Leader Scout

From the Leader Scout archives, Tom revisits a 2024 conversation with Richard Carson about building a career for the long term.Richard reflects on progressing from project engineering into senior leadership, why taking on responsibility early matters, the value of knowing your own strengths, and why career decisions should not be driven by salary alone.They also get into personal brand, developing people, commercial awareness, finding the right fit between leader and business, and why consistency matters more than one-off performance.This episode was originally recorded in 2024. Roles and circumstances discussed reflect the time of recording.

It’s getting easier to look employable. That doesn’t necessarily make it easier to identify the right person.In this episode of Leader Scout, Tom looks beyond the polished CV to what actually gives him confidence that someone can do the job.From technical experience and transferable skills to communication, adaptability and knowing where your own capability stops, he breaks down what hiring leaders should actually be testing for.And with AI now helping candidates write CVs and prepare for interviews, getting beneath the surface matters more than ever.🎧 Listen to "What Actually Makes Someone Employable in 2026?" nowFollow Leader Scout for practical conversations on hiring, leadership and retention across construction, infrastructure and project-driven businesses.

From the Leader Scout archives, Tom revisits a 2024 conversation with Deni Campbell about building a career without having everything figured out from day one.Deni shares the moves that worked, the one she knew almost immediately was wrong, what helped her progress quickly, and why some of the best career advice she received was also the advice she initially ignored.A candid conversation about career decisions, mentorship, management, resilience and learning when not to rush the next step.This episode was originally recorded in 2024. Roles and circumstances discussed reflect the time of recording.

The people a business relies on most are often the ones carrying more than anyone realises.In this episode of Leader Scout, Tom looks at what actually makes good people become open to leaving, why it’s often not just about money, and the conversations leaders should be having long before there’s another offer on the table.Because the best people don’t need another employee benefit or a conversation once they’ve resigned.Leaders need to understand whether the job still works for them before somebody else asks.🎧 Listen to The Employee You Can’t Afford to Lose on Spotify.Follow Leader Scout for practical conversations on hiring, leadership and retention across construction, infrastructure and project-driven businesses.

Australia has the infrastructure pipeline. The harder question is whether we're developing enough capable people to deliver it.Steve Adamthwaite, ANZ Water Business Leader at Arup, joins Tom to talk engineering careers, leadership, retention, mentoring and why solving tomorrow's skills shortage starts with how we develop people today.A practical conversation about what separates technical capability from leadership, why good engineers leave, and what the industry needs to do differently with the talent it already has.Follow Leader Scout on Spotify or YouTube for practical conversations on hiring, leadership, retention, and workforce strategy across construction, infrastructure, and project-driven businesses.