Welcome to the very first episode of Grey the Podcast — where we leave the glossy playbooks behind and get real about what it takes to build high-performance cultures in corporate Australia.

In this launch episode, hosts Dr. Mel Irons and Raj Kumar introduce themselves and share the backstory of how this podcast — and their unique partnership — came to be. From COVID-era culture shifts to executive conversations behind closed doors, they pull back the curtain on why this work matters now more than ever.

Together, they dive headfirst into the big question: What even IS high performing teams?

Is it something you can measure? Is it the same in business as it is in sport? Does it actually move the bottom line — or is it just more corporate fluff? Mel brings the science, Raj brings the business lens, and both bring years of lived experience navigating the grey zones between culture, leadership, and impact.

They also explore two of the biggest tugs of war facing leaders today: Science and theory vs. the reality of corporate life

You’ll hear:

• How senior leaders really think about performance and culture

• The tension between theory and practice — and how to bridge it

• The big ‘grey areas’ no one’s talking about (but should be)

• How to make the intangible tangible — and prove the value of the so-called “fluffy stuff”

If you’ve ever wrestled with how to measure culture, convince execs this stuff matters, or lead in the grey — this episode is where it begins.

Got a curly high performing teams or culture question you'd love us to tackle? Or think you’d make a great guest on Grey the Podcast? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out to us via hello@greythepodcast.com.au.