Vistage Live - Australia and New Zealand - Business and Leadership Insights

Stephanie Christopher, MD of Vistage Australia and New Zealand
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  • Entrepreneurship
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Join Stephanie Christopher, MD, Vistage Australia and New Zealand as she sits down with business leaders and inspiring guests covering wide-ranging conversations about all things leadership, exploring the questions that are top of mind for small to mid-sized businesses: strategic planning, exit strategies, family business, talent, scaling up, AI, transformation, economic updates and more. Success thrives on different perspectives. If you are passionate about growth, improving your decision-making or just interested in what is going on in the world of the midsized or small business then this podcast is for you. Take the first step towards results – listen now.

  1. 15 Oct ·  Bonus

    Your Personal Leadership Committee | Meet Angela Hands

    Who do you turn to when you need a fresh perspective on a big decision? In this bonus conversation from Vistage LIVE, Angela Hands shares why she became a Vistage Chair and her vision for a peer advisory group that challenges, champions and learns from one another. Angela is bringing together curious CEOs and founders leading businesses with annual turnover of $5 million or more, across diverse industries. They may be new to the CEO role or leading their business through a growth phase. Hear how she will help members navigate growth, change and uncertainty with their own “personal leadership committee” alongside them.

    Your Personal Leadership Committee | Meet Angela Hands

  2. 14 Oct

    Is Your Leadership Keeping Pace with Your Business? | Angela Hands

    As your business grows, the way you lead needs to evolve too. How do you get clear on what needs to change and bring your people with you? In this episode of Vistage LIVE, Stephanie Christopher speaks with Angela Hands, founder of ExecuStrive, former CEO, board director and Vistage Chair, about leading through growth and uncertainty. Drawing on her own executive experience, Angela explores an often-overlooked part of preparing for growth: the leadership system, how leaders work together, make decisions and translate strategy into action. They discuss the importance of clear direction, trust and healthy challenge, alongside the personal work of adapting your leadership and finding more enjoyment in the role. Key takeaways Start with strategic clarity. Get clear on where the business is going before deciding how leadership needs to evolve. Prepare your leadership system for growth. Shared priorities, consistent communication and trust help teams move forward together. Make room for healthy conflict. Challenge ideas openly within the leadership team so disagreement strengthens decisions. Adapt without losing your strengths. Recognise what needs to be unlearned and which strengths can serve you in a new context. Create space for perspective and enjoyment. Seek people who challenge your thinking, and pause to recognise what you and your team have achieved.

    Is Your Leadership Keeping Pace with Your Business? | Angela Hands

  3. 22 Jun

    The Missing Link in Most Sales Organisations

    Most businesses don't have a sales problem. They have a sales system problem. In this episode of Vistage LIVE, Stephanie Christopher sits down with Paul O'Donohue, Founder and CEO of SalesStar, to explore why so many organisations struggle with inconsistent sales performance and what separates high-performing sales teams from the rest. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience helping businesses build predictable, repeatable revenue growth, Paul explains why sales success is less about personality and more about process. From hiring and developing sales talent to building effective sales systems and coaching sales leaders, he shares practical insights CEOs can apply immediately. Key topics include: • Why sales is a process, not a personality trait • The four characteristics shared by top-performing salespeople • How to build a sales system that creates predictable results • Why sales managers often become the bottleneck to growth • The dangers of bloated pipelines and poor forecasting • How CEOs can reduce reliance on individual sales "heroes" If you're looking to create a more reliable path to revenue growth, this conversation offers a practical framework for building a high-performing sales organisation.

    The Missing Link in Most Sales Organisations

  4. 8 Apr

    Complexity vs Consequence: Leading a Small Business in an AI World

    In this episode of Vistage LIVE, Stephanie Christopher speaks with John Gutteridge about the intersection of global strategy, small business leadership and the accelerating impact of AI. Drawing on his experience leading global organisations and scaling smaller ventures, John highlights a key distinction. While large organisations deal with complexity, small businesses deal with consequence, where every decision carries weight. As AI reshapes how businesses operate, John outlines a growing divide between AI-native businesses and traditional operators. Those who adopt early and strategically will move faster and gain advantage, while others risk falling behind. However, technology alone is not the differentiator. Strategy remains critical. AI can accelerate output, but without clear thinking behind it, it risks amplifying ineffective activity. The conversation also reinforces the value of perspective. For many business owners and CEOs of small businesses, leadership can be isolating. Through peer advisory, leaders gain access to broader thinking, helping them make better, more confident decisions.

    Complexity vs Consequence: Leading a Small Business in an AI World

  5. 16/12/2025

    From Player to Coach: The Leadership Shift That Matters

    In this episode of Vistage LIVE, Stephanie explores leadership, resilience, and high performance with Brad Thomas, technology executive, board leader, and three-time Paralympian. Brad shares his journey from elite Paralympic sport to leading global technology businesses, drawing powerful parallels between athletic performance and business leadership. From competing on the world stage to transforming an ASX-listed company into a high-performing SaaS business. Brad unpacks the disciplines that underpin sustained success: clarity of vision, disciplined execution, accountability, and continuous feedback. The conversation also dives into Brad’s leadership philosophy; why great leaders resist being the smartest person in the room, how coaching unlocks performance and why high-performing teams thrive on trust, openness, and constructive challenge. Brad also reflects on his transition from CEO to Vistage Chair, and what growth-focused CEOs can expect from a peer advisory environment. Key Highlights Lessons from Paralympic sport on resilience, mindset, and performing under pressure Why clarity of vision is the foundation of execution — in sport and business Turning feedback into a competitive advantage without taking it personally The shift from “leader as decision-maker” to “leader as coach” Why high-performing teams need trust, challenge, and accountability Brad’s passion for growth, innovation, and taking Australian businesses to global markets

    From Player to Coach: The Leadership Shift That Matters

  6. 26/11/2025

    Future-Ready Leadership with Ben Hamer, Futurist

    In this episode of Vistage LIVE, futurist Dr Ben Hamer—recently named the #1 thought leader on the Future of Work in the Asia-Pacific—joins Stephanie Christopher for a powerful conversation on what leaders must pay attention to now to stay future-ready. Ben explores curiosity as the defining capability of high-performing leaders and organisations, explaining why it outperforms any single technical skill in a world marked by volatility and rapid transformation. He breaks down what futurists actually do, how leaders can scan for meaningful signals of change, and why the goal is not prediction—it's preparation. From the rise of AI agents to demographic transformation, declining workforce participation, and the realities of an ageing and increasingly multicultural population, Ben offers a clear, pragmatic lens on the mega-trends shaping the next decade. He also challenges the efficiency mindset that discourages exploration, and argues that leaders must build foresight into their everyday decision-making. This episode will reshape how you think about workforce strategy, leadership, and long-term planning—and why the future now demands big, bold, transformative thinking rather than incremental tweaks. Key Insights: Curiosity is the #1 future-ready capability—across people, strategy, discovery and leadership. Signals precede trends — leaders should pay attention to the “huh” moments. Backcasting beats forecasting when working 10 years into the future. Mega-trends beyond AI: demographic shifts, cultural diversity, ageing populations, skill shortages. AI will be essential, not a threat — we’ll need it to fill workforce gaps. Productivity is a flawed measure in a knowledge economy. Generations are a frame, not a solution — it’s about understanding individuals. The future of work requires redesigning jobs, not tweaking the old model.

    Future-Ready Leadership with Ben Hamer, Futurist

  7. 28/10/2025

    Removing the Brain Blinkers: How to Shift Beliefs and Unlock High Performance

    In this energising episode of Vistage LIVE, Stephanie Christopher sits down with keynote speaker, coach and creator of Brain Blinkers, Anthony Bonnici, to explore how our own thinking often limits our potential. Drawing on more than 20 years of global speaking and leadership coaching, Anthony reveals the three key mental barriers that hold people back and how leaders can identify and remove them. From tackling limiting beliefs to breaking patterns of self-sabotage, Anthony introduces his practical COFFEE model — six ways we unconsciously undermine our success: Catastrophising, Overgeneralising, Filtering, Forecasting failure, Emotionalising, and being at the Effect of problems instead of the cause. Anthony and Stephanie discuss how reframing even one limiting belief can shift behaviour, why recognising the right problem is crucial before solving it, and how small daily mindset changes can transform performance. Whether you lead a sales team or a company, this conversation will help you challenge unhelpful thinking, take ownership, and get “above the line” — focusing on solutions that move you and your team forward. Key takeaways: Identify your own “brain blinkers” — the beliefs and habits that narrow your thinking. Replace self-defeating thoughts with small, realistic reframes. Use the COFFEE model to spot common self-sabotage patterns. Stop reacting to problems — diagnose the real issue, then act. Lasting change requires consistency, self-awareness, and action over time.

    Removing the Brain Blinkers: How to Shift Beliefs and Unlock High Performance

  8. 15/09/2025

    Progress, Not Perfection: Navigating Family Business Dynamics with John Broons

    In this episode of Vistage LIVE, host Stephanie Christopher sits down with John Broons—family business expert, author of Creating a Thriving Family Business: Progress, Not Perfection, and long-time Vistage Chair. John shares four decades of experience advising family enterprises across Australia and globally, unpacking the unique challenges of intergenerational wealth transfer, governance, and communication. From the baby boomer transition to the subtle influence of partners at the dinner table, John reveals how family businesses can thrive when values, transparency, and external advice come together. Listeners will gain practical insights into: Why planning and open conversations matter more than waiting until it’s too late. How family dynamics, not just business fundamentals, often dictate success or failure. The critical distinction between a business advisor serving an individual versus a family advisor supporting the whole family. Why progress—not perfection—is the mindset that sustains families in business over generations. Whether you’re running a small start-up with family shareholders or managing a complex, multi-generational enterprise, John’s stories and strategies provide clarity, encouragement, and actionable guidance.

    Progress, Not Perfection: Navigating Family Business Dynamics with John Broons
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About

Join Stephanie Christopher, MD, Vistage Australia and New Zealand as she sits down with business leaders and inspiring guests covering wide-ranging conversations about all things leadership, exploring the questions that are top of mind for small to mid-sized businesses: strategic planning, exit strategies, family business, talent, scaling up, AI, transformation, economic updates and more. Success thrives on different perspectives. If you are passionate about growth, improving your decision-making or just interested in what is going on in the world of the midsized or small business then this podcast is for you. Take the first step towards results – listen now.

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