Manage Self, Lead Others: Emotional Intelligence and Leadership for Managers

Nina Sunday
  • 5.0 (3)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Manage Self, Lead Others is the leadership podcast for people who want to lead with impact — not ego. Smart, grounded, and always relevant, this is your space to reflect, reframe, and rise. Hosted by Nina Sunday CSP and Hall of Fame speaker, each episode features real conversations with leadership thinkers, industry leaders and workplace experts who share practical ideas and bold insights to help you lead with emotional intelligence, clarity and purpose. Are you committed to growing yourself to better lead others? Tune in. You'll walk away with strategies you can apply immediately — whether you're a new manager, team leader, or seasoned professional. Subscribe and join the movement to lead with more humanity.  

  1. 8H AGO

    Bold, Brave and a Bit Quirky — Paul Fairweather

    Paul Fairweather CSP was once described as equal parts zen and espresso. Award-winning architect, CEO, co-founder of TEDxBrisbane, co-hostof The Common Creative podcast, finalist in Australia’s prestigious portrait Archibald Prize, designer, inventor, illustrator ... Paul Fairweather is a Certified Speaking Professional delivering conference keynotes and author of Bold, Brave and a bit Quirky. Paul’s mission is to give people courage to create and confidence to connect, often with a splash of watercolour and a twist of lemon. Paul helped our group drop our fear of drawing and paint a lemon watercolor, now framed in my kitchen. Paul Fairweather lives in Brisbane, Australia, the home of the 2032 Olympics. SOUNDBITES [0:02] How Vincent van Gogh became famous posthumously through letters, sketches, and story. [1:42] Turning a personal creative skill into a leadership and speaking signature. [2:19] A memoir-meets-manifesto style that makes creativity practical and accessible. [2:55] The “overflow” zone where challenge exceeds ability and creativity kicks in. [4:22] Beating procrastination by starting and suspending judgment. [6:24] Starting one idea often triggers many more. [6:54] How brain networks switch modes to generate ideas. [9:47] Using doodles and handwritten notes to boost attention and insight at work. [10:28] Leading for creativity by setting boundaries without over-prescribing. [11:44] Finding the second right answer through multiple options. [13:00] Inspiration, action, and connection as a balance of creative opposites. [14:32] Reframing procrastination as the gap where ideas evolve. [15:16] Building improvement thinking without idea-ownership friction. [15:59] Defining the script: fully scripted, ad lib, or improv. [17:36] Ad lib versus improv as degrees of structure. [17:50] Leading through uncertainty long enough to reach better solutions. [20:13] Communicating beyond words with visuals and images. [20:44] Metaphors plus story, message, and visuals for complete communication. [22:25] Bringing creative courage and fresh thinking into everyday work. CONTACT PAUL FAIRWEATHER https://www.paulfairweather.com/ Buy the book: https://www.paulfairweather.com/store-1 CONTACT PODCAST HOST, NINA SUNDAY Nina Sunday’s latest book, ‘’Manage Self, Lead Others: Constructive Conversations, True Self-Leadership, and Culture You Can’t Fake’’ now on Amazon - paperback or kindle. Amazon USA ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/3WaplI9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Amazon Australia ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.asia/d/0KwghaM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can read any Kindle eBook on your PC, laptop or phone; you don’t need a Kindle device.  === To learn more about face-to-face training programs with Nina Sunday or one of her experienced Facilitators from Brainpower Training Pty Ltd in Australia Pacific, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au/signature-programs⁠ ⁠ === Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    25 min

  2. FEB 3

    180 Creative Velocity — Leslie Grandy

    Leslie Grandy, author of ''Creative Velocity'', helps leaders unlock creativity when the clock is ticking, the budget is tight, and half the team says they are “not creative.” In this episode, you’ll hear how to build creative velocity with AI as a thinking partner, and how to stop innovation getting trapped in silos, expert bias, and status-quo habits. If your organisation wants fresh ideas that actually land with customers and employees, this conversation will give you practical frameworks you can use immediately.   ⁠Experience our episodes in a whole new way. Watch every video version on our YouTube⁠ channel. Subscribe now to be first to catch our next release. https://www.youtube.com/@manageselfleadotherspodcast?sub_confirmation=1   SOUNDBITES [2:14] What to do when team members say “I’m not creative” . . . and how leaders canwiden the team’s impact range. [2:44] Why creative leadership stalls in risk-averse cultures, and how silos block innovation from operations, finance, and legal. [3:50] Why embedding innovation across the whole organisation matters more in an AI-driven world . . . not just within product or marketing. [4:07] How to treat AI as a “team member” for pattern recognition, cross-industry insights, and resilient planning. [5:05] Defining “creative velocity” as fast idea generation plus human judgement to ensure meaning, value, and purpose. [6:02] How to apply critical thinking to ideas ... avoiding high-effort, low-impact pet projects and prioritising what matters. [6:47] Why resonance is the real test of innovation . . . and why AI struggles to judge lived experience and emotional relevance. [7:23] Using AI to find blind spots: unintended consequences, ripple effects, and contingency planning for emergent behaviors. [8:32] Rebuilding creative confidence (creative self-efficacy) and why creativity is a practiced skill. [9:36] How “figuring things out” becomes creativity in action . . . using imagination language to unlock inventive thinking. [11:21] A practical framework: the MacGyver mindset and the “generic parts technique” for improvisation under constraints. [12:54] Embracing constraints to spark innovation: alternative uses, resource reapplication, leverage, and not rebuilding what already exists. [14:36] Why “time, money, resources” is everyone’s constraint . . . and how to see these constraints as fuel, not a dead end. [15:40] Expert bias as a corporate Achilles heel: how long tenure can squash new voices during transformation. [17:47] Narrow thinking and cognitive fixedness: getting stuck in status quo functionality when the market needs reinvention. [18:28] The risk of becoming a reactor instead of a market leader . . . and why small turns are too slow when rules have changed. [19:41] How to work with Leslie Grandy: keynotes, corporate workshops, and an online course focused on creative frameworks and AI. [21:24] Maven course options: a free class on premortems and the Stoic “premeditation of evil” process to reduce risk, plus a paid course on breakthrough ideas with creative frameworks and AI.   LESLIE GRANDY https://maven.com/ https://www.lesliegrandy.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-grandy/   ABOUT PODCAST HOST, NINA SUNDAY Nina Sunday’s latest book, ‘’Manage Self, Lead Others: Constructive Conversations, True Self-Leadership, and Culture You Can’t Fake’’ now on Amazon - paperback or kindle. Amazon USA ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/3WaplI9⁠⁠⁠⁠ Amazon Australia ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.asia/d/0KwghaM⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can read any Kindle eBook on your PC, laptop or phone; you don’t need a Kindle device.  === To learn more about face-to-face training programs with Nina Sunday or one of her experienced Facilitators from Brainpower Training Pty Ltd in Australia Pacific, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au/signature-programs⁠ === Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    24 min

  3. JAN 27

    REPUBLISHED 153 HR: From Hire to Fire — Natasha Hawker

    Natasha Hawker is co-founder of Employee Matters, your in-house HR and recruitment experts coming in and out of your business as and when you need them.   A finalist in the Australian 2023 Telstra Best of Business Awards, Natasha Hawker is author of From Hire to Fire, Managing the Employee Life Cycle, Higher, Manage, Wellbeing and Exit.   Soundbites [2:50] Difficult conversations in management and key questions managers should ask themselves.   [3:10] Importance of normalizing feedback in everyday business to prevent difficult conversations from escalating.   [3:43] The importance of having regular one-on-ones with employees to facilitate open communication.   [3:57] Approach to daily huddles and how they improve accountability, communication, and listening skills, especially in remote teams.   [5:55] Why managers avoid difficult conversations, highlighting the lack of formal training for managers on handling performance discussions.   [6:12] Three key areas managers need to improve: hiring better, managing better, and exiting better. Structured feedback can prevent performance issues from escalating.   [7:19] Personal experiences of avoiding feedback, explaining how unaddressed small issues can snowball over time.   [8:08] Shift in business. Introducing private one-on-ones to create a space for open conversations before issues arise.   [8:40] Vulnerability in leadership, encouraging managers to seek feedback from their teams.   [9:50] Challenge of employees reacting emotionally to feedback, with de-escalation techniques from Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss.   [11:29] Advice on acknowledging emotions during difficult conversations and using pauses to allow employees to express their feelings.   [12:19] Role of social sensitivity in effective teams. Reading nonverbal cues and responding appropriately.   [12:46] Recommendation to prepare employees for tough feedback conversations by framing them as growth opportunities.   [13:48] Suggestion for a direct approach to sharing feedback, allowing employees to correct assumptions and engage in open dialogue.   [14:10] Introduction to the topic of exit interviews, explaining their value in identifying trends, retention risks, and leadership challenges.   [15:09] Concept of stay interviews—proactively engaging employees to understand what would keep them in the company.   [16:17] Exploration of the benefits of an alumni program and how staying connected with former employees can lead to new business opportunities.   [17:09] Shift in discussion to onboarding, explaining how poor onboarding increases turnover, emphasizing the need for structured induction programs.   [20:38] Identification of a critical gap—many businesses underutilize their management teams, missing opportunities to increase productivity and profitability.   [21:30] Information on how Employee Matters helps small to medium businesses with HR and recruitment, emphasizing that strong HR practices provide a competitive advantage. CONTACT NATASHA HAWKER Contact Employee Matters at employeematters.com.au to learn more about their HR and recruitment services.   https://www.natashahawker.com/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natashahawker/   ABOUT PODCAST HOST, NINA SUNDAY CSP   "Download from Nina Sunday's book a free chapter titled, Lead From The Front, an insightful deep dive into effective leadership.   1.    Why “People Don't Quit Companies; They Quit Managers.” 2.    The 8 Good Behaviors of a Manager. 3.    Lead From the Front to Motivate Your Team. Grab your free PDF here https://www.ninasunday.com/workplace-wisdom-lead-from-the-front === Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    23 min

  4. JAN 20

    179 AI Is No Longer Optional — Jim Gitney

    Jim Gitney issues a clear warning to every consultant, advisor, and professional service firm: if AI is not a foundational part of your offering, relevance will erode faster than you think.   In this episode, we explore why AI is no longer just a tool but a thinking partner, how human judgment becomes more valuable not less, and what leaders must do now to stay indispensable in 2026 and beyond.   Experience our episodes in a whole new way—watch every video version on our YouTube channel. Subscribe now to be the first to catch our next release. https://www.youtube.com/@manageselfleadotherspodcast?sub_confirmation=1   Soundbites [0:02] Why professional service providers without an AI-integrated strategy will struggle from 2026 onwards. [1:35] If AI supplies strategy, how humans stay indispensable through judgment, context, and decision-making. [2:17] Treating AI as a co-worker and thinking partner through a hybrid human-AI model. [2:31] How AI accelerates discovery, data analysis, and solution development across professional services. [3:07] Real examples of AI generating strategies instantly, from investments to book marketing plans. [3:51] Creating AI-powered boards of advisors by synthesising insights from admired business thinkers. [5:27] The skill of refining AI outputs through better questions as the heart of the hybrid model. [6:33] How professional service firms will need fewer analysts but stronger AI capability. [7:31] The growing impact of AI in legal research, contract analysis, and evidence gathering. [7:58] Why human skills like motivation, listening, and managing fear matter more as AI adoption increases. [9:02] Implementation and change management as the new differentiator for professional service firms. [10:41] Why firms focused only on analysis and research face greater risk of irrelevance. [11:16] The emerging role of the Chief AI Officer and responsibility for enterprise-wide AI strategy. [12:03] Rolling out AI through pilots, change management, and capability building across organisations. [13:23] Cobotics explained as the intersection of people, process, and technology. [14:51] Why organisations will move away from siloed structures to horizontal, process-led models. [16:52] How AI and technology backbones will reshape leadership roles and organisational design. [17:02] The warning for professional services firms whose strategic plans do not embed AI as foundational. [18:44] AI adoption in medicine and healthcare as proof that no profession is immune. [19:17] Why neither ignoring AI nor relying solely on it works without human judgment. [19:56] Using AI to transform an existing framework into an operational system through precise prompting. [21:50] Where to explore further work, resources, and future releases related to AI and professional services.   JIM GITNEY https://www.group50.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgitney/ https://strategyrealized.com/   ABOUT PODCAST HOST, NINA SUNDAY Nina Sunday’s latest book, ‘’Manage Self, Lead Others: Constructive Conversations, True Self-Leadership, and Culture You Can’t Fake’’ now on Amazon - paperback or kindle. Amazon USA ⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/3WaplI9⁠⁠⁠ Amazon Australia ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.asia/d/0KwghaM⁠⁠⁠ You can read any Kindle eBook on your PC, laptop or phone; you don’t need a Kindle device.  === To learn more about face-to-face training programs with Nina Sunday or one of her experienced Facilitators from Brainpower Training Pty Ltd in Australia Pacific, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au... === To visit Nina Sunday's speaker site for global in-person speaking bookings visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ninasunday.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ === Connect with Nina Sunday on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninasunday/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ === To subscribe to Nina Sunday's blog go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and scroll to bottom of the page to register Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    25 min

  5. JAN 13

    178 Candor Takes Courage — John Baldoni

    John Baldoni brings calm, clarity, and uncommon wisdom to leadership in a world defined by volatility. In this conversation, you will hear why innovation stalls when fear is left unchecked, how leaders create real psychological safety, and what grace under pressure actually looks like when decisions matter most. Experience our episodes in a whole new way—watch every video version on our YouTube Channel. Subscribe now to be the first to catch our next release. https://www.youtube.com/@manageselfleadotherspodcast?sub_confirmation=1  Sound Bites [2:16] How leaders embed innovation into culture and why innovation starts with removing fear, not adding tools. [3:04] What leaders must stop doing before asking for change. [4:05] Fear of judgment, silence in meetings, and how unsafe cultures shut down innovation. [5:01] Innovation as applied creativity. Small process changes that unlock productivity and fresh thinking. [8:27] Grace under pressure. How leaders maintain composure and connection during volatility and crisis. [8:53] The leadership pillars of connection, candor, commitment, courage, and community. [10:11] Why culture must be shared and lived, not worshipped, to truly scale leadership. [11:32] Grace as forgiveness. Letting go of mistakes in yourself and others to move forward. [11:56] Candor versus artificial harmony. Why truth telling strengthens teams. [13:52] Conversational equality. Drawing out quiet voices and balancing dominant speakers. [15:23] Language of influence. Disagreeing without blame through curiosity and respectful challenge. [17:23] Gemba leadership. Going to where the work happens to gain real insight. [17:59] Leading in volatility. The reflection practice of asking what is happening and what is not happening. [18:49] Using real time reflection as a team exercise to influence action. [20:04] Reading the white space. Why noticing what is not said builds strategic awareness. [20:30] Political savvy and influence. Understanding where real power and momentum live in organizations. JOHN BALDONI https://www.johnbaldoni.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbaldoni/   ABOUT PODCAST HOST, NINA SUNDAY Nina Sunday’s latest book, ‘’Manage Self, Lead Others: Constructive Conversations, True Self-Leadership, and Culture You Can’t Fake’’ now on Amazon - paperback or kindle. Amazon USA ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/3WaplI9⁠⁠⁠⁠ Amazon Australia ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.asia/d/0KwghaM⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can read any Kindle eBook on your PC, laptop or phone; you don’t need a Kindle device.  === To learn more about face-to-face training programs with Nina Sunday or one of her experienced Facilitators from Brainpower Training Pty Ltd in Australia Pacific, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au...⁠ === To visit Nina Sunday's speaker site for global in-person speaking bookings visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ninasunday.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ === Connect with Nina Sunday on LinkedIn ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninasunday/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠=== To subscribe to Nina Sunday's blog go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au/⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and scroll to bottom of the page to register. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    24 min

  6. JAN 6

    REPUBLISHED Ep 147 Performance Conversations-Bruce Sullivan

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    22 min

  7. 12/30/2025

    177 More Sales, Less Marketing — Frances Pratt

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    24 min

  8. 12/23/2025

    REPUBLISHED 124 - Unmasking Leadership --Dan Silberberg

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    27 min
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5
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About

Manage Self, Lead Others is the leadership podcast for people who want to lead with impact — not ego. Smart, grounded, and always relevant, this is your space to reflect, reframe, and rise. Hosted by Nina Sunday CSP and Hall of Fame speaker, each episode features real conversations with leadership thinkers, industry leaders and workplace experts who share practical ideas and bold insights to help you lead with emotional intelligence, clarity and purpose. Are you committed to growing yourself to better lead others? Tune in. You'll walk away with strategies you can apply immediately — whether you're a new manager, team leader, or seasoned professional. Subscribe and join the movement to lead with more humanity.  

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