Be Leaders

Be Leaders SYDNEY / PHNOM PENH: Be Leaders (Est. 2012) creates thriving organisations with strong leaders.

BE Leaders provides training and consulting on culture, behaviour and mindsets for individuals, organisations and teams in the workplace.

Sometimes the most meaningful feedback isn’t about the service you gave. It’s about the space you created. I recently fi...
25/09/2026

Sometimes the most meaningful feedback isn’t about the service you gave. It’s about the space you created. I recently finished a leadership coaching journey with a client navigating a significant transition. At the end of our time together, he shared this:

“From the very first session you created a space where I felt safe to open up and share my thoughts, feelings, vulnerabilities and frustrations.”

And then this, which was incredibly humbling: “I feel the sessions with you have been the best leadership experience I have ever participated in.”

I’m grateful for those words, but what I love most is what happened through the process. He didn’t finish with all the answers. He finished with a better map.

More self-awareness. Better questions. A clearer understanding of when to be on the dance floor and when to get up on the balcony and see things differently.

That’s a big part of what coaching is for me. Not telling people what to do. Creating enough trust, challenge and space for people to see more clearly, think differently and find the courage to take their next step.

Always a privilege to be invited into someone’s leadership journey.

Sometimes you don’t realise how many hats you’re wearing until you stop and look back at the last couple of weeks. It’s ...
23/09/2026

Sometimes you don’t realise how many hats you’re wearing until you stop and look back at the last couple of weeks. It’s been one of those seasons.

I’ve been deep in a significant organisational consultancy and review, working with a company in Cambodia navigating transition, leadership challenges and change. Big conversations, plenty of complexity, and some really positive progress.

Alongside that, I’ve continued leading and shaping the chaplaincy space with Churches of Christ NSW & ACT, supporting some incredible people who are showing up every day in hospitals, prisons, aged care and communities.

And then there’s Kingsway. For ten days we had three of our Kingsway Cambodia leaders staying with us in Australia.

After more than 11 years of journeying together, and countless trips in the other direction, it was pretty special having them in our home, sharing life, laughing a lot, talking about the future and creating a few new memories along the way.

So, apparently my current job description is something like: Consultant. Coach. Chaplaincy leader. Pastor. Host. Friend. Driver.

It’s been full. It’s stretched the capacity. But I wouldn’t trade the diversity. Because underneath all the different hats, the thing that continues to energise me is actually pretty simple:

People. Leadership. Belief. Growth. And helping people and organisations take their next step. Different hats. Same purpose.

A little advance look at UNLEARNIt’s starting to feel real. My next book, UNLEARN — The Journey of Bamboo Leadership, is...
16/09/2026

A little advance look at UNLEARN

It’s starting to feel real. My next book, UNLEARN — The Journey of Bamboo Leadership, is coming this November.

I’ve been incredibly grateful to have a number of leaders from across business, leadership and social impact read the book ahead of its release, and humbled by what they’ve had to say.

At its heart, UNLEARN is about challenging some of what we’ve been taught about leadership — and exploring a more human, humble, adaptable and culturally intelligent way to lead.

The metaphor is bamboo: deeply rooted, yet flexible enough to bend.

Here’s a little of the advance praise 👇

November 2026. Not long now.

Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of spending a lot of time in conversations and workshops with football ...
24/08/2026

Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of spending a lot of time in conversations and workshops with football coaches around the world.

Elite and academy coaches across Europe. Coaches working through various levels of the European game. Technical staff connected with national teams. MLS and USL coaches in the US. Coaches working across universities, colleges and schools.

Different countries. Different levels. Different football environments. But one conversation keeps coming back:

Culture matters.
Engagement matters.
And how the coach shows up matters.

We can spend enormous amounts of time talking about formations, methodology, playing principles, training design and tactics, and rightly so.

But players experience the coach before they experience the game model. Our behaviour creates an environment. That environment shapes culture. Culture influences engagement. And engagement impacts performance.

Some brilliant conversations lately with coaches who are willing to look beyond what they coach and ask the harder question: Who am I becoming as a coach and what does it feel like to be coached by me?

I think there’s a huge conversation still to be had in this space. And I’m loving being part of it.

One of the things I love about my visits to Cambodia is that I’m always learning.Last month in Phnom Penh, I had the cha...
15/08/2026

One of the things I love about my visits to Cambodia is that I’m always learning.

Last month in Phnom Penh, I had the chance to join the Impact Hub Phnom Penh – Breakfast with an Expert and hear from my good friend Joey from CCI (Cambodia Coaching Institute).

And it was brilliant. Great insights. Practical wisdom. Good questions. And a room full of people genuinely wanting to learn, grow and make a difference.

I’ve had the privilege of being involved with and alongside Impact Hub Phnom Penh for around nine years now. It’s been a great journey, running sessions, training leaders, and continuing to provide mentoring and coaching along the way.

And there’s a bit of a full-circle story here too. The first time I met Joey was probably seven or eight years ago, when he came along to a session I was running at Impact Hub. Impact Hub Phnom Penh Joey Ra, CPCC, PCC

Now I get to sit in the room and learn from him. I love that.

It’s one of the things that makes this work so rewarding. Relationships become friendships. Conversations become partnerships. People you once had the opportunity to invest in grow, lead and start investing in others.

After all these years in Cambodia, those connections just keep growing. Sometimes I’m there to teach, coach or contribute. Sometimes I get to sit, listen and learn. Both matter. And the journey is pretty special.

Thanks Joey, CCI and Impact Hub Phnom Penh. Excited to see where all these connections and partnerships continue to lead. 🙌🇰🇭

Global Impact SummitIt’s a privilege to be part of an event led by Mike Gore. I’ve watched him and Jocelyn build Charita...
31/07/2026

Global Impact Summit

It’s a privilege to be part of an event led by Mike Gore. I’ve watched him and Jocelyn build Charitabl over many years with a genuine commitment to real impact, not just talk about it and it’s been exciting to see that vision keep growing. Global Impact Summit Mike Gore

If you’re around Sydney next Thursday morning, I’d love to connect.

📍 Global Impact Summit
🗓 Thursday | 9:00am
📍 Boardroom, Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Sydney

I’ve seen teams win while their culture quietly fell apart. I’ve also seen teams lose while building something extraordinary beneath the surface.

Leadership is often like that. Metrics matter. Results matter. But culture determines whether those results can be sustained.

Whether I’ve been working with professional football clubs, executive leadership teams, or communities in Cambodia, I keep learning the same principle: people create performance.

When people feel seen. When they belong. When they believe their contribution matters. Engagement rises. Performance follows.

That’s one of the conversations I’m looking forward to having at this year’s Global Impact Summit. Join me if you can. 🙏🏼

One of the things I enjoy most about my work is spending time with leaders who are genuinely curious.This week I had the...
16/07/2026

One of the things I enjoy most about my work is spending time with leaders who are genuinely curious.

This week I had the privilege of working with this fantastic group from CBA. A room full of people who were engaged, inquisitive and willing to ask the hard questions about leadership, performance and growth.

We explored strengths, not just what each person does well, but how those strengths shape the way they show up every day. More importantly, we challenged ourselves to think about what it takes to move from being good leaders to becoming even more intentional, influential and effective.

The best learning environments aren’t the ones where everyone has the answers. They’re the ones where people are willing to listen, challenge their thinking, learn from one another and leave with practical insights they can put into action.

Thanks for inviting me into your space. I always leave encouraged when I get to work alongside leaders who are committed to growing themselves so they can better serve others. Shaun Stevens - GAICD

Growth

10/07/2026

Since 2019, I’ve had the privilege of partnering with the team at Capacity Specialist, delivering leadership development, coaching and workshops across a wide range of organisations.

Over those years I’ve watched them build something really special, an organisation that genuinely invests in people, develops leaders and helps workplaces become healthier, stronger and more connected.

A huge congratulations to the entire Capacity Specialist team on celebrating 15 years. That’s an incredible milestone and a testament to your vision, consistency and commitment to making a real difference. The Capacity Specialists (TCS)

In this short video I talk about leading Gen Z, some of the opportunities, common misconceptions and practical ways leaders can create environments where the next generation can genuinely thrive.

Leadership is always about people first. Every generation brings different experiences, expectations and strengths. Our role as leaders isn’t to resist those differences, but to understand them and lead in ways that bring out the best in others.

Congratulations again to everyone at Capacity Specialist. Thank you for the opportunity to partner with you over the past several years. Here’s to the next chapter.

Hope you enjoy the video. I’d love to hear your thoughts on leading the next generation of leaders.

This morning I had the privilege of joining my good friend Matt Booth for an online conversation with an incredible grou...
01/07/2026

This morning I had the privilege of joining my good friend Matt Booth for an online conversation with an incredible group of coaches, athletes and parents from across the USA.

Using ideas from The Beautiful Struggle, we explored themes that I believe sit at the heart of every great sporting environment:
• Culture
• Identity
• Belonging
• Belief

We talked about creating environments where people know they are valued before they perform, where mistakes become opportunities for growth rather than reasons for shame, and where winning is never allowed to define a person’s worth.

One of the biggest takeaways for me wasn’t what was said by Matt or me, it was what came back from the participants afterwards.

- A soon-to-be college athlete thanked us and said she took pages of notes.
- A parent reflected that kids stop playing sport when they’re no longer having fun or when they feel constantly judged.
- Another participant wrote that they were leaving determined to see mistakes as opportunities to grow instead of setbacks.
- And one comment has stayed with me all day: “If every child grew up knowing they were already 100% worthy, regardless of performance, we would change the experience of childhood.”

That’s why these conversations matter. Sport is never just about sport. It’s about shaping people. Helping young people discover who they are, not just what they can do. Building cultures where they feel safe to belong, courageous enough to fail, and confident enough to keep growing.

A huge thanks to Matt Booth for the invitation and for championing these conversations. It was a privilege to be part of it.

The Beautiful Struggle isn’t just about losing well. It’s about helping people become whole.

This week I found myself in a maximum-security prison, a hospital, an aged care facility, a leadership coaching session,...
10/06/2026

This week I found myself in a maximum-security prison, a hospital, an aged care facility, a leadership coaching session, and planning a football training session.

Which is probably why people keep asking me, “So … what exactly do you do?” Fair question.

Some days I’m talking leadership with executives. Some days I’m sitting with chaplains supporting people through grief, loss and uncertainty. Some days I’m on a football field helping athletes navigate pressure, performance and life. Some days I’m working with leaders in Cambodia. Some days I’m writing books, running workshops, facilitating conversations or helping organisations think differently about culture.

The older I get, the less interested I am in job titles. I’m more interested in people. Helping people think better. Lead better. Show up better.

Whether that’s in a boardroom, a prison, a sporting club, a hospital or a village on the other side of the world. The locations change. My mission doesn’t. Changing how leaders think, act and show up in the world.

And if you’re still not entirely sure what I do … You’re not alone. 😆

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