Who the hell am I? Why should you read this newsletter?

Welcome to The Hidden Edge, where I cut through the BS and get real about what it takes to be a business leader today. My goal is to give you practical tools and strategies without the fluff, that you can immediately apply to your leadership journey.

And by the way, I’m Irish, so feel free to read this in an Irish accent.

I’m Jodie Rogers.

I spend my days immersed in some of the biggest companies in the world, working with leaders and their teams to navigate the complex landscape of running a business in 2024.

You might wonder why this matters. Well, everything Symbia does is grounded in primary research from anonymous conversations, that dive deep into the challenges of navigating uncertainty, such as using AI, managing conflict, organisational change, and prioritising focus.

Basically, I can shortcut a lot of people through a lot of challenges that the biggest businesses in the world face every day.?

With today’s business environment being how it is, having the ability to quickly adapt and make informed decisions is crucial.?

The stakes are higher, the competition is fiercer, and the margin for error is slimmer.

By leveraging the consistent insights and experiences gathered from leading global companies (while still protecting our client’s confidentiality), we can equip you and your teams with practical tools and strategies that help you to thrive.

Cutting through the BS

There’s a lot of BS out there.

There’s a lot of BS out there. But here’s what I’ve learned from over a decade working in tech, pharma, aviation, and even the chocolate biscuit industry: the fundamentals are the same across the board.

Whether it’s a multinational corporation or a local school, the principles of effective leadership don’t change.

And our work isn’t limited to corporate giants. We also engage in pro bono projects, bringing our expertise into schools and working across the whole spectrum of humanity.

This gives us unique insights into our behaviours and challenges, which are the same in business as they are in life.

The biggest secret: there is no secret

Everyone seems to be searching for the “3 step guide to X.”?

But it doesn’t exist.

The real foundation of sustainable performance on an individual level is boring and unglamorous (in the next newsletter, I’ll tell you more about sustainable performance on a team level). The below are the basics that everyone likes to forget:

• Getting enough quality sleep
• Nutrition
• Mental and emotional fitness
• Understanding how the brain works
• Hobbies and interests outside of work
• Community?

Leaders often think they’re immune to these basics, believing that investors, intellect, and savvy choices are enough to achieve business success.

But without these foundations, advanced skills and strategies are pointless.?

This is where our Mental Fitness Scorecard comes in. It’s a tool designed to help you build these essential foundations.

The business case for investing in mental fitness

Why is mental fitness crucial for your business??

Because it’s the hidden edge that gives you a competitive advantage. For example:

• Mental fitness enhances resilience: Teams that are mentally fit can better handle setbacks and bounce back quicker.
• Improved decision-making: A clear, focused mind makes better decisions, directly impacting your bottom line.
• Higher engagement: Employees with strong mental fitness are more engaged and productive.

If you want to read more, you can download our business case.

As you’ll soon learn, I have A LOT more to talk about than mental fitness.?

We’re privileged to work within some of the biggest companies of the world, with many of the most senior leaders - we’ll be giving you a sneak peak of how leaders in other companies are solving the challenges we all face - more news on that soon!

(And don’t worry, we won’t start sending you tons of emails asking you to sign up for a 30-minute call as soon as you click it. But it is an interesting read.)

Having said all this, it's important to remember that mental fitness isn’t a one-time achievement, but a practice.

It requires ongoing effort to maintain and enhance. By focusing on your thinking style and using techniques to manage self-limiting beliefs, you can gain more control over how you respond to life’s events.

While everything starts with getting the basics right, we know it’s not that simple. In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing a lot more about the complexities of navigating teams, and what it means to be a leader in a post-pandemic, pre-recession world.

In the next newsletter, we’re going to tell you what the secret is to creating high performing teams and how leaders can both cultivate and sustain them. And you’ve already guessed - it’s not a secret. But it is worth spelling out.

Remember, your mind is your most important asset. Take the time to look after it.

- Jodie.