The Difference it Makes

Karen Weaver

Who are you?

I work in Victoria’s Department of Sustainability and Environment in aquatic biodiversity conservation. I have always worked in nature conservation and natural resource management, internationally, nationally and now at the State Government level.

How have you changed as a result of the program?

Have I changed? Absolutely! I now override my natural impulse to lead as if I were the ‘map reader’. It means that things can sometimes seem MORE chaotic, but I now know that it helps to collectively defi ne the ‘light on the hill’ that the team is aiming for. Through my work in DSE and in my community I intend to use what I learnt from the ARLP to pursue my goal: ‘We Australians value our natural wealth by understanding the interconnectedness of cultural, social, economic and biophysical factors’. I would like to thank both the Department of Primary Industries and the Department of Sustainability and Environment, for their support.

Sue Bell

Who are you?

I am the Winemaker/Director of ‘Bellwether’ a small wine brand producing high-end Coonawarra Cabernet and Tasmanian Chardonnay. I judge at various wine shows across Australia and am also the Vice President of the Limestone Coast Wine Industry Council and on the management committee of the Wrattonbully Wine Industry Association.

What do you remember most about the ARLP?

The quadruple bottom line—Economic, Social, Environmental and Spiritual! Imagine a world when all board rooms and governments incorporate this thinking into their debate, policy development and decision-making.

How have you changed as a result of the program?

I now make decisions trusting my ‘gut feel’, valuing it as a legitimate decision-making process. I have also learnt how to ask for help and gained the confidence to take risks - I had not understood how important these were to sustainable leadership. I am a better listener and am not frightened to speak from the heart and take on the tough, unspoken issues.

How has the ARLP helped you evolve and perform as a leader?

The ARLP heightens your self awareness so you are more confident with your areas of expertise and flair, and know when to seek help and assistance. The nature, structure and goals of my new business is a direct result of the ARLP. I have built-in time for self development and other interests. For example, I am involved in a unique education program that provides Indigenous communities with more knowledge about wine, health and nutrition, so they can make better decisions about their alcohol consumption. This project has been facilitated by contacts within the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

I want to thank the Grape and Wine Development Corporation for their support and for the sponsorship of my position on this course; it has been a great experience that exceeded my expectations tenfold.

Barb Madden

Who are you?

I live in a small community called Proston, 300 km northwest of Brisbane. I am the co-owner and accountant of Smithfield Feedlot, a 20,000 head intensive beef production enterprise. I am also the parttime Chief Finance Officer for the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council.

In 2009 I received the Queensland’s Rural Woman of the Year, along with National Runner Up - Rural Woman of the Year. This was awarded for my work in creating national partnerships between indigenous beef producers and the supply chain sectors, and the development of a commercially sustainable cattle feeding and training business model.

I am involved in voluntary community work which, along with my regional work assisting economic development in the Burnett, builds connections and community capacity. Communities are all about people and it is the people who drive the economic development.

How has the ARLP helped you evolve and perform as a leader?

It gave me greater self awareness and improved strategic planning, self confi dence and the skills to pursue projects on a regional and national scale. I have adopted a more structured approach to my community development work and have established the Proston Community Development Committee. Through this group we are addressing strategic planning issues such as building and designing a town website, establishing a Visitor Information Centre, and promoting culture and fi ne arts in Proston.

Daniel Mainville

Who are you?

I am an engineer, based at the Traralgon office of the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE). I am Manager, Catchment and Water Services, and my work focuses on sustainable water management in the Gippsland Region. Currently I am assisting the Office of Water on key regional projects including the development of the Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy, and promoting integrated policy development and project delivery with regional stakeholders.

How has the ARLP helped you evolve and perform as a leader?

I have a stronger, more ‘grounded’ confi dence and a better understanding of how I react to situations. I am also better able to capitalise on underlying emotions and reactions to achieve outcomes. Also - that it is okay to be me! I am currently collaborating with DSE graduates to introduce futures and strategic thinking principles to the Department to enable us to be less reactive and deliver more balanced policy responses to the challenges we are facing. A key reason I wanted to participate in the ARLP was to ‘reset my compass’. The Program achieved this and has given me the impetus to affect meaningful change. I am also now exploring ways to work within my community towards social and environmental equity. I would like to thank the DSE for giving me the opportunity to participate. This constitutes a significant investment in an individual and I am humbled for having been given the chance to be part of the ARLP.

Renee Blackman

Who are you?

I am a Clinical Nurse Consultant for the Mount Isa Hospital in Indigenous nursing and chronic disease.

What do you remember most about the ARLP?

I learned and experienced first hand that confl icting agendas can be valuable and constructive - as long as you have a purpose, and the willingness to reach common ground so that communication to occur.

How have you changed as a result of the program?

The most profound and life changing realisation was getting to know and trust myself in making decisions and leading change. I now know I can make a difference and constructively contribute to positive outcomes in the community in which I live. I work in chronic disease, and change is necessary for people to remain or become healthy. The ARLP has given me the opportunity to see things strategically. I now approach the implementation of anything new taking a ‘birds eye’ view of issues and situations. I have learned to always consider the human element of the situation and think about how it will affect the lives of people around me. I work in an isolated area with limited access to the coast and technical expertise where the mine is the lifeblood of the town and where prejudice towards women and aboriginal people is commonplace. These issues are a challenge and there are obstacles to overcome but the ARLP taught me that diversity of opinion is a good thing, but finding the common ground can make our community a better place. That holds us together and will eventually foster the advancement of the remote community in which I live.

Russell Gregory

Who are you?

I am an Aboriginal Team Advisor (ATA) with the Department of Corrective Services Intensive Supervision Program. I work with local families in the area of juvenile justice and re-offending youth.

What do you remember most about the ARLP?

Learning about the homeless situation in Australia was a rude awakening. The experience was rewarding, educational, motivating and very real. Social justice was a real theme around my involvement in the ARLP and I continue to have a strong emphasis towards social justice in my community. The trip to India was inspiring and my initial shock associated with the state of the country turned to respect for what was being achieved from within.

How have you changed as a result of the program?

The ARLP taught me how to plan with clarity. I now sense and understand the need to be in front of what is coming so I have a strategy in place to cope with the impact it may or may not cause. My ability to listen, and listen well, has grown. I think more strategically now and draw upon whoever is able to assist me to make things happen. My depth of knowledge about legislation and implementation around making change has increased. With this knowledge comes an ability to think clearly, creating clearer pictures around what has to be in place before negotiating change.

I personally commend any Aboriginal person who is an up-andcoming leader to become involved in the ARLP. I would like to thank the Department of Local Government and Regional Development for their ability to understand and support the voice of our WA community.

Crispian Ashby

Who are you?

I have had a varied working life - actor, larder chef, university demonstrator, labourer in a timber boat yard, wharf and bridge builder, shelf stacker, ecological sampler, gear technologist and scientist. I’ve fi nally found my niche and now work as a Programs Manager with FRDC.

How have you changed as a result of the program?

I have learnt that it is okay to make mistakes and that it’s important to learn from them. The ARLP provided me with renewed confidence - there is little to be gained in being a shrinking violet when you could offer assistance. This has led to finding more effective ways to engage and to listen to others. Sometimes those who are the quietest have the best message and sometimes you can say little with the greatest effect.

How has the ARLP helped you evolve and perform as a leader?

Leadership is not about giving orders in an autocratic system. It is about listening, absorbing, deciding and bringing about change. The issues facing rural and regional Australia are closely linked, and some are global. There are issues that are sector, community or regionally based and some that cross all of those boundaries. For me, realising the need to coordinate efforts and find synergies across these areas was like a slap in the face with a wet fish. There is a real need to break down the silos to yield the most beneficial and efficient result.

I would like to thank my sponsor, the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation for their investment in my development.

Elise Anning

Who are you?

Previously employed as a GM for Telstra and the Senior Communications Advisor for Argyle Diamonds, I now run my own business, Spektrum Pty Ltd. This provides a comprehensive range of management, consulting, advisory and development services to the East Kimberley region. I am also a member of several community committees.

How has the ARLP helped you evolve and perform as a leader?

I have greater networks. I’ve had exposure to social and commercial issues that I would not have otherwise been exposed to. As a result, this year I was part of the fi rst ever Indigenous Forum in Alice Springs. I am also involved in the leadership development of young women in the Kimberley; It is so rewarding to see young women grow and go on to bigger and better opportunities.

Susan Findlay-Tickner

Who are you?

I am Director/Partner in a 5,000 hectare dryland croppingenterprise in Western Victoria.We produce and market cereals, pulses and oil seeds and participate in the supply chain beyond the farm gate to maximise profits. I am also Communications Manager for the Future Farming Systems Research Division of the Victorian Department of Primary Industries. My job focuses on: responding to climate change; accountable agriculture; increasing farming systems productivity; and value-added food systems across the grains,dairy, horticulture and fisheries sectors.

What do you remember most about the ARLP?

Sitting on the rocks at Bondi at midnight with the kids from Oasishaving my eyes opened wide by their stories of life on the streets.

How has the ARLP helped you evolve and perform as a leader?

I have a greater understanding of the power of an engaged community. I have also learnt that I have a voice and the skills,experience and knowledge to benefi t my community and industry. I have been galvanised by the ARLP to employ this voice on the Leadership Wimmera Board of Directors and as Vice President of the industry-based ‘Technology Parks Australia and New Zealand’ Board of Management. The ARLP gave me the opportunity to step outside the known, take stock of my skill-set and experience and develop areas that would otherwise have remained unexplored. It has been an amazing experience, and I thank the Grains Research and Development Corporation for supporting me in this endeavour.