BETTER LEADERSHIP FOR A BETTER WORLD CREATING THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE IN AUSTRALIA

BETTER LEADERSHIP FOR A BETTER WORLD CREATING THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE IN AUSTRALIA TRANSFORMING LEADERSHIP THINKING AND PRACTICE TO MAKE THE WORL...
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BETTER LEADERSHIP FOR A BETTER WORLD CREATING THE CHANGE

WE WANT TO SEE IN AUSTRALIA

TRANSFORMING LEADERSHIP THINKING AND PRACTICE TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

“Redfern Listens” by sidkid CC BY 2.0 www.flickr.com/photos/sidkid/2261837139

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AN INVITATION Help create the change we want to see in Australia In these times of social, economic and environmental uncertainty, we need a different approach to leadership to build a truly fair and inclusive nation. It’s time to put cynicism aside and harness Australia’s great optimism to transform leadership thinking and practice in this country. It’s time to support and encourage leaders from all walks of life who share the goal of building a stronger, fairer society. It’s time for all of us to be leaders and participate in the change we want to see.

How? Leadership begins by imagining the future and answering the question: How can we make the world a better place? But it takes more than good intentions to make change. It takes courage and it takes skill. It takes real leadership. Social Leadership Australia has been teaching real leadership to Australian business, government and community leaders since 1999, equipping hundreds of people to make a genuine difference where they live and work. Their stories and experiences demonstrate what real leadership can achieve. Sometimes progress happens in small ways. Sometimes it takes place on the national stage. It is often ground-breaking and, in many cases, life-changing.

Invest in Australia’s outstanding leadership potential Social Leadership Australia’s goal is to bring a different approach to leadership to generate change on more issues, in more places, to benefit more people. We invite you to join us and help make this vision a reality. Together, we can create the change we all want to see in Australia.

GEOFF AIGNER Director, Social Leadership Australia

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OPEN PROGRAMS: THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT

The art of change Between 2005 and 2007, a team of graduates from our Sydney Leadership program led a remarkable community cultural development project in Northcott Housing Estate, helping transform the once notorious public housing complex in Surry Hills into a World Health Organisation recognised ‘safe community’. Art and story-telling were the tools used to build positive community connections and reduce the corrosive effect of isolation and violence. The enthusiasm and participation of Northcott residents was overwhelming and culminated in the acclaimed outdoor theatre production, StickybrickS, presented as part of the 2006 Sydney Festival, along with a photographic exhibition and a feature-length documentary film.

What new stories of change could you help make happen by supporting participants in our Open Leadership programs?

THE LATE SANDY HENDERSON Sydney Leadership 2006 Photo: Keith Saunders

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INTRODUCING SOCIAL LEADERSHIP AUSTRALIA

Who we are

Our work

Social Leadership Australia’s purpose is to shift Australian leadership thinking and practice.

Each year, more than 500 leaders across Australia work with us in a variety of ways:

Established in 1999, we have grown from a single year-long program—our flagship Sydney Leadership program—into a thriving leadership centre delivering a suite of programs and interventions for individuals, organisations and the community. Our cutting-edge approach provides new ideas, insights and impetus for people striving to make progress on the issues others put in the too-hard basket. Social Leadership Australia is an initiative of The Benevolent Society, a non-religious charity with a 200 year-old record of taking action to drive social change.

• O  pen programs, such as Sydney Leadership and Queensland Leadership, for diverse groups of high talent individuals who share a desire to build a better Australia (See our stories on p.2, p.5 and pp.10-12.) • T  ailored programs for Top 100 companies, government departments and not-for-profit organisations , developed to help them to manage complex change and make a positive social contribution. • C  ustomised responses to identified needs such as our Headland project for emerging Indigenous leaders (p.8), our Alice Springs Desert Leadership program (p.9) and our Growing Communities Together initiative in Western Sydney.

Our record of achievement is impressive but we know we can do more. With your help we want to increase our impact where it is needed most.

“Very little will change unless and until we have leaders with open minds and a genuine capacity to understand seemingly intractable problems from a variety of perspectives. This is what it takes to create lasting, systemwide change and Sydney Leadership is the best way I know for people to develop that capacity.” Reg Graycar, Barrister and Professor of Law, University of Sydney and former Law Reform Commissioner, Sydney Leadership 2001

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CONFRONTING. INSPIRING. TRANSFORMING.

These are just some of the words that the people we work with use to describe our approach to leadership development. Unique in Australia, our world-class teaching combines the Harvard-based Adaptive Leadership model with robust community engagement. By confronting preconceptions and exploring the complex nature of contemporary social issues, we bring leaders face-to-face with the challenges of real leadership. Our approach is intellectually demanding and transformative. We provide leaders with a sophisticated skill set and a clear purpose for their work. Their experiences inspire and equip them in their journey to build a better Australia. Graduates also build relationships with other leaders from across the business, government and not-for-profit sectors-often leading to unlikely partnerships that open up new pathways to progress.

Four reasons to partner with us • O  ur experience We have established a reputation as a pioneer in leadership for social change. • O  ur approach We foster critical thinking, innovation and collaborative partnerships across the business, government and the not-for-profit sectors. • O  ur impact Evaluations, feedback and testimonials consistently demonstrate that what we do contributes to genuine, real-life change. • O  ur values Our work is guided by a commitment to building caring and inclusive communities and a just society.

“The best thing for me was having 20 years experience in change completely blown away. The program pushed me to the edge of my competence and challenged me to listen and learn in completely unexpected ways.” Sharon Ryan, Change and Communications Lead; BHP Billiton, Energy Coal

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OPEN PROGRAMS: THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT

Shooting stars Hot food, cool hoops and practical approaches to building life skills—Midnight Basketball gives young people plenty of reasons to get off the streets. The program was the brainchild of Sydney Leadership graduate, Roger West (then NSW Community Services Commissioner) who called in other graduates including CEO, Tess White, a business sector alumnus, to help get it off the ground. A 2007 pilot in Sydney has since become a mainstay event in communities across Australia. With its ‘No Workshop No Jumpshot’ philosophy of combining learning with fun, Midnight Basketball is widely regarded as one of the most effective interventions for ‘youth at risk’. The program is supported by business, sporting groups, police bodies, community associations and all levels of government.

Midnight Basketball game and Financial Literacy workshop run by Commonwealth Bank volunteer staff, NCIE, Redfern.

What new project could you help get off the ground by providing scholarships for our Open programs?

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THREE WAYS YOU CAN HELP DRIVE CHANGE

1. PARTNER IN OUR AUSTRALIAN LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE Be a voice for new leadership in Australia Our new national initiative will generate new ways of thinking and new approaches to the exercise of leadership in the 21st century. It will provoke discussion, promote action and advance the practice of leadership in Australia— leadership that will deliver lasting progress on the complex issues we face in this country.

The Australian Leadership Initiative will engage political leaders, business leaders, opinion leaders, community leaders and the Australian public in exciting ideas with real potential to deliver breakthrough change. The initiative will involve debates and forums; discussions on radio and television; commentary in newspapers, journals and blogs; interviews with high-profile leaders; working with

2. SPONSOR A PROGRAM FOR A SPECIFIC COMMUNITY OR ISSUE Initiate change where it’s needed In 2011, we brought community leaders together in Bankstown, NSW, to build their existing skills and identify ways they could collaborate to tackle issues important to their community. Through NSW Health, we supported Aboriginal health managers to become a force for change in their communities and across the sector.

We worked with NSW Community Services and not-for-profit agency leaders to open up new ways of working together and bringing a clearer focus on the real needs of the homeless people in NSW. Our two-year Headland project has provided a space for emerging Indigenous leaders to explore the complex challenges facing their communities and sow the seeds for a different future.

3. PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR OUR OPEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS Build leadership capability in the not-for-profit sector Each year we receive many applications for our Open Leadership programs from exceptional leaders from the not-for-profit and community sectors. These are the people who are working to change the future for some of the most marginalised and disadvantaged people in Australia today.

But competition for subsidised places is intense and many deserving candidates miss out. You could help us turn this around. A scholarship is a direct way that you can strengthen the capacity of the sector to respond effectively to some of our most pressing issues. A single graduate from one of our programs can generate a powerful, multiplier effect.

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communities; and using social media to connect with people across the country. Social Leadership Australia has already started work on a major new book to be published in 2013 which compiles our analysis of contemporary Australian leadership and provokes debate on the opportunities for change.

You can help us lead by example The Australian Leadership Initiative will offer a fresh approach for delivering on the promise of a better Australia—a shared model of leadership that people can believe in and participate in. We invite you to be part of this vital conversation and to help reinvigorate Australian leadership for the 21st century.

What drives us at Social Leadership Australia is the opportunity to contribute our skills and expertise to build fairer, healthier, more inclusive communities and help make progress on the toughest challenges we face.

What’s your vision for Australia?

Through sharing the skills and ideas from the program, leaders can initiate progressive change in their sector, as well as develop the powerful cross-sector relationships that lie at the heart of social change.

Where would you like to see the greatest impact?

Where else could we be working? What are the areas of need? What are the issues we should be addressing? Let’s share our ideas and, together, start working towards our common goals. With your support, we can begin the process of converting hope into practical action.

You could provide a scholarship on an open basis or nominate a specific area you would like to build leadership capacity, such as the environment, social inclusion, homelessness, youth, Indigenous affairs, rural issues, health, education or arts and culture. (See pp.10-12 for more ideas.)

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AN ISSUE-BASED PROGRAM

Headland project participants. Photos: Martin Mischkulnig. Read the full list and find out more about Headland on our website.

New leaders, united vision Finding new ways to tackle the long-standing problems facing Indigenous communities. Striking up a fresh conversation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Creating a better, fairer future for everyone who shares this land. This is the vision of Australia’s new generation of Indigenous leaders, brought together from across the country as part of our Headland project.

The two-year program, developed in partnership with these emerging leaders, and made possible with the support of a generous philanthropist, explored the complex and confronting challenges they can face to lead change within their diverse communities and the broader society. It provided a safe space where participants could share their experiences, grow as individuals and as leaders, and weave together their collective aspirations for 21st century Australia. The Headland project helped galvanise their commitment to a new model of leadership to bring about lasting change, one which draws on the strengths of Indigenous communities, integrates the wisdom of other Indigenous leaders and builds genuine partnerships with business, government and the Australian public.

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A PLACE-BASED PROGRAM

Reimagining Alice In partnership with Desert Knowledge Australia, we recently brought together diverse leaders from Alice Springs to work together in a cross-cultural program to develop their leadership capacity to address the opportunities and challenges in their community. From a traditional Aboriginal land owner to the head of a high-profile engineering firm, the differences in the group were not just between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants. All shared the same desire to transform their community. Over an 18-month period, participants explored the complex factors behind leading for social change. They spoke honestly with each other, learned from one another and had conversations that opened their eyes to different perspectives and new partnerships. Together, they are working on a vision for change based on their common aspiration: for Alice Springs to be a thriving proud place where everyone belongs.

Alice Springs Desert Leadership program participants. Photos: Steve Strike. Find the full list of participants and read more about this project on our website.

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OPEN PROGRAMS: THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT Solving social inequities

Advancing Aboriginal health

Doug Taylor CEO, United Way Australia Sydney Leadership 2004 Doug’s latest Woolloomooloo rough sleepers project—which involved a major financial institution, a law firm, a property group, the local council, community workers and an NGO—has not only created permanent accommodation for 70 homeless people but saved the government more than $4.5m over three years. Doug’s skill in brokering innovative partnerships with government and the private sector has led to a structural shift in approaches to social exclusion and disadvantage in Australia.

“There is a lot of noise in the sector and a lot of activity but little is focused on the underlying issues that need to be tackled. The paradigm that Sydney Leadership instils gives you the opportunity to ask yourself, ‘Am I just busy or am I really making a difference in ways that matter?”

Jennifer Cullen CEO, Synapse Queensland Leadership 2009-2010 Jennifer’s new-found courage and determination to work across the black:white divide, as well as in partnership with the private sector, has opened up the way for a raft of breakthrough community-based care solutions for the high number of Indigenous people living with brain damage in Far North Queensland.

“I thought I had all the answers and I could do it on my own. What I learned is that many people are trying to make a difference in their own way and I am able to bring them together.”

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Reaching youth at risk

Education for all

Bruce Graydon Qld State Manager, SupportLink Queensland Leadership 2010-2011

Larissa Treskin Principal, James Ruse Agricultural High School Sydney Leadership 2002

Within a year of Bruce acting on his decision to leave the Police Service and establish a Queensland office for the early intervention service— SupportLink—over 9,000 referrals from local police had been processed, providing help to countless young people at risk of incarcaeration because of potential drug use, petty crime or child abuse.

From building a new culture of high academic expectation in schools in needy communities across Western Sydney, to establishing a long-running business mentoring program for disadvantaged kids (the Australian Business Community Network, in 2004) to fostering a new balance of learning both inside the classroom and in the community at the State’s topranking high school—Larissa’s ability to support people through long, tough change processes while staying focused on the highest purpose exemplify the Sydney Leadership philosophy.

“I’d helped many lives throughout my 25-year career—but I realised that I needed to become an unapologetic advocate for change, despite the political and bureaucratic obstacles.”

“The role of an educational leader is always to make sure that balance is maintained between self, society and work. It’s the future of society at stake… That’s one of the biggest things Sydney Leadership gave me—just continually thinking outward as to how you can make it a better society.”

“Social Leadership Australia has a reputation for developing forward-thinking leaders with the capacity to catalyse social change, not only through their own leadership agendas but also by working collaboratively across sectors. It is my belief that philanthropy can play a key role in driving social change in Australia by supporting the development of strong leaders who will guide Australia in meeting the economic, social and environmental challenges we will undoubtedly face in the years ahead.” Tim Fairfax, Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, Supporter, Queensland Leadership program

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Advocating for change Simon Sheikh Executive Director, GetUp! Action for Australia Sydney Leadership 2009 Simon’s experience on Sydney Leadership had a profound effect on his approach to leadership and contributed to much of what he has achieved at GetUp in the past two years. The now 600,000-strong, grass-roots advocacy organisation has made its mark as a powerful agent of change in Australia through a series of high profile campaigns that have shaped community attitudes and influenced public policy on issues including electoral reform, live cattle export, marriage equality, mental health, carbon pricing and coal seam gas.

“I think I never quite understood what I would get out of the program. But I really have been able to inject so many lessons into my life. You go to different programs and you expect around 10% to stick but all of Sydney Leadership is part of my life in some way.”

“I continue to provide an annual scholarship for the Sydney Leadership program because I benefited so much from it and I can see the impact it has. Each of the dozen or so people I have supported has commenced their own process of applying what they’ve learnt, with a range of flow-on effects for various communities. Sponsoring Sydney Leadership is not about funding a particular project, it’s about supporting individuals with real potential who will do something of great value because you have helped them. It’s about developing people to build their own leadership capacity and tackle a whole diversity of issues more effectively.” David Hardie, Sydney Leadership graduate and philanthropist

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LET’S TALK We invite you to start a conversation with us. Ask your questions about Social Leadership Australia and our work and explore how you might partner with us. Find out how you can become part of a new movement to transform Australian leadership thinking and practice and help create the change we want to see in this country.

Australian Leadership Initiative To explore the possibilities of partnering with us on our new initiative to generate new leadership thinking and practice in Australia, please contact:

LIZ SKELTON Head of Advocacy & Thought Leadership t 9339 8042 e [email protected]

Programs To talk about scholarships for our open leadership programs or sponsoring a program for a specific community or issue, please contact:

KYRSTIE DUNN Manager, NSW t 02 9339 9313 e [email protected]

ROBIN FRANCIS Manager, QLD t 07 3170 4617 e [email protected]

www.benevolent.org.au/leadership

DIANA RENNER Manager, VIC t 0447 246 264 e [email protected]

The Benevolent Society Level 1, 188 Oxford Street Paddington NSW 2021 t 02 9339 8089 9 Wilson Street West End QLD 4101 t 07 3170 4618 e [email protected] w benevolent.org.au/leadership

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FRONT COVER Sydney Leadership graduates: 1. Prabha Gulati, Director, Asylum Seekers Centre 2. Roger West, Director, WestWood Spice 3. Christopher Zinn, Director, Campaigns & Communications, Choice 4. Allison Henry, Director, Race Discrimination Unit, Australian Human Rights Commission 5. Jono McCauley, Director, Creative Strategy, Eleven Communications

6. Ajak Ajang, Manager, Dancing in Harmony Project, STARTTS 7. Nazha Saad, Chief Executive Officer, St George Community Housing 8. Beck Ronkson, Special Projects Manager, Milk Crate Theatre 9. Paul Knight, Managing Director, Djenbella Group 10. Jacqueline Phillips, National Director, ANTaR (Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation) Photo: Keith Saunders