Blue Mercury - Leadership

25/11/2025

As we close out the 2025 Riders and Elephants Speaker Series, I’m feeling pretty chuffed.

Our final session with Rebecca Holliday dove into ECD and CX and honestly, it was the perfect way to finish the year. Such good energy, such real conversation.

Hosting this series has genuinely been one of the real joys of my year.

I’ve loved connecting with people doing great work out in the world and being the person who gets to bring their ideas, stories, and courage into the room.

The R&E community is something special, and every session has reminded me why.

It’s been a genuine privilege to help share the awesome work happening across this community!! Can’t wait to see where we take it in 2026!!

23/11/2025

Last week the Southern Lights were out in full force. I was completely exhausted and genuinely needed an early night. Every part of me was ready for sleep.

But then the sky turned pink and green.

I knew I should go to bed… and I also knew I would regret missing it.

So I stayed up a little longer and watched. No fancy photos, just my IPhone. No big moment. Just standing there taking it in.

And honestly, I am glad I did. I lost an hour of sleep, but I gained something that felt just as important. A moment of joy. A reminder that life is not only about getting through the to-do list.

It made me think about how often we default to the sensible option, even when something special is right in front of us.

Sometimes it is alright to choose the thing that fills your cup.

When was the last time you paused for something small but meaningful, even when you were tired?

20/11/2025

The real lesson is not in the fall, but in what we do next...

Please enjoy this hilarious video of Pepper out on the mudflats with Chelsea, our lovely dog walker (put the audio on for the full experience).

At one point she absolutely stacks it.
Full face into the ground, legs everywhere, mud flying.

For a split second she is still (mostly as her body catches up...)

If she were human, this would be the moment we lick our wounds and think about what just happened.
Replay it.
Analyse it.
Feel a bit sorry for ourselves.

But Pepper does what dogs seem to know instinctively.

She pops back up. Gives a little shake. And bounds straight back across the mudflat to Chelsea with the exact same enthusiasm she had before she face-planted.

No overthinking. No shame spiral. No “what will everyone think”.
Just up and go again.

It struck me how much energy we spend staying on the ground.
The hesitation.
The rumination.
The stories we tell ourselves before we even try again.

Sometimes the hardest part of getting back up is not the fall itself, but the meaning we attach to it.

What if we gave ourselves the same grace that Pepper gives herself?
A moment to pause, a quick shake, and then carry on with the same joy and intent we had before things went sideways.

Where in your world do you need a little more “Pepper energy” this week?

19/11/2025

The little things are never little.

I have the privilege of facilitating an all-woman cohort for a leadership fundamentals programme at the moment, and something has really stayed with me.

Before anyone even walked into the room, the organisation had already done the work of saying “you matter”.

Fresh flowers on the tables.
A beautiful cake to celebrate the start of their journey together.
Thoughtful touches woven through the space that signalled care, intention, and pride.

None of it was grand or showy. It was simple. Human. Considered.

What struck me was how these tiny gestures created a sense of belonging before a single word was spoken. The atmosphere felt warm and grounded, like the organisation had pulled up a chair and said, “We see you. We value you.”

It reminded me that leadership is often built in moments like this.

Not the big strategies or the glossy statements, but the everyday signals that show people they are worth the effort.

The little things really do matter.
They shape our experience far more than we realise.

What small touches have made a big difference for you or your team lately?

17/11/2025

Out of the mouths of babes...

My godson was proudly handing out his new stick-on fridge letters to everyone in the room. One by one, we each got a little pile. Mine looked harmless enough at first.

Until I rearranged them and suddenly saw the word “fat”.

Then he generously gifted me a Z and a Y, turning it into “Fatzy”. Delightful.

In the moment we all laughed, but what struck me later was how quickly my brain went hunting for meaning. There were (perhaps) dozens of possible combinations in that handful of letters, yet I locked onto the one that reinforced a story I already know my brain can tell.

It reminded me how wired we are for patterns, shortcuts, and assumptions. Even in a joyful moment, surrounded by people I love, my brain still leapt to judgement first and playfulness second.

Perception is such a powerful thing.

Sometimes it is not the letters we are given,
but the meaning we assign to them.

How often do we take perfectly neutral information and rearrange it into something heavier than it needs to be?

And what could open up if we paused and asked ourselves, “What other meanings are possible here?”

02/10/2025

This is my husband Iain with his tiramisu-flavoured latte.
Yes, with lady fingers on-top.

Now, Iain has a habit of ordering what might be considered “girly drinks”. And more often than not, when they arrive at the table, the server places them in front of me.

We smile, swap them over, have a giggle and carry on - but it always makes me pause.

It’s such a small thing, yet it speaks volumes about the assumptions we make based on appearances.

The expectation of what a man “should” order.

What a woman “should” drink.

It got me thinking: how often do we do this in other parts of life and work?

Handing someone the role, the responsibility, or even the compliment that we think fits them - rather than really seeing them for who they are.

It's important to remember how easy it is to misjudge someone simply by the way they show up.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲?

30/09/2025

Fourteen leaders. Six months. One big journey.

Last month, I got to kick off a programme with a group of 14 leaders who are carving out time to invest in themselves - not just in what they do, but in how they show up.

Over the next six months I get the pleasure to help them explore:

♥ Leading self - understanding strengths, values, and the habits that sustain us.

♥ Leading others - building trust, navigating conflict, and shaping culture.

♥ Leading organisations - aligning vision, strategy, and people.

What excites me most is the diversity of experiences in the room.

Each leader brings their own story, their own challenges, their own brilliance. By the end, my hope is that they not only see themselves differently, but also see what’s possible when they lead with intention.

It’s a privilege to walk alongside them on this journey.

𝗜'𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄... 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝘅 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁?

25/09/2025

Who are your customers, really?

I was working with a health team, exploring customer experience.

One of the first steps was simply pausing to ask: Who shows up? Who are the people that matter most? Who are your customers?

To bring that to life, I sometimes ask teams to draw a picture of their customers.

Cue the initial eye-rolls and grumbles...“Why do we have to draw?”

But give it five minutes, and suddenly the coloured pens are out, people are laughing, and the room feels lighter.

What always surprises me is how much joy comes from doing something that’s not part of the normal day-to-day. Once people move past the reluctance, they lean in with enthusiasm.

And the conversations that flow from those drawings are often richer and more human than anything a spreadsheet could give us.

It reminded me that playfulness and creativity are powerful tools for connection, even in serious work....

even if you grump at it....

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱?

23/09/2025

Some nights just feel special - and this was one of them.

A couple of weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of joining James Laughlin’s book launch for Habits of High Performers in central Christchurch, at the stunning new QB Studios on High Street.

The room was buzzing with family, friends, and a fair few fangirls and fanboys (like me) all there to celebrate James’s next big chapter. It was such a privilege to witness his hometown launch and see the mix of personal support and professional admiration in one space.

A few punchy ideas from the launch that really stuck with me:

≋ High performance isn’t a birthright, it’s a habit.

≋ It’s not about hustle. It’s about alignment and clarity.

≋ The right habits help us break through overwhelm and build momentum.

Walking out of that launch, I felt inspired by both the message and the energy in the room - proof that when we focus on habits over hype, the results can be life-changing.

What habits are you leaning into right now that are helping you perform... not just survive?

23/09/2025

21/09/2025

Work doesn’t always have to look like work.

A few weeks ago, I had a coaching client join their CliftonStrengths coaching session… from a boat.

First time that’s ever happened for me!

It was a stunning sunny day where they were, and it struck me just how much joy there was in that moment.

When people ask me, how are you - I often say “I’m living the dream”.

Some people think I’m being facetious, but I genuinely mean it.

It’s my reminder that I am living my best life.

And this client was too, sitting on the water, investing in their growth while soaking up the sunshine.

It reminded me that work and life don’t have to be two separate boxes. We can design experiences that energise us, connect us, and remind us why we’re doing what we’re doing in the first place.

What does living the dream look like for you in your work right now?

18/09/2025

At the recent Facilitators Festival, someone pointed out something that made us all laugh...

but also hit home.

As facilitators, we’re great at noticing and affirming others.

But when it comes to receiving a compliment ourselves?
Painfully awkward.
The room practically squirmed.

I’ll admit, I’ve had to build myself a little “patter” to handle compliments. Something simple I can say that helps me accept the words without wanting to tear my own face off.

And then there’s my other go-to:
a meme of a beaver saying “shucks.”

If you’ve ever had that sent to you by me, that’s me trying (badly) to take a compliment. A very Kiwi kind of awkward.

But here’s the thing - when we downplay compliments, we dismiss the gift someone is offering us.

Taking it graciously is part of the practice.

❓So, I’m curious — how do you respond when someone gives you a compliment?