The Latest from Kristy-Lee

Hello and welcome to Episode 318 of the People Powered Business Podcast.

Do you have someone on your team right now where something just feels... off? Maybe you knew when you hired them, maybe it crept up on you slowly — but either way, you're still holding on. And if that's you, this episode is going to hit close to home.

This is one of my most listened-to episodes and I'm bringing it back because I keep seeing this play out in businesses every single week. The hiring market has shifted since I first recorded this, but the problem hasn't changed one bit. Business owners are still holding onto the wrong people for too long — and it's the rest of the team that quietly pays the price.

In this episode I walk you through exactly what a wrong hire looks like in the early stages (because when you're in the weeds it can be surprisingly hard to see), the real reasons we keep people around even when we know we shouldn't, and the three ways holding onto the wrong person erodes your team's mor...

Micromanagement is one of the most common leadership traps for business owners.

Many leaders fall into it without even realising. Others know they do it but feel stuck in the cycle, unsure how to stop. It often starts with good intentions. You care about your business. You want things done properly. You want your clients to receive the best possible outcome.

But somewhere along the way, that attention to detail turns into something else.

And when it does, it can quietly undermine your team, your culture and even your profitability.

Let’s break down what micromanagement really looks like, why it happens and how to shift out of it.

What Micromanagement Actually Is

Micromanagement is typically defined as a leadership style where a manager closely observes or controls the work of their team to an excessive or unnecessary degree.

It’s not the same as being hands-on or caring about quality. Those things are healthy.

Micromanagement happens when leaders insert themselves into every...

Hello and welcome to Episode 317 of The People Powered Business Podcast.

In this episode, we are tackling one of the most confusing and high-risk areas for business owners right now, the difference between employees and contractors.

I’m joined by Jeanette Jifkins from Onyx Legal, and together we unpack why this isn’t as simple as choosing what you want to call someone. We explore how recent Fair Work changes, alongside ATO requirements, have made this space more complex than ever, and why getting it wrong can have serious financial and legal consequences for your business.

We dive into the legal perspective on what truly separates an employee from a contractor, including the critical role of control, the “whole of relationship” test, and what courts actually look for when making a determination.

Throughout the conversation, we share practical examples, common mistakes business owners make, and how contractor relationships can easily drift into employment without you even realising....

When team performance drops, most business owners naturally look to the team for answers.

Maybe someone isn’t pulling their weight. Maybe standards have slipped. Maybe motivation feels low or results aren’t where they should be.

It’s easy to assume the problem sits with the employee. But what if that’s not?

What if your team’s performance is actually reflecting how you are showing up as a leader?

This idea can feel uncomfortable at first. But the truth is, leadership plays a much bigger role in team performance than many business owners realise. And the good news is that leadership is not something you’re either born with or not.

Leadership is a skill that can be learned and strengthened over time.  Let’s explore three key ways leadership directly shapes the performance of your team.

Performance Problems Often Start with a Clarity Problem

One of the most common causes of underperformance in teams is a lack of clarity.

Many business owners assume their expec...

Hello and welcome to Episode 316 of The People Powered Business Podcast.

In this episode, we are diving into how to write a script for any tricky team conversation, whether it’s performance-related, awkward, or just something that’s been sitting on your to-do list for far too long. I walk through why these conversations are often avoided and how that avoidance is actually costing your business more than you might realise, from disengaged employees through to missed performance opportunities. I also unpack why this isn’t a “them” problem, it’s an “us” problem, and how our hesitation as leaders is often the very thing holding our teams back.

I also take you through a practical, step-by-step framework to help you confidently prepare for and navigate these conversations. From getting crystal clear on the real issue, to preparing for objections, to structuring your conversation in a way that leads to clarity and action, this episode gives you a repeatable approach you can use anytime. If ...

If you’re running a business and leading a team, there’s a good chance there’s a conversation you know you need to have.

You’ve thought about it. Rehearsed it in your head. Maybe even scheduled the meeting once or twice. But somehow the moment passes and the conversation never happens.

It gets pushed to next week. Then next month.

The truth is most business owners avoid difficult conversations at some point. It’s incredibly common. But the reasons we give ourselves for avoiding them are rarely the real reasons.

You might tell yourself it’s not a big deal. Or that the timing isn’t right. Or that the employee will sort it out on their own.

But underneath those surface excuses, there are usually deeper factors at play. And until you recognise them, it’s very hard to change the pattern.

Let’s break down the four most common reasons business owners avoid tough conversations with their team.

1. Fear of the Fallout

One of the biggest reasons leaders delay difficult...

Hello and welcome to Episode 315 of The People Powered Business Podcast.

In this episode I’m tackling a leadership trap I see all the time in small and growing businesses: confusing being a nice boss with being a good boss. With recent research showing that four in five Australian employees are disengaged at work, and a significant percentage actively looking for a new role, it’s worth asking an uncomfortable question.

How much of that comes down to leadership? The reality is that managers influence the majority of employee engagement outcomes, which means the way we show up as leaders has a direct impact on retention, performance and ultimately profitability.

I explore the difference between leading with kindness and prioritising being liked. When we focus too heavily on being nice, we often avoid the conversations that actually help our teams grow. We soften feedback, let issues slide and delay addressing underperformance because we don’t want to upset anyone. But strong leadershi...

If you have been running a business for more than a decade, you have probably felt it.

People do not stay as long. They are more willing to move roles. They ask different questions in interviews. They care about flexibility, development and culture in a way that feels very different to what we were taught to value.

So, it is a fair question to ask. Is employee loyalty dead?

The short answer is no. But it has changed.

The Old Loyalty Model

For many of us, loyalty was a transaction. You found a stable job. You worked hard. You stayed for years. In return, you received job security and a steady pay cheque.

The expectation was that if you were loyal to your employer, they would be loyal to you. You would climb the ladder slowly. You might work for two or three businesses across your entire career. Staying put was seen as a sign of commitment and reliability.

But over time, cracks appeared in that model.

Mass redundancies became more common. Corporate restructures ...

Hello and welcome to Episode 314 of The People Powered Business Podcast.

In this episode I’m talking about something most business owners know they need to do but often avoid: difficult conversations. We’ve been exploring why these conversations feel so uncomfortable and how to approach them, but today I’m focusing on something different – the real cost of not having them.

Whether it’s the high performer who knows they’re indispensable, the team members who simply can’t work together, or the employee whose attitude has quietly shifted, avoiding the conversation might feel easier in the moment but it comes with a price.

I unpack the three hidden costs that show up when we delay these conversations: the time and mental bandwidth it takes up, the opportunity cost of what your team and business could achieve if the issue was resolved, and the very real material costs that can appear through mistakes, disengagement, lost customers or team turnover. When you start adding those up, many bu...

If you run a business with a team, giving feedback is not optional. It is one of the core parts of your role as a leader.

And yet, it is one of the most avoided.

Most business owners were never trained to manage people. You built your business because you are good at what you do. Leading performance, navigating behaviour issues and having uncomfortable conversations were probably not part of the original plan.

But here is the reality. Without clear, consistent feedback, your team cannot improve. When your team does not improve, you stay stuck redoing work, putting out fires and wondering why things are not getting easier.

Let’s break down the three biggest feedback mistakes I see, and what to do instead.

Mistake One: Being Too Vague

This is the most common issue by far.

You know something is not right. You feel irritated. You are thinking, this is not good enough. But when it comes time to say something, it comes out like this.

“You need to communicate bett...