Podcast Episode Show Notes

Kurt Checketts is a light-vehicle mechanic turned diesel fitter who spent 12 years in mining, the last five leading teams in one of the highest-stakes environments in the trades. Here, Kurt shares 5 leadership lessons: empowering people to be their best, leaning into your strengths, knowing people as individuals, why small standards slipping causes serious incidents, and why financial leadership is still leadership.

Matt Wyatt has spent over 30 years in the heavy vehicle industry, starting as an apprentice and working through operational and national leadership roles before spending the last 15 years developing people. Here, Matt shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies in manufacturing: setting standards, why a title doesn't earn respect, relationships over authority, fixing systems instead of firefighting, and empowering your team to bring solutions.

Vincent Saunders is a qualified builder, quantity surveyor and construction manager with more than 17 years navigating the challenges of a construction site every day. He also hosts the Constructing Mindsets podcast. Here, Vincent shares 5 leadership lessons for construction managers: listening as a skill, coordinating between trades onsite, the power of a positive mindset, managing stress, and being authentic in a trade industry.

Gavin Cribb started as an apprentice at Ford over 30 years ago and now leads a team of 70 automotive trainers, with a clear view on what actually attracts and keeps the next generation of tradies. Here, Gavin shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: what it means to lead a workshop team, leading different generations, writing better apprenticeship job ads, collaborating across competing businesses, and why every level of a trade career comes with leadership. Practical and har

Chris Hale came up through sport and coaching before landing his first leadership role at just 18, managing a call centre team up to three times his age. He's since built a career in the wind energy industry. Here, Chris shares 5 leadership lessons for tradies: leading a more experienced team, leading from the front, why safety training matters in high-risk trades, supporting women in clean energy, and lessons carried over from sport. Practical, grounded, hard-earned.

Matt Gilbert didn't set out to be a leader, he just kept getting handed the job. From diesel mechanic in transport to workshop manager at a large civil mining company, he's spent his career learning how to lead. Here, Matt shares 5 practical leadership lessons for tradies: finding your own leadership style, handling rebellious crews, communicating well as a supervisor, building apprentice confidence, and why diverse teams make for a more professional site.