For Love & Money

EPISODE OVERVIEW

What does it really take to do your best work as a leader? Cherie Mylordis has spent her career at the leading edge of that question — from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games to boardrooms across the globe. Her research with 200 leaders revealed a confronting truth: only one in three felt they were doing their best work. And when she dug deeper, even those who said yes were constrained in almost exactly the same ways as everyone else.

In this conversation, Cherie shares the experiences that shaped her thinking — growing up as the first in her family to go to university, finding herself at the forefront of change management before anyone knew what to call it, and what the Olympics taught her about what people are truly capable of when purpose ignites them.

She introduces her Work in 3D framework — Dare, Ditch, Dial — and explains why the middle D is the one most organisations keep missing. And she makes a compelling case for why, in an age of AI and uncertainty, the most urgent work leaders can do is create the conditions for their people to thrive.

WHAT WE COVER

• Why Cherie became what she calls a "conscious curator" — and how that instinct has driven her entire career
• What it was really like to be employee number 52 at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games — and the radical ways of working that made it the best Games ever
• The research finding that stopped her in her tracks: two thirds of leaders are not doing their best work — and why even those who say they are may be more constrained than they realise
• The Work in 3D framework: Dare (bold purpose), Ditch (let go of what no longer serves), and Dial (future-focused ways of leading and working)
• Why "ditch" is the D most organisations skip — and what gets left on the table as a result
• The concept of "conscious unbossing" and what Gen Z's rejection of traditional career ladders signals for the future of leadership
• The Siemens Energy innovation sprint: coaching a global team through the "messy middle" to produce some of the highest-scoring initiatives in the program
• A small coaching intervention that helped a talented woman engineer stop undermining herself — and end up delivering the final pitch
• Cherie's big audacious goal: making Work in 3D a global movement, not the exception

ABOUT CHERIE MYLORDIS

Cherie Mylordis is a leadership, innovation and future of work expert passionate about helping people do their best work and make a meaningful difference.

With decades of experience across diverse sectors, including leadership roles for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Cherie has seen what’s possible when people are united by purpose and given the right conditions to thrive.

As the founder of nextgenify and nextgenify Academy, she works with leaders at all levels to challenge outdated ways of working and create environments where purpose, leadership and change come together for a better future.

Recognised as a LinkedIn Top Voice, Cherie’s work is featured in podcasts and publications including CEO Magazine, Dynamic Business and HR Leader, where she shares practical insights and fresh perspectives to help leaders navigate change and shape the future of work.

CONNECT WITH CHERIE MYLORDIS

• LinkedIn: Cherie Mylordis
• Website: nextgenify
• Academy: nextgenify academy

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Work in 3D framework — Dare, Ditch, Dial. Cherie Mylordis / nextgenify
• Exponential Organisations — Salim Ismail (book referenced in relation to the Siemens Energy innovation sprint methodology)
• Conscious Unbossing — a term that emerged from UK research on how Gen Z relates to traditional management careers

WORK WITH CAROLYN

• Keynote speaking: carolynbutlermadden.com
• Purpose-led consulting: The Cause Effect