores the opportunities and risks of AI, the importance of protecting thinking time, and what leaders must do to build organisations where high performers thrive.  Takeaways   Simplicity creates focus, helping leaders prioritise what matters most daily.  Complexity grows when organisations continually add without ever subtracting.  The best leaders think like sculptors, removing unnecessary work deliberately.  Subtraction should be viewed as focus, not loss or failure.  AI creates value when it frees humans for better thinking.  Fear prevents people challenging outdated rules, processes and assumptions regularly.  High-performing cultures require accountability, clarity and meaningful work expectations.  Leaders should protect thinking time instead of executing calendars endlessly.  Follow Lisa Bodell https://lisabodell.com/ https://www.futurethink.com/  Lisa’s books Why Simple Wins: Escape the Complexity Trap and Get to Work That Matters https://amzn.to/4doNYuM Kill the Company: End the Status Quo, Start an Innovation Revolution https://amzn.to/498E9Ql  Books recommended The Social Animal: A Story of How Success Happens by David Brooks https://amzn.to/4vuVoEm Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    E108 | Why Simple Wins with Lisa Bodell

  7. 21 June

    E107 | To Be Honest with Dominic Thurbon

    Honesty is not a value to put on the wall. It is a behaviour, a skill and a choice leaders must practise every day. Dom Thurbon is an entrepreneur, researcher, writer and speaker who has spent nearly 20 years helping leaders and organisations change behaviour through disruption. He has built and sold two global businesses, worked as a partner at EY, co-founded Alchemy Labs and written several publications.  Dom explains why truth is so difficult inside organisations, how silence becomes a form of dishonesty, and why leaders must go first. He reveals how cultures gradually drift away from honest conversations, often without anyone intending it. The result is frustration, disengagement and problems that grow larger because nobody feels safe enough to speak up.  Dom says that honesty is not simply a value to aspire to but a skill that must be learned and practised. He challenges leaders to stop seeing themselves as passengers in culture and instead recognise their role in creating it, one conversation, one decision and one behaviour at a time.  Takeaways  Truth is not a value; it is a skill leaders practice.  Silence often causes more damage than outright dishonesty ever does.  People frequently choose acceptance and belonging over difficult honest conversations.  Every interaction teaches others what behaviour is acceptable and rewarded.  Small problems become major failures when truth is repeatedly ignored.  Leaders create honest cultures by demonstrating vulnerability and going first.  No news rarely means good news; it often signals fear.  Honest organisations are built through behaviours, not values statements alone.  Follow Dominic Thurbon https://domthurbon.com/  Dominic’s book To Be Honest: How making truth happen builds better businesses, lives and societies https://amzn.com/1923186434  Books recommended The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Pat Lencioni https://amzn.to/43Sruho Determined: Life Without Free Will by Robert Sapolsky https://amzn.to/440O87a  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    E107 | To Be Honest with Dominic Thurbon

  8. 14 June

    E106 | The Connect Effect with Kylie Paatsch

    Senior leaders do not get ownership from their leaders simply by setting expectations. According to leadership coach and author Kylie Paatsch, ownership grows when people feel known, trusted, supported and clear about what matters.  Kylie is a leadership coach and speaker who has spent more than 30 years leading at every level and more than 20 years coaching and facilitating senior leaders from mid-level through to C-suite.  Kylie explains why leading leaders requires a shift from doing to enabling, why transactional meetings flatten energy, and how unclear expectations are often mistaken for people problems. She shares her Know, Show, Grow model for building trust, loyalty, responsibility and initiative in leadership teams.  Takeaways  Leading leaders requires influence, not simply managing people and tasks.  Transactional meetings destroy connection, energy, ownership and meaningful team engagement.  Clear expectations prevent confusion disguised as resistance, disengagement or poor performance.  People want leaders who make them feel heard and understood.  Ownership grows when leaders enable thinking instead of fixing everything.  Trust strengthens when leaders consistently match their actions with words.  Leaders often know performance metrics better than they know people.  High challenge backed by high support unlocks stronger leadership performance.  Follow Kylie Paatsch https://kyliepaatsch.com.au/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyliepaatsch/  https://www.instagram.com/kyliepaatschleadership/  Kylie’s book The Connect Effect: How to Build Loyalty, Ownership and Engagement with Your Leaders https://amzn.com/1998528847  Books recommended Dare to Lead by Brene Brown https://amzn.com/1785042149  Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEvolutionPartners  Newsletter – each week I share interesting insights, articles and ideas you can use. Join other leaders and subscribe to The Evolution Partners newsletter  https://evolutionpartners.com.au/subscribe/  Books – Learn more about our books https://evolutionpartners.com.au/books/  Made to Thrive: The practical, prescriptive guide on how to be a great CEO Onboarded: How to bring new hires to the points where they are more effective faster. A business case for leaders on why you should commit to an effective onboarded process. Onboarded for Managers: Helping managers bring new hires to the point where they are more effective faster. Bigger isn’t Better, Better is Better: Avoiding the pressure of endless growth to build a better business (and better life)  Follow me: on https://au.linkedin.com/in/bradleygiles  on https://twitter.com/Evolution_Perth  Enjoying the show? Leave a review  Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/evolutionpartnersperth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    E106 | The Connect Effect with Kylie Paatsch
See All (114)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

A place for the world’s leading thinkers, planners and doers. The Evolution Partners is a weekly podcast hosted by Brad Giles. Join Brad as he engages in conversations with some of the world’s sharpest minds, learning a bit more about them and delving into what makes them tick.

Information

You Might Also Like