Welcome to Margie's Insights and Interviews

Jul 15, 2019
Leading Change From The Inside Out
In 1997 businessman Ted Turner stunned the audience at a United Nations gala dinner where he was receiving the Global Leadership Award. Without prior notice, he announced that he was donating $1 billion to the UN to help defray the effects of American arrears. It turned
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Jul 22, 2017
Upgrade Your Mental Maps
Over the last three weeks, I’ve been in Europe enjoying the highlights of Italy, France and hiking up and down the Alps on a 'Tour de Mt Blanc'. I’m not sure if it was brave or foolhardy, but last week we hired a van in
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Jul 02, 2017
Conquer Impostor Syndrome
Leanne was recently promoted to head fashion buyer for an international clothing chain. When I rang to wish her congratulations, the first words out of her mouth were, “I’m just waiting for them to realize they made a mistake; that I don’t know near as
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Apr 19, 2017
Failure Isn't Final
When I sat down to interview Bill Marriott at Marriott’s international headquarters, I hadn’t reckoned on him turning the tables to interview me at the end. As you will see from our exchange, one of the things I shared with him is my belief that
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Feb 06, 2017
Don't Be Too Proud
I’m sure that you, like me, are proud of different things in your life. Your children, the goals you’ve achieved, the challenges you’ve overcome or the ways you’ve helped others to overcome their own. As you should be. Yet sometimes we can be too proud
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Dec 19, 2016
Risk More Rejection
When I met Teresa while running a leadership program at her company, she was miserable in her job as a risk analyst and had been for over 12 months. A year earlier she had applied for more senior position in her firm. When it was given to
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Nov 03, 2016
Women Going Global
Last week I had the opportunity to facilitate a 'power panel' of female founders at Business Chicks 'Movers and Breakers' conference. It's easy to look at women like Samantha Wills, Emma Isaacs and Lizzy Abegg - three trailblazing Australian entrepreneurs who have built global businesses from the ground
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Jul 20, 2016
Listen Up! You May Just Learn Something
Ever been in a conversation where you felt like the person you were talking to wasn’t listening to a word you said because they were too busy trying to convince you of their opinion? Yep, me too. It’s a common phenomenon. So much so that
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Jul 14, 2016
Your Failures Don't Define You
ONCE UPON A TIME, about one hundred years ago, a partially deaf four year old kid came home from school with a note in his pocket from his teacher. It read: "Your Tommy is too stupid to learn. We cannot have him at our school." His
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May 11, 2016
Don't spread your stress! Sage advice from Kathy Calvin, President, UNF
During my recent trip to Washington D.C. I sat down with Kathy Calvin, President and CEO of the United Nations Foundation whose job it is to steward over $1 billion dollars entrusted to the UNF. Kathy and I discussed an issue we are both passionate about
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Apr 25, 2016
Embrace Change, Risk Mistakes: My interview with Bill Marriott
"It's by embracing change and risking mistakes that you get ahead." ~ Bill Marriott One of the things I most love about my work is the people I get to meet. So it was a huge honor to be invited into Marriott headquarters to interview J.W. "Bill"
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Feb 26, 2016
Is unconscious bias derailing your decisions?
A few months back a friend shared how she was on the fence about hiring a man for a role as a financial advisor because he was 60 and seemed ‘a bit old’ despite being imminently qualified. I encouraged her not to let his age deter
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Sep 14, 2015
Need To Call It Quits?
I recall once holding on to a pair shoes that made my feet ache every time I wore them for no other reason than I paid a lot for them. In hindsight, it was pretty stupid. I only remember thinking, “I need to get my
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Aug 31, 2015
Resilience: Build "Muscles For Life"
Albert Einstein once said that our problems cannot be solved at the same level of thinking at which they were created. It’s a powerful quote because, let’s face it, life is one long stream of “problems.” And in our increasingly uncertain and pressure-laden lives, building
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Aug 24, 2015
Challenge Your Default
We are all creatures of habit. The challenge is to create habits of thought and behavior that fuel our success and happiness, not stifle it. Indulge me for just a moment before reading further. Just cross your arms and once you have, uncross them and re-cross
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Jul 29, 2015
Five Leadership Lessons From A Week With Richard Branson
Sir Richard Branson is a man I’ve admired as long as I remember. His books – jammed with stories of his entrepreneurial exploits and intrepid adventures on earth, sky and space – sit atop my bookshelves, their pages underlined with insights on taking risks, managing
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