Let's Go - Let's Grow with Des Penny

In this powerful and passionate episode, Des Penny gets fired up — and for good reason.Tired of the relentless negativity swirling around leadership on social media, Des calls out the rising trend of "leadership bashing" and the damaging culture of blame that's taking hold in many workplaces. Drawing from over 45 years of hands-on experience in leadership development, he offers a bold and unapologetic defence of leaders who are showing up every day, doing their best, often with little recognition or support.This is not a sugar-coated pep talk. It's a raw, real, and necessary conversation about responsibility — both for those leading and those being led. Des challenges listeners to shift their focus, speak up for the good, and stop letting the loudest critics dictate the narrative.Whether you're in a leadership role or part of a team, this episode will make you reflect, reassess, and hopefully, recommit to building healthier workplace cultures where respect, accountability, and hope take centre stage.This one's for the leaders who care, and the teams who need them.

In this episode of the "Let's Go - Let's Grow" podcast, Des Penny shares a deeply personal journey of self-reflection and renewal. At 70 years old, he admits to having spent too much time listening to others' opinions and not honouring his own beliefs, leading him to tell himself negative stories that undermined his purpose. These false narratives resulted in self-doubt, physical illness, and mental exhaustion.   Des describes how he mistakenly believed that his professional life was over and that he should retreat to make way for the younger generation—a lie he now recognises. Despite his significant achievements, including starting successful businesses, winning national awards, authoring books, and being a devoted father and grandfather, he felt compelled to step back due to societal expectations.   A turning point came when he broke down during a public speaking event, realising that his inner spirit was in conflict with the false stories he had been telling himself. Inspired by reading "Atomic Habits" by James Clear, Des took responsibility for his actions and acknowledged that he had given away his identity. A week of solitude and reflection in Bali helped him reconnect with his purpose.   Des emphasises that helping others has no expiration date and challenges listeners to question whether they are accepting untruths or striving to make things better. He encourages everyone to affirm, "I am enough," and to recognise their value in the ongoing "jigsaw of life." His message is a call to embrace one's true self and continue contributing meaningfully, regardless of age or external opinions.

In this insightful episode of the "Let's GO – Let's GROW Podcast," host Des Penny takes a deep dive into the concept of "Repositioning Yourself for Growth." Des draws on his extensive experience in leadership and personal development to discuss why staying relevant in a fast-paced, ever-changing world is crucial for both personal and professional success. He explains that growth isn't just about being the biggest or the best, but about constantly repositioning ourselves to remain relevant and aligned with our core values and passions. Des underscores the importance of embracing a growth mindset, where the focus is on continuous learning and adapting rather than striving for perfection. He shares his perspective on resilience, not merely as a means of coping with challenges but as a powerful tool for bouncing back and thriving in the face of adversity. Listeners will learn how to view criticism as an opportunity for growth rather than a setback, and how to use the "KEEP STOP START" model to strategically evaluate what actions and behaviours to maintain, cease, or begin in order to move forward effectively. Throughout the episode, Des also touches on the value of bravery and vulnerability in the process of repositioning. He encourages listeners to align their actions with their beliefs, to trust their instincts, and to take decisive steps even when the path forward is unclear. By being open and authentic, individuals can foster deeper connections and gain the support needed to navigate change successfully. This episode is packed with practical advice and inspiring insights, making it a must-listen for anyone looking to reposition themselves for growth and success. Whether you're facing a significant change in your career or personal life, or simply want to ensure you're moving in the right direction, Des offers valuable guidance to help you make the right decisions. Tune in to discover how to turn challenges into opportunities and take proactive steps toward your goals. Don't miss out on the chance to reposition yourself for a brighter, more successful future.

In this episode, Des Penny discusses the concept of "stepping into the unknown." It's not about embracing fear or getting lost in uncertainty—it's about seizing opportunities that expand your life and leadership. Des challenges the traditional goal-setting mindset and introduces a new approach: embracing ambiguity and the spirit of discovery to achieve even better results.   Through real-life examples and practical advice, Des encourages you to break free from the mundane, explore uncharted territories, and find joy in the journey. Whether you're a leader, entrepreneur, or someone looking to inject excitement into your life, this episode is your guide to transforming the unknown into a thrilling adventure.   Tune in to explore how you can make stepping into the unknown a daily practice that enriches both your personal and professional life. https://proteusleadership.com/lets-go-lets-grow-podcast-with-des-penny/

Des Penny guides listeners through the art of discerning which challenges in life are worth the effort and which ones are best left alone. With life's rapid pace and the increased connectivity through social media, it feels like we're constantly jumping from one hurdle to the next. Des emphasises that while battles are inevitable, the key is to focus on those that lead to positive outcomes, contributing to a healthier workplace and personal life. Through insightful anecdotes and practical advice, Des highlights the importance of fighting professionally and wisely, ensuring that our efforts contribute to growth rather than unnecessary conflict. In this episode, Des shares a memorable story about his two little dogs, Bill and Ben, to illustrate the pitfalls of unnecessary battles. Ben's unprovoked attack on a larger dog at the beach turned a pleasant day into chaos, drawing parallels to how unnecessary conflicts can escalate and affect everyone involved. Des encourages listeners to reflect on their own lives and consider why they engage in certain battles. Are they fighting for meaningful change, or are they simply drawn to conflict? By focusing on issues rather than individuals and approaching conflicts with a solution-oriented mindset, we can navigate life's challenges more effectively. Tune in to learn how to choose your battles wisely and foster a more positive environment in both your personal and professional life.

In this episode of the "Let's GO – Let's GROW" Podcast, Des Penny explores the timeless qualities that define true leadership. Amidst the rapid technological advancements and societal changes, Des highlights the essential human values that remain constant. He discusses the importance of balancing innovation with fundamental virtues such as wisdom, insight, humility, and unwavering belief. Drawing on personal experiences and real-world examples, Des provides actionable insights for leaders to cultivate a balanced and sustainable leadership style that fosters respect, compassion, and effective communication. Join Des to explore how real leaders stand the test of time and create positive, lasting impacts in their organisations and communities.

In this episode of the Let's GO – Let's GROW Podcast with Des Penny, Des explores the essence of fostering a spirit of discovery and seizing opportunities in our lives. Being a discoverer isn't just about grand adventures but about recognising and embracing opportunities wherever we are.   Des reflects on missed opportunities in his life, using them as fuel for growth and bravery moving forward. He emphasises the importance of being ready when opportunity knocks and encourages listeners to become creators of their own opportunities.   Drawing inspiration from the fearlessness of children, Des highlights the loss of adventurous spirit as we grow older and the need to reclaim it. He underscores that while not everyone will make ground-breaking discoveries, we can all make a difference in our environments by taking small steps towards discovery.   Des advocates for cultivating a spirit of discovery as a way of life, requiring practice and self-belief. He invites listeners to embark on a journey of self-discovery and offers three keys to initiate this transformative process. Ultimately, Des encourages authenticity as the foundation for becoming a change-maker in our own lives and beyond.

In Season 2, Episode 1 of the Let's Go – Let's Grow Podcast, Des Penny delves into the theme of "Who Looks After the Leader? The Path from Doubt to Destiny!" He discusses the management and leadership challenges that arise when leaders prioritise others' needs over their own personal and professional growth. Recognising that the leader is ultimately responsible for their well-being, Des shares key insights and practical steps to prevent burnout, maintain productivity, and make informed decisions for personal and leadership development.   Des emphasises the significance of self-reflection and effective mental well-being management. He candidly admits his ongoing journey and progress towards recognising the importance and value of his own identity and contributions. The episode unfolds with six insightful strategies that have aided Des in his personal growth, starting with the realisation that leaders must speak differently. In summary, the episode provides valuable insights and practical advice to empower leaders to move from doubt to destiny. The outlined strategies include changing one's mindset and speech, reclaiming control over life, embracing mistakes for growth, handling personal attacks effectively, thriving instead of just coping, and seeking guidance from a coach or mentor. Des Penny wishes listeners success on their Path of Destiny, encouraging them to overcome doubt and embrace the journey forward.

In Part 2 of the "Living and Leading with Insight" series on the Let's Go – Let's Grow Podcast, Des Penny delves into the characteristics of individuals who live and lead with insight. Building on the STOP model discussed in Part 1, which emphasised Caring, Listening, Watching, and Acting as essential factors for insight, Part 2 explores the practical aspects of incorporating insight into daily life. Des introduces the concept that our neural networks exist not only in our head but also in our heart and gut, each contributing unique qualities to decision-making. Leaders are encouraged to integrate all three brains—Head for reasoning, Heart for emotions, and Gut for smarts, passion, and drive. Des emphasises the importance of listening to the initial gut instinct, noting that insight is gained when all three brains are in sync. Trusting the gut, often a reliable source of intuition, becomes a key element in developing insight. The podcast highlights the significance of being aware and attuned to the entire body, moving beyond overanalysing by the head alone. Des contends that understanding one's thinking, trusting decisions, and aligning the three brains are crucial steps toward breaking free from the "Wheel of Sameness." Describing the Wheel of Sameness as the repetitive cycle of happiness, disappointment, excitement, and frustration, he identifies it as the daily grind where problems persist, band-aids are applied, and the same challenges reappear year after year.

Living and Leading with Insight Series – Part 1 In this episode of the "Let's GO – Let's GROW Podcast" with Des Penny, Des relives his latest National Leadership Breakfast series, "Living and Leading with Insight." Des emphasises the significance of insight in leadership, considering it the missing link that distinguishes a good leader from a great one. Drawing from over 50 years of leadership experience, he highlights the often-overlooked importance of cultivating insight in both personal and professional life. Des illustrates the concept of insight by exploring how our perceptions of others can change, underscoring how insight enhances our ability to understand and respond to situations accurately. He suggests that living with insight is transformative, not merely as a skill but as a way of life, opening the door to becoming a great person and, subsequently, a great leader. Des acknowledges the challenges of embracing insight, as it requires awareness of both positive and negative aspects of our surroundings, compelling us to make decisions and take action. Download the STOP Model here: https://proteusleadership.com/leadership_templates/stop-model/

In this episode of the Let's Go - Let's Grow podcast, Des Penny delves into the importance of integrity in personal and professional life. He shares insights into integrity, emphasising that it goes beyond honesty and includes qualities like hard work and not compromising one's values. The episode discusses how integrity can be learned through example, highlighting the role of parents, teachers, leaders, and individuals in shaping it. Des suggests that integrity is a combination of nature and nurture and can be developed by making the right choices consistently.   The episode also explores the significance of patterns in our lives, highlighting the need to change negative patterns to develop integrity. Des provides five practical ways to enhance integrity, including being honest, doing the right thing even if it's not popular, and removing individuals who lack integrity from one's life. The discussion stresses that integrity is not determined by popularity but by doing what is right and not compromising on one's values. It encourages listeners to prioritise integrity as a guiding principle in decision-making.

In this episode, Des Penny delves into the intriguing topic of "The Frustration of Change," uncovering the reasons behind his frustrations and the untapped potential of embracing change. Contrary to the title, Des is not against change; instead, he expresses his frustration with how many individuals and organisations approach it, often missing out on its transformative benefits. Throughout the episode, he emphasises the inevitability of change and the importance of choosing to be a part of it rather than resisting it. Des candidly outlines five sources of frustration that drive his passion for this subject. First and foremost, he laments the missed opportunities of growth and success that both individuals and organisations could achieve if they only embraced change for the right reasons, rather than taking the path of least resistance. Des introduces three change models that he personally created to navigate and embrace change effectively. The first model, the 'Thought Change Model,' encourages listeners to reframe their approach to change. Rather than focusing solely on external factors, Des proposes that understanding the internal motivations and reasons for change is paramount. This shift in mindset empowers individuals to take the necessary steps towards successful and fulfilling change. Join Des Penny on the "Let's Go - Let's Grow Podcast" as he explores "The Frustration of Change" and shares invaluable insights on how to overcome resistance, embrace change, and seize the limitless opportunities it offers. Discover how a simple shift in thinking can increase your potential for growth and open doors to a brighter, more fulfilling future.

In this episode of the Let's Go Let's Grow podcast, Des Penny discusses the importance of moving from a good life to an exceptional one. Des shares his thoughts on people and businesses and how they are struggling because their thinking is not keeping up with the rapid changes in technology and business requirements. Des emphasises the need for understanding what is happening around us and the importance of reinvention and knowing one's purpose.   Des defines ‘exceptional' as displaying qualities that have been developed and not necessarily being perfect.   Des provides a list of ten measures to identify exceptional people, including passion, attention to detail, long-term thinking, pain and celebration mentality, reliability, innovation thinking, ownership, acceptance and action on feedback, leading by example, and living and leading with insight.   Des encourages all listeners to define what exceptional means to them and work on developing the qualities required for exceptionalism.   There are a lot of great ideas in this episode and lots of takeaways that would be great to share with your team.  Exceptional Is The New Black!

In this episode Des Penny speaks on the importance of giving your ideas a better chance of success by getting all your ducks in a row. Des give us 6 tips that will hopefully help you move forward with your great ideas. 1. We must look forward with excitement not hesitancy 2. Adapt to your changing environment 3. Build innovation into everything you do 4. Embrace the paradox of technology 5. Work Hard 6. Make it happen So jump in and listen to this great episode of the Let's Go - Let's Grow podcast and let's get our ducks in a row.

In this episode of the Let's Go Let's Grow Podcast, Des Penny is joined by Richard Dore, Co-CEO at Proteus Leadership, to discuss the imposter syndrome. They discuss the prevalence of the imposter syndrome, particularly among those in leadership positions, and how it can be incredibly daunting and inhibiting. However, they also discuss how individuals and workplaces can leverage those crippling moments of self-doubt and turn them into opportunities for personal development, transformation, and growth. The term imposter syndrome was originally coined as the imposter phenomena in the 1970s by psychologists Dr. Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes to describe the phenomena they observed among high-achieving training women who believe that they were not as competent or intelligent as others perceive them to be. Find out if Des and Richard experience imposter syndrome and how prevalent it really is.

In this episode of the Let's Go Let's Grow podcast, Des Penny, focuses on the importance of staying relevant in a rapidly changing world, not just in our jobs but as human beings. Des emphasises the need for great leaders who understand the importance of constantly adapting and remaining relevant. Be ready to question your relevance as a leader and ready to question whether your products, services, and organisations are relevant to the current market. Des speaks about relevance, and how individuals and organisations must strive to remain relevant in order to survive and thrive. Relevance means being applicable, appropriate, and connected, and people who are relevant know they are. Des discusses the stages of rediscovering relevance, which includes moving from loss and grief to discovering new opportunities. Be sure to listen to the end of the podcast where Des provides his eight-step ladder to relevance, starting with living and leading with integrity.

Des Penny Interviews Richard Dore, Co-CEO Proteus Leadership about workplace culture. The Let's Go Let's Grow podcast is hosted by Des Penny and explores the topic of culture in the workplace and personal lives. In this episode, Des is joined by Richard Dore, co-CEO of Proteus Leadership and a culture expert. They discuss the definition of workplace culture and how it's related to behaviour and unwritten ground rules. Richard provides examples of how culture is exhibited in meetings and in dealing with toxic people. They also talk about why culture remains important after many years, especially in a world of chaos and rapid change.

The first episode of the Let's Go - Let's Grow Podcast series, hosted by Des Penny, is an introduction to his leadership journey, which began with a childhood spent travelling around Australia and New Zealand with his minister father. Despite struggling with the school system, Des Penny loved English and music and eventually went on to obtain a Master's degree in Business and Communication. He began his working life at Toyota before moving on to a career in manufacturing, where he was promoted into leadership roles. After being appointed as Personnel Manager with no prior experience, he quickly learnt on the job and grew to love it, spending nearly 18 years in the role. He then moved to an executive role in a semi-government IT organisation that produced payroll and HR systems, where he experienced destructive politics and eventually left to start his own HR and training company. This company is now one of the most respected leadership development companies in Australia and is expanding into international markets. Despite facing doubters along the way, Des Penny's journey shows that with determination and the desire to treat people better, success can be achieved.

Des Penny and Proteus Leadership are thrilled to be able to announce the launch of the new Let's Go - Let's Grow podcast. The first episode is going to be launched on the 20th of April 2023. So if you want to get involved in all things Leadership, then subscribe today. Some of the topics in our first series will include Relevance, Culture, Insight, Bravery, Communication, Psychological Safety, Imposter Syndrome and more. Subscribe today and don't miss out on an episode as this is going to be one Leadership podcast that you can't afford to miss.