The Hon. J. Bishop

If you were a smart cookie, for 3 days leave you could achieve an awesome run of 10 days off over the Easter break. For me, this gave way to an excellent opportunity for a road trip. Cue belting out the greatest hits of the late 1990s during car karaoke, having a diet that every 10 year old dreams of but my adult self is ashamed of (chips, lollies, soft drink…) and some quiet time to reflect on things as 2019 barrels ahead.

One of my favourite things to do during a long trip is listen to podcasts. They remind me of old time wireless radio serials, where multiple people in a family would sit around and listen to the next installment of a story. You can pop on a podcast and learn something new. Sometimes they are comedic, and other times they’re educational. They may be a topical news story of the day/week, or they may be a decades old cold case brought back to life by the investigative reporting skills of a talented journalist.

This week’s recommendation is a podcast with Julie Bishop, former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister for Australia. For over 20 years she has been a leading force at the front of major social, political, economic and environmental change on both a national and international stage. Regardless of where your political beliefs lie, you cannot ignore that Julie Bishop has been a strong, supportive, empathetic and positive leader during her career. Most recently, she put her name forward to be the next leader of the Liberal party, the first woman to do so. Despite all of her experience, achievement and knowledge, she was not successful in the bid. Why is that?

This ‘No Filter’ podcast, hosted by Mia Freedman, runs for 51 mins but I found it enlightening. Following the program, I have prioritised ‘Dignity’ and ‘Integrity’ on my list of essential traits of a great leader.

I’d be keen to hear your thoughts on the program too. Please feel free to drop a comment in the box below. 🙂

https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/no-filter/julie-bishop-interview/

Image: Hugh Stewart