cluey goriya

Had a bloke corner me at a networking event last week asking why his $5,000 leadership course didn't magically transform his team. Made me laugh.
Here's the brutal truth: 73% of leadership programmes fail because they focus on theory instead of real human connection. I've been consulting for Melbourne businesses for 16 years, and the pattern never changes.
The companies that actually succeed? They invest in proper communication skills training that gets their people talking to each other like humans, not corporate robots.
Take Sarah from that accounting firm in South Yarra. Brilliant with numbers, hopeless with people. We didn't send her to some fancy retreat. Instead, she learned practical conversation techniques through targeted professional development that focused on listening first, speaking second.
Six months later? Her team retention doubled.
The real kicker? Most businesses skip the fundamentals. They want instant transformation but won't invest in basic interpersonal skills.
My advice? Stop chasing leadership fads. Start with communication. Everything else follows.
Your people don't need another motivational speaker. They need to know how to have a proper conversation without checking their phones every thirty seconds.