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During a recent Proteus leadership program, the group found themselves deep in discussion, dissecting what could only be described as… the classic 'nightmare employee' management scenario.
Recently, I had a great conversation with both the National Training Manager and COO of a large Australian retailer… about re-engaging for their L&D partnership with Proteus during 2025.
Recently I was facilitating one of our public ‘culture’ programs where I had a couple of participants arrive that were… ‘oh so very cool and aloof.’ Everyone else in the…
September already! Spring has arrived, the days are getting longer, warmer and summer is on its way - how very nice.
Some time ago at one of our Proteus programs I remember vividly where a Director of Nursing (half-joking), shared with the group: “If a nurse actually turns up for a…
I love the Olympics. The spectacle of the world’s finest athletes coming together every four years is such a treat. There’s the obvious pageantry and the traditions, but what I…
This may surprise some people but whenever I’m in need of some creative inspiration, my ‘go-to’ person is Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame.
At Proteus, we love arriving at least an hour early and being super-organised for all our events, training programs and workshops, regardless of whether they are Face-to-Face or Virtual.
At Proteus when a new person starts work with us, rather than give them a list of policies to read and sign for compliance, we prefer to go with the…
Understanding that I may appear somewhat bias, but at Proteus we have recently developed a brand new workshop called Creating A Whole New Mindset that we believe, is the game…
Last week I needed a creative way of rewriting a key section of my upcoming breakfast keynote on the Imposter Syndrome. Maybe there was a component missing, but regardless my…
Trying to lead without any followers is not leading. You may be somebody with great vision and positive intent, but without followers you will not be effective. In fact, you…
It's May already! Here we are, one third of the year has evaporated with two-thirds to go. Some things have been achieved, with much more still to be accomplished.
Back in 1999, not long after I joined Des Penny at Proteus, we created the first program in Australia (as far as we know) solely dedicated to helping organisations to…
I find Easter to be such a perfect space in the year to take time to breathe, rethink and recalibrate, without the intensity of Christmas or the pressure of finalising…
Growing up on a dairy farm in Nar Nar Goon, Gippsland Victoria, the expectation was to either pursue a trade, or continue the farming life. However, this path wasn’t for…
During the worst part of the pandemic in lockdown Melbourne, we were all so VERY CRANKY!! In fact, well beyond Melbourne there was a lot of outrage in the world…
When you stop and think about it, all great relationships are built on continual conversations. Conversations where we are fully present, actively listening and care deeply about having meaningful relationships,…
As I prepare for the upcoming ‘Face-2-Face’ breakfast series in June on Embracing the Imposter Syndrome it got me thinking… When I’m coaching various leaders, they often reveal to me…
Welcome to December, the month that typically feels like everyone is in a race to the finish line. Recalling my mini breakdown in 2019, I decided that ‘this end-of-year madness’…
It was the 1990’s. After volunteering to facilitate some internal workshops and receiving requests to run similar sessions elsewhere, I discovered to my delight, that ‘adult education’ was becoming a…
This piece is scheduled to be released whilst I’m flying to Perth to emcee our Proteus Breakfast Series, “Living and Leading with Insight” featuring Des Penny as the keynote speaker.…
Last weekend, I met a friend at the beach for an early Saturday morning swim. On the walk there and back without realising it, I greeted several people and also…
In 1888 a Swedish inventor named Alfred found himself reading his own obituary in a newspaper with the stark headline, ‘The Merchant of Death is Dead.’ Alfred was very wealthy,…
Right now, I feel like the world is going bonkers and things are a little unhinged! I’m not sure about you, but lately I have been confronted by the seemingly…
Looking back over the past 25 years, it's been remarkable working with leaders who have recognised the importance of prioritising their organisational cultures. They are committed to taking proactive steps…
Back in 1999 when I started at Proteus, I always remember a powerful piece of advice from the founder Des Penny: Respond. Don’t React!
As an educator there is nothing more exhilarating when witnessing fully engaged audience members having ‘lightbulb moments’ throughout your training sessions. On the flip side, few things are more disheartening…
Working on one’s attitude appears to be an old school concept. I am of the vintage where my parents would say things like "Watch Your Attitude" whenever I was misbehaving…
Growing up on a dairy farm in Nar Nar Goon with eight siblings, I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. How I envied my friends…
Welcome to the new 2023/2024 financial year. Often significant dates like this cause you to reflect on what has been, and the past 12 months has been like no other.
Well, this newsletter is one of our most important yet as there are changes a plenty at Proteus right now, and I would like to share some of those with…
Some time ago, I had to challenge myself on how I was thinking about certain things and certain people and came up with this simple Think, Speak, Act, Become, model…
Every now and then I make a conscious effort to stop and just reflect on how good life is, even if I don’t feel like it. Sure, it is full…
With the added pressure we now have of our workforces spread all over the place and interaction becoming increasingly more difficult, there has never been a more important time to…
Sometimes we make decisions far too quickly, or we make decisions that are not flexible and have an already established ‘single-focus’ answer.
Sometimes the pressures of life and business can become very heavy and you wonder why you bother. But then someone tells you that what you do has had such a…
Hi everyone, I hope you had a wonderful Easter and didn’t overindulge. I thought this week I would take the opportunity to highlight an amazing new 1-day conference that Richard…
I am so thrilled this week to finally launch my new Podcast – Let’s GO – Let’s GROW. Growth has always been an important part of my life and the…
I would again like to give a tribute to the amazing women in our businesses and our lives and our communities. We honour you for what you do and who…
Someone said to me recently while looking at how seemingly busy I am running a national and international company, “you don’t really have a life, do you?” My response was…
Someone said to me recently while looking at how seemingly busy I am running a national and international company, “you don’t really have a life, do you?” My response was…
Ever since I took on the responsibility and privilege of establishing and running a national Leadership company, I have been asked this question, over and over again - “what is…
As you will have noticed my theme for this year is Let’s GO – Let’s GROW and let’s bring some positivity and fun back into our lives and our workplaces.…
Last week I spoke about the need to grow and bring some life and excitement back into our business and our industry. I also said that Proteus would be revealing…
The past three years have really been about survival and maintaining the status Quo. It has been about adapting to new practices around us and… But now it is time…
Hi everyone, welcome back and also welcome to 2023. The general consensus is that all of us finished 2022 walking around like zombies, too tired to care, so hopefully you…
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have had to change the date of our Bali conference from May 2nd & 3rd to August 15th & 16th. This now allows more time…
Leading Culture, Conversations & Coaching Conference - 2nd & 3rd May 2023 In 2019 we launched Proteus Leadership Journeys where we got together with leaders from right across the Asia/Pacific…
After two and a half years of failed attempts to bring the Proteus team together, we finally were able to meet in Brisbane in September for our 2022 Proteus Staff…
I always thought that I was a fairly brave person, except when it came to snakes, spiders and MRI scans, but I have been challenged more than ever of late…
There are not many things that really frustrate me, but a lack of decision-making is one that does, because as we know, not making a decision is actually making one…
There are not many things that really frustrate me, but a lack of decision-making is one that does, because as we know, not making a decision is actually making one…
This week as I was reading through some of my previous articles and I came across a concept that I spent many years promoting and that was the responsibility of…
I was truly saddened to hear about the passing of Two Amazing Women this week – Judith Durham and Olivia Newton John. I grew up with their music and witnessed…
In fact, if we don’t, we lose contact with the real world. Yes, we must get our hands dirty and lead at the same time, but we must not cross…
Hi everyone, first of all, let me thank everyone who responded to last week’s EDM on – ‘is it unprofessional to scream,’ it obviously rang true with many people, especially…
Today I struggled with whether I write an article called ‘The world has gone to poo’, or I write a bouncy happy quote-worthy encouraging piece with the goal of lifting…
I just have to say, I love being in the field of Professional Development and one of the reasons is because of the people that I have had the chance…
Have you ever wondered what life ahead holds for you? Have you gone back and forward and started new things and then got bored and started something else and then…
Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I see how privileged I am to do what I do. To work with inspiring leaders and clients every day and then get…
If you can’t even communicate effectively with the people that you work with then please do not call yourself a leader. A leader is someone that people respect and want…
This week I commenced the project of renewing my passport so that I can at least look at travelling overseas again. OMG! If you haven’t done it yet, then be…
One of the downsides of isolation and working alone is that it has actually reduced our capacity and maybe even our desire to encourage each other both formally and informally.…
These past few weeks I have started to travel again for business, and I am not sure if I like it anymore! Prior to COVID it was a part of…
I would like to pay homage to all of the wonderful women in our lives both personally, and professionally, but especially our mothers this coming Sunday.
On behalf of the Proteus team, we would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter and hope that you can all take time to relax and enjoy it with family…
This week I will celebrate 29 years since I stepped out and launched Proteus Leadership (9th April 1993). What an amazing privilege it has been to plant and grow this…
I always thought that I was a fairly brave person, except when it came to snakes, spiders and MRI scans, but I have been challenged more than ever of late…
As we are all aware the past two years have been destructive and challenging, and yet for some, very exciting. Whatever camp you fit into, it has still been exhausting…
Everyone I speak to asks the same question – What’s going on?” COVID, Ukraine, Floods – it is like living in a very bad Sci-Fi movie hoping that it will…
I would like to give a tribute to the amazing women in our businesses and our lives and our communities. We honour you for what you do and who you…
I pinch myself sometimes when I realise just how privileged I am to be able to do what I love on a daily basis. I know I have spoken about…
As I travelled from Queensland to Victoria over the weekend, I was reminded of that old song – ‘On the Road again’. I know that shows my age, but it…
It has been really interesting speaking with people as they prepare to return to the workplace, and I have found that there are two types of people coming out of…
Decision making is such an important component to living a good and productive life and yet it is one of the areas that so many people find hard to master.…
Hi everyone, welcome to 2022. I hope you had a great time with family and friends and are well rested. After a very challenging year I think that most people…
I am sure that everyone of us has been challenged and tested and put through the wringer this year so, what did we learn? Did we learn to be more…
We often wonder what the long-term impact of the last two years will be on people and businesses, but there is no doubt about the short-term impact that we are…
Although we are a long way from being back to how things were, the sense of freedom that people are feeling as a result of lockdown ending cannot be hidden.…
With the very welcome news that Australia is slowly opening up again, some hope and enthusiasm has been generated that perhaps we can get back to focusing on some of…
With the very welcome news that Australia is slowly opening up again, some hope and enthusiasm has been generated that perhaps we can get back to focusing on some of…
When you have been through pain and feel like you just keep being knocked down, it becomes increasingly difficult to get back up again. But the key to success is…
It has become increasingly difficult during COVID to know what to do to keep ourselves positive and motivated. There have been so many opinions and motivational ideas suggested that my…
Yesterday we had our monthly team get together on Zoom, where we all came together to encourage each other, discuss the business and talk about future initiatives. It was particularly…
Just imagine right now that you had been asked the very simple but somewhat confronting question, “what is your story?” How would you respond? Would you be coy and dismiss…
I thought this week I would just share with you some of the quotes and sayings that motivate me to keep going and to be better, especially in the crazy…
So often at the beginning of the year or in a new situation, we set new resolutions and goals and with everything we have, we declare that this is the…
You know that when you were born, they broke the mold. Some would say that this a good thing, but seriously, you are one of a kind. You have skills,…
For years I have believed and taught, that unless we are prepared to be a part of the solution, then we forfeit our right to complain – and I still…
If you were to ask me what I believed was the one missing ingredient in many Leadership Tool Kits today; without hesitating I would tell you, it is insight.
Life is not a competition, or a quest to make others look less than ourselves, nor is it about who has the most knowledge, because knowledge is absolutely useless unless…
Firstly, I would like to thank all of those people who wrote to me last week about my article on, The Joy and Pain of Leadership. It seems that quite a few…
I don’t think that I would be alone in saying that this week got to me a bit. With the spread of COVID ramping up again, and three states that…
While I am writing this email, VIC & NSW are in lockdown and looking to extend, while other parts of the country have an array of restrictions. The stress on…
We all know what a great privilege it is to be in leadership but one of the real privileges is the opportunity that we get to coach and mentor both…
We often think that being a confident leader means that we have to be up all of the time and have absolutely no fear of anything – well that could…
One of the greatest gifts that we can give ourselves is the permission to laugh – Des Penny When we lose the laughter then we have lost everything laughter truly…
I am sure people think that I am crazy writing about Optimism while sitting in my home office in the middle of Lockdown #4 in Victoria. Yeah, it really sucks,…
I know I have spoken on this topic before but coming out of COVID-19 and understanding what we want to do personally and professionally, requires us to STOP and take…
Hi everyone, I am so privileged to this week announce that Proteus just turned 28 years old. Those years have been exciting, challenging, overwhelming and completely joyous, as we have…
Firstly, just let me say that I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and spent it with family, friends and significant others and much chocolate was consumed. With the…
The past twelve months has seen us pivot in many areas in our business, from administration, to program delivery, and marketing, all of which have had many benefits for both…
Hey, you told us that you love our weekly videos, but want them shorter, so, we have listened and as of today we will now bring to you a weekly…
Have you ever thought about your leadership role from the perspective of privilege? I am not talking about people who come from a position of privilege, but those people who…
Sorry everyone, no video this week, because I am in lockdown in Melbourne – again! I know it might sound like a contradiction right now, but how lucky are we…
Last week I spoke on Choosing your critics wisely. It was all about not allowing others to stop you from doing the things that you believe in. This week I…
I have spoken to so many leaders over the years with the same sad story. Every time they have a great idea or try to take a positive step in…
During 2020 when everything was getting a little too overwhelming and things were so uncertain, I developed a model to help me put things into perspective. You may already be…
Welcome to 2021. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends, and you are looking forward to a great 2021. You may be a bit surprised…
If you haven’t been shaken up in some way this year, then you must have cement in your shoes. We have all had to bunker down and shut shop, but…
Over the past week with low COVID-19 cases across Australia and the opening up of businesses and other restrictions, there is all of a sudden, a real sense of HOPE…
What a sense of relief we all felt in Victoria this week as the COVID-19 Stage 4 restrictions, started to ease. For months now Melbourne has been a ghost town…
After what could only be described as an ‘interesting’ 2020 so far, signs that we are at least controlling COVID and getting back to ‘some’ type of normality are beginning…
Lately, life has been very much like the movie ground-hog day, to the extent that sometimes I don’t even know what day it is, as weekdays roll into weekends, but…
Right through this Pandemic we have all had so many things to juggle while not really knowing what the future might hold. Many people went into it with grand plans…
I am thrilled this week to able to launch today our Virtual and interactive version of the Proteuslife magazine. I have been producing this magazine now for around 10 years…
Being a resident of the Melbourne CBD and running a business, meant that Sunday’s Roadmap came as a terrible slap in the face to not only our social and business…
Last week I spoke about Hunting for Good and in fact we have actually declared this week – Hunting for Good week in our organization. I hope that you all…
After two weeks in stage 4 lockdown in Melbourne and at least another four weeks to go, things are starting to take their toll on many people. The curfews and…
One of the most important things right now at Proteus is that we are there to support each other physically and mentally, and so we continue to look for, and…
One of the most important things right now at Proteus is that we are there to support each other physically and mentally, and so we continue to look for, and…
Last week I had a bit of a purge to let some feelings out and I feel better for it. Thank you for the feedback that came through relating to…
I am a great believer in being positive and having and promoting HOPE, it is the only way that we get through life and move forward. But sometimes we need…
It is no longer just about being better, because that is short-lived, it is about being different but that is where the challenges start. In a time when many people…
Tomorrow is July 1st, 2020 - where did those first 6 months go? So much has happened, and our worlds have been so turned upside down, that at times those…
One of the major ‘take a ways’ and key observations for me from the past 4 months, is that leaders will definitely need to be very different when they return…
Proteus is proud to announce that in order to help individuals and businesses to get back on track, we have reduced the cost of all of our programs and services…
I am getting a little tired of hearing about the new norm as if it is something that has already been established and we will just step into it and…
Over the past three months all of us have had to adjust to a new way of living and working. We have locked down, we have not gone to restaurants…
I am thrilled to be able to launch our ‘new look’ Voucher-based Gift Shop, where individuals and businesses can reward themselves and others with the gift of Professional Development and…
Although things are tough, I can’t help but notice and be impressed with some of the innovation and resilience that has been displayed by a range of people during this…
Hibernate and then Reactivate Like everyone Proteus has been hit hard and fast by this terrible Virus. We are in the training and events industry and to be honest, we…
You would have to be living under a rock not to have both heard, and be alarmed by, the current Coronavirus outbreak that is impacting individuals, families and businesses across…
One of the great things about the human psyche is that we inherently look for answers to the things that the universe throws at us – both good and bad.…
Like most people reading this post, I want 2020 to be a really special year. A year where I make a positive difference in the lives of others and also…
After a very tough year in 2019 where many people struggled with revenue downturns and others struggled to even get through, there seems to be a small turn around happening…
There are so many people in the marketplace claiming that they can help you to be a better public speaker, and in many cases, if you follow their processes then…
On the weekend I had the privilege of travelling interstate with a group of 20 people to support the Melbourne United basketball team, of which I am a member. Following…
In 2019 I had the great privilege of facilitating, along with Richard Dore, at the Leading Innovation and Strategy Conference in Bali and it was sensational. Delegates from Australia, Indonesia…
Like most people reading this post, I want 2020 to be a really special year. A year where I make a positive difference in the lives of others and also…
I would like to welcome all of our wonderful clients back. I trust that you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. It is however, with a very heavy heart…
Sorry to keep going on about it but it is what I do and what I stand for and so I must keep the message out there – Our organisations…
Hi there everyone Des Penny from Proteus here. And I'm thrilled to be able to announce that our Leading Innovation And Strategy Conference is happening again in Bali in 2020.…
We all know what a great privilege it is to be in leadership but one of the real privileges is the opportunity that we get to coach and mentor both…
