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Insights

Insights are where we explore the latest learnings from the fields of organisational, leadership, and neuroscience studies and what they mean for leaders today. Get curious and come explore “next practice” with us.

Ways For Leaders to Supercharge Team Motivation Levels

While motivation is often regarded as an intrinsic attribute, there are some very real ways that leaders can influence the extrinsic factors that elevate engagement levels. And this is the moment to implement them. Studies throughout 2024/25 show declining employee…

Dr. Marianne de Pierres
Insights, Leadership, Learning and Development, Teams

Is Gamification Really the Future of Learning Design?

Life-Centre Design in Learning Designing learning technologies poses a number of unique challenges. No only do we need to get the learning approach right, but we also need to optimise the technology.These systems are required to take everything we’ve come…

Marcus de Courtenay
Insights, Learning and Development

Making leadership development stick

“The true art of memory is the art of attention.” Samuel Johnson  Time, time, time. The number one enemy for leaders everywhere. Once we’ve factored in core work, team development, strategic planning, broadening networks and influence (and the list goes…

Marcus de Courtenay
Insights, Learning and Development

The Power of Curiosity: Keeping Things Interesting in the (Hybrid) Workplace

“Because a stimulated intellect is a sine qua non to carry out challenging tasks, managers must consider establishing the right conditions in the workplace that encourage and foster vigorous social exchanges among the employees in their pursuits of intellectual curiosity.” …

Marcus de Courtenay
Insights, Leadership, Learning and Development, Teams

How to Overcome Motivation Dips at Work

You’re having a motivation slump at work. It could be as simple and as temporary as Mondayitis or Hump Day, or as profound as considering resigning. Either way, you’re experiencing a loss of energy, focus, and desire to do your…

Dr. Marianne de Pierres
Culture, Insights, Leadership

Activating our Presence – the greatest challenge for today’s leaders

If someone asked you to “make time” for something at work, how would you react? I’m guessing you might feel a tightening in your chest, or your head may throb. Perhaps your thoughts fly to your backlog of tasks and…

Dr. Chris Rowell & Gretel Bakker & Dr. Marianne de Pierres
Insights, Leadership

AI, the Erosion of Cognition and Capability, & the Future of Leadership 

While many leaders are embracing AI at full speed, few are considering its cognitive, cultural, and developmental implications. AI is not just transforming how we work; it’s reshaping how we think, learn, and grow. As leaders we face a crucial…

Dr. Chris Rowell
Insights, Leadership

When AI Becomes the Boss: What’s at Stake for Human Autonomy, Meaning, & Connection?

Picture this….. You’re in a meeting where AI has designed the agenda, selected the participants, and set the objectives. As you speak, relevant data appears on screen in real time. The system tracks your contributions: how often you speak, your…

Dr. Chris Rowell
Insights

What AI Can’t Replace – The Value of Human Friction

As companies rush to deploy AI in pursuit of efficiency and scale, they’re not just automating tasks, they’re redesigning how work gets done. One way to make sense of this shift is through the lens of organisational frictions: the forces…

Dr. Chris Rowell
Innovation, Insights

The Human Cost of Rapid Change – Why Organisational Design Must Become Human Design

We live in a world where change is constant, relentless, and sometimes overwhelming. Here in Australia, employees today face an average of 19 organisational changes per year, a number that’s almost hard to fathom. No wonder the willingness to support…

Gretel Bakker & Sarah West
Insights, Leadership

Compassionate Leadership: A Catalyst for Regenerative Futures

The recent 2025 Australian elections were charged by much stronger undertones than normal. They weren’t simply a nod to a particular party platform, but a vote by the majority of the Australian people affirming a set of national values, i.e.,…

Gretel Bakker & Dr. Marianne de Pierres
Insights, Leadership

Why Scarcity is Our Default: evolving from survival to self-direction

Scarcity mindsets, rooted in vigilance, fear, and defence, were once essential to human survival. Today, however, they are increasingly maladaptive when now, more than ever, we need collaboration, openness, and creativity. This article explores how scarcity remains our neurological and…

Dr. Natasha Budd
Leadership