Blue Mercury - Leadership

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?

16/09/2025

Change doesn’t just happen on paper.

I’ve been working with a team caught up in a major restructure - and it’s been messy, confusing, and at times deeply unsettling.

My heart goes out to them, because behind every “new structure” diagram are real people with real emotions.

It reminded me that change isn’t just a business process, it’s a human one. We can’t expect people to move smoothly from one box on an org chart to another without acknowledging what they’re feeling along the way - uncertainty, grief, hope, even relief.

As William Bridges said:

“𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕.
𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆.”

When leaders pause to understand and name those emotions, it doesn’t magically fix the chaos, but it does create a sense of safety and respect.
That’s where trust grows, and that’s when people can begin to move forward.

How have you seen emotions show up during times of change?
And what, I'm interested to hear what helped people navigate it best?

14/09/2025

Last week I had four or five messages from people letting me know about a leadership development tender through the council here in Queenstown.

I do love being on the top of people's mind!

I took a look at it, but in the end I chose not to go down the GETS (Government Electronic Tenders Service) path.

Why?

For me, it comes down to priorities.

In my opinion, most tenders on GETS seem to be written with big companies in mind, not solo operators or small businesses.

They often require hours of paperwork, and from experience, it can feel like the decision is already made - the process is more about ticking a box than genuinely seeking fresh options.

If people wanted to work with me, they would

My late mum spent hours, weeks and months of her life in the GETS universe, answering stupid questions about 'printing costs' and other pointless queries.

At the end of the day, I’d rather put my energy into serving the clients who genuinely value the impact I have in their businesses and ensuring I bring my best to their work, instead of chasing tenders that don’t align with how I want to work.

That’s just my perspective, I'll get off my soap box - I’m curious how others see it.

❓Do you use GETS? Has it worked for you, or do you feel the same way?

11/09/2025

Who serves the people who serve our communities?

I often get the privilege of working with teams whose whole purpose is to support others – often in moments of risk, vulnerability, or high stress.

I tend to use the Emotional Culture Deck to explore how they want to feel at work, and how those emotions ripple outward.

Because emotional contagion is real -

the way we show up directly shapes the experience of those around us.

For these groups, creating space to name both the uplifting and the heavy emotions isn't just a “team building” exercise...

it is about building awareness and resilience.

It is about understanding that to care for others,
we first need to care for ourselves and each other.

It reminded me that emotions aren’t something to park at the door of work.

They’re the very thing that makes our work human.

❓So, team, I'm interested in getting the collective mind on this - How do you support the people in your team whose role is to support others?

07/09/2025

Sometimes a message just stops you in your tracks.

I was out for a run (not my strongest talent, let’s be honest) when a friend texted:
“Are you ok? Or are you being chased?”

I cracked up.
And I kept laughing for the rest of my run.

It reminded me of something I saw in the Chris Hemsworth documentary. Smiling and laughing through pain can literally make it feel lighter.
Shifting your emotional state shifts the experience.

I’m never going to be a great runner.

But I can choose to bring humour and joy into the struggle.
And that makes the tough bits not only bearable, but actually enjoyable.

Where have you found laughter makes the hard stuff easier?

04/09/2025

The beautiful Workplace Rituals deck from and arrived in the post today – and even Pepper is a fan!!

From the thoughtful, fully recyclable packaging to the way every detail of the customer experience has been considered, it’s clear how much love and care has gone into this.

I am so proud of their mahi!!

I can already see how these cards will spark meaningful conversations about the rituals that shape our workplaces – the little things that connect us, ground us, and keep culture alive.

Sometimes the tools we use are as inspiring as the work we do with them!!

I'm interested...

❓What’s a ritual you’ve seen make a real difference in your workplace?