Welcome
Business Leader Breakthroughs helps you unlock the potential in yourself, teams and businesses.
Hosted by Ryan Castle, along with Dr Mike Ashby, we share insights, experiences and stories on achieving breakthrough successes in business and life.
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Ryan Castle sits down with AI expert and entrepreneur Brian Russell, PhD to unpack how artificial intelligence is reshaping business growth and innovation. Drawing on his PhD and deep industry experience, Bryan shares practical insights on how business leaders can harness AI, from large language models to advanced decision-making tools, to scale expertise and solve complex problems.
Read MoreRyan Castle and Dr. Mike Ashby dive into the pressing challenges of leading a business in unpredictable times. With Trump’s proposed tariffs, global instability, and economic uncertainty dominating headlines, how can leaders stay grounded, keep their teams calm, and still move forward?
Read MoreRyan Castle chats with early-stage tech leader and HR expert Jennifer Aubin about what it really takes to lead teams in high-growth, high-stress environments. With 20+ years in startup leadership, Jennifer brings real-world insight into how great teams stay aligned, adaptable, and emotionally intelligent—without burning out.
Read MoreRyan Castle sits down with leadership coach Katie O'Malley to explore the essential qualities of great leadership—self-awareness, psychological safety, and listening skills. Katie shares her personal career journey, from pursuing political science and nonprofit work to discovering her true passion for coaching. She reveals how a misalignment between values and career choices can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction, and why developing self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership.
Read MoreRyan and Dr. Mike dive into the heated debate on returning to the office. With major corporations and governments pushing for in-office mandates, they explore the real drivers behind these decisions—productivity, company culture, and even cost-cutting disguised as policy shifts. They break down how different industries are approaching hybrid work and why a one-size-fits-all policy is often ineffective.
Read MoreRyan and Mike explore how equipping managers with essential people leadership skills can transform their performance and the productivity of their teams. They discuss the challenges of promoting technically skilled individuals to managerial roles without proper training and why this often leads to inefficiency and frustration for both managers and their teams.
Read MoreOur guest is Chris Morsley, an accomplished entrepreneur and business consultant based in Australia. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Chris is the founder and CEO of CMC Global, a leading consulting firm that provides innovative solutions in strategic planning, marketing, and business development. Today, Chris is sharing his insights and knowledge on charismatic leadership.
Read MoreIn this episode, Ryan is talking to Nadine Tereora, the CEO of AA New Zealand. They discuss the difference between leadership and management, whether you can "fake it till you make it" in leadership, and how you become a leader worth following.
Read MoreToday, Ryan is joined by Mark McConnell, the Global Lead of Learning and Development at Argenta, a leading Pharmaceutical manufacture. Mark shares the 6 C's of leadership, that he sees as the foundational pillars of any great leader. He helps us to explore those elements and shares insights from how they've been observed and applied during his 20-year career.
Read MoreIn this podcast, Mike and Ryan discuss how to attract and retain your starts from an employer brand point of view, even though the market is in employees’ favour recently. Join Mike and Ryan to see how to keep people at work and how to develop your managers to increase productivity with the people you have.
Read MoreWhether it’s dealing with underperforming employees, conflict at work, negotiating with a difficult client, or simply saying ‘no’, attempt to avoid difficult conversations every day. In this podcast, Mike and Ryan are tackling how to approach them and get the best results.
Read MoreToday Ryan is joined by Alisha Purtell, the Chief People Officer of Lion Co. Alicia shares her top three leadership insights into being a leader, including how to learn the art of thinking flexibly, how to be an authentic leader even when your values are being tested and the importance of a support network.
Read MoreIn this podcast, Mike and Ryan discuss stress at work and how to deal with it. A lot has been written on the impact of stress on our physical and mental health, so let's look at some ideas for dealing with the sense of overload.
Read MoreWe all know of the famous Red Band gumboots. How does one take rubber products and turn them into a symbol? In this episode, David Mair shares his three essential learnings in his career.
Read MoreIn this podcast, Mike and Ryan discuss the myth of the Great Resignation. They share tips and the latest research on how to approach it.
Read MoreJoin Ryan and Jen Scoular, Chief Executive of New Zealand Avocado, talking about top leadership principles, women and horticulture, and competing against a mariachi band to host World Avocado Congress in New Zealand.
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