By and large, we expect to pay taxes, elect politicians, and abide by the laws of the day. In return we expect governments to deliver the services we want. Things like easy access to good quality education, inexpensive medical services, reliable water, transport, and help when floods or fires affect our communities. Which are all … Continue reading The demographic disaster facing public sector budgets
Who would have thought that within two short years we would be witnessing such profound social, political and economic change. One wonders what the next ten years holds for us? History is littered with examples of the rise and fall of civilisations. The recent backlash to globalisation has heralded the re-emergence of protectionist trade and isolationist immigration policies in major global economies. … Continue reading Bend or break – the winds of change facing business and public sector leaders
Recent state and federal reform agendas have focused heavily on identifying new and innovative ways of delivering services for taxpayers and users of government services – such as healthcare and social services – more efficiently and effectively whilst ensuring accountability remains squarely centered on those responsible for delivering services. According to a recent Deloitte report titled … Continue reading Commissioning government services – panacea or pitfall for Public Sector Leaders.
The change equation is a simple but powerful statement that helps leaders positively influence and manage resistance to change. One that Donald J. Trump appears to have used with devastating effect in the lead-up to his victory earlier this month. Published by Richard Beckhard and Rubin Harris in 1977, the change equation argues that a … Continue reading How Trump used change theory to defeat Clinton and what leaders can learn
The velocity of geopolitical, social and economic change shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Transformative shifts are underway throughout major economies and will have profound ramifications for current and future leaders. It appears that the leadership skills and traits of the past are failing, and a very different set of skills will need to … Continue reading Leading in 2030, what will it take?
Sexism is a cultural challenge that is entrenched in many Australian businesses. It is completely counterproductive, as many businesses are currently struggling to attract and retain talented people in a very competitive market. Women outnumber men in Australia and have high workforce participation rates. The Australian Bureau of Statistics regularly calculates the sex ratio – … Continue reading The double bind of sexism
In the world of business, today’s leaders exist in a Darwinian fight for survival, where high rates of change and uncertainty are the key pressures determining their future. Using Darwin’s theories, you might say that in business, it is not the strongest that survive, nor the most intelligent, but those most responsive to change. The … Continue reading Why Performance Management Systems Fail to Deliver Better Performance
Michael Cheika’s grew up in a tightly knit Lebanese family in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. The family dynamic he grew up with has influenced his leadership style, helping him to rebuild the Wallabies esprit de corp by adopting an approach that places the Rugby team ‘family’ firmly at the centre. A family in which he is the patriarch. … Continue reading Why Wallabies’ coach Michael Cheika outperforms most business leaders
The new federal government has been remarkably silent on the state of the economy since winning office. I suspect most Australian business leaders are now simply relieved that the relentless media reports of “economic crisis” have ceased, and are thankful that the quotes are now being turned back, both economically and nautically. In this void … Continue reading Profiting from Poverty
2013 has been another tough year of transition for many retailers, with major Australian retailers such as Billabong, Lisa Ho, and Payless Shoes all paying a high price for poor management decisions. The rising volume and value of e-commerce transactions has started to impact the retail property landscape, and promises structural change and pain for … Continue reading Death of the retail salesman
