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If you ask most directors what shapes board performance, they’ll talk about experience, structure, and good governance processes. All those things matter of course, but they only work if the culture in the room allows people to actually use them.  That reality is becoming harder to ignore, especially with psychosocial legislation now reaching beyond day-to-day operations […]

It’s lonely at the top, and sometimes, that’s by design. Many CEOs in the not for profit space carry the weight of strategy, operations, fundraising/hitting revenue targets, people, and purpose on their shoulders, often without fully tapping into one of their most valuable resources: the Board. Not because the Board isn’t willing or capable, but

We’re living through an unprecedented era of disruption. Whether it’s the rise of AI, workforce reshaping, geopolitical instability, or economic pressure, leaders today face complexity unlike anything before. For many, the biggest question is no longer “how do I lead?”, it’s “how do I stay relevant?” The traditional playbook doesn’t hold. Leaders who thrived five

Why Coaching Skills in Leaders Make All the Difference Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of seeing coaching in action — not just as a buzzword, but as a core leadership capability that truly transforms teams. At Australia Post, we implemented a Leader as Coach program that spanned over three years. More recently, we’ve

McKinsey’s recent research identifying 18 high-growth “arenas of competition” has captured significant attention in the business world. These industries—from AI software and electric vehicles to cybersecurity and space—could generate up to $48 trillion in revenues by 2040. It’s compelling data. But here’s what gets lost when we fixate on the industries themselves: the real competitive advantage won’t come from simply being in the right arena. It will

11/21/2024 Winning! That’s how my day started yesterday. I was introduced to a Leadership Development Team from a reputable organisation (will remain nameless) and we were able to nerd out about different approaches to leadership. And talk about real challenges in a real world that is crazy for organisations right now – perhaps even dystopian as

11/18/2024 After years of leading organisational change—from managing the change stream during Malaysia Airlines’ transformation following their aviation disasters, to establishing crisis response systems during Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires, to supporting scaling organisations across Australia—I keep coming back to four critical elements that determine success when leading change. But here’s what the textbooks don’t tell

11/14/2024 Been thinking a lot about culture and strategy lately. You know how everyone talks about these as separate things? Well, here’s the truth: they’re completely intertwined, and one won’t work without the other. Here’s what I’ve learned from the trenches of organizational leadership: your strategy is only as good as the culture that carrier

11/11/2024 I’ve been fortunate enough to see Patrick Lencioni speak twice now, and each time I’m struck by how his ‘Five Dysfunctions of a Team’ framework cuts through the noise of modern leadership theory. Even after years of consulting with leadership teams across Australia, I still find myself sketching out Lencioni’s pyramid in client meetings.

11/08/2024 In my consulting, I’ve learned the significance of unbiased performance evaluations in driving organisations forward. Recent insights have underscored the importance of recognising and mitigating biases that often infiltrate these reviews, affecting fairness and accuracy. It’s clear that biases like recency, proximity, and prior precedence can significantly distort assessments, often without even the most