Aegis Leadership

27/09/2026

You know the sort of joke that gets a laugh, then leaves you wondering if the person meant it?

Dr Allanah Johnston says workplace humour can tell leaders a lot about what is happening in a team. Sometimes it helps people let off steam. Sometimes it gives them a way to raise something they are uncomfortable saying outright.

In this episode of the Fireside Podcast, Allanah talks with Chris about what leaders can learn by paying attention, and why the answer is to ask and listen rather than jump to conclusions.

Watch the episode now on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/tGsiUhleRTo

Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3IcbR46qnRLaKVyyJxddhb?si=cJUh-Io7RSqNKMGAIIS4zg

Or wherever you get your podcasts.

Cheers to Dark Horse Coffee for powering the show.
Richard Raven Allanah Johnston

27/09/2026

The advantage isn’t knowing exactly what’s coming.

Warrant Officer of the NZ Defence Force outlined this so well during our chat on Fireside Podcast.

It’s how quickly you can recognise that something has changed - and adapt.

That starts with self-awareness.

What has changed?
What does it require from me?
What behaviour needs to change?

Because behaviour becomes culture.

And in a world that keeps changing, adaptability isn’t a nice-to-have.

It’s a leadership capability.

Organisations that can rapidly sense and respond to change are better positioned to navigate uncertainty and sustain performance.

So ask yourself:

What have I noticed has changed - but haven’t changed my behaviour to match?

Full chat here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7itWNjMNEwAGGDcpSWhgzn?si=54b53f7dcd9244a4

23/09/2026

Most leaders already know how they want to behave under pressure.

The problem comes when they are tired, frustrated and dealing with one issue too many. The knowledge may still be there, but they can no longer access it quickly enough.

Jacqlin Richards describes capacity as the space between being triggered and reacting.

When that space shrinks, some leaders become controlling or aggressive. Others withdraw, avoid decisions or relax a standard to keep everyone happy.

A few seconds can be enough to interrupt that reaction. It gives the leader time to recognise what is happening and choose what comes next.

Our latest article explores how to recognise your default response, protect your capacity, hold clearer boundaries and repair the relationship when you get it wrong.

Read it here:

https://www.aegisleadership.co.nz/post/how-to-stay-calm-under-pressure-as-a-leader

Chris Turkington Richard Raven

Most leaders can describe how they want to behave under pressure. The difficulty is doing it when patience is gone and the stakes are rising.

20/09/2026

Most leaders do not forget how to lead. But under sustained pressure, they can lose the capacity to lead as well as they normally would.

Patience gets shorter. Decisions become more reactive. Work starts following them home.

We often assume the answer is more resilience or discipline. In our latest Fireside conversation, Rachel Taylor explains why the real issue may be depletion and how biology, behaviour and environment affect the way we lead.

The part that stayed with us was how difficult that decline can be to recognise in yourself. The people around you will often see it first.

Who do you trust to tell you when you are no longer operating like yourself?

Listen wherever you get your podcasts or check the comments for the links.

Cheers to Dark Horse Coffee for powering the show.

Chris Turkington Richard Raven

13/09/2026

I have never met a leader who lost their temper because they thought it was the best response.

Most of us know what better looks like. That isn’t the problem.

Jacqlin Richards put the real issue plainly in our latest Fireside conversation with Chris Turkington:

Awareness isn’t the same as capacity.

You can recognise your triggers. You can understand the conversation you should have. You can know that yelling, shutting down or trying to keep everyone happy will not help.

Then pressure arrives and the space between the trigger and your reaction disappears.

The same thing happens at home and at work.

More advice is not much use if you cannot access it when you need it. The real work is building enough capacity to pause, choose your response and repair the relationship when you get it wrong.

That starts with noticing what reduces your capacity before it becomes somebody else’s problem.

This was one of the clearest conversations we’ve had about the overlap between parenting and leadership.

Watch the full episode here:
https://youtu.be/A_wVDeM-6_U?si=K0ONqtcDkRjrGMMd

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6WGNIMkVvj522fbt4qoOFg?si=a72d0973342e483a

Or wherever you get your podcasts.

Cheers to Dark Horse Coffee for powering the show.

Richard Raven Dark Horse Coffee

Fireside Leadership Podcast · Episode

11/09/2026

Last night, some of our development Year 11-13 cricketers had the chance to hear from Chris Turkington from Aegis Leadership. With over 20 years of military leadership experience, Chris has coached and developed leaders at every level within the New Zealand Defence Force. Chris is also Manawatū Senior Men's Cap #767. A big thanks to Chris for giving up his time!

Chris covered topics such as pressure and what it feels like, techniques for anchoring when under pressure, the importance of trust, and what the ideal leadership qualities are. Chris' presentation was engaging, open, and generated a lot of discussion amongst the group. One powerful quote that we took away was "When under pressure, you always revert back to the level of your training".

We recommend checking out aegisleadership.co.nz to find out more about their executive leadership coaching services. Aegis Leadership's mission is to build leaders and teams who perform under pressure, lead with integrity, and deliver results that matter. Chris also hosts a podcast called Fireside where each episode unpacks the lessons, failures and experiences that shape exceptional leaders across business, sport, defence and public service. Our own Dane Cleaver has been a guest! Available on all podcast platforms. https://www.aegisleadership.co.nz/fireside-leadership-podcast