Leaders in Profile Sue Middleton
Sue Middleton
Western Australian farmer Sue Middleton is the Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s 
Award 2010 Winner.
Whilst she is delighted with the honour of the award, Sue is also determined that her public profile will enable her to give something back to rural
"I would like to be seen as a leader and I hope that other women look at me and think, 'wow there's a woman that's doing something, and so I'm going to have a go as well,' giving other women permission to achieve."
Now that she has been thrust into the spotlight she has reflected on what makes a good leader. “I like leaders that are engaging, ones that bring out the best in other people; collaborative leadership that allows everyone to contribute and bring their best to the challenge.”
“An essential skill for a good leader is to be able to communicate at a broad visionary level, to describe the problem, but then also explain the micro level, showing that this is how we can address that problem at the everyday level. People who can turn a difficult challenge into a solution and also clearly explain the first step that can be taken, are good leaders in my opinion,” Sue says.
“I also believe a solid ethical base is an imperative. Good leaders need integrity; they need to be able to ‘walk their talk’. They need to be authentic and people need to be able to trust them. If I’m going to follow someone then I need to know they will back me up, and vice versa, regardless of how tough the road ahead gets.”
“Value-led leadership goes across all areas. I find it really important to have a lot of clarity about who I am, and who I’m seeking to be, and then do daily work and set up structures in my life to align the two. I find when I get down and grumpy, its usually because my values and actions are unaligned and I have to stop, slow things down, and get back on track with living my values again,” she adds.
“I believe that everyone has the capacity to lead – we are all born with the ‘germ of leadership’ in us. How much that gets nurtured and how much that talent develops is very much dependent upon environment. I think good role models in childhood and early adulthood are a tremendous help.”
Sue comes from a family that was very involved in community and local leadership activities, so she saw a lot of examples of capacity to change problems or issues when she was young. “I think it helps if you’re raised with an ethic of self-responsibility, of being made to be responsible when you stuff up and an environment that nurtures a strong feeling of self-worth. However, I also believe that if you don’t get this from a family, you can get it from a community. Getting it from both is best, but if the family isn’t strongly functional and doesn’t supply those needs for a young person, then the community can still support that development. That highlights for me the importance of investing in young people’s capacity in rural communities.”
“Mother Teresa is my favourite leader because whenever I read her teachings I am reminded to give more; giving is such an important part of leadership. I see champions everywhere and I am continuously inspired by people around me; ordinary people who do extraordinary things. For example, I love Australian Story on ABC because I just love to see examples of everyday leadership changing people’s lives fundamentally for the better.”
“At the moment I’m reading about the Dalai Lama so I’m getting inspired about using love and compassion more in my leadership work,” Sue remarks.
“There are people I’ve worked with whom I have enormous regard for. Cathy McGowan has been my mentor, my ‘fairy godmother’ for years and she’s done a tremendous amount for rural
“I sat on a range of boards when John Anderson was Deputy Prime Minister and he was overseeing regional development. He was a tremendous leader for rural
“Close to home I am inspired by my dad and Uncle Max. They went to
Sue reminds us, “Rural Australia’s entire history is about leaders who’ve made a difference – that is what makes
When considering leadership traits Sue says that positive thinking as important.
“Even though it is hard, we should keep our ‘eyes up’ when things get really tough. As anyone who has farmed knows, there are a lot of tough moments. The tendency is to drop your eyes and focus only on the specific problem. And that can get you ‘stuck’ and it’s hard to see other possibilities at that point, so what I do is try something different to help me see the bigger picture at that point.”
“Being inspired daily and finding sources of motivation keeps me going. My rule of thumb is to surround myself with good people and good ideas. And finally I try to live by the saying: ‘give more; love more; forgive more’. Working from the heart is critical when you’re managing change; people won’t always align at the thinking level, but people always align at the heart level, because at that level we agree because we are all on earth to make the world a better place. So ‘working from the heart’ is essential across all the areas I’m involved in.”
When Sue was selected as Australian Rural Woman of the Year she felt gratitude for the opportunities it opened up. “I can’t imagine any single experience as valuable as meeting the new people I have over the past six months. Being able to listen to farmers and rural communities from across
“But I am also aware that it has taken a toll on our family business and on my community as I haven’t been home or available as much as I would like. But the experience has changed me and I will carry those people and their stories with me forever,” she vows.
Being a role model for women has prompted Sue to think about leadership challenges for women in rural
“Research shows that women on farms are essentially doing three jobs: farm work; off farm work; and caring for both children and parents. So finding time for leadership roles is difficult.”
“Getting women trained to play leadership roles and teaching them to bargain for their value and expect to get paid for their contribution is essential. If they’re playing leadership roles, they need to be replacing themselves on the farm or replacing lost income from their off-farm work. Gender equity in rural organisations is an achievable goal and we all need to make it happen. Considering the unique needs of women is part of creating that equity.”
“Women are making more demands for training. A recently released scholarship program was significantly oversubscribed with 1000 women applying for 70 places. Women are clearly declaring they are ready to step up. So I think all rural organisations have the responsibility of making sure they are investing in that potential and latent capacity.”
“We need to seek out young women and actively support them. Some of my harshest critics when I was young were older women and I spent a few years being quite intimidated by women in top leadership positions. The ones I really remember were the ones who supported me, who gave me good advice, who watched my back and let me cry all my frustrations out, and then still asked me ‘how are you going to change that Sue’. You need both the critics and the supporters to fully grow into your potential. For those of us that are keen to see leadership emerge, let us be the supporters because the critics will always be out there.”
Sue is optimistic about the future of Australian rural industry. “Change is the new norm and the opportunities I see are in efficient water use, energy production at the local level, and with that, better waste management, connected and competitive communities, and communities that focus on a young demographic that will manage changes. Those industries and communities that can reinvent themselves will be very competitive in the future we’re creating. I also do agree with the notion that we are about to enter the ‘age of the farmer’ where farming will be well promoted and better understood by consumers, and we will be in vogue again.”
“On a personal note, when I think ahead to the end of my life and I think of the legacy I want to leave my granddaughters. It’s about working with love, loving the land, being female and fiercely proud of it. I want my life to say ‘anything was possible’ so they will know the same is true for them. If we do that, then rural
When asked, Sue suggests these ideas on leadership.
- Be a good listener – listen to both the words and the energy behind the words, because then you can hear other people’s fears and concerns better
- The only life worth living is one based on good values. Integrity is like a muscle, keep using it everyday
- Don’t be too hard on yourself when you fail. Revisit your values because just getting back on track is the key
- Keep your eyes up. Get out of ‘stuck’ by trying new things
- Find ways to be inspired every day
- Surround yourself with good people
- Give more, love more, forgive more