095: The Power of Mentoring with Darren McFarlane

03/27/23 • 28 min

Darren McFarlane is my guest on this episode of the Soft Skills for Leaders Podcast. Darren is the founder of Next Level Mentoring. He realised the power of mentoring at the time he was an emerging leader in the oil and gas industry, and he had the opportunity to be part of a mentoring program. When Darren was at a crossroads later in life, he decided to start a business matching and supporting mentees with mentors, so that others could experience the value and results of having a mentor and being a mentor.

Talking Points

Where it all started for Darren
From an engineering background to leading a team
Human leadership changing the way of work
Open communication as a way to foster teams
Treat people the way you want to be treated yourself
Turning point from employee to entrepreneur
Becoming a mentee to realize the value of mentoring
The difference between mentoring and coaching
The importance of receiving feedback

Links to other Soft Skills for Leaders podcast episodes

Amplifying Team Accountability

Navigating Conversations in Business

Connect with Darren McFarlane

Web: https://www.nextlevelmentoring.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-mcfarlane-013a1724/

Connect with Lisa Evans

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaevansspeaker/

Website https://www.speakingsavvy.com.au

Ready to level up your public speaking, presentation skills and business storytelling? Book a complimentary coaching session with Lisa here.

Learn more about Soft Skills Academy here.

Your Host Lisa Evans is one of Australia’s leading Executive Public Speaking Coaches and Corporate Storytelling Trainers. If you would like help training your team in soft skills, public speaking and business storytelling, get in touch with Lisa.

Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram

Book a complimentary mini-coaching session with Lisa here.

Talking Points

Where it all started for Darren
From an engineering background to leading a team
Human leadership changing the way of work
Open communication as a way to foster teams
Treat people the way you want to be treated yourself
Turning point from employee to entrepreneur
Becoming a mentee to realize the value of mentoring
The difference between mentoring and coaching
The importance of receiving feedback

Links to other Soft Skills for Leaders podcast episodes

Amplifying Team Accountability

Navigating Conversations in Business

Connect with Darren McFarlane

Web: https://www.nextlevelmentoring.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-mcfarlane-013a1724/

Connect with Lisa Evans

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaevansspeaker/

Website https://www.speakingsavvy.com.au

Ready to level up your public speaking, presentation skills and business storytelling? Book a complimentary coaching session with Lisa here.

Learn more about Soft Skills Academy here.

Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram

Book a complimentary mini-coaching session with Lisa here.

Previous Episode

094: Future Fit Leaders with Gihan Perera

My guest on this Soft Skills for Leaders Podcast episode is Gihan Perera. We chat about the essential topic of how leaders can lead in today's workplace and be ready for the uncertainty of the future. Leaders can adapt by bringing the best from the past and to the future and learning new ways of working and leading.

Talking Points

The meaning of being fit for the future.
The new challenges facing leaders post-pandemic in the period of crisis management and growth.
The similarities between disruption and innovation.
The five key differences between teams that are aligned with the past with those that are fit for the future.
The best workplaces on earth and what the Harvard study showed us.
The payoff to diversity and how we need diverse thinking to solve the world's problems.
The ageing workforce and the value of younger and older people working together.
Engagement vs meaning and how an organisation may have a purpose aligned with people's values to optimise engagement.
Leadership in the age of Artificial Intelligence and how AI can help by accelerating the experience curve.
Automation of jobs and the skills of the future.
The two most asked questions that Gihan is asked when he speaks at conferences.
The importance of receiving feedback

Links to other Soft Skills for Leaders podcast episodes

Head & Heart Leadership

Well-Being of Teams

Connect with Gihan Perera

Website: https://gihanperera.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gihanperera/

Connect with Lisa Evans

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaevansspeaker/

Website https://www.speakingsavvy.com.au

Ready to level up your public speaking, presentation skills and business storytelling? Book a complimentary coaching session with Lisa here.

Learn more about Soft Skills Academy here.

Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Book a complimentary mini-coaching session with Lisa here.

Next Episode

096: Developing a Culture of Resilience with Dr Lynda Folan

Lynda Folan is my guest on this episode of Soft Skills for Leaders. Lynda has a PhD in Organisational Psychology, and 35 years of experience in the corporate world across three continents.

Her recently published book, "Leader Resilience - The New Frontier of Leadership" (2021), offers insights into the highly relevant topic of resilience and challenges how we think about leadership and leadership development.

Talking Points

- The early days of shaping a career
- The most significant changes in organisations over the decades
- Tougher for leaders post-COVID with change in work
- Organisations and leaders are more agile
- Mental health issues post-COVID has a huge impact
- Shifting thinking for the first step to building resilience
- A psychologically safe environment
- Recent Legislation Work Safety and Health Act 2020
- Psychological disconnect due to toxicity
- What are the signs of bullying and how is it defined?
- Covert bullying is common and hard to deal with
- The rise of narcissism in society
- First steps in tackling undesirable behaviour
- What we need to talk about.