Why Leading A Company Is Like Playing A Stadium Show

Shazamme System User • December 19, 2025

By John Caldwell

Hey Lady Gaga, we’re the same. And so are you, if you’re a CEO.


Stay with me.


I was at Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball show at Accor Stadium in Sydney. Roughly 70,000 people in the stadium, lights up, huge opening, full spectacle.


And then, somewhere in the middle, I started to turn.


I got bored. Irritated. I caught myself thinking, “This isn’t landing.” I even texted friends on the other side of the stadium: “Is it just me or is she falling flat?”


I looked around, decided people weren’t dancing as much, and made the classic move: I promoted myself to Chief Performance Critic of Lady Gaga.


Then towards the end, everything shifted.


She sat at the piano. She started talking to us like humans, not a crowd. She played in a way that felt stripped back and vulnerable.


And suddenly I was on my feet. Singing. Dancing. At one point, crying.


That moment hit me in the chest. It was exactly what I needed. But here’s the bit that matters:


When I was bored and grumpy, she was probably hitting it out of the park for someone else. When I was having my emotional epiphany, a different part of the stadium was checking their phones.


Same show. Same set list. Seventy thousand different experiences.


And that’s when it clicked: this is the reality of being a CEO.


We are all running a stadium show.


Leadership, especially at CEO level, is one long attempt to run a coherent “show” for people who are all wanting something slightly different at the same time.


The board wants certainty. The exec team wants clarity. The team wants support. The market wants performance. Everyone wants something now.


You pull a strategic lever, and one group is up dancing, another group is sitting down with their arms folded, wondering why you “don’t get it”.


That doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re doing the job.


Success for a CEO is not “everyone loved every minute”. Success is “by the end, the stadium was on its feet”.


But that requires something people don’t like to talk about: patience.


You can’t judge the show at the halfway mark.


If I’d left that concert when I was annoyed, I would have walked out telling everyone it was average.


I would have missed the moment where the whole stadium came together. I would have missed the part that stayed with me for days. And I would have been wrong about the show.


We do this with CEOs all the time.


We judge based on the first act of a transformation. We decide the strategy is off because the first quarter felt uncomfortable. We whisper about “culture issues” halfway through a reset that hasn’t even had time to land.


Meanwhile, the CEO is trying to keep 70,000 different expectations in the air and still land the finale with cash in the bank.


The dancer who fell and why leadership has to stop the music


At another Mayhem Ball show, one of Gaga’s dancers fell off the stage. The surface was wet, he slipped, and it was a nasty-looking fall.


She didn’t power through. She stopped the entire show.


Lights up. Music cut. Seventy thousand people waiting, mid-adrenaline, because one human needed attention and safety.


That is leadership.


Sometimes you have to stop the bus for one person, even when everyone else wants to keep driving. The rest of the crowd doesn’t always understand why you’re pausing. They get restless. They complain. They say you’re overreacting.


Until the day it’s them. Until the day they’re the one who’s burned out, sick, grieving, or hanging off the edge of the metaphorical stage.


Good CEOs know this. There are days when the entire company feels like it’s paused for “no good reason” because you are quietly dealing with something that absolutely cannot be done on a live mic.


The show still has to look effortless.


I also found myself getting annoyed at the breaks.


Why is this taking so long? Why is nothing happening? Surely they could tighten this up?


As if a human belting out stadium vocals in head-to-toe costume under lights for two hours doesn’t need water, oxygen and time to reset.


And this is where CEOs and performers are frighteningly aligned.


The sales team is out front doing the show. The ops, tech, finance and people teams are backstage making sure the stage doesn’t crumble, the lights don’t blow, the contracts are watertight and payroll happens on time.


You miss one quiet, “boring” back-end piece and the whole performance falls over. No one claps for the person who fixed the system that prevented the disaster. They only notice when it breaks.


As CEOs, we live there. Your calendar might show a couple of visible “acts” a week. The rest is what I call the plumbing of leadership. Unseen, unsexy, absolutely essential.


“I hope when I come back in 20 years, you still want to see me.”


Towards the end of the Sydney show, Gaga said something like:


“I love you, Australia. I hope after I go away and write songs for 20 years and come back, you still want to see me.”


That line gutted me.


Because what we were watching that night wasn’t just a concert. It was the product of decades of work we never saw. Voice lessons. Failed ideas.


Team changes. Injuries. Reinventions. Negotiations. Fifteen versions of a show before the one that made it to Sydney.


It’s the same question every CEO quietly asks, even if we never say it out loud:


If I go away and do the hard, invisible work for years – the decisions, the restructures, the risks, the late nights, the bets that don’t pay off immediately. Will you still want to be in my stadium when it all comes together?


What most people see is the “night of”. The town hall. The big email. The strategy deck. The one moment they directly interact with you.


What they don’t see is that once you’ve finished scripting that one moment, you still have to:


Make sure the stage works. Make sure the lights hold. Make sure the choreography (people, process, tech) is actually doable in real life. Make sure the money is there. Make sure the team behind you can still walk at the end of the tour. And write the next 20 years at the same time.


That’s the job. That’s the scale.


A small request, from one CEO to the rest of the stadium


So yes, Lady Gaga and CEOs have something in common.


We’re all trying to put on the best show possible, in real time, for a crowd that doesn’t share one brain, one taste, or one timing.


Sometimes you’re in the part of the show that isn’t for you. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad show. It means you’re not the only one in the room.


To my fellow CEOs: You’re not crazy. The job really is this big and this messy and F:*$ing HARD!. You are allowed to take an interval, fix the lighting, check on the dancer who fell, and still call it a good night.


To everyone else: Before you decide your CEO is “falling flat”, ask yourself: Is this just not my song? Am I judging the show too early?


Because at the end of that night in Sydney, the whole stadium was dancing. Different songs. Different moments. Same energy, together.


I’m glad I didn’t leave at halftime.

Why Commercial Discipline Drives Better Construction Hiring in New Zealand

By RWR Group Marketing • April 6, 2026
Commercial discipline is reshaping construction recruitment in New Zealand, with employers seeking candidates who demonstrate strong cost awareness, accountability and the ability to deliver long-term project value.

The Construction Talent Shift: What NZ Employers Must Do Now

By RWR Group Marketing • March 27, 2026
New Zealand’s construction sector is entering a period of cautious recovery. Activity is finally stabilising, particularly across infrastructure and essential housing projects. But here’s the key shift: while project pipelines are returning, skilled talent remains in short supply. This trend isn’t isolated. Australia is experiencing similar conditions, with strong demand for infrastructure and commercial builds placing pressure on an already stretched workforce. For employers across both markets, recruitment is no longer just reactive. Why This Matters As projects ramp up, competition for experienced professionals such as site managers, project managers and skilled trades is intensifying. Businesses that fail to adapt their hiring approach risk project delays, higher costs and burnout within existing teams. 3 Tips to Stay Competitive in Construction Hiring 1. Move Faster Than the Market Top candidates are off the market in a matter of days. Streamline your hiring process to secure talent before competitors do. 2. Offer More Than Just Salary Flexibility, project stability, and career progression are becoming key decision drivers, especially for passive candidates. 3. Think Trans-Tasman With skill shortages in both countries, broadening your search across Australia and New Zealand can unlock new talent pools. Practical Recruitment Checklist ☐ Clear pipeline visibility (6–12 months ahead) ☐ Defined role requirements and timelines ☐ Competitive, up-to-date salary benchmarking ☐ Strong employer value proposition ☐ Efficient interview and decision-making process ☐ Access to passive candidate networks ☐ Workforce retention strategy in place Take Action 1. Review Your Workforce Plan Assess upcoming projects and identify talent gaps early. Waiting until a role is urgent will limit your options. 2. Partner with a Specialist Recruiter Engage experts who understand the construction market and have access to pre-qualified candidates across both New Zealand and Australia. Key Takeaway The construction market is recovering, but the talent shortage hasn’t gone away. Companies that plan ahead, move quickly and position themselves as employers of choice will secure the people they need to deliver projects successfully. Ready to Strengthen Your Team? Scaling up for new projects? Do you need help to replace critical roles? Our team can help you find the right people fast. RWR Construction connects businesses with high-quality construction talent across New Zealand.  Check out these pages on our website for more current talent insights, market updates and recruitment solutions designed to keep your projects moving: Insights

Strong Leadership Reduces Risk

By RWR Group Marketing • March 19, 2026
In a tight labour market, strong leadership is the key to reducing hiring risk and building resilient teams. Discover how effective leaders improve recruitment outcomes, retention and long-term business success.

This Mistake Cripples Businesses. Here's How to Stop It.

By RWR Group Marketing • August 27, 2025
By John Caldwell Throughout my career at RWR Group, I’ve seen the same costly mistake repeated time and time again. A business takes its top individual performer, a brilliant operator or a star salesperson, and promotes them into a leadership role. Everyone celebrates the promotion as a success. Six months later, that new leader is struggling, their team’s performance has dipped, and the culture is starting to sour. This isn’t a rare occurrence; it’s an epidemic of what I call ‘accidental managers’. And the data backs up what I've seen on the ground for decades. A recent Chartered Management Institute (CMI) study found that a staggering 82% of managers have received no formal leadership training. Think about that. We’re handing over our most valuable assets, our people and our culture, to leaders who have never been taught how to lead. It's no wonder Gartner found that 60% of new managers fail within their first two years. We are setting them up to fail. It’s a Selection Problem, Not Just a Skills Gap We can’t just blame a lack of training. The real issue starts earlier; it's a fundamental failure in how we select leaders. Too many organisations confuse operational excellence with leadership potential. Managing a P&L or driving sales is a completely different skill set from inspiring a team, driving strategic transformation, or building a high-performance culture. It is blunt: only one in ten people possesses the natural combination of talents to be a great manager. When we promote without a rigorous process for identifying that talent, the ripple effects are enormous: Top talent walks. People leave managers, not companies. I’ve seen entire high-performing teams dismantled by one poor leadership placement. Performance craters. An unsupported manager can’t set clear goals or motivate a team, directly impacting productivity and profitability. Brand value erodes. Your leaders define your company’s culture and reputation, both internally and in the market. Ineffective leadership damages your brand from the inside out. Building a Future-Proof Leadership Pipeline The good news is that this is entirely fixable. It requires a strategic shift in how we approach leadership development, both for external hires and internal promotions. First, hire for potential, not just past performance. When we partner with businesses, we look beyond the resume. We assess for emotional intelligence (EQ), learning agility, and genuine values alignment. Does this person have the humility to learn and the resilience to lead through change? Can they build a culture, not just manage a spreadsheet? Second, onboarding is everything. A leader's success shouldn't be left to chance. The placement is just day one. True success requires a structured development plan from the very beginning, including executive coaching, mentorship, and crystal-clear expectations for the first 90 days and beyond. At RWR Group, this is at the heart of what we do. We don’t just fill a vacancy; we act as strategic partners to help you identify and nurture leaders who are equipped to drive real transformation. Building a robust leadership pipeline isn’t just good practice—it’s the ultimate competitive advantage.

Being Busy Is BS and Just Another Form of Hiding

By RWR Group Marketing • July 31, 2025
Let’s call it. Most people aren’t productive, they’re just panicking in a suit . They’re chasing their tails in a tornado of meetings, emails, Slack pings, task boards, and "quick calls" that go nowhere. And when you ask them how they’re going? “Oh mate, flat out.” Yeah. Flat out… doing what? Because here’s the thing: being busy is easy . Being effective is rare. Busy people do a lot. Effective people get results. There’s a big difference, and most professionals have lost sight of it. Somewhere along the way, output got replaced with activity. Effort replaced outcomes. Time spent became more important than value delivered. And let’s be honest: a lot of people are buying their own bullshit . They're mistaking motion for progress. Praise themselves for being 'slammed’ when all they're really doing is sweating through chaos they created by saying yes to everything and finishing nothing. This isn’t just a recruitment problem. This is an everywhere problem. Recruiters sending 100 cold reach-outs a day but filling nothing. Managers drowning in back-to-back calls with no strategy behind them. Leaders caught in decks, dashboards and “quick check-ins” that don't move a single KPI. Whole teams doing cartwheels just to look productive. The worst part? Everyone knows it. But no one wants to say it. So let me: If your calendar is full and your scoreboard is empty, you’re not busy. You’re stuck. Busy is a drug. And it’s addictive. It makes you feel needed. Important. In demand. It fills the awkward silence where results should be. But it’s also the perfect cover for lack of clarity, fear of failure, and decision avoidance . You can’t be held accountable if you’re “so busy.” You can’t be questioned if you’re burning the candle at both ends. And we reward it. We praise the hustle. We applaud the exhaustion. We promote the performers who work late… even if they never win. Meanwhile the people who quietly deliver results, they get overlooked, because they’re not seen to be grinding. Insanity. High-performers don’t look busy. They look calm. They say “no” more than they say “yes”. They don’t join every meeting. They don’t reply to emails instantly. They’re not in Slack all day. Because they’re busy thinking , doing , and delivering . They know the only KPI that matters is impact . Not noise. Not motion. Not airtime. If you don’t know what that looks like, chances are you’re surrounded by performers, not producers. So what now? Ask yourself: What did I do today that actually mattered? If I stopped half my tasks, would anyone notice? Am I producing outcomes, or just managing perception? It’s not comfortable. But that’s the point. You don’t fix a culture of noise by adding more updates. You fix it by measuring results, not reputations. You fix it by rewarding effectiveness, not effort. You fix it by cutting the crap and getting clear on what success actually looks like. So, are you actually making a dent? Or just looking busy? I’d love to hear your take. Drop a comment, disagree, tag someone who needs this.  Let’s talk about it.

Why Employer Branding Matters in Recruitment

By RWR Group Marketing • June 24, 2025
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Why is Everyone So Bloody Miserable at Work? By John Caldwell, CEO RWR Group

By RWR Group Marketing • May 11, 2025
We’re in the thick of it right now—big change, big growth, and even bigger expectations. New leadership. New systems. New people. The kind of momentum we’ve been chasing for years is finally happening. And yet, if I’m being honest, the one thing keeping me up at night isn’t the tech platforms, the strategy, or the P&L. It’s our people. I’ve been working hard to bring our team along for the ride—to keep them motivated, connected, and actually enjoying the work. But it’s not easy. In fact, it’s been one of the most confronting challenges of my career. Because despite our best efforts, I’ve started to notice something... and it’s not just in our business. It’s everywhere. Lately, I’ve been walking through the city doing what I now jokingly call my “undercover investigative journalism” (a.k.a. eavesdropping). And here’s the thing: almost every single conversation I overhear is someone complaining about work. Their job. Their boss. Their workload. Their colleague. Their life at work. Not one positive work-related convo. Not even one. And I’ve been listening, properly listening, for weeks. So naturally, it’s got me thinking: What the hell is going on? Why is no one content? Is the workplace genuinely broken? Is the grass actually greener, or is it just fertilised with everyone else’s burnout? Are we all just carrying something heavier—and work’s become the easiest thing to blame? The truth is, I don’t think it’s just the workplace. And I don’t think it’s just the people, either. I think we’re in a pressure cooker of change. Economically. Technologically. Culturally. And it’s spinning so fast, a lot of people feel like they’re falling behind or just can’t keep up. So work cops the flack. Because it’s visible. It’s tangible. It’s where we spend most of our time. And let’s face it—it’s easier to blame your 9–5 than unpack the mess of uncertainty, fear, or personal stuff that might be sitting underneath it all. As leaders, we do need to create safe, motivating workplaces where people can thrive. But it also makes me wonder: Are we expecting too much from our jobs? Are we asking work to fulfil every desire, validate our worth, and solve all our life problems? Maybe the real question is this— Are we unhappy at work… Or just unhappy in general, and work is the nearest target? Edina Monsoon (yes, from Absolutely Fabulous) once said: "Cheer up world—it may bloody never happen." Maybe she was onto something. Maybe we all just need to breathe, reset, and remember that sometimes, perspective is the best productivity hack. I don’t have all the answers—but I’m listening. And if you’re leading people right now, I’d say keep listening too. Because in this crazy, changing world, that might just be the most powerful thing any of us can do.

The Calm Before the Scramble: What Shamubeel Eaqub’s Outlook Means for Construction Hiring

By Ginny Ryder • April 3, 2025
We had the chance to sit in on the recent Trade Me breakfast event with Shamubeel Eaqub. If you haven’t come across him before, he’s one of New Zealand’s go-to economic commentators. Known for cutting through the noise with practical insights, Shamubeel has spent over 20 years making sense of complex economic shifts, writing books like Growing Apart and Generation Rent and regularly popping up in the media with straight-talking analysis. Shamubeel gave a pretty honest take on what’s really happening behind the “recession” headlines. While it might feel like the market is on pause, most businesses aren’t letting people go, they’re simply replacing them. In his words, “We’re not seeing widespread redundancies. What’s happening is churn - and that churn is still hard to manage.” At the same time, we’re seeing an uptick in business liquidations. Watching companies fold is never easy, especially when it affects people and livelihoods. But as Shamubeel pointed out, “a recession is like a reset button.” While painful, this period is also helping the sector recalibrate. Businesses that were operating on thin margins or shaky ground are being forced to take a hard look at their foundations, and that’s not all bad. Stronger businesses will emerge on the other side. We are already seeing a gap between businesses with dedicated recruitment teams and those without. Internal teams are managing to fill roles. But for everyone else, hiring still feels slow and frustrating. We’re noticing that one of the ongoing challenges in the current market is timing. While recruitment processes are understandably cautious right now, delays can make it harder to secure top candidates. The reality is that strong applicants don’t tend to stay on the market for long, and by the time decisions are made, those individuals may have already accepted other offers. Even in a quieter market, good people are still being picked up quickly, which means moving too slowly can reduce your options. Right now, many firms are playing it safe: holding back on new hires, watching cash flow, and waiting for things to settle. That caution is understandable, but it comes with risk. Shamubeel warned that “when the recovery comes, it’ll come quickly,” and those not ready to move could miss the boat. What Candidates Actually Want (and What Employers Think They Want) One of the standout insights from Shamubeel was around candidate motivators and the mismatch between what employers think people want versus what they’re actually looking for. Employers often assume that, in a tougher market, candidates are prioritising stability above all else. But Shamubeel pointed out that this just isn’t the case. What people really want is development, progression, and the chance to grow their careers. “There’s a gap,” he said, “between perceived and real motivators.” For construction businesses trying to attract or keep good people, it means shifting the focus, not just offering a secure role but showing what comes next, how someone can learn, and where they can go from there. Shamubeel also highlighted the importance of hiring for attributes as well as qualifications, things like adaptability, attitude, and cultural fit. Those people stick, grow, and add real value when the pressure’s on. Qualifications are less important in the long term than what hiring managers may think. The Key Takeaway Now is the time to act to get ahead of the curve. If you’re going to need people in the next 3–6 months, it pays to start thinking about it now. Construction projects live and die by the strength of the teams behind them. Waiting until the market “feels better” could mean missing out altogether, especially when demand picks up and supply is still tight. We’re always happy to talk about what this looks like in real time. We’re deep in the market every day and see how this plays out across different parts of the construction sector. If it’s time to start thinking ahead, we’re here to share what we’re seeing and what’s working.

The Importance of Employer Branding and the Recruiter’s Role in Shaping It

By RWR Group Marketing • April 1, 2025
In today's competitive job market, attracting top talent is about more than just offering a great salary or benefits package. Job seekers are looking for companies that align with their values, provide meaningful work, and foster a positive workplace culture. This is where employer branding plays a critical role. A strong employer brand helps organizations stand out, build credibility, and attract the best candidates.

Why Choose a Career at RWR Construction?

By Prakash Singh • March 26, 2025
Are you an expert in the construction field but looking for a fresh challenge? Want to stay connected to the industry you love while leveraging your skills in a new way? At RWR Construction, we offer you the opportunity to take your construction knowledge and apply it to a dynamic, rewarding career in recruitment. 1. Leverage your construction expertise Imagine using all the industry know-how you've accumulated … from site management to project delivery … to help construction companies find the talent they need to succeed. As a recruiter at RWR Construction, you’ll speak the same language as the candidates and clients you work with, making you a trusted advisor in the process. Your deep understanding of construction roles and what’s required to succeed in them is your greatest asset in this role. Instead of just working within one project, you’ll be shaping the future of many. Your career path becomes broader, more dynamic, and more rewarding as you connect people with opportunities that build the future of New Zealand’s construction industry. 2. Stay connected to the industry you love You’ve put years of effort into mastering your craft in construction … but what if you could stay just as connected to the industry, while moving into a more flexible and people-focused role? At RWR Construction, you’re still deeply involved in the sector, but your job shifts to guiding, advising, and matching talent to the right projects. It’s about understanding the industry from a different angle … one that’s just as impactful and equally satisfying. 3. Enjoy a fast-paced and rewarding career The construction sector is always evolving, and recruitment is no different. At RWR Construction, you’ll find that no two days are the same. Whether you're sourcing candidates, advising clients, or developing recruitment strategies, every day offers something new. It’s a fast-paced environment that offers both challenge and reward, but with the added satisfaction of helping people grow in their careers. 4. Shape the future of New Zealand’s construction landscape Recruitment is more than filling roles — it’s about shaping the future. At RWR Construction, you’re contributing to the success of projects that shape New Zealand’s skyline and infrastructure. By placing the right people in the right positions, you’re helping ensure that construction projects are delivered on time, with the best talent at the helm. It’s a rewarding way to see the results of your work on a larger scale. 5. A career that grows with you Just like the construction industry, recruitment offers endless opportunities for career growth. At RWR Construction, we provide our recruiters with the tools and training to excel and grow into leadership roles. You’re not just stepping into a job — you’re launching a new career that builds on the skills and expertise you already have, with opportunities to advance and thrive in the recruitment world. Coupled with a competitive salary, a quarterly commission structure, international incentive trips and up to 7 weeks annual leave, you're sure to enjoy a rewarding career that offers both personal and professional growth, all while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. RWR Construction is where your love for construction meets your passion for people. If you’re ready to take the next step in your career and want to use your expertise to make a meaningful impact in the construction sector, join us at RWR Construction … and let’s build New Zealand’s future together.