The future belongs to those who lead in complexity.
Australia's next generation faces unprecedented challenges. The Foundation supports young people to develop the capability to lead with purpose, integrity and responsibility, moving from potential to practice.
Potential to Practice
Emerging Leaders Shaping the Future
Leadership does not begin with title or tenure. It begins when people choose to step forward, clarify their purpose, engage others and act for something larger than themselves.
The Menzies Leadership Foundation's Emerging Leaders platform continues to invest in that moment of transition, helping young Australians move from potential to practice through ethical capability, real-world opportunity and pathways for meaningful contribution.
Launched in 2021, the platform has been designed as a practical innovation space: testing how young people can best build the leadership capacity needed to navigate rising complexity and contribute to the greater good. Rather than focusing narrowly on individual achievement, the Foundation's approach centres distributed leadership, strengthening collaboration, systems awareness, civic responsibility and the confidence to lead with others.
Because the future will not be shaped by those who wait. It will be shaped by those prepared to lead before they are asked.
The work, and who we do it with.
Every initiative below sits on the Foundation’s interactive leadership ecosystem map, with the partners delivering it.
Featured · 2025–2026Design Out Racism Challenge
Part of the Ethics-Centred Leadership, Design New Futures program: Year 10 students develop a personal ethics framework and apply it to a real-world challenge, racism in their communities, presenting their response as a one-minute Video for Change.
Policy Fellowships
Menzies Leadership Foundation and Global Voices are partnering to extend the reach of Global Voices National scholarship program.