Dig Deeper

Do you have a network? Of course you do. But is it the one you actually need? For most leaders, the honest answer is probably not — and it's not because you don't care about relationships. It's because you've never thought about them quite this way.
In this episode, I explore why the word "networking" can feel a bit icky, and why that reaction might be costing you the impact you're trying to create. I share a simple but powerful framework for thinking about the nine distinct roles people can play in your network, and why having a balanced set of those relationships, deliberately cultivated, can accelerate your progress and keep you grounded while you do it.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why leaders often resist building networks and what's really behind that resistance
The nine distinct roles people can play in your network (and why balance matters)
What a "door opener" and a "critical friend" actually look like in practice
Why the quality of your relationships, not the size of your network, determines your impact
How to start assessing the strength of your own network using a free diagnostic tool

References:
Network Diagnostic
Mike House Podcast Episode

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What if the moment you're told you've lost your job isn't the time to narrow your focus, but to widen it? When everything in you is screaming to grab control, shore up certainty, and solve the problem immediately, what would it take to do the opposite? To put down your phone, pick up your camera, and walk into the unfamiliar streets of a city that feels both beautiful and unsafe?
This conversation with Dr. Chris McKeown invites us into a different way of understanding leadership under pressure. Chris is both a photographer and an energy consultant—a combination that might seem random until you realise that both practices are about the same thing: knowing where to put your attention, understanding depth of field, and recognising that widening the aperture lets in more light.
When Chris lost his employment contract while sitting in Havana, he didn't rush to fix it. He grabbed his camera and walked. What he discovered wasn't distraction—it was something far more powerful. The neuroscience of awe. The practice of presence. And the recognition that our nervous systems are so jacked up by algorithms, back-to-back Zoom meetings, and the relentless pressure to perform, that we've forgotten how to stop.
Here's what you'll discover:
How widening the aperture—literally and metaphorically—helps you lead through uncertainty more effectively than controlling every detail
Why forcing yourself to stop isn't a luxury but essential infrastructure for doing hard things as leaders
How the anterior cingulate cortex connects awe experiences to empathy, compassion, and the ability to make difficult decisions
Why successful CEOs all have "opposite worlds"—creative practices outside work that aren't optional
How back-to-back meetings compound stress in your autonomic nervous system in ways your conscious mind doesn't register
Why "holding space" for others might be more powerful than solving their problems
How Chris's photography creates lasting impact in hospital rooms—and what that teaches us about legacy beyond our presence
Why the simple practice of looking up activates the default mode network and changes how you think

Other References
The Creative Act: A Way of Being | Rick Rubin
The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health | Ellen Langer
Atomic Habits | James Clear
Religion for Atheists: A Non-believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion | Alain de Botton
Stolen Focus | Johann Hari
Peak Experiences & Hierarchy of Needs | Abraham Maslow
Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)
Katie Hair Career Coaching
Katie Hair Podcast Episode
Te Papa Museum
Chris’s substack

Timestamps:
(00:00) - Creative Clarity in Old Havana
(08:52) - Widening the Aperture: Leadership Lessons
(14:24) - The Challenge of Attention in Modern Life
(19:45) - The Neuroscience of Awe and Leadership
(23:11) - The Importance of Creative Outlets for Leaders
(36:14) - The Impact of Art and Photography in Healing Spaces
You can find Chris at:
Website: nzenergyconsultants.com
Photography: chrismckeown.photography
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismckeown/
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When Mike House said "mentoring is any interaction that has the possibility of a disproportionate long lasting impact," something shifted for me. Not a formal programme. Not a monthly calendar booking. Just any moment where you notice something worth naming and find the courage to say it.
Yet we've made mentoring too formal, too time-intensive, and frankly, too heavy. We think it requires being the guru with all the answers, which means we miss the moments that actually matter.
This episode introduces five practical roles that any leader at any level can play to create those moments of disproportionate impact. Not theory. Not the corporate version of mentoring that looks good in annual reports but doesn't change much. Just ways of showing up that help others grow their capability.
I'll walk you through:
Why mentoring isn't about knowledge transfer but about creating conditions where growth becomes almost inevitable
The People Developer role: how to listen deeply, ask powerful questions, and challenge respectfully without diminishing confidence
The Cheerleader role: reflecting back people's brilliance when the daily grind makes them lose sight of their own capability
The Path Clearer role: removing unnecessary friction and helping people navigate organizational politics more easily
The Door Opener role: using your network and position to create opportunities that would otherwise remain invisible or out of reach
The Context Provider role: showing the bigger picture so people can transform isolated decisions into strategic moves
Which role to focus on first and how to practice it without adding hours to your calendar

This isn't about adding another development programme to your already long list of initiatives. It's about recognizing that if you're serious about leading lasting impact—about creating organizations that don't depend on you being the hero—then mentoring is how you build systems that think without you, adapt without you, and continue creating value long after you've moved on.
Whether you're formally mentoring one person or trying to build a culture where everyone develops everyone else, this framework will help you notice what's happening around you and choose to engage with it in ways that grow others' capability.
References:
Download the Five Ways to Mentor One-Pager: https://digbyscott.com/mentorroles
Episode referenced: 55. Chasing Certainty, Guerrilla Mindfulness, and Teachable Moments | Mike House - https://dig-deeper.captivate.fm/episode/interview-chasing-certainty-guerrilla-mindfulness-and-teachable-moments-mike-house
Episode referenced: 50. Listening beyond words and choosing what to say no to | Oscar Trimboli - https://dig-deeper.captivate.fm/episode/50-listening-beyond-words-and-choosing-what-to-say-no-to-oscar-trimboli
Solocast referenced: Four Questions That Change Everything - https://dig-deeper.captivate.fm/episode/43-the-four-questions-that-transform-leadership-conversations-what-what-is-what-if-and-what-now
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What if chasing certainty is actually making you less certain? Most leaders look outward for stability when everything's shifting, but that external focus keeps them perpetually off-balance. When the environment refuses to cooperate with our need for predictability, where do we turn?
This conversation explores a different kind of certainty: the kind that lives inside your team's clarity about who they are, not just what they do. Mike House brings an unexpected lens to leadership development, drawing from 20 years as a survival instructor watching people navigate genuine uncertainty in the outback. He's discovered that the same principles that help someone thrive when stranded with a soapbox-sized survival kit apply when we're leading through complexity.
What's possible when we shift from seeking certainty in circumstances to building it through identity and practice?
Mike spent two decades running what National Geographic called "the toughest thing outside the military anywhere in the world," dropping people into the Australian outback with minimal resources. Now he helps leaders and organisations navigate uncertainty by developing what matters most: the ability to respond rather than react, to spot moments of disproportionate impact, and to create systems that don't need them. He challenges conventional thinking about development, and shows that the most powerful growth often happens in 30-second exchanges we're walking right past.
In this conversation, you'll discover:
• How guerrilla mindfulness, a three-breath practice, can shift your leadership in moments of pressure
• Why looking for certainty in the environment will always leave you more uncertain
• What makes brief mentoring moments more powerful than formal development programmes
• How the gap between circumstance and response is trainable, not fixed
• Why the best mentors might be those creating systems that don't need them
• What survival priorities can teach us about leading through uncertainty
• How to develop the courage to act on teachable moments when you spot them
• Why purpose and identity create more certainty than any strategic plan
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Navigating Uncertainty in Leadership
(17:44) - The Power of Mentoring Moments
(32:12) - Adaptability in Uncertainty
(35:24) - Survival Skills for Business
(39:42) - Creating Conditions for Growth
(43:27) - Identifying Teachable Moments
Other References:
Pilbara Region
Box Breathing
Emotions wheel
fMRI (Functional Resonance Imaging)
The Five B’s for Thriving at Work

You can find Mike at:
Website: mikehouse.com.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themikehouse/

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When Mark Carney stood up at Davos in January 2026, he didn't just make a speech. He named what everyone was thinking but too afraid to say out loud. And the way he structured his message holds a powerful lesson for any of us leading people through uncertain times.
This episode unpacks a deceptively simple framework that cuts through all the noise about what leadership actually requires: See, Imagine, Do. Three practices that effective leaders cycle through again and again, whether they're giving a speech to world leaders or having a coaching conversation with a team member.
You'll discover why naming reality with unflinching honesty matters more than diplomatic softening, how to paint compelling visions that aren't just nostalgic wishful thinking, and what it means to take deliberate action rather than just staying busy for busy's sake.
I'll walk you through:
How Carney embodied all three practices in sequence and why that matters
The difference between seeking to be accurate versus seeking to be right
Why plenty of leaders see problems clearly but fail to offer compelling alternatives
How to move from inspiration to implementation without getting caught in frantic activity
Practical ways to integrate See, Imagine, Do into your daily conversations and decisions
The critical question every leader needs to ask: which of these three practices have you got nailed, and which needs more attention?

This isn't about adding more competencies to your already long list. It's about simplifying what leadership actually requires so you can be more effective in the conversations and decisions that matter most.
Whether you're navigating major organisational change or just trying to lead your team through everyday challenges, this framework will help you show up with more clarity and impact.
References:
See. Imagine. Do. Three Practices for Effective Leadership: https://digbyscott.com/thoughts/see-imagine-do-three-practices-for-effective-leadership
Mark Carney's speech at Davos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btqHDhO4h10
Transcript of Mark Carvey’s Davos speech: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/01/davos-2026-special-address-by-mark-carney-prime-minister-of-canada/
Václav Havel's greengrocer metaphor: https://pathtothepossible.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/havels-greengrocer/
Check out my services and offerings at https://www.digbyscott.com/
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