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The official magazine of Proteus Enterprises P/L proteus edition 3 2026 We are NOT Powerless Unless We Choose to Be! By Des Penny Having your say - doesn’t mean you get your own way! By Richard Dore The Middle Management Squeeze By AIMMEThe Proteuslife Team Editor: Des Penny Production: Leanne Keillor Advertising: Joe Stuart Design: Javier Marmol For all enquiries: 1300 219 903 ABN: 30 092 276 358 proteusleadership.com An Important Message SUBSCRIBE Proteuslife welcomes editorial submissions from a diverse range of people and industries. The information printed is intended to inform and illustrate and should not be taken as professional advice without first checking with appropriate legal or industrial experts. We do not necessarily endorse the views, statements, claims, strategies or ideas put forward by contributors of the magazine. Proteuslife is merely relaying experiences and information. Proteuslife is not liable for any personal or professional loss you may have incurred as a result of reading this magazine. No material may be reproduced in part or whole without written consent from the editor. Advertisements in Proteuslife will be accepted only if they meet all relevant laws and will not give rise to any legal claims or liability and they reflect the culture and purpose of the magazine. proteus The official magazine of Proteus Enterprises P/L John C. Maxwell Remember: Sometimes we win and sometimes we learn. A I M M E rtificial ntelligence arketing agazine xpert AIMME is our AI-powered Marketing and Magazine Expert and newest member of the Proteuslife team. Blending advanced technology with a human lens, she brings fresh thinking, timely insights, and practical leadership ideas to every edition. From culture and change to performance and innovation, AIMME helps us explore what matters most in today’s leadership landscape, supporting our mission to create great leaders. 2 proteuslife 2 proteuslife Subscribe to Proteuslife MagazineDes Penny Every minute we spend complaining about what's happening is a minute we take away from making things better. Hi everyone, Leadership has never really been about grand gestures or perfect strategies. It is about the choices we make every day, the conversations we have, and the example we set when things become difficult. That is why this edition of ProteusLife is one of our most practical yet. My feature article, "We are NOT Powerless Unless We Choose to Be!" on page 6, is a reminder that while we cannot control everything around us, we always retain the power to choose our response. In challenging times, that mindset is one of the greatest leadership advantages we can develop. Richard Dore's article, "Having Your Say Doesn't Mean You Get Your Own Way" on page 10, explores courageous conversations, respectful disagreement and genuine influence. Finding your voice matters; learning how to use it wisely builds trust and strengthens culture. This edition also launches our newest half-day virtual workshop, Communicating & Connecting in a Virtual World, on page 35. As hybrid and remote work continue to evolve, creating genuine connection through a screen is now an essential leadership capability. And of course, ProteusLife includes lighter moments too. Enjoy Simple Dinners Every Day by Nicole Maguire on page 46, and Joe Stuart's Gadgets for Geeks on page 50. Whether you read this magazine cover to cover or simply dip into the articles that resonate most with you, I hope each page encourages you to think differently, act intentionally and continue investing in yourself and those you lead. Thank you for continuing to support ProteusLife. It is a privilege to share these ideas with you, and we hope every edition leaves you with at least one practical insight you can apply immediately. Please enjoy! Des Penny - Editor editor's proteusleadership.com/linkedin/des proteusleadership.com/lets-go-lets- grow-podcast-with-des-penny/ proteusleadership.com/des-penny-blog Connect with Des! Let's Go - Let's Grow podcast with Des Penny The Little Things Make the Biggest Difference 3 proteuslife3 Editorial 6 We are NOT Powerless Unless We Choose to Be! By Des Penny 10 Having Your Say - Doesn’t Mean You Get Your Own Way! By Richard Dore 14 Your Team Doesn’t Need Perfection - They Need Presence By AIMME 17 2026 Professional Development Schedule 18 Leading Without All the Answers By AIMME 22 Design Your Own Program (DYOP) 24 Small Wins Matter More Than Ever By AIMME Contents The Return of Practical Leadership By AIMME 42 Your Team Doesn’t Need Perfection - They Need Presence By AIMME 14 06 We are NOT Powerless Unless We Choose to Be! By Des Penny 4 proteuslife27 Coming Soon! Exciting Online Learning New Program 28 Hope Is a Leadership Skill By AIMME 31 Coming Soon! Proteus Productions 32 The Middle Management Squeeze By AIMME 35 New Product Launch! Communicating & Connecting in a Virtual World Workshop 36 Proteus Events 38 The Most Valuable Leaders Right Now Are the Clearest Ones By AIMME 42 The Return of Practical Leadership By AIMME 46 Simple Dinners Every Day By Nicole Maguire 50 Gadgets For Geeks By Joe Stuart 52 Proteus Team 54 Book Review By Richard Dore 56 What Our Clients Are Saying... Having Your Say - Doesn’t Mean You Get Your Own Way! By Richard Dore 10 The Middle Management Squeeze By AIMME 32 5 proteuslifeWe are NOT powerless unless we choose to be! By Des Penny 6 proteuslife 6 proteuslifeI t’s important to understand that our lack of power is based on the assumption that we are powerless in given situations. It is simply not true – we are never powerless unless we choose to give our power away. But being powerful is not about being brash or aggressive, it is about having the confidence in your own ability, to achieve the goals you are aiming for. Like many others I have spent hour upon hour gazing at my navel and wondering just how bad things can get and what I need to do to change things, both in my own life, and in trying to help others find direction. I know it seems like the world has gone crazy, but sometimes a message comes right in the middle of that craziness that sets a new direction. That certainly has been the case for me, and I hope that is the same for you. Many global governments are in chaos at the moment, making decisions that are crippling the future of their countries. Businesses across the world are struggling and mental health issues seem to be far more prevalent, or at least more public, than they have ever been. In my own country, Australia, we see workforces and businesses crumbling and closing down at a rapid pace, and worker isolation causing the great communication and connection divide across the nation. It seems that so many things are just out of our control! And so, it is not surprising that many people in business are asking the questions – what’s next and why bother? I have heard people say recently, “Why would I even consider going into a leadership position in this environment”? And my response is - because this is exactly the time, we need you most. We will survive and we will flourish again; but only if we persist and stay positive and understand the need for great leadership in our businesses, our governments and our communities. I mean, seriously, what is the alternative? Well, let me tell you. It is the crumbling of society and the snuffling out of innovation and entrepreneurship, that is needed more than ever right now. I know it’s a scary thought, but you and I are the HOPE that can change things, but we must start right where we are. In a previous Podcast I recorded, called – Life only gives you as much as you can handle; I spoke about the grief and pain that we all go through in life and that as hard as it might be at the time, we do get through it, and we learn to refocus and thrive again. Once again experiencing a new HOPE in our lives! Because without HOPE there is no reason to persist in doing the things we do or in taking chances! But Hope is not just a feeling; it is something that is created through our thinking and our actions. Yes, we make Hope happen – and contrary to what some people may think, we can’t just wish HOPE into being. We have to foster its growth. After all, that is what leadership exists for – to create HOPE! So, how do we take the steps from perceived disaster, to HOPE again, and how do we once again grab hold of the controls of our life and experience Joy, achievement and fulfillment, which is what everyone of us desires? Well, the answers are simple, but NOT easy! Just like everyone else I struggle with these answers, so - here are six tips that have helped me to move myself from ‘impossibility thinking’ to ‘possibility thinking!’ 1. Seek out your purpose This might seem trite and you may have heard it before, but when you discover what your purpose is, you will then understand what I mean. You will never get to know the full plan for your life if you are hanging onto the past, because doors only open to the next stage of your purpose when you are brave enough to take a step towards something. As the Australian author Peter Sheahan said, in his book FLIP, “action precedes clarity”. Nothing happens unless we take a step towards what we want to achieve! So many people wander aimlessly never knowing what the future holds for them and in turn experiencing constant frustration, which in turn leads to a blame mentality. Your purpose is all about why you do something, not what you do! So, have you ever taken the time to reflect on your purpose? Because unless you do Life will be very rocky and you will not experience opportunity that is waiting to be released. 2. It is Time to Focus on the Good I know that sometimes it might seem impossible to do this, but things will not improve unless you get balance and understand and focus on the GOOD in your life, because there is always plenty of good there, you just need to dig it out of the mud sometimes. How many times have you said, “if only things were different, life would be so good.” There will always be an ‘If Only’. Life is good just how it is, right now! It is time to reprogram our thinking to focus on the things in our lives that bring us joy. If we don’t, then we will turn the good into negative very quickly. So, take a moment to think about the people, the experiences and the things you have accumulated, and recognise your responsibility to cultivate that good in your life, because that is what will get you through the tough times. Start digging before the mud gets too deep! 3. Be Brave It is time to be Brave - seriously, what have you got to lose? But what does bravery mean The dictionary definitions tell us that it means - Courage, fearlessness, Guts, 7 proteuslifedaring, boldness, just to name a few - you get the message. Those things that you have pondered doing for a long time but have not been brave enough to do – IT IS TIME! I don’t mean necessarily jumping from a plane or climbing a mountain, I am talking about the everyday decisions that you know would change your life for the better if you were brave enough to make them. Bravery is not a thing that we need to flaunt, it is just something that we need to do and be. Not acting on the things in our lives that we know we should do, simply means that we experience little or no growth and the ramifications of no growth are devastating. Bravery grows in us as we practice it! So, that leads me to Tip #4: 4. Make Better Decisions The decisions we make are what will make us or break us in life. So, we need to learn to make better decisions. Don’t be half-hearted, back yourself, and if what you decide is wrong, then learn from it, get up again, make a different decision, and proceed. Every one of us battles with decisions we can’t make – WHY? The longer we battle with decisions, the harder they get and the more damage we do to our confidence and to the situation at hand. So, why not, right now, make a decision to immediately act on something that you have been struggling with – only you know what that is, but you will be amazed at what it will open up. 5. Be Thankful We already spoke about recognising the good in our lives, but we need to go one step further and be truly thankful for those things. When we are thankful, we encompass the good into our whole life, but more than that, thankfulness motivates us to share our goodness with others. Sometimes just the simple activity of stopping for a moment and declaring out loud what we are thankful for can double the impact the good has on our lives and on the lives of others. 6.Be Prepared To Stand Against Popular Opinion Once we have prepared ourselves by Seeking out our purpose, focussing on the good, being brave, making better decisions and being thankful we create personal armour that helps us to better face the challenges in front of use. It gives us the confidence to actually brush away the things that we would usually react to and let disturb us. The best respect you can ever experience is the respect you give yourself! I have always found that when people are critical and judgemental and put others down, it is always about themselves and their own insecurities, so it really doesn’t matter what others think of you as long as your motives and intentions are right. The paradox is, that the more you try to do the right thing, the more people will criticise you. So, there is only one decision to make – do the right thing and expect a response. People are either with you, against you, or simply indifferent, which by the way is the worst. So, we need to learn to see and understand the difference, otherwise we will be constantly surprised by people’s responses and constantly let them get to us. Don’t continue to take the rubbish you have personally taken for years. You are better than that! We are NOT powerless unless we choose to be - Never forget that! What we focus on is what we will achieve, and the choice truly is ours. But things will only change if we are prepared to take back the controls of our lives and be the difference required. Understand your power and begin to lead – because the world needs you right now. Des Penny Founder / Director of Marketing & Innovation Proteus Leadership 8 proteuslife 8 proteuslifeDes Penny If you're looking for a podcast that will help you become a better leader and grow your business, we highly recommend Let's Go - Let's Grow with Des Penny. So, why not give them a listen today and subscribe by clicking on the QR Code above? Last podcast: We Are NOT Powerless Unless We Choose to Be! Subscribe now Founder / Director of Marketing & Innovation Proteus Leadership 9 proteuslifeNext >