Members of the Leadership Illawarra group during their visit to Parliament House. Photo: Supplied.
Last week, 21 of the Illawarra’s emerging leaders undertaking the Leadership Illawarra Program took on the unique opportunity to visit Parliament House in Canberra for meetings with federal representatives.
This group comes from across the Illawarra and includes leaders in small business, not-for-profit, local government and large multinationals. Participants not only represent the Illawarra’s current industries, but also those emerging that will define our city for years to come.
On this two-day visit to the “belly of the bubble”, the group met with 10 Members of Parliament including ministers, shadow ministers, an independent from Victoria and a round table with the Illawarra’s federal representatives Alison Byrnes (Cunningham), Fiona Phillips (Gilmore) and Stephen Jones (Whitlam).
The goal was to learn more about their leadership journeys and explore how contemporary leadership strategies are being used to enhance and advocate for the Illawarra and Shoalhaven.
The most surprising part of the whole experience for the group was the consistency of opinions from the members. This was regardless of which house they sat in or their political ideologies:
- Don’t let the little things distract you. It’s very easy as a leader to get caught up trying to solve all the problems but you should only ever focus on one to two. Or as a certain Minister put it, “know your North Star”. Other problems are for other people to solve and by focusing your time and effort you can produce better results.
- Know your “why”. This will make it easier to keep going when you face adversity as you are working towards goals that align with your core values.
- Vulnerability and collaboration. The ability to admit limitations, seek advice and work collaboratively across party lines is essential for effective governance. Parliament, like any workplace, is only truly effective when those with competing agendas can find common ground.
- Compromise. The importance of progress over perfection was also a recurring theme. Waiting for the perfect solution can hinder progress and take you further away from your North Star. This pragmatic approach ensures that advancements are continually made, even if incremental. Compromise and consensus-building were presented not as weaknesses but as strengths necessary for achieving common good in a diverse society.
The group met with Illawarra MPs Alison Byrnes, Stephen Jones and Fiona Phillips. Photo: Supplied.
Another key thing the group learned was just how much more friendly Parliament House was than was shown publicly.
For example, the group witnessed political rivals praise one another for their efforts to create meaningful change.
This was a pleasant contrast to the hyperbolic “theatre” of Question Time, which all the members interviewed agreed, did not always paint politicians in the best light.
We discussed in some detail how the aggressive exchanges and performative debates often do not reflect true leadership and can erode public perception.
While this garners media attention, it seems to overshadow the genuine efforts and principles that many politicians strive to uphold, no matter which side of politics they sit.
For many of the Illawarra’s emerging leaders, this experience has not only reinforced the training we experience as part of the Leadership Illawarra Program but provided tangible case studies as we were given insight into how some of Australia’s well-known leaders are tackling our contemporary challenges.
This will be valuable to draw on locally as we continue to adapt our industries to respond to the pressing challenges of cost of living, climate change, the transition to net zero and the introduction of emerging technologies such as AI.
For some time now, it has been said we are witnesses to the fastest change ever seen in recorded history and yet this is the slowest it will ever be for the rest of our lives.
With that in mind, the skills needed to lead our organisations and society to adapt to this future might not even be known yet, however if we continue to strive to lead through our values and focus on what is important there is hope that tomorrow will be better than today.
The Leadership Illawarra Program is a collaboration between the University of Wollongong, Illawarra Connection and Regional Development Australia Illawarra Shoalhaven. The two-year program provides business leaders as mentors, includes one-day master classes, adaptive leadership coaching and meaningful site visits to better understand and prepare for the opportunities and challenges facing the Illawarra. Applicants for the next intake will be opening soon.
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