46. Building Great Teams, Shifting from "My" to "Our", and the Power of Being Good Humans | Colin Ellis

Dig Deeper

What if the very language you use—from "my target" to "our target," from "my client" to "our client"—is either building or breaking the culture you're trying to create? And what if being constantly busy is actually preventing the very work that matters most?

In this conversation, I'm catching up with my mate Colin Ellis in a traditional English pub in Winchester. Colin's a five-time best-selling author and a super practical culture consultant who's spent decades helping organisations around the world rid themselves of what he calls toxic cultures. We're exploring the tension between delivering results and creating space for what actually sustains us—both as individuals and as teams and organisations. What emerges is a powerful reminder that building great culture isn't complicated. It's about creating the conditions where people can be good humans and do good work together.

Colin Ellis grew up in Liverpool in a working-class family where security was paramount. After flunking school, he found his calling in project management—not for the technical side, but for the team-building aspect. His career took him from window cleaning family business roots to leading major project departments, from Melbourne to New Zealand and back to the UK. What's shaped his work most is his observation that the best teams valued both hard work and play, both productivity and camaraderie. He's built his reputation on making the complex simple, using language that connects with people who do the work day in, day out. His mission? To rid the world of toxic cultures by teaching leaders how to build great teams.

You'll discover:

• How a simple shift in language from "my" to "our" transforms everything about how teams show up and support each other
• Why creating permission for your team to not be busy all the time might be the most productive thing you do as a leader
• How investing in relationships and camaraderie is as important as delivering on your targets—and why Friday drinks became sacred time for Colin's highest-performing team
• Why determination matters more than having a clever strategy when you're trying to create momentum
• How reading Harvard Business Review in the office was "frowned upon" but essential for Colin's growth as a leader
• Why the most productive teams are often the least hurried—and what Colin did in 2008 to create that culture
• How burnout at 31 became the catalyst for building an integrated life where work is part of the whole, not the whole itself
• Why demystifying culture change is about using language people understand, not complicated frameworks

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(10.39) - Individualism vs. Teamwork

(27:09) - Burnout and the Path to Change

(35:27) - Creating Productive Work Environments

(38:34) - Redefining Productivity

(41:41) - Cultural Shifts in Work Dynamics

Other References

• On the Road Jack Kerouac - https://www.penguin.co.nz/books/on-the-road-9780241951538
• Harvard Business Review - https://hbr.org/
• Michael Page - https://www.michaelpage.co.uk/
• Liverpool Echo - https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/
• Camp America - https://www.campamerica.co.uk/
• Abel Tasman Coast Track - https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/nelson-tasman/places/abel-tasman-national-park/things-to-do/tracks/abel-tasman-coast-track/
• Ronnie Scott’s Jazz club - https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/
• Everton Football Club - https://www.evertonfc.com/

You can find Colin at:

Website:https://www.colinellis.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/colindellis

Check out my services and offerings https://www.digbyscott.com/

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