Scholars like Edgar Schein argue that culture is mostly invisible to insiders. After working across many organisations, I’ve seen the truth in that. I’ve worked with leaders and executive teams who can no longer recognise the culture they operate in. Culture surveys help, but many organisations don’t always know what to do with the results. When a new leader arrives, they briefly occupy a rare position.

Is there ever a time for a leader to turn a blind eye to their own values and policies? This is a core leadership development question. An article in ABC News this week on the “rules-based global order” surfaces a deeper leadership dilemma. Six months ago, Australia’s rhetoric was about defending international law and the integrity of global rules. Now, the tone feels more restrained. More cautious. More evasive.

Watching the Winter Olympics this week, I was struck by how riders are assessed by judges. It made me reflect on how leaders are assessed in interviews, from my own experience being interviewed, sitting on executive panels, and now coaching senior leaders preparing for them. We’re encouraged to use STAR when asked, “Tell me about a time when…” Situation. Task. Action. Result.

That line from a recent ABC article on family businesses got me thinking about how organisations plan for leadership transition across generations. Excellence in leadership and change can be studied anywhere, not just in your own sector. In Australia, seven out of ten businesses are family-owned. That’s a significant body of lived experience in managing transition across generations. Take the family farm.

I stumbled across a little social experiment on Facebook the other day. The caption was: “Help me choose the most suitable tiles.” See image below. Naturally, I clicked in - partly curious, partly wanting my preferred tile validated (No. 1). But here’s what stopped me: out of 65 comments, there was no clear loser. Every tile had its fans. Some people were bold and decisive. Others were completely unsure. A few went totally off-script: “None of them—change the wall colour.”

I’m seeing a lot of commentary across business and government news about low productivity, financial strain, cost overruns and the real risk of slipping living standards in Australia. I’ve been thinking about the leadership implications — and why coaching and training for increased productivity has become essential. If productivity is about creating more value without more hours, more people, or more cost, then yes — Australia has a problem.

In developing current and future leaders, I’m fascinated by the role regret plays in leadership maturity — and how it shapes who we become. Frank Sinatra once sang, “Regrets, I’ve had a few… but then again, too few to mention.” In reading today’s ABC interview with Kamala Harris, she admits she regrets not challenging Joe Biden’s decision to seek re-election in 2024 — a decision she now calls “reckless.”

Spare a thought for Ange Postecoglou, who has been sacked by Nottingham Forest after just 39 days and eight winless games. The shortest reign of a permanent manager in English Premier League history.

To break through complex problems or underwhelming performance, leaders must question and challenge old conventions and be willing to let them go. That is never easy, especially when we are deeply invested in the very conventions that hold us back. Alan Kohler, in a recent ABC article (below) on fusion power and the Australia/USA alliance, argues that AUKUS, with its focus on submarines, looks like “old generals fighting the last war.”

As a former regulator, I admire the work of eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman - Grant. This ABC 7.30 interview highlights excellent leadership and communication. I’m proud that Australia is leading the world in protecting children from having sexual, violent or harmful conversations with AI companions.