Leadership Decanted

Hosted by Paul Garcia & KG Butler

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Jul 2026

Language

EN-AU

About the show

Curious about leaders, leading teams, or leadership? So are Paul Garcia and Kerry "KG" Butler. In fact, they turned their periodic happy hour chats about life and leadership into the Leadership Decanted Podcast. Join Paul and KG as they discuss all things leadership. Each episode of Leadership Decanted asks fascinating questions about leadership and keeps the conversation flowing over a nice bottle of wine.

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60 recent

August 16, 202619 min

Cheeky Half Episode (42): Can you be a good leader AND a bad person, at the same time?

Message us!KG recently noticed some conflicting attitudes toward a leader: some people seem to be willing to defend them to the death, and others wouldn't follow them into a fire drill. Same person, same behaviour and two completely different verdicts, which suggests the disagreement may not really be a verdict on the leader at all. Maybe it's about where each of us privately draws the line around a moral or ethical position, and how wildly that line shifts between one person to the next, for reasons most of us have never actually examined.Paul suggests a similar question shows up whenever a talented, difficult or controversial artist gets discussed. Can the work stand on its own once you know what the person behind it was actually like? Somehow that question feels easier to answer when it's Picasso than when it's your own manager, mostly because your manager is unlikely to have an entire art gallery named after them.And maybe the harder question isn't about any specific leader at all. It's about whether we actually agree, any of us, on what crossing a line even looks like, or whether we've just been blindly nodding along this whole time.Join Paul & KG as they get into this Cheeky Half episode on whether a good leader can also be a bad person. Spoiler alert, we're not sure they know either.Sláinte friends! If you are interested in a written reflection of this discussion and its themes, you can find our brief article here. Please feel free to send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions any time by leaving us a text/voice message via the link at the top of these show notes!Or talk to us through either of the options below.Email: askus@leadershipdecanted.com Website episode comments: www.leadershipdecanted.comDisagree or agree with anything we've said? How wrong are we?!? Are there any leadership topics you'd like us to discuss, or people you'd like us to talk to? Maybe you'd like to recommend a favourite wine!Whatever tickles your fancy, we'd love to hear from you!!

July 26, 2026Episode 61 hr 13 min

(6.06) 97 Ways to Get What You Want.

Message us!There's a fairly persuasive myth about power: that once you have enough of it, everything else follows. This episode makes a decent case against that, using nothing more dramatic than a chief executive who can restructure an entire division and still can't get their own kid to tidy their room. If you've ever wondered why some very senior people still don't get listened to, or why some people with almost nothing get listened to constantly, this one's for you.Join KG and Paul as they chat to Jen Overbeck about why having power and having influence turn out to be two genuinely different things.As usual episode's wine comes from our friends, Annandale Cellars, and it's the 2025 Schmölzer & Brown Beechworth Merlot, a straight varietal from Tessa Brown and Jeremy Schmölzer's high-altitude vineyard. It pours a deep, dark garnet and opens with blackberry, cinnamon and dark fruit on the nose. On the palate it's fruity and balanced, with fine tannins, good body for a Merlot, and a bit of cherry and spice that lingers.Get at least half a dozen of these (or half a dozen of any of Annandale Cellars' amazing wines) and get a 20% discount by using our code at checkout: DECANTEDSláinte friends! Great to see you again!!Useful resources from this episode:Jen Overbeck's website: jenoverbeck.comJen Overbeck on LinkedInPathways to Politics for Women, the non-partisan political leadership program where Jen volunteersMelbourne School of BusinessPlease feel free to send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions any time by leaving us a text/voice message via the link at the top of these show notes!Or talk to us through either of the options below.Email: askus@leadershipdecanted.com Website episode comments: www.leadershipdecanted.comDisagree or agree with anything we've said? How wrong are we?!? Are there any leadership topics you'd like us to discuss, or people you'd like us to talk to? Maybe you'd like to recommend a favourite wine!Whatever tickles your fancy, we'd love to hear from you!!

July 12, 202624 min

Cheeky Half Episode (41): Human dignity in the age of AI.

Message us!Paul's been reading something unexpected: Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, arguing that AI should be judged against human dignity, not efficiency. It's a genuinely different take on a topic that mostly produces unreflective panic or unquestioned evangelism.Join Paul & KG for this Cheeky Half episode. And if you haven't yet listened to their earlier conversation on this in Cheeky Half 40, it makes a good companion listen.Cheeky Half episodes are short. So rather than spending your precious minutes on any further explanation, we definitely encourage you to listen.Sláinte friends! If you are interested in a written reflection of this discussion and its themes, you can find our brief article here. Please feel free to send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions any time by leaving us a text/voice message via the link at the top of these show notes!Or talk to us through either of the options below.Email: askus@leadershipdecanted.com Website episode comments: www.leadershipdecanted.comDisagree or agree with anything we've said? How wrong are we?!? Are there any leadership topics you'd like us to discuss, or people you'd like us to talk to? Maybe you'd like to recommend a favourite wine!Whatever tickles your fancy, we'd love to hear from you!!

June 28, 2026Episode 51 hr 10 min

(6.05) Leading with an Open Heart

Message us!Most leadership conversations happen above the neck. Steve Ray, a groupwork facilitator and open-heart practitioner, thinks that's only half the picture, and arguably the less interesting half. This is an episode about the inner critic, the community of selves, and what happens when a podcast host attempts a live meditation mid-episode and immediately starts contending with his own inner critic.Join KG and Paul as they chat to Steve, a groupwork facilitator at Group Work Centre and practitioner at The Natural Way of Living, about heart consciousness, the community of selves, and whether the parts of yourself you've been suppressing might actually be trying to help.Thanks as always to our friends at Annandale Cellars for supplying this episode's wine. This time we're drinking the 2021 Yal Yal Estate Yal Yal Road Pinot Noir from the Mornington Peninsula - a light, clear red that opens with raspberry and a hint of strawberry on the nose, picks up a little tartness as it breathes, and finishes with very soft tannins. Good body, nothing overworked, and as Paul put it - it warms the heart. The cockles, even. Get at least half a dozen of these (or half a dozen of any of Annandale Cellars' amazing wines) and get a 20% discount by using our code at checkout: DECANTEDSláinte friends! If you are interested in a written reflection of this discussion and its themes, you can find our brief article here. Useful resources from this episode:Steve Ray on LinkedInGroup Work Centre — Steve's facilitation practiceThe Natural Way of Living — the open-heart practice organisation Steve references throughout this episodeEpisode 6.03 — Leading through Consciousness: Seeing Things 'As They Are' with Marti Spiegelman — a companion listen for anyone who wants to follow this thread furtherPlease feel free to send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions any time by leaving us a text/voice message via the link at the top of these show notes!Or talk to us through either of the options below.Email: askus@leadershipdecanted.com Website episode comments: www.leadershipdecanted.comDisagree or agree with anything we've said? How wrong are we?!? Are there any leadership topics you'd like us to discuss, or people you'd like us to talk to? Maybe you'd like to recommend a favourite wine!Whatever tickles your fancy, we'd love to hear from you!!

June 14, 202619 min

Cheeky Half Episode (40): AI is not just a tool. It's a reflection of who we are.

Message us!KG has spent considerable time carefully avoiding the AI conversation on Social Media. His reward for finally joining that conversation is also our reward - a 'hot take' that turns out to be much more interesting than either the unreflective panic or unquestioned evangelism the hosts have frequently encountered on this topic.Join Paul & KG as they follow that thread in this Cheeky Half episode. And if you haven't yet listened to their conversation with Dr. Jay Spence in Episode 6.02, "Is AI coming for our brains?!?!", it makes a good companion listen.Cheeky Half episodes are short. So rather than spending your precious minutes on any further explanation, we definitely encourage you to listen.If you are interested in a written reflection of this discussion and its themes, you can find our brief article here. Please feel free to send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions any time by leaving us a text/voice message via the link at the top of these show notes!Or talk to us through either of the options below.Email: askus@leadershipdecanted.com Website episode comments: www.leadershipdecanted.comDisagree or agree with anything we've said? How wrong are we?!? Are there any leadership topics you'd like us to discuss, or people you'd like us to talk to? Maybe you'd like to recommend a favourite wine!Whatever tickles your fancy, we'd love to hear from you!!

May 31, 2026Episode 41 hr 1 min

(6.04) A Kaleidoscope, Not a Recipe: Systemic Leadership in Polycrisis

Message us!Something has seemed fairly obvious in the field of leadership development for a while now: the gap between what people learn and what they're able to apply when they return to their organisations. It shows up as disillusionment, stalled change efforts, and the recurring question of why things that seem so clear in a programme setting become so resistant in practice. It's a gap Liz Skelton has been sitting with, and working on, for over two decades.Join KG and Paul as they chat to Liz about systemic leadership, polycrisis, and the conditions that either allow or prevent new ways of working to take hold. Liz is a leadership practitioner, co-author of Lost Conversations, and PhD candidate at the ANU School of Cybernetics, and her work sits at the intersection of adaptive leadership, systems change, and the question of what it actually takes to shift entrenched dynamics.As always, the conversation is 'facilitated' by our friends at Annandale Cellars. On this episode we very much enjoy the 2024 Mastroberardino Mastro Bianco, a white blend from Campania in southern Italy, made by a historic family winery known for preserving ancient indigenous grape varieties. On the palate it's beautifully rounded and textured, with tropical notes of white peach and melon giving way to clean citrus and a freshness that keeps it from tipping into anything overtly fruit-driven. Paul also detected banana. The official tasting notes did not. We encourage you to weigh in.Get at least half a dozen of these (or half a dozen of any of Annandale Cellars' amazing wines) and get a 20% discount by using our discount code at checkout: DECANTEDSláinte friends! Great to see you again!!Useful resources from this episodeLiz Skelton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-skelton-3160834/The Adaptive Practice: https://www.theadaptivepractice.com.auANU School of Cybernetics: https://cybernetics.anu.edu.auLost Conversations, book.If you are interested in a written reflection of this discussion and its themes, you can find our brief article here. Please feel free to send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions any time by leaving us a text/voice message via the link at the top of these show notes!Or talk to us through either of the options below.Email: askus@leadershipdecanted.com Website episode comments: www.leadershipdecanted.comDisagree or agree with anything we've said? How wrong are we?!? Are there any leadership topics you'd like us to discuss, or people you'd like us to talk to? Maybe you'd like to recommend a favourite wine!Whatever tickles your fancy, we'd love to hear from you!!

May 24, 202625 min

Cheeky Half Episode (39): Did you experience A LOT OF stress yesterday? You aren't alone.

Message us!Gallup publishes its State of the Global Workplace report once a year. This year it's 251 pages of data on engagement, emotions, wellbeing and the general mood of the global workforce. One of its headlines on the 2026 edition? "Global employee wellbeing improved for the first time in three years."Paul and KG have questions. And Paul calls BS.Cheeky Half episodes are short. So rather than spending your precious minutes on a written explanation, we definitely encourage you to listen.You can find the Gallup State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report at gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspxIf you are interested in a written reflection of this discussion and its themes, you can find our brief article here. Please feel free to send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions any time by leaving us a text/voice message via the link at the top of these show notes!Or talk to us through either of the options below.Email: askus@leadershipdecanted.com Website episode comments: www.leadershipdecanted.comDisagree or agree with anything we've said? How wrong are we?!? Are there any leadership topics you'd like us to discuss, or people you'd like us to talk to? Maybe you'd like to recommend a favourite wine!Whatever tickles your fancy, we'd love to hear from you!!

April 26, 2026Episode 31 hr 16 min

(6.03) Leading through Consciousness: Seeing Things 'As They Are'.

Message us!If you are a 'dyed-in-the-wool' rationalist, you may not enjoy this episode. However, if every now and again you find yourself asking, "I wonder if there is truth and knowledge beyond what I see and hear - maybe even outside the 'accepted' boundaries I was taught?" then continue!KG and Paul are enthralled by a most unexpected conversation with Marti Spiegelman, a teacher and practitioner of 'Indigenous Technologies' or, as she herself sometimes refers to them, 'Original Wisdom'. Join us for the conversation where Marti takes our intrepid hosts through a journey of deep insight and roguish assertions. Is it possible to be in the world - in relationships, in leadership - in ways that are totally counter to those we have been exercised all our life? And thank goodness for Annandale Cellars! In fact, we aren't sure if Paul would've made it through the episode without the generosity of our great friends at Annandale Cellars. On this occasion we crack open a 2025 Mada Wines Blanc, from the Australian Canberra region. It is a fresh, bright blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer. Tropical notes on the nose and zesty freshness on the tongue. A wonderfully refreshing wine.Get at least half a dozen of these (or half a dozen of any of Annadale Cellars' amazing wines) and get a 20% discount by using our code at checkout: DECANTEDSláinte friends! Great to see you again!!Useful resources from this episode:The Foundations of Precision ConsciousnessShaman's LightIf you are interested in a written reflection of this discussion and its themes, you can find our brief article here. Please feel free to send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions any time by leaving us a text/voice message via the link at the top of these show notes!Or talk to us through either of the options below.Email: askus@leadershipdecanted.com Website episode comments: www.leadershipdecanted.comDisagree or agree with anything we've said? How wrong are we?!? Are there any leadership topics you'd like us to discuss, or people you'd like us to talk to? Maybe you'd like to recommend a favourite wine!Whatever tickles your fancy, we'd love to hear from you!!

April 12, 202619 min

Cheeky Half Episode (38): "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

Message us!Robert Burns' poem, To a Mouse, provides the line (translated into more modern English) to this episode's title. Paul went on that potentially fraught trip (see Cheeky Half 37 for that story!), and he thought he had everything under control - until he didn't. Cheeky Half episodes are short. So rather than spending your precious minutes on any further explanation, we definitely encourage you to listen.And yes, Paul & KG would like to acknowledge their privilege.Please feel free to send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions any time by leaving us a text/voice message via the link at the top of these show notes!Or talk to us through either of the options below.Email: askus@leadershipdecanted.com Website episode comments: www.leadershipdecanted.comDisagree or agree with anything we've said? How wrong are we?!? Are there any leadership topics you'd like us to discuss, or people you'd like us to talk to? Maybe you'd like to recommend a favourite wine!Whatever tickles your fancy, we'd love to hear from you!!

March 28, 2026Episode 21 hr 10 min

(6.02) Is AI coming for our brains?!?!

Message us!Artificial Intelligence is all over our feeds. It is both, promising and threatening, in equal measure.As we drink from the fire hose of hallucinatory AI 'information', what are we to make of its reach and its use? We know that many AI tools can parrot back meeting conversations and often provide some useful summaries of the topics that were discussed. But shared language can often lead to a blind and untested assumption of shared meaning. Just because we use the same words; does it necessarily mean we arrived at the same understanding?KG and Paul find themselves in a deep, and sometimes unsettling, conversation with Clinical Psychologist and Entrepreneur, Dr Jay Spence. Jay is co-founder and Director of Evro AI, a technology start-up that is looking to surface not just the meaning of the words people utter, but the meaning they may be making, or misunderstanding, between each other - beyond the words themselves.The potential application and implications of this project are enormous. But of course, it inevitably leads us to some very thorny places - ethically, psychologically and socially. Despite Paul's obvious discomfort, KG & Jay manage to talk him off the ledge, for at least long enough to enjoy an amazing bottle of wine!As always, the wine is generously provided by Annandale Cellars. On this occasion we crack open a 2023 Nick Spencer Wines, Light Dry Red, from Gundagai NSW. It's a superbly balanced blend of Pinot Noir & Shiraz, with lots of berries, cherries and spice on the nose. In the mouth it's an elegant fruit bomb - juicy but never over the top.Get at least half a dozen of these (or half a dozen of any of Annadale Cellars' amazing wines) and get a 20% discount by using our code at checkout: DECANTEDSláinte friends! Great to see you again!!Useful resources from this episode:Evro AIAustralia’s AI Ethics Principles2024 update to the OECD AI PrinciplesEthics Guidelines for Workplace AIPlease feel free to send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions any time by leaving us a text/voice message via the link at the top of these show notes!Or talk to us through either of the options below.Email: askus@leadershipdecanted.com Website episode comments: www.leadershipdecanted.comDisagree or agree with anything we've said? How wrong are we?!? Are there any leadership topics you'd like us to discuss, or people you'd like us to talk to? Maybe you'd like to recommend a favourite wine!Whatever tickles your fancy, we'd love to hear from you!!

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About the show

Listen to episodes

Cheeky Half Episode (42): Can you be a good leader AND a bad person, at the same time?

(6.06) 97 Ways to Get What You Want.

Cheeky Half Episode (41): Human dignity in the age of AI.

(6.05) Leading with an Open Heart

Cheeky Half Episode (40): AI is not just a tool. It's a reflection of who we are.

(6.04) A Kaleidoscope, Not a Recipe: Systemic Leadership in Polycrisis

Cheeky Half Episode (39): Did you experience A LOT OF stress yesterday? You aren't alone.

(6.03) Leading through Consciousness: Seeing Things 'As They Are'.

Cheeky Half Episode (38): "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

(6.02) Is AI coming for our brains?!?!

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