In this episode of Vistage LIVE, Stephanie Christopher speaks with Mark Puncher, a leading expert in employer branding and talent marketing, about how business leaders can navigate today’s rapidly changing workforce landscape. With economic pressures mounting and employee expectations shifting, Mark explores the risks of employer-employee disconnection and the crucial role of leadership in fostering engagement, performance, and loyalty.

Key themes include:

• The Talent Landscape Shift – The job market has moved from a hiring boom to a more cautious and uncertain environment, requiring leaders to rethink their approach to people management.
• Authentic Leadership – Employees don’t just need to feel valued—they need to feel valuable. Leaders must engage their people in problem-solving and decision-making rather than just directing from the top.
• Balancing Empathy and Accountability – While businesses must prioritise people, they also need clear expectations and commercial discipline to succeed.
• Culture as a Competitive Advantage – Strong cultures aren’t about a one-size-fits-all approach but embracing the diverse ways teams operate while staying aligned to shared values.
• Transparent Hiring & Engagement – Leaders who acknowledge the realities of their workplace—both the strengths and the challenges—will attract and retain the right people.

This episode is essential for CEOs, business owners, and leaders who want to build a high-performance team in an evolving workplace. Mark offers practical strategies for creating a culture where people are genuinely engaged, empowered, and committed—not just compliant.

In this insightful episode of Vistage Live, host Stephanie Christopher sits down with Michael Donoghue, founder of AdvisorAI, to demystify the critical journey of AI adoption for businesses. Drawing from his 16 years of expertise in fintech, digital payments, and AI innovation, Donoghue provides a pragmatic roadmap for organisations navigating artificial intelligence. The conversation cuts through the hype and confusion, offering clear guidance on how businesses can strategically approach AI integration, emphasising the importance of understanding AI's transformative potential across entire organisations, large or small.

The discussion offers a practical approach to AI adoption, highlighting key strategies such as developing simple yet comprehensive AI policies, focusing on staff education, and embedding AI across all departments. Donoghue challenges business leaders to look beyond technological complexity and instead view AI as a powerful tool for strategic planning, creativity, and productivity.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into how to upskill employees, ensure data security, and proactively prepare for the significant technological shifts expected in the coming years, with a particular focus on 2025 as a pivotal moment of AI transformation.

Before you dive into strategic planning, have you clarified your strategic direction? In this episode of Vistage Live, Jon Lindsay, a leadership expert with over 30 years of business experience and Vistage Chair, shares the crucial first step that often gets overlooked: defining where you want to go and why and unpacks how leaders can bring clarity to their organisation's purpose and priorities, setting the foundation for meaningful strategic plans.

Now is the perfect time to do the preparation needed to kick off 2025 with strong foundations in place. Whether you're a CEO, entrepreneur, or business owner, this episode will inspire you to step back, refocus, and ensure your organisation is aligned on the big picture. Tune in to learn how to create a clear and compelling direction that sets you up for success in the year ahead.

3 top tips to prepare for 2025, Jon recommends that business leaders:

• • Keep things simple and focus on strategic direction rather than detailed planning right now. Use simple models and frameworks to facilitate open conversations with the leadership team.
  • Look outside the business to understand industry trends and changes in the external environment. Don't try to do too much between now and the end of the year, but use this time to reflect on what's coming down the track.
  • Prioritize clarity, usefulness, and focus in the strategic approach. The goal is to have a strategy that helps make decisions, not a lengthy document.

Listen to this insightful conversation with Tim Trumper, author of "AI Game On," as he shares practical wisdom on how businesses of all sizes can effectively embrace AI. As both an entrepreneur and chairman of a multi-billion dollar conglomerate (NRMA), Tim brings a unique dual perspective on AI adoption that bridges the gap between entrepreneurial innovation and corporate governance.

Key highlights:

• Hear Tim's simple but powerful framework of "Mindset, Skillset, Toolset" for approaching AI adoption
• Discover how AI tools costing just $30/month can transform business operations, from customer analysis to procurement
• Hear real-world examples of how AI is being used practically, including preparing for AGMs, analysing contracts, and creating strategic presentations
• Understand why Tim believes "AI won't take your job, but a business who understands AI will take your customers"

A must listen to gain actionable insights on getting started with AI without getting overwhelmed by the technology. Tim demystifies AI adoption by focusing on business outcomes rather than technical complexity, sharing examples that any sized business can implement immediately. His message is clear: AI adoption isn't optional, but it doesn't have to be complicated – it starts with asking the right questions and having the right mindset.

Most importantly, Tim emphasizes that "the day of the blank page is gone" – AI tools are now accessible to everyone who can hold a conversation, making them invaluable for any business leader looking to stay competitive in today's rapidly evolving marketplace.

In this episode our guest Ashton Bishop challenges typical marketing myths, jargon, and the emphasis on vanity metrics that often obscure true profitability and growth and demystifies the distinctions between B2B and B2C marketing.

A must listen for CEOs and business leaders this frank and insightful conversation provides actionable insights to help leaders optimise their marketing effectiveness and equips business leaders with the knowledge to assess their current marketing efforts more critically and to craft strategies that resonate with buyers, ultimately enhancing growth and profitability.

In this episode of Vistage Live, Maja Paleka joins host Stephanie Christopher to discuss the evolving relationship between individuals and work, particularly in the post COVID world. They explore the shift in how people view work, the rise of anti-work sentiments, and the importance of balancing care and accountability in leadership.

Maja explains that many people experienced a paradigm shift during the pandemic, leading to a re-evaluation of the centrality of work in their lives. This shift has resulted in resistance to returning to old ways of working, with many now valuing flexibility and autonomy.

1. Shift in Work Identity: People have started questioning the role of work in their lives, especially after experiencing remote work and a different pace during the pandemic. Many no longer want their identity and sense of achievement to revolve solely around work.

2. Rising Anti-Work Sentiment: Maja highlights the emergence of trends like quiet quitting and "lazy girl jobs," which reflect a growing disenchantment with traditional work demands. While these trends can go too far, they underline the need for businesses to rethink employee engagement.

3. Balancing Care and Accountability: Maja emphasises that leaders must find a balance between caring for employees' well-being and holding them accountable for performance. This requires setting clear expectations, coaching, and having difficult yet compassionate conversations.

4. Navigating Remote Work Challenges: There is a tension between the desire for flexibility and the need for in-person collaboration. While leaders may find it easier to manage in-office teams, employees have grown accustomed to autonomy, and businesses must decide how to strike the right balance.

5. Importance of Radical Candor: Difficult conversations are necessary to foster growth and engagement. Maja encourages leaders to approach these conversations with care and compassion, as they can strengthen relationships and enhance trust within teams.

The podcast highlights the need for leaders to adapt to these new realities, combining empathy with accountability to create a work environment that respects employees' changing needs while maintaining productivity and engagement.

In this epidsode Ron Schwartz, founder of Brass Tax and expert in organisational transformation shares valuable insights on aligning your organisation by asking five key questions, and the importance of roles, goals, and decision rights. Whether you're a small business or a large corporation, Ron's advice on creating effective management systems and aligning talent is a must-listen! Tune in to learn how to turn challenges into growth opportunities.

Two top areas of focus for mid-sized business:

Management Systems - Systems and processes for growth
Aligning your talent around roles, goals and decision rights

In this episode Stephanie Christopher talks to Jane Lewis, Principal at the Outlook Consulting Group, about the challenges of change in professional services firms. Jane discusses the importance of tapping into the emotional and purpose-driven drivers of employees in order to navigate change successfully. She also emphasises the need for leaders to understand the difference between technical problems and adaptive challenges, and to approach adaptive change with a focus on discovery and understanding the promoting and resisting forces within the organisation. Jane suggests using the SCARF model (status, certainty, autonomy, relationships, and fairness) to address the needs and concerns of employees during times of change. Overall, the conversation highlights the complexity of change and the importance of effective leadership in managing it.