Menzies Leadership Forum

The Courage to Lead Differently || Hosted by Dr Peter Collins, Featuring Special Guest - Dr Rufus Black, VC UTAS

How do we build the courage to challenge tradition and embrace new ways of thinking?

Episode one will explore how leaders can step away from established norms to create more adaptable, purpose-driven institutions. Reflecting on how higher education, governance, and leadership frameworks are evolving, this episode will examine how leaders can embrace disruption while maintaining a clear sense of purpose.

Expect insights on the risks, resistance, and rewards that come with leading differently in a complex world.

Key Themes & Talking Points:

• How global shifts are impacting educational institutions and leadership in academia.
• The role of universities in fostering civic engagement and social impact.
• Courageous decision-making in navigating the tension between tradition and innovation.
• Insights into how education leaders can prepare students for complexity and uncertainty.

Dr Peter Collins from Peter Collins and Associates: Dr Rufus Black, University of Tasmania 

Governing Culture | Leadership and Governance: Ensuring Cultural Integrity, with Michelle Bloom

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good, host Michelle Bloom speaks with Jennifer Robertson about the board's role in sustaining cultural and ethical integrity, beyond compliance.

Jennifer discusses the importance of boards aligning culture with corporate purpose and values, shifting from “can we” to “should we” in contemporary governance.

She shares insights on how boards can influence organisational culture, including examples from the recent Qantas culture report, and the role of leadership in driving cultural change.

Michelle Bloom from ANSTO; Jennifer Robertson from Board Matters

Addressing Toxicity | Leaders Confronting Toxic Cultures, with host Michelle Bloom

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good, host Michelle Bloom speaks with Quentin Jones from Culture Capital about addressing and transforming toxic cultures.

Quentin explores the role of ethical leadership, transparency, and accountability in turning around toxic environments.

He discusses why focusing only on “bad apples” doesn’t solve the issue and how leaders can create sustainable change by addressing the wider organisational culture and relational dynamics.

Michelle Bloom from ANSTO; Quentin Jones from Culture Capital 

Architecting Cultures | The Architect of Culture: Leadership’s Hand in Culture Crafting, with host Michelle Bloom

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good podcast, host Michelle Bloom speaks to Matt Howell, the former Chief Executive Officer of Tomago Aluminium. Matt shares the incredible turnaround story of Tomago, an aluminium smelter in the Hunter Valley, NSW, where he served as CEO for nine years. He discusses the cultural change journey that not only resulted in significant financial returns but also improved safety standards to world-class levels, increased efficiency, and enhanced working conditions for employees. This transformation created the largest and most efficient aluminium smelter in Australasia, all underpinned by the value of care. Matt shares how he and the executive team led both the culture and business turnaround, the lessons learned, and key insights on how to architect and cultivate a culture for the greater good.

Michelle Bloom from ANSTO; Matt Howell from Nystar

Corporate Responsibility | Re-envisioning Corporate Roles: Leadership at the Crossroads, hosted by Michelle Bloom

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good, host Michelle Bloom speaks with Siobhan Toohill, a corporate sustainability expert, about strategies that benefit shareholders, customers, and society.

Siobhan explores the alignment of ethical business practices and profitability, the rise of ESG factors in investment decisions, and how sustainability influences organisational culture.

She also discusses the moral obligation of businesses to address social justice issues and the impact on corporate culture.

Michelle Bloom from ANSTO; Siobhan Toohill a corporate sustainability specialist 

Changing Culture, Leadership in Action: Changing Organisational Culture, with host Michelle Bloom

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good, host Michelle Bloom speaks with Amie Wallis, Chief of People and Culture at the Australian Olympic Committee, about their cultural transformation journey over the past 8 years.

Facing significant challenges, the AOC conducted a comprehensive review leading to reforms in governance, people development, transparency, and accountability.

The result? A cultural shift that has positively impacted both the organisation and the broader Olympic community.

Michelle Bloom from ANSTO; Amie Wallis from the Australian Olympics Committee

Leadership and the Cultivation of Social Impact, with host Michelle Bloom

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good podcast, host Michelle Bloom speaks to Professor Kristy Muir is the CEO of the Paul Ramsay Foundation and a Professor of Social Policy at UNSW Sydney Business School on how leaders can cultivate and embed social value into their organisational cultures.  

There’s a growing societal expectation that organisations – and organisational leaders – should take a more active role in creating social value, not just for shareholders or customers, but for everyone, particularly those most marginalised.  

Given trust is at the core of social license to operate and building social value, we will explore the erosion of trust by many Australian organisations and what leaders can do to increase the trust, confidence and the social value of their organisations.  

Kristy shares her insights on how senior leaders need to balance their fiduciary responsibility, keeping the organisational purpose at the core, the role of values and how to balance social responsibility in economically difficult times.  

Michelle Bloom from ANSTO; Kristy Muir from Paul Ramsay Foundation

How to Measure Organisational Culture Effectively, with host Michelle Bloom

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good podcast, host Michelle Bloom speaks to Somali Cerise on the art and science of measuring culture. We explore the tools and metrics available to measure culture, off the shelf options, versus a research approach and if it is indeed possible to measure organisational culture at all. We discuss if we are all on the same page in what we mean by culture, what is being measured and the purpose and value of measurement.  

Shareholders, investors, regulators are all interested in understanding the culture of an organisation, as poor culture very often leads to poor outcomes for investors and consumers, it impacts on the integrity of the Australian financial markets, and erodes investor, consumer trust and confidence, impacting the wider eco system in which it operates.  

Somali shares her practical experience in how to measure and understand this mercurial concept of culture. 

Michelle Bloom from ANSTO; Somali Cerise from Elizabeth Broderick & Co

Defining Culture: Leadership’s Role in Defining Organisational Culture for the Greater Good, with host Michelle Bloom

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good podcast, host Michelle Bloom speaks to Yolanda Saiz, CEO of St Vinnies, NSW about the foundational role that leadership plays in defining organisational culture. Culture is most typically defined as “the way we do things around here”. It is communicated in several ways through symbols and language such how people dress and talk to each other. It is also communicated through the organisational values that are deemed good and inform how people behave and make decisions. But culture is also shaped by the unspoken agreements, the shadow values within the organisation that drive unintended behaviours and consequences and really determine “the way things get done around here.

 

Yolanda shares some examples of how she and the leadership team at St Vinnies have cultivated a culture for the greater good. She also shares the transformational journey of the “Vinnie’s stores”, underpinned by the “no mission without margin” mantra.

 

Michelle Bloom from ANSTO; Yolanda Saiz from St Vinnies

Where Do We Go From Here? with host Dr Aiden M. A. Thornton

Episode eight: In this episode of Leadership: Navigating Complexity, host Dr. Aiden M.A. Thornton is joined by a distinguished panel of leadership scholars and practitioners to explore the evolving challenges of leadership in an era of rapid change. Featuring Professor David V. Day, Professor Samuel Wilson, Dr. Kerry Elliott, and strategist Scott Ko, the discussion delves into key issues such as social divisiveness, polarized thinking, epistemic complexity, and burnout in a world of constant disruption. The conversation examines the struggle to align diverse worldviews, the limitations of binary thinking and quick fixes, and the role of connection and shared meaning in fostering progress. With insights into the transformative impact of AI on leadership, this episode offers thought-provoking perspectives for leaders, strategists, and anyone navigating complexity in an ever-changing world.

Dr Aiden M. A. Thornton from The Australian National University (ANU); Professor David V. Day from Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College; Professor Samuel Wilson  from Swinburne University of Technology; Dr. Kerry Elliott from ACER; Scott Ko from ColourSpace Gallery 

Resources: 

• Professor Day’s article on systems-based approach to development: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/7/548
• ANU School of Cybernetics white paper on Cybernetic Leadership: https://cybernetics.anu.edu.au/projects/cybernetics-leadership/