Paul Mitchell leadership

20/04/2026

BUILD YOUR FUTURE LEADERS BEFORE YOU NEED THEM

Recently, I heard a CEO reflect on one of his proudest leadership achievements.

It was not a result.
It was not a transaction.
It was not even a title.

It was the fact that when the time came to replace him, the business was able to appoint from within.

Not because they avoided an external search.

Because he had strengthened the pipeline well enough that they did not need to look outside the business to find someone ready.

That he cared deeply, really deeply, about the development of his people.

To me, that is what strong leadership development looks like.
True servant leadership.

So how do you build a stronger leadership pipeline in your organisation, well before a key role opens up?

In this video, I share three practical ways to think more deliberately about developing future leaders and building stronger leadership capability and pipeline throughout your organisation.

These fundamentals sit at the heart of our guide, 10 essential leadership skills for leaders at every level.

Explore the mindset and skills that help people lead from any chair, contribute more effectively, personally grow and be ready to take on ever greater responsibility over time.

GET YOUR GUIDE HERE: https://www.thehumanenterprise.com.au/10essentialleadershipskills/

14/04/2026

In this next episode of The Essentials of Leadership series on Leaders for Life Radio, I sit down with Nicole Gillard, one of our much loved and respected Consulting Partners at the human enterprise, to explore one of the most important foundations of great leadership: Leading Self.

Nicole brings a rare blend of commercial experience, coaching wisdom, and grounded humanity to this conversation. Together, we unpack how mindset shapes behaviour, why self-talk matters more than most leaders realise, how to uncover the values driving your decisions, and why purpose can become your lighthouse when things get tough.

Nicole is thoughtful, practical, and deeply real, and comfortable sharing her own insecurities at times. We also explore the role of self-awareness in big transitions, the impact of unconscious bias on how we see ourselves and others, and even what leadership can learn from dance: freedom, expression, adaptability, and working in harmony with others.

Listen as Nicole shares leadership insights on:

- Building more self-awareness and leading with greater intention
- Noticing and shifting the self-talk that may be holding you back
- Getting clearer on your values and living them more consistently
- Understanding how unconscious bias can shape your leadership
- Using purpose to stay energised and resilient through challenge
- Leading with more confidence, choice, and authenticity

Nicole shares practical, human, and immediately useful ideas for anyone wanting to lead better from the inside out. Small tweaks you can apply before your next meeting, your next decision, or your next tough moment that matters.

Paul Mitchell talks with Nicole Gillard about one of the most important foundations of great leadership: Leading Self.

06/04/2026

It’s easy in organisational life to put your hands on your head because, well, “Simon says”.

But are you making the most of the small intentional moments and the impact they can have on you, your team and the people you serve?

What a gift to have Jonathan Brand, Artistic Director at Starlight Children's Foundation Australia, as a Guest Faculty Mentor at our latest Higher Ground: Leadership Mastermind session. Jono is a 2024 Churchill Fellow, and his Fellowship is focused on how interactive and accessible theatre is created in non-traditional performance spaces. He also leads more than 160 performers in the role of Captain Starlight, helping bring joy and creative experiences to children in hospitals across Australia.

It could not have gone to a better human.

Jono reminded us of the power of experience and story, the importance of intention, and one lesson in particular stood out.

Small moments matter.

The small, intentional moments often create outsized impact because people do not usually remember the average moment. They remember what moved them, surprised them, reassured them or made them feel seen.

So here’s the question.

What are the small intentional moments you create for your people, your customers and your suppliers?

Not just with A.I. With R.E. (Real Emotion).

Jono brought a terrific perspective to the room on positive disruption, human connection and the experience economy. The kind of perspective that stays with you.

We keep Higher Ground small on purpose so the conversations stay real and the learning stays powerful. It’s designed for mid-level leaders stepping up and those preparing for executive readiness.

A few places will open up in the coming months. If that sparks your curiosity for you or one of your people, you’ll know where to find us.

25/02/2026

I’ve always been an Elvis fan.

Not a tragic. But I did have on my bucket list a trip to Graceland, Elvis’ family home for the last years of his life.

And since Deb and I were in Nashville it was only a quick trip to see the King.
Two great leadership lessons have lingered with me after our little pilgrimage.

One, I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer the Graceland Elvis extravaganza can continue.

I mean you may know him, but do your kids? And even if they do I bet they have no interest in “going to Graceland” as Paul Simon told us.

And so it is with many things in our life.

They all have a shelf life. A use by date of some sort.

Not just our business strategy, but our services, our products, our market.
And on a more personal front our beliefs, our habits our desires and dreams.

I’m wondering what are the things in your leadership life you need to let go of, to thank, to bless, to give gratitude for the part they played and to move on.

Back to Graceland.

Did I love it?

You bet. The 60’s home itself, the cars, the boats, the motorbikes, the planes, yep two planes. The exhibition is really a full day out.

Topped off by incredible southern hospitality with everyone suggesting, “y’all come back anytime now, ya hear”.

And it got me thinking. Made me very philosophical.

About the second leadership lesson. With all that excess all Elvis was really looking for was what he sung about in his first movie.

“Love me tender, love me true.
All my dreams fulfilled.
For my darling, I love you.
And I always will”

Isn’t that what all of us crave?
And it’s what your people crave as well.
Not Eros or Philia love but Agape love.
To know you really care about them, their growth, their development, their wellbeing.

I’m as outcome orientated as the next leader and the older I get the more I realise that the leaders that make a real difference truly “love” their people.
Really care for them, if love is too strong a word for you.

As did Elvis. And believe me he had a huge team.
His kindness came through in every letter, every card, every film clip we saw.

So go tell your people how much they mean to you “right now”.
Love them tender.

RIP Elvis. I’m sure your influence on the world of music will live on far longer than Graceland.

19/02/2026

Nashville. Tennessee. A lifetime dream to see The Grand Ole Opry show.

This is the heart and soul of Country and Western Music. The show has been broadcast internationally since 1925 and was originally called the WSM Barn Dance. (Legacy counts)

The first sponsor was an insurance company closely tied to religion. Their motto was “We Save Millions”, which became WSM radio. (Gotta have a positioning statement that aligns with your audience)

In 1927, radio announcer George D. Hay declared the show to be “Grand Old Opera”. But of course, in a southern accent that becomes The Grand Ole Opry.
(Talk in the language of your audience)

It started broadcasting from the Ryman Auditorium in 1943. The Ryman was originally the Union Gospel Tabernacle, built in 1892 by a converted entrepreneurial riverboat captain, Tom Ryman. On his passing in 1904 it was renamed in his honour.

As the Tabernacle ran out of funds, it made the decision to rent the space to various performers and well known celebrities including Helen Keller, Houdini and Charlie Chaplin, but mostly CnW singers like Patsy Cline and Hank Williams. (You have to adapt to the times and sweat the asset)

And here’s where more leadership lessons emerge.

The Ryman ran out of space for the audiences it was attracting and the show moved to the purpose built Grand Ole Opry House in 1974. When building the new stage, they embedded a six foot dark oak circle right in the centre, symbolising continuity of the legend, togetherness and community. (“Let the circle be unbroken”, Johnny Cash)

It’s considered a rite of passage and a great honour for country artists to perform in this circle, which still bears the scuff marks of decades of performance. (Do you give your leaders something to shoot for)

But here’s the part that blew me away.

Every artist that performed that night thanked those who had helped them get there.

I wonder who you’d thank when you get there, wherever there is for you.
And I wonder who’ll thank you. (The ultimate success in leadership is the number of leaders you have helped create around you, not just how well you perform)

My heartfelt gratitude goes out to John Dyer, Jo-anne Quirk, Jim and Margaret Sweeney, Bruce Clarke, Robert Neil, Glenn Bates, Marvin Weisbord, Barry Oshry, Dr Fred Grosse, Dr. Ichak Adizes and so many more I’ve lost count.

Is creating a legacy of legends in your organisation important to you?

Well, that’s at the heart of what we do every day for our clients at the human enterprise.

Many organisations are confronting a widening leadership pipeline gap. Burnout is stretching leaders at every level. Succession feels uncertain.

Yet the opportunity is already inside your business.

We build resilient internal leadership pipelines by developing self-aware and strategic leaders who take ownership of organisational results. If that’s important to you, we’d love to chat.

And as you go about your weekend, have a think about who you’d thank when you stand in the circle.

06/02/2026

Our family holiday at Mammoth Mountain in the USA reminded me of an old tale about perspective.

The USA is a beautiful, beautiful country. Yet it also feels so incredibly divided.

Here’s Deb, Abe and I with the Mammoth (elephant), each of us grabbing a different part of it.

You may know the story.

A group of blind men come across an elephant. One touches the trunk and says, “It’s like a snake.” Another grabs the leg and says, “No, it’s like a tree.” Another holds the side and says, “You’re both wrong. It’s like a wall.” Each is certain. Each is right. And each is incomplete.

As leaders, we experience the world through our own lens, whether we realise it or not.

That’s why the stronger your view, the weaker your ego must be. At least enough to genuinely listen to someone else’s perspective.

How does it go? Very strong views, very lightly held.

The problem is we get so entrenched in our views and perspective that they become our truth without even knowing it.

We call it unconscious bias.

It matters more than most leaders realise, which is why at the human enterprise, a large part our Leading Self module in Basecamp: Leadership Essentials is dedicated to it. Not as a box-ticking exercise. As a practical leadership skill, because your “truth” will shape how you hire, promote, coach, give feedback, and who you trust. It will fundamentally shape how you lead.

So here’s a simple question for your week.

Where might you be holding the trunk and calling it the whole elephant?

22/12/2025

It is with great sadness I write this final post for 2025.

Christmas is usually a time of great joy and celebration for me and my family. This year will be different, not just for us, but for many Australians.

Our hearts go out to all those touched by the horrific events in Bondi. So much sadness. So much healing ahead. Especially for the Jewish community.

So many questions to be asked. Over the holiday break, if you can, do spend some time reflecting on what has happened, and what it asks of us.

And please, please don't give up your holiday rituals. For it’s the rituals that bind us, that keep us together, that remind us of who we are.

So in our household, we'll still read ‘The Night Before Christmas’ on the 24th. We will still put out the Christmas cake and a drop of brandy for Santa. And of course, we'll still put out the carrots for Rudolph and the other reindeer.

Miraculously, in the morning, the brandy will have gone, the cake eaten, the carrots chewed, and there will be a few wisps of Santa's beard left on the plate. All this even when our youngest is 38.

Every Christmas, it’s become a bit of a tradition, a ritual, to reshare this article inspired by an enduring leadership icon: Santa: Lessons in Leadership from the North Pole.

It’s a ritual we’ll keep doing.

At the human enterprise, we’re taking a break to recharge and connect with loved ones, so we’re ready to come back in the new year to do what we love and believe in: building resilient leadership pipelines with leaders at every level.

Our office will close from 23 December 2025 and reopen on 27 January 2026.

For anything urgent during this time, you can always reach me directly at [email protected]

Thank you for allowing us to be part of your leadership journey this year.

Wishing you and your loved ones a restorative holiday season.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, my friends.

Playing Santa for 30 years made me think even more about leadership, albeit from a different perspective.

17/12/2025

HAVE YOUR TOP TALENT DO MORE THAN JUST STAY

One of my maxims in life is to “minimise regret”.

It should be yours as well when it comes to talent retention, particularly when studies show superior talent can be up to eight times more productive than the average team member, and that performance advantage only increases as the role becomes more complex.

So how do you minimise regrettable losses in your business, way beyond exit and stay interviews?

In this video, I share three key strategies to strengthen the retention of your best people by keeping them engaged, motivated, and making a big impact.

And it's those three key areas that are at the heart of our the human enterprise group coaching program, Higher Ground Leadership Mastermind.

If you're looking to go a little deeper, download our guide on 10 Tips for Keeping Your Top Talent, and learn why your best people leave and what you can do to make them want to stay.

GET THE GUIDE HERE: https://www.thehumanenterprise.com.au/10tipsforkeepingyourtoptalent/

12/12/2025

There’s something magical that happens when you get a tribe of authentic senior leaders, from different organisations and different roles, in a room, totally committed to each others growth, the growth of their people and their organisations.

It always unfolds. That’s what happens at the human enterprise's Higher Ground: Leadership Mastermind.

Adding Secret Santa was a wonderful way to top the year off.

Being real with each other opens the gate to receive real feedback, setting up real actions. It’s powerful to witness leaders choosing honesty over armour and challenge over comfort.

I’m so appreciative of the community we have built, the mentors who have shared their wisdom, and the commitment each person brings to their own growth and to their fellow travellers, their fellow climbers.

If you're interested in joining the mastermind or submitting a high performing leader for 2026, get in touch.

06/11/2025

I’ve just come back from a holiday in Spain and Morocco. Lots of new adventures, some down time and, as always, time to reflect on the leadership lessons all around us.

I’ve always loved the movie Casablanca.

For many reasons. Humphrey Bogart looked just like my dad. I thought Ingrid Bergman was the most beautiful actress in all of Hollywood. And I just love the movie. Its characters, its plot and that underlying message of a higher purpose.

So you can imagine how ecstatic I was when we arrived for our last few days in Morocco at Richard Branson’s Kasbah Tamadot in the Atlas Mountains, only to find that the evening’s movie screening, in his outdoor cinema, was Casablanca. Incredible.

And what a characteristic Branson touch. The film centres on Rick’s Café Américain, and as it turns out, Branson’s parents used to call him “Ric” or “Ricky” when he was a boy. That was not lost on me or the other guests.

In fact, I was so in awe of the hotel that I immediately bought Branson’s book The Virgin Way and read it by the pool.

If you haven’t already, do yourself a favour and watch Casablanca at least once in your life. It’s worth it, I promise. You’ll also find this article makes a lot more sense if you do.

It’s a beautiful story and, if you know me, you won’t be surprised that I found some leadership lessons woven through it.

Keep Reading…

Paul Mitchell, Leadership Coach, finds leadership lessons in Morocco, Richard Branson’s mountain hideaway, and the classic film Casablanca.

22/10/2025

Marrakech. Such vibrancy. Such colour.

Everywhere you look, there’s a deep understanding of what it means to create an experience. The scents, the sounds, the smiles. I’m not sure how much AI has touched every corner of this place yet, and does it matter? They already know what it takes to move people.

At the human enterprise, we remind ourselves before every workshop: it’s showtime. Our consultants fill out a “Showtime Form” to remind us that just giving information is not enough. It’s a show.

Give your clients a colourful experience, one they can attach emotions to and link the learnings. One they will remember long after the buzz of the workshop fades.

So here’s a thought for you this week.
What kind of experience are you creating for your clients, your teams, your people? One they’ll remember long after the buzz fades?

22/10/2025

Deb and I have just completed 117 km of the Camino. Enough to be called pilgrims.

Our bodies are weary, yet our spirits have never been higher. Along “the Way”, I was struck by how much this journey mirrors the path of leadership.

We were part of a real community, all heading for the same destination, yet each with a different purpose.

Some are honouring those they have lost, for some it’s a religious pilgrimage, for some it’s the culture and history, for some the food and wine, while for others it’s a quest. Remember, leadership is always personal.

Every few kilometres, signs marked the distance to Santiago. A simple yet powerful reminder that progress needs to be seen and celebrated.
In leadership, those milestones matter too.

Every pilgrim had a story. Some are sad, some uplifting, all unique from travellers all over the globe. Get to know your people. Leadership is all about honouring the differences. That’s what builds trust, connection and followership.

And it’s symbols and rituals that bind us. Most pilgrims carry the shell of St James on their backs. We also all have passports that are stamped along the way to receive an official certificate once we arrive. It’s exciting to get them, and a real visual acknowledgement of our journey.
Let people see their progress. Recognition matters. Even small tokens fuel our motivation to continue.

The one ritual I love most is the simple exchange as we pass one another – two words: “Buen Camino”, meaning have a good way. Whatever our reasons for walking, we wished each other well.
What a beautiful metaphor for leadership. Different paths, same purpose, shared goodwill.

I do hope the simple truth of Adrian, one of our hosts along the way, stays with us long after our journey. He left us with these profound penultimate words …
“When you get to Santiago de Compostela, you will have done the way. Now as you go back to your homes and lives perhaps you will do so in a new way”.

And finally, the last chapter is summed up beautifully through an excerpt from our trusty travel guide by Moon Publishing that expresses exactly how we felt…

“As you make your way to the Cathedral, someone may meet your eyes, smile and nod. Acknowledging that you have just accomplished something huge. A holy trek, a great adventure, a simplification of life, a lesson in self-reliance, a broadening of horizons, a lightening of your heart, and spirit, a deepening in your trust in life, a walk with a global and inclusive humanity, and a wild walk into nature, culture and history, all the while enriched with the kindness and generosity of everyone you met along the way.”

Beautiful words of wisdom and beautiful reminders for the journey we’re all on.

Buen Camino, my friends and colleagues on your way. Here’s to continuing your own Way with renewed clarity, compassion and courage — and perhaps reflecting on what part of your own leadership journey could use a milestone, a ritual, or a simple “Buen Camino” right now.