Sales professionals are now doing a lot of remote selling. Some non-verbal queues can be missed but the sales processes are, fundamentally, unchanged. Humans are still buying from humans.

Most professionals have a passion. The difference with Nicole is that she had the luxury to refine her skills and indulge herself in the study of art. All of a sudden, everything she did had a different perspective. Nicole believes that art can change a workplace for the better.

Leaders need to encourage and reward the team members for taking risks.

The new style of leader who is empathetic and people-centric are checking in and supporting team members regularly. They show up early to a zoom call and engage. The new style leader is more engaging and akin to peer to peer mentoring.

• Are we smiling? Smiling correlates to optimism.

• Optimism is a choice individuals make. Looking for the positives in life.

• See the bigger picture. Recognize there are hardships but at the same time find hope in the positive stories related to family, friends, faith and values.

• What do optimistic people bring to an organization?

• Optimism and strategy go together.

• Pessimists cannot be optimists.

• Leadership must be realistic. Infectiously optimistic but not just wearing rose-coloured glasses.

• Have realistic plans.

• Make connections with people and be in touch.

• Look for the good.

Talent should be hired for what is needed in the future rather than what was required. Future skills can be catered for by upskilling and talent pooling. In the past, talent polling was possible by sourcing talent overseas. Recently the ability to get talent from overseas has become restricted.

If people want to stay ahead and relevant, they need to learn new skills. Of course, some people are not interested in staying competitive, and that is up to them. Sometimes the change requires going back to a more fundamental role. The change is not always up and up. Some skills are retained and others are added to an individual’s resume.

Pam finds the fast-moving and rapidly evolving part of the financial services market attractive. Technologically, it is exciting. Its crucial to keep learning and upskilling just to keep up. Every CEO brings a new vision. She has been involved in several organisational restructures.

Leaders need to focus on the future and bring their teams with them. Bringing the team with them requires excellent communication and a clear message. The focus on the end customer is brought into sharp focus. The best leaders can bring out the “care factor”. Psychological safety is an honest discussion that is happening with staff and clients. It is partly to help staff through difficult times and partly to mitigate business risk.

Being vulnerable is the best first step. Many see this as a weakness, but it is the opposite. Be open and share some of the fears being faced.

Soft skills like vulnerability, empathetic and listening are excellent skills for entrepreneurs to develop. If they can, then they will be stronger leaders in the future.

However, the primary problem is the work-life balance and revenue streams. Ascertain priorities, current status and the available resources. This includes the engagement with the staff.

Elizabeth McDonald is the new director of Allied Health in the northwest of Tasmania.

The health care issues in rural and remote areas are amplified when compared with the mainland and the cities. There are staff shortages and access to specialised services is very challenging.

Innovation is very important as is strong leadership. She is helping to change the way health services are delivered.

One of the changes that is occurring is the openness to telehealth and video conferencing style of consultation. Physiotherapists are using this method. The idea is now open that the patient does not have to be directly in front of the specialist and practitioner all the time.

Advice to young apprentices: Embrace the future and the change it brings. Do a personal SWOT. What are your strengths and opportunities? Don't worry too much about weaknesses. However, if it is not what you are passionate about, do not waste your time. Do you want to survive in this world? If you do, embrace change. Have a positive outlook on personal opportunities.

Katherine helps leaders remove the "cloak" they wear, subconscious and conscious. As a leader, we need to understand the skills and habits we have and the effect they have on the team being lead. She helps people achieve their "superpowers".

She advises not to get too attached to ideas. Remain agile. Detach from your ego. A lot of leaders are struggling to adapt and remain agile.

Teams that work remotely are a challenge for leaders. How to best create the environment for remote working. Have clear priorities. The company’s actual value is to develop the situation so that the CEO is not essential 100% of the time. What to do with the workforce – retraining, repurposing or redundancy. Clear communication is essential for reducing misunderstandings.

With the rise of technology comes an increase in the capability of Mathematicians and mathematics. As computing power increases, then mathematics becomes more powerful and possible. Mathematicians and physicists leverage the increased computer power to create new algorithms and capabilities. Mathematics is becoming more mainstream.

Look at yourself (interest and skills) – what are you good at and where can you maximise the requirements from the marketplace?

Leadership is a conscious thing. Kay calls it the Ripple – the effect on people around her. How am I feeling and how does it affect others. The things a leader says and does have a lasting effect on people around them. Rushing an agenda or taking the time to listen and address critical issues have very different outcomes. A leader’s time can impact team members formally is not as great as in an informal environment.

Mark's human resource passion centres on inspiring people and helping them achieve their aspirations. The process includes understanding the brutal reality and then a pathway forward, finding the open doors. The work includes working with teams and individuals, leaders in the public and private sectors. Find individual strengths and leverage them.

Linda is a workplace trainer. Since COVID-19 happened, she is doing all the training online. The delivery has moved from local to global. Linda's workplace has changed a lot, but its focus has remained the same – real people.

There is a shift in the community around risk appetite. In particular, this has been apparent with the COVID-19 pandemic and public health conditions. Health now looks at a range of issues and the public perception of many topics changes with time. Some examples include smoking, seat belt use in cars and skin cancer advice.
In the future, IT will dramatically change health services. Collecting data and using it to make decisions is becoming easier and faster. Algorithms are being used for predictive analysis and helping with the decision making process. As a result, the future work will; be higher-level functions, and the lower level roles can be handled by technology.
The health work environment is adaptive and dynamic. However, in the end, we are dealing with people. Therefore it is not just about numbers and data. We need to have sensitivity and realise we are dealing with peoples' lives.

Danny thinks it is essential to commit to lifelong learning, education and making a difference in society. Always have a plan on where your learning program is heading. Be mindful and intentional in your study. It can result in compromise and not always directly related to salary level and status.