E178: Dan Temple - Leading with Empathy and Cultivating High-Performing Teams

In this episode, Richard Hill sits down with Dan Temple, Director and Lead Trainer at Cobalt Human Solutions. By focusing on the most important element of your business, your staff, they take the Human Factors learning from safety critical industries such as aviation and healthcare and apply it to your business, regardless of industry. Humans are invariably highly motivated, trained and skilled people yet they make mistakes. Cobalt doesn't help organisations come to the conclusion it was 'human error', it helps them work out why the error was made in the first place through engagement and training. Richard and Dan explore the essential qualities of effective leadership and the impact of employee engagement on business performance. Dan, with nearly 20 years of military experience, offers valuable insights on cultivating a supportive and resilient team culture, discussing the importance of addressing mental health in the workplace and nurturing individual strengths.  Join us as we delve into the practical strategies and mindset shifts that can drive organisational success and employee wellbeing. Save the headache and support your team today. Topics Covered 00:20 - Understanding human behaviour and teaching human factors 06:01 - How Dan’s Military experience translates to the corporate world, using stories to connect with others emotionally 13:44 - Reflecting on biases and seeking self-awareness 18:05 - Change and repeating past mistakes 26:15 - Questioning discrepancies between training and actual performance and understanding employee behavior 34:02 - Curious, active team members use Slack frequently. 38:40 - Encouragement for young leaders to invest in people and reflection for business success 41:51- Focus on incremental motivation and common aim for team success 51:19 - Dan’s wife becomes Assistant Head at a school in Lincoln City after a competitive interview. Emphasizes the importance of people in leadership 54:06 - Supporting team members struggling with mental health is important for leaders 01:02:23 - Book recommendation