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“Good data is important — but purpose gives it direction.” When Andreas Zakhari speaks about cities, he does not begin with spreadsheets or economic models. He begins with people — the families navigating broken infrastructure, the communities underserved by planning decisions made far from where they live, and the persistent gap between what data can […]

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

“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

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

“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

In a world shaped by fragmentation, inequality and accelerating change, many leaders find themselves asking a deceptively simple question: What am I actually here to do? For Dr Naba Alfayadh, founder of Rahma Health and a globally recognised leader in health equity, that question has been guiding her life since her teenage years. In Episode

Across Australia, communities are grappling with rising division, eroding trust and a sense that our social fabric is under strain. Yet, again and again, we also see something quieter and more powerful at work: people choosing care, restraint and responsibility toward one another, even in moments of shock, grief and disagreement. This opinion piece, written

By Sarah Jenkins, Menzies Leadership Foundation Belonging is not a program — it is a practice. When workplaces cultivate belonging, they build stronger organisations, stronger communities and stronger democracies. Work has always been more than economic exchange. It shapes identity, purpose, connection and belonging. Yet in 2025, workplaces are experiencing fractures: generational divides, hybrid tensions,

The Global Voices Fellowship does not recruit casually. Nor does it settle for potential alone. Each year, the program receives far more applications than there are available positions — a surplus that reflects something encouraging about Australia’s emerging leaders: the desire to step into the spaces where national priorities are shaped is strong, and growing.

Insights from Professor David Day’s 2025 Public Oration + Podcast  At the 2025 Leadership Development Summit, the Menzies Leadership Foundation, ANU and the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation hosted a landmark Public Oration delivered by Professor David Day, a globally recognised scholar of leadership development. The oration, paired with the companion episode of the Future of Leadership Development podcast, set out one