Just remember, you asked for it!

Moments of uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity are the uncomfortable leadership moments, and what you signed up for.

The discomfort of not knowing.

These are the times when leadership is most needed, your leadership, and in fact, if not for these conditions, you may well be doing someone else’s job for them.

Learning how to be comfortable with the discomfort of the role.

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf’, said Jon Kabat Zinn, perhaps my favourite ever leadership quote.

Our first guest ‘In the Arena’ is Michael Voss, three-time AFL Premiership Captain of the Brisbane Lions and the Senior Coach of the historic Carlton Football Club.

As a member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, Michael Voss would feature near the top of most football pundits’ ‘greatest ever’ lists, elevated not only for his sublime talent but also for his capacity to exert his will on the game and the teams he led.

A career in coaching beckoned, and so it was, stepping up as Senior Coach of his beloved Brisbane Lions, forgoing the assistant coaching ‘apprenticeship’ that has become the practice over the past few decades.

But it did not play to script, and five years later, he was dismissed from the role.

But this setback was merely a lesson and one of the many for a leader who is determined to be the best he can be for the people he gets to influence on their own journeys. It was seven years as an Assistant Coach at the Port Adelaide Football Club before he would get the opportunity to once again be ‘In the Arena’ as the Senior Coach of Carlton, now into his third season, taking them deep into the 2023 final series (after a rocky period of six straight losses) in just his second season, their first finals appearance in a decade.

One thing that separates the most impressive and influential leaders I have worked with is their willingness to embrace reflective learning and generously share their lessons and insights.

This makes Michael Voss a great football coach, leader, and super podcast guest, hence our decision to lead off the first episode of ‘In the Arena’.

The conversation also benefits from our personal relationship. A couple of years ago, Michael sought support in his role, and I have been his coach, focusing on leadership, the mechanics and dynamics of a layered and complex role, all playing out in the public eye as coach of one of the biggest clubs in the country.

I must say, he is highly coachable, as you will experience listening to this podcast.

There are many layers to this conversation. Yes, the insights are invaluable, but you will also sense the principles he leads, be it his generosity, humility, and a sense of purpose, while acknowledging his role’s impact on the players he coaches and the club he leads.

He genuinely embraces his old coach Leigh Matthews’ mantra of:

- Know your role

- Accept your role

- Play your role

He will have you reaching for a pen and paper, jotting down the ideas and thoughts of a leader and teacher who has ‘done the work’, and challenging you to do likewise.

Episode #001 is a leadership masterclass, and we are so grateful to have the opportunity to share it with you.

You’re going to love this.

Play On!

Cameron Schwab