How I Work

• Inside the hardest year at Inventium (Part 2)

  Last week, I shared part one of my conversation with my teammate Aly Solly from Inventium. We unpacked some of the lessons from 2024 - our toughest year yet. After the cracks and burnout of 2024, this episode is all about how we rebuilt trust, reset our culture, and found our way back to being a team again. Aly and I talk about the offsite that changed everything, the small rituals that reconnected us, and how we learned to speak openly - even when it felt uncomfortable. We also discuss: The “Deal or No Deal” moment that clarified who was really in for the rebuild. Simple but powerful rituals - like our Team Health Monitor and Monday meeting questions - that strengthened connection. The pivotal offsite that helped the team confront the past and name the elephants in the room. How the team rebuilt trust through shared ownership and reflection instead of blame. Signs that things had genuinely changed. Why rebuilding trust starts with leaders taking emotional risks. KEY QUOTES “Trust isn’t rebuilt by policies or posters. It’s rebuilt by people taking small emotional risks again and again.” “Your vulnerability allowed us to be vulnerable. It reminded us that we were all on the same boat again.” Every Monday, we start our team meeting with one random question to break the ice and reconnect as humans. Here are a few of the questions we’ve loved: If you could have any superpower for a day, what would it be? If you could swap jobs with anyone for one week (realistic or not), who would you pick? If you were arrested for a crime, what would your friends assume you’d done? If you suddenly woke up as a billionaire, what would be the first completely unnecessary thing you’d buy? If you could instantly learn any new skill, what would it be? What’s a habit or routine you’ve recently picked up that’s working for you? What’s a hobby or activity you’ve always wanted to try but never got around to? If you missed part one, I recommend listening to that first so you understand how bad things got before we began to rebuild. Listen here. Connect with Aly Solly on LinkedIn. My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Quick Win: How to use AI to think better – not faster

  If you think AI is just about saving time or cutting headcount, you’re missing its biggest potential. In this Quick Win episode, futurist Bob Johansen – a distinguished fellow at the Institute for the Future in Silicon Valley – shares why leaders who only see AI as a productivity tool are missing the point. Bob explains that the real opportunity lies in using AI to augment how we think: to get unstuck, explore new ideas, and stretch our minds in ways we can’t do alone. Bob and I discuss: Why most leaders are stuck using AI for efficiency instead of creativity The mindset shift from artificial intelligence to augmented intelligence Bob’s prediction that almost all leaders will be augmented within ten years – or out of the game How to use AI as a thought partner to challenge your ideas and expand your curiosity Practical ways to start practising this today through conversation, not just prompts KEY QUOTES “Ten years from now, almost all leaders will be augmented – or you’ll be out of the game.” “The story isn’t about computers replacing people. It’s about humans and computers doing things together that have never been done before.” Connect with Bob on LinkedIn and learn more about his work at the Institute for the Future. Check out his latest book, Navigating the Age of Chaos Listen to the full conversation with Bob here. My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Inside the hardest year at Inventium (Part 1)

  We often talk about success stories, not the moments when things completely fall apart. But sometimes, that’s where the biggest lessons hide. In part one of my two-part conversation with my teammate Aly Solly, we talk about Inventium’s hardest year yet – the one that tested trust, stretched leadership, and forced us to rebuild from the inside out. After I released my Leadership Lessons episode from 2024, I had so many people reach out asking what really happened. How bad did it get? And how did we fix things? So, I sat down with Aly – who lived through that tough period – to unpack what it actually feels like when a high-performing team starts to unravel. Together, we talk about the cracks that appeared when trust faded, what it’s like to lead through burnout, and how even the best intentions can backfire. Aly and I discuss: The inside story of Inventium’s most challenging year – when hierarchy and structure divided the team instead of strengthening it. How burnout crept in and why high performers stopped working together. The unexpected damage caused by trying to “do the right thing.” How Aly’s trust in the team – and in me – began to fracture. The small moments that started to rebuild trust between us. What it’s like to face retrenchments as both a leader and teammate. The moment everything finally broke – and the phone call that changed how we work together. KEY QUOTES “It’s funny how the most instinctive thing to do is often the least constructive thing to do.” “I was so burnt out, but that moment we rebuilt trust reminded me what mattered about the work we do.” Connect with Aly Solly on LinkedIn. My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Quick Win: The AI experiment that made a CEO obsolete

  What if the smartest thing a leader could do is try to make themselves obsolete? That’s exactly what Georgie Holt, co-founder of Flight Story, set out to test. Her 60-day AI experiment wasn’t about replacing herself - it was about freeing herself from the operational noise that stops leaders from thinking, leading, and creating. In this Quick Win, Georgie shares how she built Scout - a custom AI assistant that automated the admin side of hiring and saved her 20 to 25 hours every week. By “killing off” the operational part of her role, Georgie found more time for what truly matters: people and purpose. Georgie and I discuss: The question that sparked Georgie’s 60-day AI experiment How she built Scout in a few conversations with GPT - no coding required Why mapping out her pain points was the real unlock The mindset shift from efficiency to presence How she now uses that freed-up time to focus on people and long-term vision Follow Georgie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgie-holt/ Listen/watch Diary of a CEO: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDiaryOfACEO Listen to the full conversation with Georgie here. My new book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: LinkedIn Instagram Want more tips to improve the way you work and live? Subscribe to my weekly newsletter for practical, science-backed strategies: https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe For full show notes from all episodes, visit: https://www.amantha.com/podcast Get in touch: [email protected] Credits Host: Amantha Imber Episode Producer: Sam Blacker, The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• The moment that changed how Holly Wainwright sees ambition

  We love to pretend we’re above jealousy – that successful, self-aware people don’t feel it. But that’s a lie. When bestselling author and Mamamia Out Loud co-host Holly Wainwright found herself wide awake one night, jealous of a close friend’s success, she realised jealousy wasn’t something to outgrow. It was something to pay attention to. Because jealousy doesn’t just make you small. It points to what you secretly want – the thing you’re scared to say out loud. In this episode, Holly and I talk about the strange power of envy: how it can shake your sense of self, clarify your ambitions, and even become the most honest career compass you’ll ever have. Holly and I discuss: The moment Holly recognised jealousy in herself and what it revealed about her buried ambitions. How jealousy can act as a signpost for what you really want – if you’re brave enough to look at it. The difference between ambition and competition, and how one can paralyse while the other propels. Why success metrics constantly shift, and how to define what “doing well” actually means for you. How to stay grounded and generous when envy or comparison start to creep in. The link between gratitude, perspective, and creative freedom. Key Quotes “You’re only jealous of things you really, really want.” “If I focus all the time on what other people are doing, that’s what paralyzes me.” Connect with Holly on Instagram and LinkedIn, listen to Mamamia Out Loud and Mid, and check out her latest book He Would Never here. Listen to Part 2 of this interview with Holly Wainwright here. My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple-to-apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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