I recently supported Christopher Brown and Faith Halliday of the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue, in the delivery of their five-day ‘Collaborative Leadership Program (CLP) 2022’. This extraordinary program immersed 35 existing and emerging leaders from organisations with an interest in Greater Western Sydney (GWS), embracing a once-in-a-century, city-shaping experience in Sydney’s West. Having now been immersed in it myself, I know that one of the key attributes of GWS is the richness of the various cultures, combining and collaborating to produce a brighter future. There is obvious trust and respect between them all largely, I believe, because diversity is so naturally strong, but it is the inclusivity that is really significant. I recently heard Carolyne French (Head of Leadership Excellence at Thinka) on a Gallup CliftonStrengths© podcast describe diversity as ‘having a seat at the table’ but inclusivity as ‘having a voice at the table’. I like this very much and it sums up exactly what’s going on in GWS. Most importantly, it is the combination of this with a powerfully aligned vision and sense of purpose that is creating so much energy in the West.
Given Christopher’s focus on the “human infrastructure” requirements of their task, I at one point asked the CLP cohort to list the various essential elements of a strong Community. They gave me the elements written on the flip. It’s no coincidence that many of the elements are mentioned above.
I believe this scales up from Community, to local government area, to Society and eventually to Nation. Equally it scales all the way down to Team or perhaps Tribe. Regardless, it’s a bloody good checklist for any Leader at any level and is our gift to you. Can you imagine being part of a team in which all these factors are in play? It would be an example of that wonderful team that everyone wants to be a part of, and no one wants leave.
