14 Questions with Catherine Nelson
As General Manager for FranklinCovey Australia and New Zealand, Catherine Nelson heads up the Antipodean division of world leader in leadership and organizational development. She has taken on a number of different roles during her 18-year tenure at the company and has served in her current position since 2019.
What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
Probably how I came into the role I’m in. While I’m originally from Australia, I’ve lived and worked in the United States for most of my adult life. Not long after I arrived there, I was working for a not-for-profit that had a great program, but was really badly run. I kept thinking that there had to be a better way to run an organization.
At about the same time, I read Stephen Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It had a profound impact on me and changed the whole course of my life. I went to graduate school and studied business and organizational development in the United States, and then went looking for a job at FranklinCovey.
What’s been your best ever day at work?
I’ve had some incredible experiences and wonderful days. I’ve traveled to over 60 countries and met with and trained business leaders on six continents. My best days have usually involved working globally, teaching our programs.
What’s your secret skill?
Probably my ability to see the big picture and to articulate it to others in simple ways. I’m a natural teacher, so I love to see people grow.
FranklinCovey is launching The 7 Habits 5.0. What’s your worst habit?
The one I need to be better at – listening. Habit five is ‘Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood’. The day that I realized that listening to others first was the best way I could have an impact was the day that my whole life changed. But it’s not intuitive for me, and I’m a constant work in progress to be a better listener. This not only helps you to be a nicer person, but also to be a far more effective one.
You can choose to have any superhero power. What is it and why?
Probably flying. I love to travel to new places, and I love to meet new people and see new things.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
One of the most important things I learned from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is the power of a daily ritual of personal renewal. The most important thing I think you can do is guard the first hour of the morning. Do not look at your phone. Instead, I spend time reading, journaling and exercising. It really prepares me for the rest of the day.
And the last thing you do at night?
Not dissimilar to my mornings, I try to turn off my phone and electronics about an hour before bedtime. I’ll often go to bed intentionally thinking about an issue I want to make progress on. I might write myself a note or two before I go to sleep, knowing in part what I’ll focus my reflection time on in the morning.
Many people will tell you they don’t have time for this, but we live in the most reactive and stressed-out time the world has ever seen. If you want to live consciously and intentionally, and if you want to have real breakthroughs, that time before you go to bed and when you first wake up needs to be protected and used creatively.
How would you describe your job to someone from another planet?
Well, although I’m the General Manager, I prefer to think about myself as a coach. We hire incredible people at FranklinCovey and my job is to work alongside them, ask great questions, help them find solutions and then get out of their way.
What would your eulogy say about you?
That I really cared and was a lot of fun. I think work should be engaging, which allows it to be fun. You do that by having a compelling vision and mission, by caring about people and being real. You do that by laughing about things in the moment and not taking yourself too seriously.
If you were given US$50,000 to start a business, what would it be?
Right now our business model is B2B. My next vision would be to build something B2C. The potential for human development and improvement is huge. People are burned out and want more meaningful and effective lives. I love that the product we have helps people to do just that. Our vision here in Australia and New Zealand is to dramatically increase the number of lives we impact.
What would the title of your autobiography be?
Take 2. I think a lot of life is about do-overs, reinvention, trying things and then trying them again to get them right – or going a new way entirely.
What’s the last thing you did for the first time?
I took a helicopter ride earlier this year. It was on my bucket list and a friend and I made it happen while she was visiting me from the United States. And then I liked it so much, I took a second one.
What do you think about in the car?
Well, I work from home, so when I’m in the car I’m usually on my way to the airport. But essentially, I’ll think about a current challenge and see if I can think about or frame it differently.
What do you have to do but don’t like?
I only dislike things if they aren’t adding a lot of value and I’ve allowed them to take up my time. I’m working more and more to free up more creative time and less administrative time in my day.
Find out more about The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People® here.