Every year, the Melbourne Cup captures Australia’s attention — the horses, the fashion, the roses… And of course, the names! As I read them, many of them reminded me of lessons for leadership.

Half Yours
When something goes wrong at work, we often focus on what they did — the colleague who missed the deadline, the team member who didn’t communicate clearly. One of my favourite coaching questions is: ‘What’s your 50%?’ It invites reflection on your own contribution to the situation. Leadership accountability starts with recognising that you have a part to play too.

Congratulations to Jamie Melham and yay for girl power!!!

Changing of the Guard
There’s an art to knowing when it’s time to move on. Whether it’s a CEO ready to hand over the reins (pun intended!) or a team leader stepping aside to let others grow, timing matters. Staying too long can stifle renewal; leaving too soon can leave gaps. Wise leaders sense when their impact has peaked and create space for new energy. See my blog ‘Leave well loved’.

One Smooth Operator
When I attended my first leadership training many years ago, the goal was to identify gaps and fix them — to smooth out the rough edges. Today, leadership development looks different. It’s about understanding and amplifying your strengths and only tackling weaknesses that prevent full expression of your strengths. True smoothness comes from being you, not just being polished.

Flatten the Curve
In leadership — as in life — we can’t operate at crisis pace forever. The pressure to ‘keep up’ can lead to burnout and decision fatigue. Flattening the curve means creating steadiness: setting boundaries, pacing your energy, and modelling calm. Sustainable leadership is a long game, not a sprint.

River of Stars
A beautiful reminder of purpose. Great leaders help others see the bigger picture — the constellation of meaning behind the work. They provide direction when things feel dark or uncertain. Every team needs a river of stars to navigate by.

And sometimes it’s not about leadership. Sometimes it’s simply about doing what you love — no fancy dress or fascinator required. Bart and I headed to the bush for four days of trail riding over the long weekend. Leadership is also about regenerating energy. I hope you had the chance to do something that brings you alive.

Go fearlessly – Corrinne

PS Goodie Two Shoes Because not every horse (or leader) has to be perfect! Maybe it’s time to stop trying to please everyone and focus instead on making a real difference — mud and all.