Powerful Questions, Authentic Conversations, and Merging Money with Meaning

I had the pleasure of chatting with Melissa Rosenthal in this week's episode of The Jasper Blueprint podcast. Mel is a coach, mentor and educator based in Melbourne, Australia.

Mel uses “Informed curiosity” as the trademark of her work. Using her knowledge and experience to ask the hard questions that challenge your assumptions. Conversations are at the heart of her work, where she uses dialogue as the tool to help unlock new insights and create opportunities for her clients to think and act differently.

Mel and I both share a passion for the importance of equipping leaders to do business differently. Our conversation explores the nuanced dynamics of unlocking leadership potential, particularly focusing on the significance of powerful questions and authentic conversations in building a robust business culture.

If you're keen to jump straight into this week's Jasper Blueprint podcast you can watch it here, or if you prefer to listen scroll to the bottom of this page.

When it comes to leadership it is so important for a leader to understand their own needs and to prioritise time and energy for self care and introspection.

A key question Mel asks leaders she works with is "What do I need in place, so that when I show up for others, I show up at my best?"

Mel shares her transition from a corporate career to coaching and mentoring, emphasising the valuable lessons from both experiences. Having that practitioner based insight, really helps with client connection and offering genuine support.

The team culture of an organisation holds great power in the success and growth of a business. The building and creation of workplace culture needs to be led and nurtured.

Team members need to feel safe and confident to ask questions. It is paramount that leaders take practical steps to foster a culture of safety, curiosity, and powerful communication within their teams.?Not everyone feels safe or confident enough to ask the questions that matter - and the questions we don’t ask pose the greatest risk.

Change is constant and therefore our understanding of a situation or concept changes too. This is why as a leader it is crucial to continue to ask powerful questions and check in with your team to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Leaders should be true to their unique values and authentic in their approach rather than mimicking others, as there isn't a one size fits all. It takes great discipline to articulate and be clear about what you value as a leader and as an organisation. Taking the time to include your team in authentic conversations allows for meaningful contribution from everyone, and gives your organisation a competitive edge.

If you’re interested in checking out Mel’s card deck, mentioned in the episode, you’ll find them at www.52conversations.com.?

About Mel Rosenthal:

Mel spent the first 15 years of her career in corporate roles responsible for Product, Marketing and Innovation. Over the last 15 years, she has built a reputation as a coach and mentor who is commercially minded, straight-talking and pragmatic. Mel's speciality is navigating the leadership, culture and people-related challenges that emerge as people and teams scale. She works with Founders and Leaders across the globe to drive growth for companies and the people in them. Mel has an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, is a Professional Certified Coach accredited by the ICF and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

You can also connect with Mel via her website www.melissarosenthal.com or on LinkedIn at https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/rosenthalmelissa/

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