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Hey there. Welcome to classroom 5.0, a podcast helping

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you to design a future of learning, work and leadership that's

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both personally meaningful and creates impact for a better world.

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I'm your host, Marianne Power, and I'm thrilled you're joining me for another

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episode of our inclusive Impact series. You can expect topics

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and interviews that deep dive into what it takes to build a truly diverse and

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equitable world and learn science backed skills and soul filled

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strategies, helping our different kind of difference makers to thrive.

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Before we get started, I'd like to acknowledge the traditional owners of our homeland

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via Pai country, where this podcast was recorded, and pay our respect to

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elders past, present and emerging. It's a pleasure

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and a privilege to play, live and work our own country. And I'm so glad

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you're here. So let's dive on in to today's episode.

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Seth, I've had the privilege of sitting with you a couple of times

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now in conversation, actually. And each time I have, I've just

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been struck by your joy and your optimism and importantly, your human

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centered leadership. So it is just an absolute privilege to have you

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here. Welcome to classroom 5.0. Thank you, Marion. That's

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very kind of you, and I'm definitely looking

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forward to our conversation today. Well, me too. I know we're going to cover a

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lot. I think our biggest challenge is going to be staying to time, at least

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for me, because I've got so many questions I want to ask you, especially about

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the work and the impact you're doing at AGL and in your leadership. Before we

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get there, I've already introduced you professionally to our

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listeners, but I'm wondering if we could, let's say, peel back the curtain a little

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bit on your childhood, because I know from our conversations that you grew up

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in Kera, and that's a matriarchal society, I believe. So

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I'm really curious to hear what young Seth

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learned and how that shaped who you are today through your culture,

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your family, your values. Could you share a little bit about that?

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Excellent. Thank you for the question.

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Look, I was born and brought up in a middle class indian

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family. My childhood memories were

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about being super naughty and destructive

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at times. I hated the education

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system, but as a kid, I was very curious.

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I enjoyed my support, and more

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broadly, I enjoyed life in general. Our

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family, which is my surname, that's Patil,

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is one of the matriarchal families

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that has survived for centuries

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in the southwest indian state of Kerala, which is also

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known as God's own country. And it's popular for

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its picturesque backwaters, coconut

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lagoons, paddy fields, rubber and spices.

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Now, having grown up watching my courageous

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mom and lead the family, and my

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dad, who was the main breadwinner,

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being exemplary, not only being a role model

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for my sister and myself, but we

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stood as a family with some unique

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approaches, especially my dad, who was very

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much into helping and supporting all the minority

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groups, female members of our

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family, as well as our friends,

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disabled members of our family and society, tribal

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societies, et cetera. So this enabled a sense of

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purpose within me that has today been my north

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star as well. My parents were a

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great source of inspiration for me, living our

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core values of integrity,

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respect, and to be of service to everyone around. So that's what

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we grew up as kids.

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And India, known for

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its incredibly rich culture, history,

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tradition, taught me the importance

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of being tolerant, the importance of being

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empathetic, being humble, at the same time humanistic.

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So these are some of the traits that we learned when we were

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very young. And mom and dad were very, very strict in enforcing that

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as well. Through my professional

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journey, though, I was fortunate to experience

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different industries. I think five, five

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different industries, including the world's largest

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oil refinery. I was also

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fortunate to experience that in five

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different continents, countries over three decades. So

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it gives you a bit of a varied experience.

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And that experience has enabled me to be very

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skillfully adept at creating an environment where

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people feel very safe, people feel seen,

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people feel heard, people feel valued

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and aspired to grow and transform the world around them for

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the better. Look, broadly speaking,

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I'm a very pragmatically optimistic individual

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and I believe in a very bright future for everyone.

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And I genuinely believe that

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it's humankind's ability to build it together, which

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is the main thing. I dream of a world.

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I dream of the world to be a global village

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without any boundaries, where every

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human embraces their learnings from

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the east, from the west, from the various indigenous

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cultures, where diversity,

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equity and inclusivity is part of our DNA.

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Right? For a very prosperous future for

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upcoming generations. That's my dream. But, yeah, we are

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far from that. I love that. I love that you and I share that dream.

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And what I love about you, a person, if I. If I could

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share, is that that dream is just so closely held. The minute

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that I. That I connected with you, it didn't feel like a lofty dream.

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It felt like it could be a reality. And I really appreciate that about you

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and hearing a little bit more about your background. Actually, I'm joining some

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dots as to how that makes sense. I'm going to take you off script if

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I could, because I didn't know that, that you found your

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educational journey quite challenging, I think I heard you say,

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and yet I am not surprised by that curiosity that

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sprung up as a young person. Reflecting on that childhood

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experience, it seems to me that there was a really heavy influence from

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your family, from your culture, more broadly speaking, and then in

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your immediate family as well. How do you reflect now that

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your parents, perhaps, and culture and community helped

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you navigate that difficulty with your formal education to shape

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you, to maintain that love of learning and curiosity into the future?

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It's a big question. I appreciate. Yeah. So for me, it

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was, you know,

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I was the eldest in our family, and I have about six

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or seven cousins who grew

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almost at the same time. And being the eldest in the family meant

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that I wasn't given any privilege.

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My sister, on the contrary, who was next to me,

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was given a lot of

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support, making sure that protected and

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is coached to be independent once she grew

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up. So as siblings, obviously there was a bit

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of rivalry from that. So I was always very curious

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to actually learn and do better than her.

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It sounds like that sibling rivalry actually play to your advantage.

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I love that. I'll remind my children of the same.

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And for some reason, the education system, I

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generally believe, doesn't cater to the needs of setting

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up someone for the future. It's very

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scripted and it's very one size fits all sort of

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an approach. And to me, I think if

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you look at the. Some of the challenges that we have had to deal with

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in the last five to ten years or even earlier,

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my education system definitely didn't teach me or prepare me for that.

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It was more through, you know, experiences,

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travel, that and a lot

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of investments that I made in myself that shaped the person I

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am. They say that you need a village to actually,

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you know, develop you or develop any child,

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and that is so true. I mean, parents of obviously influence

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the role modeling aspect. They bring in the right values,

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they imbibe a bit of a purpose in you, but it is

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the overall experience

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that you experience actually makes you the person you are, isn't it?

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Yeah. Yeah. Oh, gosh, there's so much in that. Thank you for sharing. And

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speaking of experiences and travel, I'm curious

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to share with our listeners because I know a little bit about your migration story,

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but what prompted you to leave India, and what was that experience

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like and how did you end up in Agl? I was heading the

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central Engineering service team at Reliance

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Petroleum, which is the largest and the most complex oil

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refinery in the world today.

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And my wife was practicing

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dentistry at the time. In other words, both of us were very

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comfortable where we were doing the. You know, in the. In the. In

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the line of profession that we were trained to. Our daughter, she. I think

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she was three years at the time. And

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the. The. We wanted to make sure

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that she's able to chase her dreams

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in whatever she sets her eyes

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on and not to be the stereotype, because in India at the time,

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it was generally, the society would accept you generally, as a

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professional or respect you more as a professional, as in,

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you got to be a dentist or you've got to be an engineer, you've got

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to be a doctor or a chartered accountant or a lawyer or whatever. We didn't

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want her to go through that. We wanted to make sure that whatever she wanted

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is up to her. And we thought the best way to

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achieve that would be to migrate

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to places like Canada or New Zealand

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or Australia, which were the only three options at that time. Canada and New

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Zealand fell off due to one reason or the other.

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And Australia worked well for us in terms

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of getting our pr. And we landed in Sydney

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as permanent residents with a few bags.

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And one of our distant relatives, whom we

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had never met before, was magnanimous enough to

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host us and help us during the initial days in particular.

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And we are extremely grateful to them, even today. Amazing.

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I don't want to gloss over that image of you. I remember when you first

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shared this, yourself and Priya, your wife and your young daughter at the

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time, this young couple migrating, huge adventure to

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Australia with little but a few things in your back and just the

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determination, the resilience, and again, that optimism.

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And I think self belief just really struck me about your story. One

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thing I probably missed saying was that because

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we were so comfortable in India, when I said that

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we're planning to migrate to Australia with a young

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daughter, they said, are you sure you haven't got

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a job there? You don't have anyone there. You're landing in a new.

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This is 20 years ago, of course. Yeah. You know, is that the right thing

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to do? And I had my self doubts, I have to say,

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but at that time, I saw this,

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this, this thing on the net, which actually

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saw a frog actually climbing a hill,

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and the only frog that actually reached the top was

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a deaf frog. All the others were at the

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bottom because they were all listening to the people around them and they never

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believed themselves. So that struck me so much,

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actually, at that time. I remember that actually. So the message was just listen to

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everyone. And it was just serendipitously at that time that you saw that

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image as, wow. Yeah. Because it takes a lot to follow your

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own internal guidance, especially when the people that mean so much. And at that time

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I spoke to my wife and said that, hey, let's treat this as a one

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year holiday. Let's give it a go, let's be flexible. Whatever

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works is for the good. You had a fallback plan.

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What that meant was in a month or so, I was fortunate to

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find a proper job at Bayswater power station, which was owned by Macquarie

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Generation, a state owned corporation at the time in the engineering line,

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and gradually moved into maintenance, moored into

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operational roles. And when AGL, which was

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the. Which is the second longest serving business in the

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ASX, took over Macquarie generation at the time, I was moved

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to Liddell, Liddell power station, which is a twin power station, which has

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been pivotal for powering the New South Wales economy, especially during

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the earlier days. I was also fortunate to be leading that

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station over the last six to seven years prior to its retirement last

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year by focusing on safety

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or safe operations, I should say, and transition of its people.

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Respectfully, only 1% of

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coal fired power stations operate beyond 50 years globally. So we

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were certainly in that one person, which means that it was

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quite challenging. But as a collective, as a team, we

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delivered exceptionally good results, which I'm really, really proud

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of. And for those who don't know where Liddell is, so we're talking

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regional Australia, New South Wales. Can

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I quickly ask you to show you what it was like to turn up to

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that train station in the middle of regional Australia? As

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an indian man who just moved to Australia, what's that like?

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Although I have actually been in remote places,

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having traveled quite a bit before coming to

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Australia, I found the experience to be

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very different. I lined it up for

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the interview first at Musselbrook, because when I

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first landed, this was the first month of our

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being here in Australia, so I didn't have my license approved by the

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australian authorities, RTA then. So I took the train,

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landed in Musselbrooke, took a cab to the station,

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attended the interview, and I was on my way back to Sydney at the

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time and I thought, I don't think

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I would want to actually come back because it was very deserted. It was

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very. I hardly. Hardly saw people because in Massbrook, I think the

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population was very small.

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So I'm used to seeing people around

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and fortunately I got the job and

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the experience was quite unique in the sense I decided that

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Mussel Brook will not be the place where we live. So we decided Singleton, which

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is slightly bigger town close by.

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And that's how the whole journey started. Never looked back. And the other thing I

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probably forgot mentioning is that although a start to the regional New South Wales

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was not great, it turned

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out to be the best decision we have made. As in, we thought, this is

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the best place to bring up our

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daughter and I'm here 20 years later

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and. It is a beautiful part of the world. We're very lucky. We're very

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lucky. When we came from Sydney, I remember people

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saying, ah, Newcastle is a ghost town, especially since closure of the

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steelworks. So you might want to come back to Sydney or Melbourne

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or other places, but never did that. Never had to.

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You're still there. Well, we can share that. When we moved to Port Macquarie, my

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husband grew up here, but I was originally Sydney and we moved up

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and all of my friends said, are you wild? That's a

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retirement village. Well, I can tell you right now it ain't no retirement village. And

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even if it was, I'd be okay with that, because I'm okay with an early

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retirement. Yeah. Yeah. I think people underestimate what we bring

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in our regional areas and communities 100%.

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And now that you're at AGL and you have been for some time,

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20 years, am I correct in thinking? Yeah, that's. That's a long time to see

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a lot of change, I would imagine. And to be really pivotal in creating

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that change. I know as well in your role, I'm really fascinated about what

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motivates people in the work that they do and what excites them. And I'm

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curious, Seth, could you share with us three things, maybe three things

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less or more, if you like, about what excites you and makes your work feel

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really meaningful at the moment. Very good. For me, definitely

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top of the list has to be clean energy transition. That's something that

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I'm super passionate about. In my view, the clean energy transition

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is humanity's greatest economic challenge of our generation, at

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least we at AGL definitely

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are focused on that and also more broadly

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within the hunter as well as, obviously within the state and the country and globally

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as well. I'm equally excited

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in terms of the people and the culture aspects of. In

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other words, for me, I love working with people, I

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love talking to people, I love people in every aspect, because without people,

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nothing happens. And the cultural aspect to me is the

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biggest challenge. Having worked in different environments, in different industries

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in different countries. That's something

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that I believe could be the competitive

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advantage for any business, to be honest with you. Right. Culture for

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framing the right culture, which

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is something that is unique to the place,

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is the legacy that we leave. Right. And to me,

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you know, when I talk about culture, it is the experiences,

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basically, the experiences that provide the

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employees, the experiences that you provide your customers, the experiences

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provide the visitors. All these things

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matter. Making sure that we follow the diversity and

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inclusion principles. I'm a strong believer that

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there's a lot of talk about strategy,

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but I'm a strong believer that most

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businesses know each other's strategy. But the one

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that separates one, the good ones, from the great ones

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are the culture. And I believe that the culture could

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be a competitive advantage because it takes, I think, an average seven years or

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something like that to change culture. So it's not something that you can quickly

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replicate and think like that. So that's the reason I like

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people and culture. And last, it probably has to be

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the tech. Being an engineer by profession, building

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a tech enabled future, which is rich

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with data and AI is something that fascinates me as

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well. So, yeah, so those would probably be the

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top three for me. I love those. And I know that our

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listeners are probably most familiar with our conversations about people and

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culture. What I love is your intersection of the

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technology with people and the importance of that. And we're going to get to that

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in a sec, but can we just double click on clean energy for listeners who

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might not be as familiar with that language? What is clean energy all

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about? And can you give us maybe an example of a project or a case

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study that you've seen or that you've got planned at AGLs so that we can

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get a really kind of rich understanding of what impact you're creating there?

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Yeah, excellent. Look, I said I started off at Bayswater

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power station for people who may not know, base

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water generates 20% of New South

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Wales energy needs. It's huge. Now, the

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base water power station is currently scheduled to retire by 2033.

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Luoyang power station, which is in the Latrobe Valley in

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Victoria, which we own as well,

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is due foreclosure by 2035. What this

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would mean is these two closures would bring

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AGL's scope one and two emissions down to zero by then.

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This would present a unique opportunity for

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AGL to invest and to build the next generation

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of assets for the electric age. And we

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intend to do that by redeveloping and by transforming our

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large power station sites both in the hunter,

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electrovascular torrents into low carbon

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integrated industrial energy hubs that we call. Basically they

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are powered by renewable energy

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and complementary industries. So that's what

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an integrated industrial energy hub means.

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I said renewable energy. So we have started, or are going to

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start very soon, the construction of the LDL battery, which would form

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part of the energy mix. We are also having

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a tie up with edimitsu in terms of a muscle broke

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Musselburgh pump hydro project. And

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another project in the renewable energy space in the

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region is the Bowman's Creek wind farm as well. So a combination of

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wind batteries as well as pumped hydro is scheduled

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for the region. And they're all in different stages of assessment.

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Similarly, I mentioned about the complementary industry. So apart

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from powering up through renewable means, the hub

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would be looking at proponents, or

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to bring proponents into the precinct. We've got about

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10,000 land, which is almost like a town or a big

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town. So in that region, which

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already has some infrastructure through the Lidl and

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baseboard of power stations, how could we

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utilize the land for

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bringing modern manufacturing, for example? Right?

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How can we bring. How can we generate building products from

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ash? Maybe. Similarly, we have a project which is

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already functional in a manuka farm. So how can you grow

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manuka honey there as an agricultural

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industry? Similarly, we are in the process

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of developing and recycling precinct, as well as green

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metals, etcetera. So trying to work with components

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and bringing various industries to our precinct and powering them up with

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renewable power is our dream.

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As we talk about the future of

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AGL, the future of the hunter, especially given it is

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national Reconciliation Week, it is important to recognize that

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people have lived here for generations after generations, right?

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They've lived a life based on sustainable use

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of resources and in harmony with the natural environment. And what I love about everything

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that you've just shared, Seth, because I work a lot with younger people as well,

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and our emerging leaders. And one of the hesitations that I hear

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around moving into energy or engineering or tech in general,

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is fears about, is about climate and concerns

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about how companies have historically held themselves. And

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what I love, and I'm grateful for you sharing in all the ways that you're

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coming at this, really from a systems based lens as well. I think other than

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just looking at who are we as AGL traditionally and how can we make a

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tweak, is actually looking at that cross industry sector

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and looking at collaboration, cooperation, and again, coming back

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to that term of what is clean energy. I guess for me, the simple

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00:24:08,798 --> 00:24:12,470
interpretation is if we think about all the ways in the past that we've

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created and used energy in ways that have been harmful to the earth.

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00:24:15,814 --> 00:24:19,406
Leaders like Seth and AGL are looking at how can we turn this

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00:24:19,438 --> 00:24:23,156
around and how can we maintain and sustain a the lifestyle

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that we all enjoy, but with more respect and

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00:24:27,028 --> 00:24:30,676
appreciation for our country. So, yeah, thank you for sharing all of those

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00:24:30,788 --> 00:24:34,280
projects. I get excited when I talk to you about a sustainable future.

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One thing, I think we can have both. Yeah, absolutely. The one thing I want

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to actually reinforce is that for a sustainable

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future, industries, government

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00:24:45,924 --> 00:24:49,746
and communities need to work hand in glove. I think that's the key

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00:24:49,898 --> 00:24:53,634
difference. And none of the entities can

400
00:24:53,682 --> 00:24:57,218
do it or achieve that goal by themselves. So it is important.

401
00:24:57,314 --> 00:25:00,810
Collaboration, cooperation, to your point, is going to be pivotal for that

402
00:25:00,850 --> 00:25:04,570
reason. So can I ask you about a leadership before we dive into

403
00:25:04,610 --> 00:25:07,466
the tech? And of course I want to hear about your thoughts on the next

404
00:25:07,498 --> 00:25:11,218
generation as well. But what are some of the core values,

405
00:25:11,234 --> 00:25:15,042
if you like, or principles that are driving your leadership today? And

406
00:25:15,146 --> 00:25:18,900
I'm also really curious about your thinking in terms of

407
00:25:19,090 --> 00:25:22,792
whether that will stay into the future. And when I say future, I'm thinking not

408
00:25:22,816 --> 00:25:26,616
just sort of five years, but 1015 years from now. Where are you

409
00:25:26,648 --> 00:25:30,392
seeing a shift in terms of leadership demand and needs and

410
00:25:30,416 --> 00:25:34,072
qualities from your perspective? Great question. I love

411
00:25:34,096 --> 00:25:37,936
those futuristic questions. Look, I think we all know that the world is changing

412
00:25:37,968 --> 00:25:41,816
at a very rapid pace, right? We've got the war, the inflation

413
00:25:41,888 --> 00:25:45,476
and the list goes on. Similarly, the industries are

414
00:25:45,508 --> 00:25:49,012
transitioning as well. You know, for climate change is

415
00:25:49,036 --> 00:25:52,828
one space exploration, you know, most industries

416
00:25:52,884 --> 00:25:56,508
are transitioning from one to the other. Obviously

417
00:25:56,564 --> 00:26:00,044
technology has been a great influence in that

418
00:26:00,132 --> 00:26:03,580
transition. Now unfortunately, in my view,

419
00:26:03,620 --> 00:26:07,236
leadership doesn't seem to have kept pace with that

420
00:26:07,348 --> 00:26:10,640
change universally. Okay, in what way?

421
00:26:11,140 --> 00:26:14,636
Like, like for example, in my case at least, I did

422
00:26:14,668 --> 00:26:18,050
my, my management course, got my degree,

423
00:26:18,510 --> 00:26:22,130
and like most thought, I was here to manage people.

424
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Now, what I was taught was management, not

425
00:26:26,158 --> 00:26:29,870
leadership. They are not the same in my view. Sadly,

426
00:26:30,030 --> 00:26:33,846
I was not taught how to inspire people or how to care for people.

427
00:26:33,918 --> 00:26:36,902
I had the awesome responsibility of leading.

428
00:26:37,086 --> 00:26:40,926
Right. To me, what I've learned

429
00:26:40,958 --> 00:26:44,260
over the years after investing in myself is that

430
00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:47,060
leadership is the stewardship

431
00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,820
of lives. One has the absolute, absolute privilege

432
00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:55,640
and the awesome responsibility of leading. That's how I see leadership

433
00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,500
as. And as a leader,

434
00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:06,064
you're no longer responsible for the job per se. You're now

435
00:27:06,112 --> 00:27:09,020
responsible for inspiring, coaching, mentoring

436
00:27:10,020 --> 00:27:13,692
the people around you. Right? So the way to

437
00:27:13,716 --> 00:27:17,492
do that in my view, what I've learned is you got to

438
00:27:17,516 --> 00:27:20,480
look at the good in the people, focus on the positive.

439
00:27:22,660 --> 00:27:25,940
And when you treat them, when you value them

440
00:27:26,020 --> 00:27:29,596
as someone's precious child, it changes the

441
00:27:29,628 --> 00:27:33,276
perspective completely. So in other words, that enables to build a

442
00:27:33,308 --> 00:27:37,036
trust and respect. And what I've seen

443
00:27:37,068 --> 00:27:40,200
is that people go above and beyond when you go with that approach.

444
00:27:40,970 --> 00:27:44,786
And to a great extent, my style of leadership has been based

445
00:27:44,898 --> 00:27:46,750
on that success that I've had.

446
00:27:48,650 --> 00:27:52,458
And the broader societal benefits of that is that

447
00:27:52,474 --> 00:27:55,930
when people feel they are valued and respected and seen and

448
00:27:55,970 --> 00:27:59,590
heard, they go home satisfied,

449
00:28:00,010 --> 00:28:03,802
which means that they treat their family well and it has got ripple

450
00:28:03,826 --> 00:28:07,650
effects in the society. And more importantly, also, they come back the next

451
00:28:07,690 --> 00:28:11,372
day inspired, motivated

452
00:28:11,516 --> 00:28:14,604
to do a good job, wanting to contribute.

453
00:28:14,732 --> 00:28:18,340
So to me, leadership drives

454
00:28:18,500 --> 00:28:21,868
culture and culture drives the performance, right?

455
00:28:22,044 --> 00:28:25,800
Or another way of looking at it is that people with purpose drive performance.

456
00:28:26,500 --> 00:28:30,132
Oh, I like that. Oh, can we someone write that one down?

457
00:28:30,316 --> 00:28:33,996
People with purpose drive performance. I like that. I hope

458
00:28:34,028 --> 00:28:37,812
everybody's writing that one down. That, and I think

459
00:28:37,836 --> 00:28:40,112
you're going to have a million people knocking on your door to come and work

460
00:28:40,156 --> 00:28:43,672
with you. Tomorrow's Deb. If you're a leader of a

461
00:28:43,696 --> 00:28:47,304
business or in charge of a team of people, then chances are you're probably in

462
00:28:47,312 --> 00:28:51,048
the thick of getting up to speed on Australia's new psychosocial safety

463
00:28:51,104 --> 00:28:54,936
legislation. By law, companies now need to do what they can to protect

464
00:28:54,968 --> 00:28:58,664
their people against stress and burnout. But my question to you is that in

465
00:28:58,712 --> 00:29:02,376
creating your policies, procedures and programs, are you

466
00:29:02,408 --> 00:29:06,256
accounting for the different kinds of brains in your workplace? Stats would

467
00:29:06,288 --> 00:29:09,488
suggest maybe not. In the tech sector, for example,

468
00:29:09,584 --> 00:29:13,304
54% of people identify as neurodivergent.

469
00:29:13,352 --> 00:29:17,008
And yet, when we ask employers what they think that number is, they report

470
00:29:17,064 --> 00:29:20,888
back 3%. Now, that gap poses a significant problem, because

471
00:29:20,944 --> 00:29:24,736
without specialized understanding of neurodiversity, traditional

472
00:29:24,768 --> 00:29:28,608
policies and programs risk missing the mark, leading

473
00:29:28,624 --> 00:29:32,254
to higher instances of burnout, stress and growth, physical

474
00:29:32,342 --> 00:29:35,710
and mental health challenges and outcomes for our community. But

475
00:29:35,790 --> 00:29:39,374
understanding neurodiversity is more than just compliance. It's also about

476
00:29:39,422 --> 00:29:42,702
unlocking innovation. You see, diverse companies are

477
00:29:42,766 --> 00:29:46,254
70% more likely to attract new markets and

478
00:29:46,302 --> 00:29:49,966
36% more profitable than homogenous ones. I

479
00:29:49,998 --> 00:29:53,686
personally believe that neurodivergent leaders are the different kind of difference makers

480
00:29:53,718 --> 00:29:57,382
that our world needs right now. That's why I'm so excited to be

481
00:29:57,406 --> 00:30:01,172
launching the Neuroimpact network. We're changing the game for

482
00:30:01,196 --> 00:30:05,020
neurodiversity leadership, and bringing both our neurodivergent leaders and

483
00:30:05,060 --> 00:30:08,668
allies together, where we can share science backed strategies

484
00:30:08,724 --> 00:30:12,420
that support legal compliance and equip us with

485
00:30:12,460 --> 00:30:15,924
everything we need to be able to build neuro inclusive workplaces,

486
00:30:16,052 --> 00:30:19,628
plus peak performance and human flourishing. Science strategies

487
00:30:19,684 --> 00:30:23,372
that ensure we thrive and protect our mental health alongside

488
00:30:23,476 --> 00:30:26,976
community events so that we can truly connect and share one another's

489
00:30:27,008 --> 00:30:30,680
strengths, wins and challenges along the way. Neurodivergent leaders, listen

490
00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:34,512
up. I really believe this is our time and our space to shine and it's

491
00:30:34,536 --> 00:30:38,000
such a privilege to be welcoming you into this space. So if it sounds like

492
00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:41,512
something that's for you, if you're ready to say goodbye to burnout and hello to

493
00:30:41,536 --> 00:30:44,896
innovation that actually delivers impact, I'd love to see you on the

494
00:30:44,928 --> 00:30:48,712
inside. Everything you need for the applications are in the link below. I look

495
00:30:48,736 --> 00:30:49,940
forward to seeing you there.

496
00:30:52,570 --> 00:30:56,194
And so what about the future of leadership? If we take that as your, I

497
00:30:56,202 --> 00:30:59,858
guess, your value and your view of what it means to be a leader,

498
00:30:59,954 --> 00:31:03,162
which, by the way, I 100% agree with, where do you see the future of

499
00:31:03,186 --> 00:31:06,750
leadership headed? Or where do we need to make some changes? Yeah. So

500
00:31:07,090 --> 00:31:10,802
when you're predicting the future, what's important is to analyze the kind

501
00:31:10,826 --> 00:31:14,594
of trends. What are the trends saying in terms of what the future is going

502
00:31:14,602 --> 00:31:18,196
to be looking like? Right. So some of the, some of the trends that I've

503
00:31:18,228 --> 00:31:21,676
seen clearly indicates, in terms of the skills of the future clearly

504
00:31:21,708 --> 00:31:25,348
indicates analytical skills are going to be

505
00:31:25,404 --> 00:31:29,132
very important. Creative thinking is going to be really important. The problem

506
00:31:29,196 --> 00:31:32,756
solving ability, data and AI are going to be a huge part

507
00:31:32,788 --> 00:31:36,636
of business leadership,

508
00:31:36,668 --> 00:31:40,156
of course, is going to be front and center for any of these things to

509
00:31:40,188 --> 00:31:43,670
happen. And that curiosity and

510
00:31:43,970 --> 00:31:47,650
lifelong learning, sort of an attitude and approach, is going to be pivotal

511
00:31:47,690 --> 00:31:50,970
as well. So obviously, if these are the kind of

512
00:31:51,010 --> 00:31:54,786
skills of the future, then leaders need to be trained and

513
00:31:54,818 --> 00:31:58,594
upskilled to be able to actually deal with these changes.

514
00:31:58,762 --> 00:32:02,010
And it's probably worth mentioning that conscious

515
00:32:02,090 --> 00:32:05,722
businesses have three or four key fundamental principles that they

516
00:32:05,826 --> 00:32:09,652
stick to. Some of them very traditional at the same time, some of them

517
00:32:09,786 --> 00:32:13,192
very futuristic. And I'd probably say having that higher

518
00:32:13,256 --> 00:32:17,016
purpose, it's no more, it's about

519
00:32:17,128 --> 00:32:20,520
making profits. Well, without profits, businesses can't

520
00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:24,288
survive. But that's not why we turn up to work. So we have

521
00:32:24,304 --> 00:32:27,776
a higher purpose, which is why we turn to

522
00:32:27,808 --> 00:32:31,632
work, which is why we exist. Right. Similarly, having that

523
00:32:31,776 --> 00:32:35,576
stakeholder mindset. So when I say stakeholders, not just the

524
00:32:35,608 --> 00:32:39,172
customers, but also the employees, the communities,

525
00:32:39,276 --> 00:32:42,120
the families, the suppliers, you know everyone.

526
00:32:42,860 --> 00:32:46,200
So it's that shared mindset, is what I mean.

527
00:32:47,740 --> 00:32:51,476
Caring for the well being of all stakeholders is what I mean. It's

528
00:32:51,508 --> 00:32:54,988
not about money, power or ego. It is about caring

529
00:32:55,044 --> 00:32:58,844
for genuine care for the people, and in turn,

530
00:32:58,892 --> 00:33:02,252
the purpose of the organization in making life better for

531
00:33:02,276 --> 00:33:06,006
everyone. And lastly, I'd probably say the cultural aspect, which we spoke

532
00:33:06,038 --> 00:33:09,622
about earlier, I think I read

533
00:33:09,646 --> 00:33:13,454
somewhere that worldwide engagement is around 20%

534
00:33:13,542 --> 00:33:17,270
only, so, which means that 80% of the people are not satisfied

535
00:33:17,310 --> 00:33:21,094
with their work. And you often hear about, thank goodness it's Friday.

536
00:33:21,222 --> 00:33:25,046
And I dream of a world where people say, thank goodness it's

537
00:33:25,078 --> 00:33:28,902
Monday. It's Monday. I know. I think you and I are

538
00:33:28,926 --> 00:33:32,718
very blessed and we've made that fortune for ourselves to wake up and

539
00:33:32,734 --> 00:33:36,434
say, thank goodness it's Monday. It's always a privilege. Speak to people who love

540
00:33:36,482 --> 00:33:40,042
the work they do. And that's also the equal challenge, isn't it, is to bring

541
00:33:40,186 --> 00:33:43,722
others along that journey and ensure they love the work that they do.

542
00:33:43,906 --> 00:33:47,722
And you've spoken a little also, Seth, to something that we teach a lot at

543
00:33:47,746 --> 00:33:51,426
pozify in terms of that importance of the triple bottom line. And yes, of

544
00:33:51,458 --> 00:33:54,458
course, profit needs to be there to sustain a business, but that really, we need

545
00:33:54,474 --> 00:33:57,670
to start looking at the impact of value on people

546
00:33:58,290 --> 00:34:01,706
and on the planet as well, which is all about building that

547
00:34:01,738 --> 00:34:05,158
sustainable business future. So that's just

548
00:34:05,214 --> 00:34:09,030
brilliant. I love all of that. And I'm curious also to hear about your

549
00:34:09,070 --> 00:34:12,918
thinking for this next generation, because speaking of some of those statistics, I

550
00:34:12,934 --> 00:34:16,438
mean, we've got something like, is it 37% of the workforce is projected to be

551
00:34:16,454 --> 00:34:20,126
Gen Z by 2030, and 2030 is really not that far away.

552
00:34:20,318 --> 00:34:23,630
That's a big shift, really, from a transition in terms of

553
00:34:23,670 --> 00:34:27,006
intergenerational impact. What are some of

554
00:34:27,038 --> 00:34:30,795
the key opportunities and challenges that you're

555
00:34:30,827 --> 00:34:34,451
noticing in business as the generations

556
00:34:34,515 --> 00:34:38,275
come together? And what advice would you give, I guess importantly as well, for that

557
00:34:38,307 --> 00:34:41,439
next generation entering into the workforce? Yeah, for me,

558
00:34:42,499 --> 00:34:45,731
my daughter is Gen Z, so I get a bit of an insight about

559
00:34:45,915 --> 00:34:49,403
how. I know it's only one sample, but it gives a bit of an overview.

560
00:34:49,451 --> 00:34:53,171
About a very important sample. Yeah, exactly. At the same

561
00:34:53,195 --> 00:34:56,650
time, we were fortunate at Liddell, for example, to have

562
00:34:57,190 --> 00:35:00,934
four different generations working at the same time of people.

563
00:35:01,062 --> 00:35:04,654
So that definitely tested to a great

564
00:35:04,702 --> 00:35:08,430
extent in terms of how do you get the message across

565
00:35:08,590 --> 00:35:11,990
to different groups and how do you work, make them work

566
00:35:12,030 --> 00:35:15,806
collaboratively, that everyone benefits. So

567
00:35:15,918 --> 00:35:19,050
for me, integration of Gen Cs into the workforce,

568
00:35:19,590 --> 00:35:23,046
alongside other generations, present its own challenges as well as

569
00:35:23,078 --> 00:35:26,806
opportunities. And to ensure

570
00:35:26,998 --> 00:35:29,710
that we have a future fit, sort of

571
00:35:29,830 --> 00:35:33,606
intergenerational workforce, we need

572
00:35:33,678 --> 00:35:37,310
to focus on a few key aspects, like, we need to focus on

573
00:35:37,350 --> 00:35:40,830
fostering the right skills, right

574
00:35:40,870 --> 00:35:44,630
mindsets, right qualities. So when you talk about skills,

575
00:35:44,750 --> 00:35:47,930
Gen Z is obviously very technically savvy,

576
00:35:48,590 --> 00:35:52,390
whereas the baby boomers and the others, not

577
00:35:52,430 --> 00:35:55,762
so technically savvy, but they have the experience and the

578
00:35:55,786 --> 00:35:59,346
wisdom. So having that basic digital

579
00:35:59,418 --> 00:36:02,722
skill, as in proficiency in using digital tools and

580
00:36:02,746 --> 00:36:06,154
platforms, is going to be fundamental. Right.

581
00:36:06,322 --> 00:36:10,122
Similarly, understanding some of the emerging technologies like

582
00:36:10,266 --> 00:36:13,946
AI, cybersecurity as well, it's become so

583
00:36:13,978 --> 00:36:17,630
important in today's business world is crucial.

584
00:36:18,330 --> 00:36:22,060
Having that data literacy is a key aspect,

585
00:36:22,100 --> 00:36:25,436
as well as in the ability to

586
00:36:25,468 --> 00:36:29,172
interpret data, analyze data that's

587
00:36:29,196 --> 00:36:33,028
become so essential in today's world. Effective communication across different

588
00:36:33,124 --> 00:36:36,436
media, having that teamwork and that ability to work well, not

589
00:36:36,468 --> 00:36:39,600
only face to face, but also remotely, you know,

590
00:36:39,900 --> 00:36:42,960
skills and challenges. Some are better than the others.

591
00:36:43,660 --> 00:36:47,044
And I think the key is to understand different

592
00:36:47,172 --> 00:36:50,672
generational perspectives. At the same time, leaning on the

593
00:36:50,696 --> 00:36:54,352
strengths, as I mentioned earlier, is going to be pivotal. I think

594
00:36:54,376 --> 00:36:58,152
flexibility and openness to change, especially in this rapid pace

595
00:36:58,176 --> 00:37:01,832
in which the world is progressing. It's something that needs to

596
00:37:01,856 --> 00:37:05,608
be a skill that we need to upskill ourselves

597
00:37:05,664 --> 00:37:09,360
with. To me, mindset is everything. The

598
00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:12,944
mindset makes a big difference in terms of how you turn up to work, how

599
00:37:12,992 --> 00:37:16,830
you take on the challenges. And having

600
00:37:16,870 --> 00:37:20,278
that growth mindset makes a big, big difference. Something

601
00:37:20,334 --> 00:37:24,130
that we keep reminding the team as well from time to time.

602
00:37:24,990 --> 00:37:28,410
Having that continual improvement mindset, similarly,

603
00:37:29,190 --> 00:37:32,486
fostering that curiosity about new

604
00:37:32,518 --> 00:37:36,270
technologies, trends is a key, important aspect

605
00:37:36,310 --> 00:37:39,870
as well. I think having that cultural

606
00:37:39,950 --> 00:37:43,740
competency is equally important. You know,

607
00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:47,280
an appreciation for diverse culture, to me, is an important

608
00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:50,580
aspect. Similarly, as I said earlier,

609
00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:54,140
that intergenerational understanding, you know,

610
00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:58,792
and not us and them, sort of a thing, how can we work

611
00:37:58,856 --> 00:38:02,336
flexibly with different groups? Building that resilience to

612
00:38:02,368 --> 00:38:05,140
cope with and adapt to rapidly changing

613
00:38:05,720 --> 00:38:09,112
workplace in the industry is a key aspect. Encouraging an innovative

614
00:38:09,176 --> 00:38:12,642
mindset is equally important. So these are some of the

615
00:38:12,666 --> 00:38:15,898
mindsets, in my view, an emotionally

616
00:38:16,074 --> 00:38:19,858
intelligent leader, you

617
00:38:19,874 --> 00:38:23,310
know, makes, it would make a big difference in terms of being empathetic,

618
00:38:24,210 --> 00:38:27,474
in terms of even ethical leadership.

619
00:38:27,522 --> 00:38:31,122
Right. You know, being transparent, being

620
00:38:31,146 --> 00:38:34,922
vulnerable, you know, holding

621
00:38:34,946 --> 00:38:38,712
people to account all of those things would

622
00:38:38,736 --> 00:38:42,180
be a great skill to have. Similarly,

623
00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:47,312
having a mission oriented sort of an approach is key

624
00:38:47,336 --> 00:38:50,900
as well. Aligning personal as well as organizational goals

625
00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:55,936
with a broader purpose, I think it is very crucial,

626
00:38:56,088 --> 00:38:59,896
especially, particularly this is important to Gen Zs who

627
00:38:59,928 --> 00:39:03,728
value meaningful work and corporate social responsibility. I hear that all the time.

628
00:39:03,864 --> 00:39:07,352
And more broadly speaking, I think you touched on it as well. Committing to that

629
00:39:07,376 --> 00:39:11,212
sustainable practice is equally important as well. So

630
00:39:11,236 --> 00:39:14,700
those are some of the key tips I would

631
00:39:14,780 --> 00:39:18,148
suggest. They're brilliant. I'm really curious also

632
00:39:18,204 --> 00:39:21,932
because I hear what you're sharing a lot and I read a lot

633
00:39:21,956 --> 00:39:25,532
about it. And more recently I'm sitting between

634
00:39:25,636 --> 00:39:29,292
two sets of arguments that I hear almost like a dichotomy. On the

635
00:39:29,316 --> 00:39:32,948
one hand, there's the story that to prepare for Gen Z to enter the

636
00:39:32,964 --> 00:39:36,700
workforce and to shift towards a more sustainable business future, we want to be thinking

637
00:39:36,740 --> 00:39:39,760
about all of these human centric values, qualities,

638
00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:43,440
mindsets, skills. And on the other hand, I'm

639
00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:47,288
starting to hear a story that human sustainability is

640
00:39:47,304 --> 00:39:50,976
an ongoing problem and that actually there's a large proportion

641
00:39:51,008 --> 00:39:54,840
of companies, maybe not yet here in Australia, but certainly in the states, and

642
00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:58,672
statistics coming out around companies opting out of investing

643
00:39:58,696 --> 00:40:02,220
in their people and investing in diversity training, investing in

644
00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:06,352
personal and professional development for their people. How much of

645
00:40:06,376 --> 00:40:10,136
that is scaremongering from your perspective and fear based talk

646
00:40:10,208 --> 00:40:14,008
versus are you seeing any shifts? And if so, what do

647
00:40:14,024 --> 00:40:17,688
we do about that? Because I can't imagine us entering this new tech enabled future

648
00:40:17,744 --> 00:40:21,248
without investing in our people and ensuring they matter. Yeah, I

649
00:40:21,264 --> 00:40:24,968
think as I said earlier, there are

650
00:40:24,984 --> 00:40:28,752
pockets of change that you see. Some areas for

651
00:40:28,776 --> 00:40:31,672
the good, some areas the opposite direction,

652
00:40:31,736 --> 00:40:35,248
unfortunately. And businesses, if you look at

653
00:40:35,344 --> 00:40:38,600
trends of businesses which have actually, actually done exceptionally well

654
00:40:39,580 --> 00:40:42,820
by focusing on the people, the message is very, very

655
00:40:42,860 --> 00:40:46,200
clear. Yeah, I think. I think they talk about,

656
00:40:46,900 --> 00:40:50,692
you know, being tough minded and tender hearted. So

657
00:40:50,876 --> 00:40:53,520
the point here being you need to have that

658
00:40:54,460 --> 00:40:58,212
masculine qualities as well as feminine qualities together. And

659
00:40:58,236 --> 00:41:01,240
businesses who are able to adopt that sort of an approach

660
00:41:01,580 --> 00:41:05,276
all, at all levels, definitely seem

661
00:41:05,348 --> 00:41:08,886
to see a good

662
00:41:08,918 --> 00:41:12,582
culture and which obviously results in good

663
00:41:12,606 --> 00:41:15,170
outcomes for the business as well, overall.

664
00:41:16,750 --> 00:41:20,374
And the reason to focus on this is not so that you get good

665
00:41:20,422 --> 00:41:24,078
outcomes. It happens to be the outcome, the

666
00:41:24,094 --> 00:41:27,438
byproduct. You're not doing this for that, for getting a good outcome, but it happens

667
00:41:27,454 --> 00:41:31,278
to be a good outcome, if that makes sense. It does. And in

668
00:41:31,294 --> 00:41:34,930
terms of the DNI, I think it is.

669
00:41:35,310 --> 00:41:39,126
The research is very, very clear that by having a diverse team, by having

670
00:41:39,158 --> 00:41:42,734
an inclusive team, the results definitely

671
00:41:42,782 --> 00:41:46,438
outweigh not having them. But the important thing

672
00:41:46,494 --> 00:41:50,326
is that inclusivity, just having a diverse team is not

673
00:41:50,358 --> 00:41:54,078
going to give you the results. At the same time, just having an inclusive team

674
00:41:54,214 --> 00:41:57,870
is not going to give as good as a result as having them both.

675
00:41:57,950 --> 00:42:01,312
So I think that that's what I've seen.

676
00:42:01,416 --> 00:42:05,072
Research being shared. The case for people is still in

677
00:42:05,096 --> 00:42:08,656
place. In other words, I love that. Thank you. Thank you for

678
00:42:08,688 --> 00:42:12,408
reestablishing my trust and faith and hope in our future. I love that. I'm

679
00:42:12,424 --> 00:42:16,224
just going to put a blind eye to any of those other readings. Right, Oseth,

680
00:42:16,272 --> 00:42:19,568
I'm wondering if you're ready for our quick fire round. I've got a series of

681
00:42:19,584 --> 00:42:23,424
questions that I ask all of our guests that I'm going to put together

682
00:42:23,512 --> 00:42:27,016
at the end of this season and see what we've gathered in terms of themes.

683
00:42:27,048 --> 00:42:30,522
Are you ready to dive in? Thank you. The first one is

684
00:42:30,656 --> 00:42:33,678
what comes to mind when you think of the term impact

685
00:42:33,814 --> 00:42:37,630
mindset. Impact mindset. Impact mindset focuses

686
00:42:37,670 --> 00:42:41,270
on the positive and the lasting

687
00:42:41,310 --> 00:42:44,902
influence, if I can put it that way, you can have on the

688
00:42:44,926 --> 00:42:48,358
world. Some of the key qualities about impact

689
00:42:48,534 --> 00:42:52,290
mindset would be having that purpose, purpose driven approach,

690
00:42:53,390 --> 00:42:56,410
a solution oriented, sort of an approach

691
00:42:57,110 --> 00:43:00,630
result focus would be another approach.

692
00:43:02,050 --> 00:43:05,866
Having that empathy and compassion, you know,

693
00:43:05,898 --> 00:43:09,450
in the workplace and having that long term thinking rather than

694
00:43:09,490 --> 00:43:12,270
the short term gains.

695
00:43:13,330 --> 00:43:16,470
Collaboration definitely would be one of them as well. And

696
00:43:17,050 --> 00:43:20,730
having. Being adaptable and having that openness to

697
00:43:20,810 --> 00:43:24,314
learning would be a key aspect as well. In terms of

698
00:43:24,442 --> 00:43:27,988
impact mindset. Yeah, I love all of those

699
00:43:28,044 --> 00:43:31,580
things. That's brilliant. You've added a few in, actually, that others haven't before. That's really

700
00:43:31,620 --> 00:43:35,060
interesting, especially that collaboration piece. Oftentimes I

701
00:43:35,140 --> 00:43:38,428
hear people reflecting on their own impact, their personal

702
00:43:38,484 --> 00:43:41,932
impact. But I think there's a lot to be said about that collective impact as

703
00:43:41,956 --> 00:43:44,972
well. Probably also worth mentioning, resilience and

704
00:43:45,076 --> 00:43:48,280
persistence. I think often we tend to,

705
00:43:49,260 --> 00:43:52,700
you know, once we get. Get an opposing sort of

706
00:43:52,740 --> 00:43:56,580
response and we give up, I think it is making sure that

707
00:43:56,620 --> 00:44:00,416
if you believe in what you're planning to, I think we need to be

708
00:44:00,448 --> 00:44:04,256
persistent and persistent definitely pays. And having that grit to be able

709
00:44:04,288 --> 00:44:08,136
to do that makes a big difference. It does. I'll personally

710
00:44:08,168 --> 00:44:11,344
take that note. Thank you, Seth. Because it can be hard, can't it, when you.

711
00:44:11,472 --> 00:44:15,248
When you're wanting to make big changes. And it's easy to

712
00:44:15,304 --> 00:44:18,696
sort of fold up. But

713
00:44:18,888 --> 00:44:22,260
if you genuinely believe that you can see the

714
00:44:22,600 --> 00:44:26,336
good in what we are trying to achieve and implement and

715
00:44:26,368 --> 00:44:30,048
be impactful, I think we need to persist. Obviously, feedbacks need to be

716
00:44:30,064 --> 00:44:33,808
taken. One thing I probably worth talking about in

717
00:44:33,824 --> 00:44:37,380
terms of leadership. Leadership to me is parenting 101, right? So

718
00:44:37,880 --> 00:44:41,360
it is the same thing. While we love our kids, we don't give them everything

719
00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:44,832
that they want. So it is about making sure that you have

720
00:44:44,856 --> 00:44:48,416
the broader world overview.

721
00:44:48,568 --> 00:44:51,952
At the same time you're doing the right things so that you're setting them up

722
00:44:51,976 --> 00:44:55,300
for the future. That's exactly the same things. It's with those

723
00:44:55,340 --> 00:44:58,852
boundaries. Yeah, I really appreciate that. Thank you. What

724
00:44:58,876 --> 00:45:02,396
about the term inclusive impact? Inclusive impact to

725
00:45:02,428 --> 00:45:06,100
me is the focus on equity

726
00:45:06,140 --> 00:45:09,820
and justice. So that is about, to me,

727
00:45:09,980 --> 00:45:13,680
it is about representation. The key aspect is representation.

728
00:45:14,940 --> 00:45:18,756
In other words, you can have the numbers but they need to be represented.

729
00:45:18,788 --> 00:45:22,606
So inclusive impact ensures that all verses, all

730
00:45:22,638 --> 00:45:26,406
voices are heard and consideration the

731
00:45:26,438 --> 00:45:29,998
design and implementation of solutions. You've heard from

732
00:45:30,054 --> 00:45:33,742
everyone around you, accessibility solutions. Right.

733
00:45:33,846 --> 00:45:37,662
Are we having the right group of people who are going to be

734
00:45:37,726 --> 00:45:41,230
impacted by that? So, you know, having that thought

735
00:45:41,270 --> 00:45:45,086
process. Similarly, empowerment is a key aspect as well as

736
00:45:45,118 --> 00:45:48,598
in the goal is not to help people but, but to

737
00:45:48,654 --> 00:45:52,438
empower them to participate meaningfully and reach their full potential. That's

738
00:45:52,454 --> 00:45:55,210
what we are trying to achieve. So

739
00:45:56,430 --> 00:45:59,950
having that focus definitely makes a big difference in terms

740
00:45:59,990 --> 00:46:03,450
of having that inclusive impact. At the same time,

741
00:46:03,830 --> 00:46:07,670
having a positive impact is equally important. So considering the

742
00:46:07,750 --> 00:46:11,486
long term consequences, as I said earlier, and

743
00:46:11,518 --> 00:46:14,700
actions is pivotal as well.

744
00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:18,648
And addressing some of the root cause

745
00:46:18,824 --> 00:46:22,496
problems, are we, have we gone to the root cause of the problem? You know,

746
00:46:22,528 --> 00:46:26,256
rather than doing some window dressing sort of a thing, once again, I would like

747
00:46:26,288 --> 00:46:29,968
to reinforce the importance of a diverse range

748
00:46:29,984 --> 00:46:32,700
of having a diverse range of stakeholders

749
00:46:33,480 --> 00:46:36,816
enables that collaboration piece which we spoke about as well.

750
00:46:36,928 --> 00:46:40,492
So those are some of the, that's what inclusion certainly

751
00:46:40,516 --> 00:46:44,188
means. And as part of the DNI, you

752
00:46:44,204 --> 00:46:47,836
know, role that I did at Agile Macquarie, we were

753
00:46:47,868 --> 00:46:51,596
fortunate to shift the dial in many of these aspects by

754
00:46:51,628 --> 00:46:54,920
following some of these basic principles, which I'm really proud of

755
00:46:55,860 --> 00:46:59,564
having achieved as a collective. Well, if you're happy to share for two minutes a

756
00:46:59,572 --> 00:47:03,052
couple of those examples, I know our listeners would love, I would love to

757
00:47:03,076 --> 00:47:06,724
hear peel back the curtains a little bit on your own diversity equity inclusion

758
00:47:06,772 --> 00:47:10,438
initiative because you're doing things a little bit differently. Yeah, definitely. So for

759
00:47:10,454 --> 00:47:14,078
me, first and foremost, I put my hand up to be the chair of the

760
00:47:14,094 --> 00:47:17,330
DNI committee at Agile Macquarie because

761
00:47:18,110 --> 00:47:21,958
I've had lived experience and I wanted to actually definitely make

762
00:47:21,974 --> 00:47:25,790
a difference to the minority groups in all shapes and forms, irrespective of

763
00:47:25,870 --> 00:47:28,690
their sexual orientation, respect of their sex,

764
00:47:29,030 --> 00:47:31,570
irrespective of their disabilities

765
00:47:32,670 --> 00:47:36,518
and so on and so forth. So. And as a

766
00:47:36,534 --> 00:47:40,090
kid, that's what I saw, my dad helping

767
00:47:40,510 --> 00:47:44,350
people around. So it comes naturally to me in terms of

768
00:47:44,390 --> 00:47:47,622
making sure that this is how it needs to be done. But I saw that

769
00:47:47,646 --> 00:47:51,382
as a great opportunity to make a difference. That's what inspired me to put

770
00:47:51,406 --> 00:47:55,142
my hand up. And as I got involved, we were

771
00:47:55,166 --> 00:47:58,966
fortunate to have five or six different streams at AGL Macquarie.

772
00:47:59,118 --> 00:48:02,958
So we had the indigenous group, we had the cultural group,

773
00:48:03,014 --> 00:48:06,634
we had gender group, we had

774
00:48:06,802 --> 00:48:10,458
the carers working group, the Shine group, so we had about

775
00:48:10,514 --> 00:48:14,282
six different groups. We had leads for each one of those. And the way we

776
00:48:14,306 --> 00:48:17,546
worked it together was to be clear about

777
00:48:17,738 --> 00:48:21,230
AGL as a business. What are we trying to achieve in the DNI space?

778
00:48:22,690 --> 00:48:25,882
Not only having numbers

779
00:48:26,066 --> 00:48:29,850
to represent those groups, it is about participation as well, as I said

780
00:48:29,890 --> 00:48:33,486
earlier, so that we're consulting with the right bunch of

781
00:48:33,518 --> 00:48:37,238
people, making sure that their sufferings are heard and how we

782
00:48:37,254 --> 00:48:40,758
can actually mitigate that. How can we educate

783
00:48:40,814 --> 00:48:44,582
people to make it a better world for everyone through inclusivity? That's

784
00:48:44,606 --> 00:48:48,094
what we're trying to achieve. As a collector, I was fortunate to have some really

785
00:48:48,142 --> 00:48:51,814
passionate people because this is a thankless job, right? So you got,

786
00:48:51,862 --> 00:48:54,750
you have your day job and then you need to find time to do this.

787
00:48:54,790 --> 00:48:58,454
So unless you're passionate, you're definitely not going to give your hundred percent. And I

788
00:48:58,462 --> 00:49:01,676
was blessed to have a few leads who were

789
00:49:01,828 --> 00:49:05,556
extremely passionate about achieving some of these things. So we

790
00:49:05,588 --> 00:49:08,836
aligned ourselves with the overall objectives of the business. At the same

791
00:49:08,868 --> 00:49:11,120
time, we threw in our own

792
00:49:12,140 --> 00:49:15,372
innovative approach about how this needs to be done. So in other words,

793
00:49:15,476 --> 00:49:19,132
typically we had an event like an

794
00:49:19,156 --> 00:49:22,868
ADOC week, then the focus obviously is on indigenous culture,

795
00:49:22,924 --> 00:49:26,220
indigenous awareness, you know, education

796
00:49:26,300 --> 00:49:30,140
programs. But the way we rolled it out was all other groups

797
00:49:30,180 --> 00:49:33,880
helping make that happen. At the same time,

798
00:49:34,580 --> 00:49:38,356
when we had a, let's say a cultural event like a Diwali

799
00:49:38,388 --> 00:49:42,044
festival or so, then all the other

800
00:49:42,092 --> 00:49:45,812
groups helped the cultural team as well. For example, having that

801
00:49:45,836 --> 00:49:49,200
connection actually made everyone part of a broader group.

802
00:49:49,780 --> 00:49:53,550
And obviously we want to make sure that this is leader led,

803
00:49:53,590 --> 00:49:57,050
which means that leaders need to be willing to

804
00:49:57,750 --> 00:50:01,430
be part of that journey as well so that they can inspire

805
00:50:01,470 --> 00:50:05,062
their teams, you know, in terms of participation, in terms of

806
00:50:05,086 --> 00:50:08,790
representation, in terms of coming forward and being involved as well.

807
00:50:08,950 --> 00:50:12,526
We have some really lovely souls who are aligned in the

808
00:50:12,558 --> 00:50:16,358
thinking as well. So yeah, it's going to be, it's. Going to be

809
00:50:16,374 --> 00:50:20,190
fun, it's exciting. And what I really appreciated about that

810
00:50:20,230 --> 00:50:24,038
approach is that there's a specialty of the lived experience and

811
00:50:24,054 --> 00:50:27,806
that expertise and an ability and an opportunity to really drill

812
00:50:27,878 --> 00:50:31,390
down into a passion and a purpose area. And yet then

813
00:50:31,550 --> 00:50:35,366
the learning that comes from that cross collaboration and everybody coming together for

814
00:50:35,398 --> 00:50:39,030
a common purpose is something that I haven't heard of other organizations

815
00:50:39,070 --> 00:50:42,846
doing before. So I hope that that has inspired some others who might be listening

816
00:50:42,878 --> 00:50:46,646
today, because you're right, it can feel like when you're volunteering, in some

817
00:50:46,678 --> 00:50:49,964
ways a bit of a thankless task. But I think I. The gift always comes

818
00:50:50,012 --> 00:50:53,684
back from that shared hope and meaning and purpose that's created

819
00:50:53,732 --> 00:50:57,420
and the learning that comes along the way. Absolutely. In fact, one fun fact

820
00:50:57,460 --> 00:51:01,228
that we found when we. When the

821
00:51:01,244 --> 00:51:04,596
diversity group actually focused on getting an audit

822
00:51:04,708 --> 00:51:08,068
done by the diversity, you

823
00:51:08,084 --> 00:51:11,920
know, you know, Council of Australia,

824
00:51:13,140 --> 00:51:16,734
we found that they came, did an audit on our

825
00:51:16,782 --> 00:51:19,650
site and they said that this is the first

826
00:51:20,310 --> 00:51:23,570
site in regional area that

827
00:51:24,630 --> 00:51:28,406
we've done plenty of sites in the city, but in an

828
00:51:28,438 --> 00:51:31,530
industrial setup, this is the first time that it's ever been done,

829
00:51:31,990 --> 00:51:35,758
which blew us away, actually. And we took it as

830
00:51:35,774 --> 00:51:39,150
an opportunity. And the team actually have achieved some

831
00:51:39,190 --> 00:51:42,890
incredible results since then, actually, so. Which I'm really proud of as well.

832
00:51:43,010 --> 00:51:46,682
So my point is, I think there's plenty of

833
00:51:46,786 --> 00:51:50,570
learnings from that. And the journey continues.

834
00:51:50,610 --> 00:51:53,962
Yeah. Congratulations. I did not know that. That is an

835
00:51:53,986 --> 00:51:57,590
outstanding recognition and achievement, and I'm not surprised.

836
00:51:58,490 --> 00:52:01,898
Before I let you go, I have to ask if there's a top book or

837
00:52:01,914 --> 00:52:05,762
a podcast or a source of inspiration that you

838
00:52:05,786 --> 00:52:09,304
would love for our listeners to get amongst so that they can

839
00:52:09,352 --> 00:52:12,300
also educate themselves on some of these topics we've covered today.

840
00:52:13,600 --> 00:52:17,248
For me, I mean, it depends on the topic, obviously. So in

841
00:52:17,264 --> 00:52:20,952
terms of leadership, in terms of people and culture,

842
00:52:21,096 --> 00:52:24,648
one book that has actually immensely helped my

843
00:52:24,744 --> 00:52:28,536
thinking has been everybody matters by Bob

844
00:52:28,568 --> 00:52:31,980
Chapman and Raj Sisodia. That's an incredible book,

845
00:52:32,520 --> 00:52:35,220
which shaped many of my thinking.

846
00:52:35,950 --> 00:52:39,766
And in terms of leadership, once

847
00:52:39,798 --> 00:52:43,526
again, high performance habits has been another one

848
00:52:43,718 --> 00:52:47,374
by Brendan Burkhardt. I love technology,

849
00:52:47,462 --> 00:52:50,966
as you know. And what book would I. The

850
00:52:50,998 --> 00:52:54,574
future is future services five

851
00:52:54,622 --> 00:52:58,350
D. Oh, I haven't read that one. The Future Services 5D.

852
00:52:58,430 --> 00:53:02,086
Okay. By Jackie. By Jackie

853
00:53:02,118 --> 00:53:05,778
Scammel. Okay, I'm reading

854
00:53:05,874 --> 00:53:09,682
through that. I'm almost done with that. But it's another good book as well.

855
00:53:09,786 --> 00:53:13,282
But something that most people may not know is

856
00:53:13,306 --> 00:53:16,930
that most of the elite universities have got courses in any

857
00:53:16,970 --> 00:53:20,690
topic or most topics that you're after, and that's a free

858
00:53:20,730 --> 00:53:24,498
course. It doesn't cost you an arm and a

859
00:53:24,514 --> 00:53:28,298
leg to actually do. And obviously there's a limit to which you would learn

860
00:53:28,394 --> 00:53:31,816
to there are many free courses which you could probably take up. I have taken

861
00:53:31,848 --> 00:53:35,632
a few courses up myself to see is this

862
00:53:35,696 --> 00:53:39,472
of interest to me and is this benefit, and then probably switch over.

863
00:53:39,536 --> 00:53:43,192
So that may be another way. Plenty of

864
00:53:43,216 --> 00:53:47,008
podcasts that exist as well. Something in the clean tech space that

865
00:53:47,024 --> 00:53:49,984
I listen very regularly is the Xero from

866
00:53:50,112 --> 00:53:53,100
Bloomberg. That's a really good one.

867
00:53:54,360 --> 00:53:57,832
In the DNI space, business in color is a great one. I don't know if

868
00:53:57,856 --> 00:54:01,692
you've heard that, but beautiful. I find that similarly,

869
00:54:01,716 --> 00:54:05,000
no bullshit leadership. AI today is plenty, actually. So

870
00:54:05,460 --> 00:54:08,452
I'll be sure to put a list together. They are fantastic. And a few new

871
00:54:08,476 --> 00:54:11,604
ones for me too. And the last one, it's a big one. So I must

872
00:54:11,652 --> 00:54:15,280
warn you, for you, Seth, what does it mean to live a meaningful life?

873
00:54:17,340 --> 00:54:21,080
To me, a meaningful life is about

874
00:54:22,140 --> 00:54:23,520
purpose and contribution.

875
00:54:26,740 --> 00:54:30,436
I have to say that it's not a one size fits all for

876
00:54:30,468 --> 00:54:34,228
everyone, right? It depends on your values, what gets you out of bed, what

877
00:54:34,244 --> 00:54:37,956
are your aspirations, what your experience would shape, what

878
00:54:37,988 --> 00:54:40,240
it means for each individual. But for me,

879
00:54:42,140 --> 00:54:45,340
it is about aligning with my values, making a

880
00:54:45,380 --> 00:54:48,560
positive difference in the lives of everyone,

881
00:54:49,900 --> 00:54:53,454
or at least the people around you. Similarly,

882
00:54:53,542 --> 00:54:57,022
growth and fulfillment is a key aspect for me. I like to

883
00:54:57,046 --> 00:55:00,822
grow. I like to have that continual learning and evolving sort of

884
00:55:00,846 --> 00:55:04,450
a mentality. To be authentic

885
00:55:04,870 --> 00:55:08,598
is super important for me. I can't be someone else, so I have

886
00:55:08,614 --> 00:55:12,398
to be myself. Having

887
00:55:12,454 --> 00:55:16,286
that, maintaining that connection and relationship is super important to

888
00:55:16,318 --> 00:55:19,940
me as well. Forming those strong bonds

889
00:55:20,640 --> 00:55:24,488
with the loved ones, as well as feeling a sense of belonging, is a

890
00:55:24,504 --> 00:55:28,096
key aspect of that. And one last thing would

891
00:55:28,128 --> 00:55:31,744
be living in the present. You know, the power of now, I don't know if

892
00:55:31,752 --> 00:55:35,152
you've read the book, but so important, especially with all the

893
00:55:35,176 --> 00:55:38,312
distractions that we have in today's world, it is super important

894
00:55:38,416 --> 00:55:42,248
to live in the present and appreciate the

895
00:55:42,264 --> 00:55:45,902
little things that are in front of

896
00:55:45,926 --> 00:55:49,678
you. All of these things is how I

897
00:55:49,694 --> 00:55:53,210
would describe my sort of meaningful life.

898
00:55:54,070 --> 00:55:57,654
Thank you. And speaking of the power of now, I have lapped up every

899
00:55:57,702 --> 00:56:01,542
single second of this time with you. And I'm so deeply appreciative because

900
00:56:01,566 --> 00:56:05,310
I know how beautifully full your schedule is. So thank you for spending time

901
00:56:05,350 --> 00:56:08,862
with us here here on classroom 5.0. If listeners are

902
00:56:08,886 --> 00:56:12,446
keen to stay in touch or to follow the work you're doing, what's the best

903
00:56:12,478 --> 00:56:14,970
way to find you? Would it be on LinkedIn or how.

904
00:56:16,010 --> 00:56:19,570
I'm not super active, but I'm generally active, so definitely

905
00:56:19,610 --> 00:56:23,202
LinkedIn would be a good start to reach out. I'm happy

906
00:56:23,226 --> 00:56:26,930
to sort of help people if they are after any of those

907
00:56:26,970 --> 00:56:30,602
topics that I just now spoke about. Oh, fantastic. Thank you

908
00:56:30,626 --> 00:56:34,082
again, sir. As always, Marian, you do an awesome job and

909
00:56:34,226 --> 00:56:37,850
best wishes in what you're trying to actually, you know,

910
00:56:37,970 --> 00:56:41,474
achieve as well as shape the world. Thank you. Thanks for the

911
00:56:41,482 --> 00:56:45,258
opportunity. It's been lovely. Thank you, Seth, and likewise you too. And to

912
00:56:45,274 --> 00:56:49,082
our listeners, thank you again for joining us and your interest in inclusive impact. We

913
00:56:49,106 --> 00:56:52,818
will see you next episode. Thanks for joining me for

914
00:56:52,834 --> 00:56:56,666
another episode of Classroom 5.0. If this episode sparked an

915
00:56:56,698 --> 00:57:00,026
insight for you, why not share it with a friend who might benefit too? Or

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00:57:00,058 --> 00:57:03,674
spread the word by leaving your rating and review. I read every single

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00:57:03,722 --> 00:57:07,480
one and I promise you're interested in impact means the world.

918
00:57:07,940 --> 00:57:11,644
Classroom 5.0 is brought to you by the pozify group, a psychology, coaching,

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