Former professional rugby player Nic Stirzaker of Gain Line Analytics tackles a fundamental question: why do some teams truly succeed while others fail?

The conversation challenges our obsession with constant change, arguing that the real driver of performance is the often-overlooked power of team cohesion - the deep, shared understanding between members built over time.

Nic illustrates this through compelling analogies, from the difficulty of riding a "backwards bike" to the inefficiency of navigating an unfamiliar supermarket, to show how disruption and "unlearning" old habits carry a heavy price. He also unpacks the "swing the pendulum" effect, where decisions made by leadership create amplified negative consequences for those on the front line.

The discussion reveals how our instinct to react to failure with immediate changes, a tendency called "action bias," is often counterproductive and can make a bad situation worse.

Ultimately, this episode makes a powerful case for the underestimated value of patience and stability in building winning teams in both sports and business.

Subscribe to Always Be Connecting:

https://storytellersaustralia.au/always-be-connecting/

Connect with Storytellers Australia:

🌐 Website: https://storytellersaustralia.au/

📞 Phone: 02 8096 5767

📧 Email: hello@storytellersaustralia.au

👔 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storytellersau/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storytellers.au/

Connect with Linsey Houston:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linseyhouston/

Connect with Nic Stirzaker:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-stirzaker-77b42113a/

🔗 Website: https://www.gainline.biz/

🔗 GainLine LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gain-line

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You're burnt out because someone lied to you: Hustle Culture is a total trap. The world's biggest GOATS aren't grinding 24/7. They're chilling out and mastering a few simple habits.

James Laughlin, a high-performance coach, and #1 best-selling author of Habits of High Performers, is here to show you how to win big. James debunks the idea that success means running yourself into the ground. His simple truth: GOAT-level performance comes from relaxed, sustainable habits.

Here's what we talk about:

• How figures like Nelson Mandela became legends by being "creatures of habit" not workaholics.
• The simple Radical Clarity framework James used to nail big personal changes (like quitting drinking).
• Why trying to change too many habits at once is your #1 mistake (the 66-day rule).

Subscribe to Always Be Connecting:

https://storytellersaustralia.au/always-be-connecting/

Connect with Storytellers Australia:

🌐 Website: https://storytellersaustralia.au/

📞 Phone: 02 8096 5767

📧 Email: hello@storytellersaustralia.au

👔 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storytellersau/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storytellers.au/

Connect with Linsey Houston:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linseyhouston/

Connect with James Laughlin:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslaughlincoaching/?originalSubdomain=nz

🔗 Website: https://www.jjlaughlin.com/

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jameslaughlinofficial/?hl=en

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Always Be Connecting, host Linsey Houston sits down with Cathy Burke, an esteemed leadership coach, author of Lead In, and the former CEO of The Hunger Project Australia.

Cathy unpacks her philosophy that true leadership is an "inside job," beginning with the stories we tell ourselves. She introduces her transformative "three-legged stool" framework, combining Mindset, Heartset, and Soulset, as a powerful tool for lasting change.

The conversation dives into dismantling the core belief of "I'm not enough" and overcoming a scarcity mindset by recognizing your unseen resources. Linsey also shares a personal epiphany he had while reading Cathy's book, connecting her lessons on "unlikely leaders" to underdog stories like Happy Gilmore. This episode is an essential guide for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider but is ready to lead from within.

Subscribe to Always Be Connecting:

https://storytellersaustralia.au/always-be-connecting/

Connect with Storytellers Australia:

🌐 Website: https://storytellersaustralia.au/

📞 Phone: 02 8096 5767

📧 Email: hello@storytellersaustralia.au

👔 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storytellersau/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storytellers.au/

Connect with Linsey Houston:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linseyhouston/

Connect with Cathy Burke:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-burke-1658985/

🔗 Website: https://www.cathyburke.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.