Can a new national initiative help rebuild the norms of respect, dialogue and trust that hold communities together? In recent years, many Australians have sensed a shift in the tone of public conversation. Debates that once unfolded with a degree of mutual respect increasingly feel sharper, louder and more divisive. Social media has amplified disagreement, […]
Reimagining a Civil Australia Read More »
Leadership today is not faltering because capable people are absent.It is faltering because the mandate to lead can no longer be assumed. Across institutions, organisations, and public life, leaders increasingly discover that authority — once conferred by role, expertise, or election — no longer guarantees consent. Decisions are questioned before they are implemented. Intentions are
When Leadership Loses Its Mandate Read More »
Across Australia, communities are beginning to ask a different question about economic development. Rather than waiting for solutions to arrive from elsewhere, what happens when communities themselves shape their economic future — investing in local assets, mobilising local leadership and building institutions that reflect shared values? In Mount Alexander Shire in central Victoria, this question
When Communities Shape Their Own Economic Future Read More »
In February 2026, researchers and practitioners contributed to an important global conversation about the future of education leadership. At the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI) in Qatar — one of the world’s leading conferences on education systems improvement — Dr Kerry Elliott, Menzies Senior Research Fellow at the ANU Leadership & Complexity Lab, and Willie Thompson, Founder of
Reimagining School Leadership for a Complex World Read More »
Across Northern Australia, a powerful leadership movement is quietly gaining momentum. Indigenous women are building enterprises that strengthen families, sustain culture and create new pathways for community leadership. These businesses may begin small — often as side ventures grounded in local knowledge, cultural practice or community need — but their influence extends far beyond economic participation. They are shaping
What Indigenous Women’s Entrepreneurship Is Teaching Us About Leadership Read More »
For much of the past century, leadership has been built around a simple assumption: that with enough information, authority and expertise, leaders could understand the system they were responsible for and steer it in the right direction. But the systems shaping our lives today no longer behave that way. Climate disruption, technological acceleration, geopolitical uncertainty
Leadership for a World No One Can Control Read More »
Purpose may begin with an individual insight, but it rarely succeeds alone. In an era defined by complex, global challenges, leadership is no longer a solo pursuit. The problems that shape our future — climate change, geopolitical uncertainty, economic transition — demand collaboration across borders, institutions and ideologies. In Episode 3 of Purpose in Action: Redefining Leadership for
Why Leadership Is Never a Solo Act Read More »
“Leadership means making institutions worthy of people’s trust.” When Jordyn Gray talks about leadership, she does not speak in abstractions. She speaks in systems — in the gaps between policy and practice, between what institutions promise and what survivors actually experience. A Menzies Global Voices Fellow and passionate advocate for reform, Jordyn’s work sits at
Trauma-Informed Leadership: Reimagining Accountability in Systems of Power Read More »
In theory, purpose is inspiring. In practice, it is demanding. For The Hon. Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG, one of Australia’s longest-serving High Court Justices and a lifelong human rights advocate, purpose was never abstract. It was lived — case by case, judgment by judgment — often under intense scrutiny, and sometimes in dissent. In
Justice, Order and the Courage to Dissent Read More »
“When young people step into these spaces,” she says, “we bring perspectives that are urgently needed. We see the world differently, and that difference is part of the solution.” When Adjoa Assan speaks about leadership, she doesn’t begin with positions, titles or polished rhetoric. She begins at the margins — the places young people often
From the Margins to the Table: Empowering Youth to Lead Policy Change Read More »
Natasha is driven by a profound passion for both creativity and analytics, a synergy that fosters authentic storytelling in the digital realm with both innovation and integrity.
Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated the overarching marketing and communications narrative with the emotional connections of audiences. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Society and the Individual from Flinders University, furthering her exploration of human behaviour and the critical importance of connectedness between organisations, individuals, and communities.
