Menzies Leadership Forum

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good, host Michelle Bloom speaks with Jennifer Robertson about the board's role in sustaining cultural and ethical integrity, beyond compliance. Jennifer discusses the importance of boards aligning culture with corporate purpose and values, shifting from “can we” to “should we” in contemporary governance. She shares insights on how boards can...

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good, host Michelle Bloom speaks with Quentin Jones from Culture Capital about addressing and transforming toxic cultures. Quentin explores the role of ethical leadership, transparency, and accountability in turning around toxic environments. He discusses why focusing only on “bad apples” doesn’t solve the issue and how leaders can create sus...

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good podcast, host Michelle Bloom speaks to Matt Howell, the former Chief Executive Officer of Tomago Aluminium. Matt shares the incredible turnaround story of Tomago, an aluminium smelter in the Hunter Valley, NSW, where he served as CEO for nine years. He discusses the cultural change journey that not only resulted in significant financial...

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good, host Michelle Bloom speaks with Siobhan Toohill, a corporate sustainability expert, about strategies that benefit shareholders, customers, and society. Siobhan explores the alignment of ethical business practices and profitability, the rise of ESG factors in investment decisions, and how sustainability influences organisational culture....

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good, host Michelle Bloom speaks with Amie Wallis, Chief of People and Culture at the Australian Olympic Committee, about their cultural transformation journey over the past 8 years. Facing significant challenges, the AOC conducted a comprehensive review leading to reforms in governance, people development, transparency, and accountability. T...

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good podcast, host Michelle Bloom speaks to Professor Kristy Muir is the CEO of the Paul Ramsay Foundation and a Professor of Social Policy at UNSW Sydney Business School on how leaders can cultivate and embed social value into their organisational cultures.   There’s a growing societal expectation that organisations – and organisational lead...

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good podcast, host Michelle Bloom speaks to Somali Cerise on the art and science of measuring culture. We explore the tools and metrics available to measure culture, off the shelf options, versus a research approach and if it is indeed possible to measure organisational culture at all. We discuss if we are all on the same page in what we mean...

In this episode of Cultivating Cultures for the Greater Good podcast, host Michelle Bloom speaks to Yolanda Saiz, CEO of St Vinnies, NSW about the foundational role that leadership plays in defining organisational culture. Culture is most typically defined as “the way we do things around here”. It is communicated in several ways through symbols and language such how people dress and talk to each o...

Episode eight: In this episode of Leadership: Navigating Complexity, host Dr. Aiden M.A. Thornton is joined by a distinguished panel of leadership scholars and practitioners to explore the evolving challenges of leadership in an era of rapid change. Featuring Professor David V. Day, Professor Samuel Wilson, Dr. Kerry Elliott, and strategist Scott Ko, the discussion delves into key issues such as s...

The Answers to Your Leadership Development Questions: What constitutes truly effective leadership development? With an abundance of theories, frameworks, and methodologies available, how can we discern which approaches are most effective—and in what contexts? More critically, how do we measure genuine developmental progress in leaders? In this episode of Talking Leadership Development, we present...

Episode seven: Systems-Based Approaches to Fostering Leader and Leadership Development, featuring Professor Katherine Daniell, Director of the School of Cybernetics at The Australian National University & Professor David V. Day, Professor of Psychological Science & Leadership, Academic Director of the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College.  In this episode of the Leaders...

Episode Six: On The Measurement of Leadership, featuring Dr Matt Barney, Founder and award-winning Organisational Psychologist & Professor John Antonakis, Organisational Behaviour in the Faculty of Business and Economics of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.  In this episode of the Leadership Navigating Complexity podcast, host Dr. Aiden Thornton speaks with Dr Matt Barney & professo...

Episode Five: The Neuropsychology of Complexity Leadership, featuring Dr Jess Herrington, Neuroscientist and Futures Specialist at ANU School of Cybernetics , The Australian National University . In this episode, the discussion delves into the fascinating intersection of neuroscience, leadership, and complexity. Dr Herrington brings her expertise in visual neuroscience to explore how the human bra...

"Challenges & Opportunities in Developing Leadership" What stands between us and more effective leadership development? From the research-practice gap to emerging challenges like generative AI and leader burnout, traditional approaches are being tested like never before. Leading academics and seasoned practitioners unpacked critical challenges in leadership development and revealed promising w...

Episode Four: Bridging Theory and Practice in Complexity Leadership, with Professor Christopher Pietroni & Dr Rachel Lilley In this episode of the Leadership Navigating Complexity podcast, host Dr. Aiden Thornton speaks with Professor Christopher Pietroni and Dr Rachel Lilley about whether leadership truly makes a difference, particularly in the context of global populism and its impact on org...

Episode Three: Real-World Examples of Complexity Leadership, with Jackie O’Dowd, Founding Partner/CEO of Realising-Potential In this episode of the Leadership Navigating Complexity podcast, host Dr. Aiden Thornton speaks with Jackie O'Dowd, CEO of Realising Potential, about complexity leadership and its practical applications in today’s business environment. Jackie shares her insights on the chall...

Episode Two: The Fundamentals of Complexity Theory, with Shannan Distinguished Professor Geoffrey West In this episode, host Dr. Aiden Thornton explores the fundamentals of complexity theory with Shannan Distinguished Professor Geoffrey West. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding complex adaptive systems—networks with many interconnected parts that exhibit emergent properties...

Episode One: Introduction to Leadership and Complexity, with Dr Kerry Elliott & Associate Professor Alessandra Capezio In this episode, host Dr. Aiden Thornton delves into the concept of complexity leadership with guests Dr. Kerry Elliott and Alessandra Capezio. Together, they explore how leadership has evolved to address today’s interconnected challenges, underscoring the importance of collec...

"Leadership Development for What?" What are we developing leaders to be or do? When/where/how do we distinguish between educating, training, and developing leaders and/or processes of leadership?  This podcast adaptation delves into the complexities of leadership development, posing the critical question: "Leadership development for what?" With global investments in leadership programs, panellists...

Leadership: Pivot to Purpose Series, hosted by Peter Collins  Welcome to the eighth episode of the series, "Reflection and Action," Featuring Rebecca McGrath FAICD, Director, Macquarie Group. In our final episode, we spotlight Rebecca McGrath, a leading ASX Director whose bold advocacy for climate action and a zero-carbon economy highlights the power of purpose in leadership. Her clarity and dedic...

Welcome to the seventh episode of the series, "Empowering Others to Lead with Purpose" featuring Peggy O’Neal, American born Australian lawyer, Chancellor of RMIT University and former president of Richmond Football Club (AFL).  Peggy O'Neal’s journey into leadership began in the coal fields of her US hometown, where she grew up surrounded by a tough, working-class environment. A pivotal influence...

Leadership: Pivot to Purpose Series, hosted by Peter Collins  Welcome to the sixth episode of the series, "Wisdom, Courage, and Resilience in Leadership," featuring Dr Robyn Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Mackillop Family Services.  Our most recent podcast guest, Dr Robyn Miller, imparted a profound understanding that a leader with a clear sense of purpose can effectuate change even amidst compl...

Meaningful change requires both institutional reforms and individual actions. In our latest episode, Liz Gillies , CEO, Menzies Foundation , and Associate Professor Sam Wilson take a deep dive into Australia's civic health and leadership. This insightful discussion centres on the findings from the newly launched report, The Civic Health of Australia: A National Portrait in 30 Charts , powered by t...

Leadership: Pivot to Purpose Series, hosted by Peter Collins  Welcome to the fifth episode of the series, "Collaborative Leadership and Collective Responsibility," featuring  Lily Nguyen, Partner at Lander & Rogers. Lily Nguyen, is one of the 930,000 people who arrived in Australia as refugees post-World War II. In the late 1970s, Lily was a baby carried by her mother on a perilous journey fro...

Leadership: Pivot to Purpose Series, hosted by Peter Collins  Welcome to the fourth episode of the series, "Building and Leading Ethical Cultures," featuring Tony Shepherd AO, Chair of the Boards of the Greater Western Sydney Giants, the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association and the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust. Tony Shepherd, is a distinguished figure who has led the Business Co...