Why soft skills are today’s most valuable leadership asset

By Greg Smith

Soft skills have long been a desired leadership capability. However, in an age where rapid advances in technology are redefining how humans add value in the workplace, soft skills will increasingly become the most sought after employee capability possibly eclipsing everything else. Our current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust us into the new reality right now. And that’s just the beginning. Deloitte’s 2019 study, The path to prosperity. Why the future of work is human, predicts that by 2030 around two-thirds of jobs will be ‘soft-skill intensive’.

Sometimes when change is so rapid, it can feel like a high-speed train bearing down, and the immediate inclination is to jump out of the way. However, the best response is to understand, embrace and run with it!

Let’s see what that practically means when it comes to soft skills and the workplace.

“My boss has terrible interpersonal skills.”

How many times have you overheard one person saying this to another: “My boss is really great technically but has terrible interpersonal skills.”?  This is still a major deficit for some leaders and continues to frustrate the growth and progress of individuals, teams and entire organisations.

Leadership development programs, for some time now, have sought to improve leaders’ ability to better connect with others. However, this remains an elusive skill for many. Dial up the need for this capability many times over, and it doesn’t require much of a stretch of the imagination to see why this will become an absolute requisite and priority for effective leadership.

The notion of soft skills also implies the existence of hard skills. So what are soft skills, and how are they different from hard skills? Let’s first take a look at the sources of soft skills. These are found in personality traits, personal attributes and specific behavioural competencies. Hard skills, on the other hand, are developed through training and learning. It’s easy to see from this comparison why the nature of soft skills makes them much more difficult to impart to others than hard skills! The exciting aspect of soft skills is that they are highly transferable, which in a fast-changing employment landscape driven by technological change, makes them an extremely valuable asset and powerful differentiator when competing for jobs.

Why EQ matters

Fortunately, the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) harnesses the key suite of soft skill capabilities required by leaders and their followers alike. Simply put, EQ may be thought of as not letting your emotions stop you achieving your goals. Although this descriptor neatly packages up EQ into a simple and easy to grasp idea; it doesn’t help with understanding how to develop and enhance your EQ capability.

Daniel Goleman described EQ competencies as “how leaders handle themselves and their relationships” in his book, The New Leaders.  He explains EQ competencies in two domains:

  • Personal competence: Self-Awareness and Self-Management
  • Social competence: Social Awareness and Relationship Management

It’s immediately apparent that EQ competencies cannot be ‘codified’ or automated and therefore replicated by AI or machines, making them solely the domain of human beings. However, if AI and machines take over routine tasks (e.g. technical support, bricklayers or administration) then non-routine roles (e.g. social workers, emergency workers, teachers or chief executives) become a natural place for humans to gravitate towards, an essential transition for secure employment in the longer term. 

Three navigation steps for the workplace

There are three key steps to navigate and take advantage of the wide array of exciting roles that will open up as a result of technological change. These are:

Step 1: understand and internalise the new reality of the transition that’s afoot showing where human beings will add value in the workplace of the future. It’s just around the corner, so it’s worthwhile considering how this may impact your career in terms of risks but more importantly opportunities.

Step 2: reflect on where and how you add value now in your current work role.

Step 3: identify your transferrable skills and consider how you might align these to the jobs of the future. This includes exploring what further training and development you may need to optimise these skills fully.

Start preparing now!

It’s highly likely that you could be drawing on soft skills to drive your future career even if you don’t use or need these skills in your job right now. My advice is to start preparing now for the future that lies ahead. The future is sure to be full of boundless possibilities as new jobs unfold that have not yet been invented or even conceived!

Greg Smith is an expert in career development, talent management and organisational leadership. He is the author of Career Conversations: How to get the best from your talent pool (Wiley).

Personal, organisational and national resilience: lessons from three African nations

By Sam Durland FIML

A few years ago, I had a brief encounter with Julia Gillard, during which I asked her how she had managed to cope with the rough and tumble of politics during a particularly tumultuous time in Australia’s recent history. She answered with one word: resilience. Indeed, in her autobiography, Gillard devotes an entire chapter to resilience, which she ascribes to a sense of purpose.

For me, resilience means the ability to overcome major challenges or setbacks. Over the past 20 years, working as an international development consultant and adviser in several African countries, I have encountered numerous examples of resilience at an individual, organisational and national level.

Personal resilience: a lesson from Uganda

In Uganda, I worked with a local entrepreneur who was developing several enterprises based on primary production. The aim is to enable his poor district in the west of the country to become self-sufficient instead of importing foods and raw materials from elsewhere. He was not driven by a need to generate wealth for himself; instead, a burning desire to provide employment and a secure future for his people. He faced many obstacles, from government officials trying to exact bribes for the services they were charged with providing, to a system of land ownership that made it difficult to obtain secure title to agricultural land.

My client was dogged in his resistance to illegal payments and unrelenting in his efforts to register his land title. I especially marvelled at how he dealt with public servants, who put my client at risk of not receiving the requested service, or more alarming, put his safety in danger. In the end, sheer persistence won the day, and the service was rendered without the payment of a bribe.

The lesson: In reflecting on my client’s character, which I believe formed the foundation of his success, I would describe him as exhibiting resilience based on a strong sense of purpose and an overwhelming desire to be of service to his people.

Organisational resilience: a lesson from Lesotho

In the small African country of Lesotho, I worked with a dedicated group of local and international consultants and advisers on a United States-funded project to develop a new government agency that would provide secure land ownership for the country’s citizens. This agency was intended to replace a government department that was widely thought to be both corrupt and inefficient in its dealings with the general public. Members of the project staff faced a major obstacle in the form of pushback from political interests who appeared reluctant towards change.

Project staff found that they were prevented from meeting with key public servants, they had their furniture removed from their offices, and there was even an attempt to confiscate their computer equipment.

The lesson: Despite these and other setbacks, they were resolute in their determination that the project should succeed (and it did), knowing that there was widespread community support for the initiative, as well as obvious benefits for the country’s economy. In the face of strong opposition, this group displayed resilience based on a sense of integrity and a commitment to do what is right.

National resilience: A lesson from Liberia

Finally, I turn to the West African country of Liberia, recently wracked by an Ebola-virus epidemic and still recovering from a 14-year-long civil war. As a consequence of the war, much of the country’s infrastructure had been decimated and government departments’ records destroyed or rendered incomplete. Here, my role was to work with a team of international and local consultants and advisers, and their counterparts in the public service, to develop a new authority designed to oversee land administration and land management in the country and overcome a fragmented and dysfunctional bureaucracy.

Both the war and the epidemic had significantly touched virtually every Liberian whom I came into contact with that time. Yet, despite the distinct challenges, they exhibited both an enthusiasm for our project and a positive outlook on the country’s future.

The lesson: I ascribe their resilience to a sense of positive leadership at the national level (their President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, had won the Nobel Peace Prize), a strong sense of national purpose, and a national character grounded in hope.

For me, an underpinning sense of hope is present in all of these examples of resilience. Hope’s power is epitomised by Desmond Tutu when he said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness”.

Sam Durland is a Fellow of IML ANZ. Sam’s consulting work has taken him to more than 20 countries in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and South America. He previously held senior executive positions with private enterprise, statutory authorities and government departments in Australia and overseas.

Strengthen your resilience

Leaders need resilience to cope with the daily stresses of work and life. But when the work environment has changed and you face new challenges, what can help you perform at your best?

Paralympian and corporate high-performance coach, Katrina Webb OAM MIML  will help take you through a three-phase process to manage your priorities, energy and your mind in our upcoming Virtual Event,  ‘The Road to Resilience’.

Mentoring: Support and advice during these tough times

When we are all surrounded by so much uncertainty, it helps to find someone we can trust.

From a professional perspective, a mentor can be just that – someone who has our best interest at heart. Although a manager might seem the best placed to provide work-related advice, sometimes it helps to get a different view of things.

Mentoring provides a safe sounding board

As the University of Melbourne’s Mobile Learning Business Manager, Edwina Coller AFIML explains, “There are often areas that mentees don’t want to discuss with their manager because it’s about them personally and not relevant to their role.”

During these tough times, we are all inundated with things that have changed, that we aren’t sure of and things that cause us to be fearful. We may not be comfortable discussing those things with our manager.

Fresh perspectives during tough times

Surviving through difficult circumstances can take a toll on our ability to think and make decisions. That’s why Onno Van Es FIML, Manager HR Strategy and Engagement at Mackay Hospital and Health Service, makes sure his mentees are clear about how the mentoring process can benefit them.

“My style of mentoring is based around adult learning principles. It’s not a lecture style of learning, where I provide all the answers. Rather, I focus on the mentee taking ownership of their learning by being internally motivated and self-directed,” says Van Es.

Whether you are looking for new perspectives, want a sounding board you can trust or simply need to expand your social and professional connections, mentoring can help you.

Become a mentor or mentee now

IML ANZ Members enjoy complimentary access to the Member Exchange mentoring program.

Now is your chance to give and gain support from other managers and leaders during this extraordinary period. A new mentoring cohort starts in mid-May. To take part, register here before 24 April.

Real rest: Switch off from work and feel good

By Jane Caro

We live in an era that worships work. Far too many of us believe that unless we are actively doing something every waking moment, we are wasting time. Many people feel guilty about scrolling aimlessly through social media, whiling away an afternoon (or even a whole day) binging on a TV series and/or nodding off on the couch.

I am not one of those people. We all have our gifts and my ability to be completely idle without guilt is one I value dearly.

Such is our worship of work that we even turn attempts to relax into a form of pressure. Wellbeing, mindfulness, meditation (yes, yes, I know they benefit many) are far too worthy and earnest for me. I don’t want to be lazy and do nothing because it’s good for me (even though it is). I want to do it because I like it and my joy in skiving off is actually enhanced by a messy house, laundry that needs doing or dishes that need washing.

SLAVE DRIVER

Perhaps this is also because I work for myself and I have never had a more demanding boss. She (me) is always taking on more work, agreeing to impossible deadlines and working on weekends. She says yes to far too much. Some of it unpaid! This slave-driver (me) is the reason I feel entitled to rebel against her (myself) on a regular basis and collapse on the couch, Netflix remote in hand and give myself over to blissful self-indulgence.

If you run a small business or work as a freelancer or subcontractor, you will know how hard it is to carve out a little time for yourself. If you are not actively working, you are accounting for that work, taking care of the inevitable admin tasks or you are actively seeking more work. It is hard to escape the nagging sense of guilt whenever you’re not actively engaged. But, take it from me, it is necessary both for you and your business. Let’s not even mention your family.

Recreation is a word that we no longer understand. It literally tells you to re-create yourself through activities – or lack thereof – that have no purpose but fun. It is no accident that creativity is part of the word. If you work till exhaustion, if you haul yourself miserably through every day or even most days, your productivity will fall. You are not at your best. Your heart is no longer in it. You’ve lost sight of why you started your business in the first place.

LOVE WHAT YOU DO

Every successful small business has one important similarity – a principal who loves what they do. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to love it every day, or love every task, or even every customer, but you have to love what you do and what you provide – at least most of the time. The paradox of hard work is that you can have too much of a good thing. If you lose your joy in your business for too long, you are at risk of eventually losing your business. When you lose joy, you lose creativity and the ability to come up with new solutions.

We have an epidemic of anxiety in our modern world, brought on for many, I believe, by overwork. Exhaustion is a result of working too hard for too long with no emotional reward. Exhaustion is useful to those who would control our world. Exhausted people, terrified of losing their income if they take so much as a holiday, are compliant people. It’s not just their businesses that become plodding and uninspired, it is their citizenship, their family lives and their view of the future. And, I know this is modern-day heresy, but I believe that if everyone worked 30% less, everything would improve. We’d be more joyful, rested, fun-loving, hopeful, generous, energetic and creative.

I know this is modern-day heresy, but I believe that if everyone worked 30% less, everything would improve.

Maybe the essential paradox of running your own business is that it may be the time when you let yourself lollygag, laze about, daydream and, yes, scroll aimlessly through social media, that is when you are able to have your best ideas and come up with solutions that all the agonising and late nights in the world will not liberate. You will also model sane behaviour to your employees so they too learn the value of rest and recreation, and so become more productive and enthusiastic. It isn’t the hours you put in that are of the greatest value. It may well be the hours you take out.

This article originally appeared in the December 2019 print edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s exclusive Member’s magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

Eight moments when leaders must communicate well

By Shane Hatton

When it comes to leading an organisation, every leader fundamentally understands the consequences of a poor leadership approach to finances. We understand the consequences of a poor leadership approach to governance or change management. But how many leaders are fully aware of the consequences of a poor leadership approach to communication?

The impact of ineffective or non-existent communication is felt throughout the organisation. It shows up in higher turnover, absenteeism, negativity and stress; and it perpetuates lower engagement, morale, innovation and productivity. A report from SIS International Research in partnership with Siemens Communications found that an organisation with as few as 100 employees could be leaking over half a million dollars every year as a result of communications barriers and latency.

In a 2013 article, Glassdoor for Employers listed the top five reasons why employees love their CEOs. It wasn’t surprising to read that employees want a leader who is visible both inside and outside the company. Seeing their leader leveraging their platform externally increased pride felt by employees. Hearing regularly from their leader internally, whether they are walking the corridors, writing notes or holding regular town hall meetings, created a culture of accessibility and boosted morale.

Whether in a television interview or online video, a town hall or your weekly meeting, the nature of leadership means you will find yourself addressing a group of people at a moment that demands you do more than just speak – it will be a moment that compels you to lead.

Put another way, every opportunity you have to stand up and speak is a moment either to build or to burn your leadership platform. James C. Humes, speechwriter for five American Presidents, said it this way:

‘The art of communication is the language of leadership. Every time you speak, you are auditioning for leadership.’

James C. Humes

Let’s look at eight unavoidable moments every leader will face. Whether you’re ready for them or not, as a leader you’ll need to know how to communicate effectively and lead your way through them.

  • Moments of pioneering: implementing change
    It has been said that change is the only constant. As a leader you can be certain that you will be required to guide your team through complex change and transition. Some of that change will take you into unfamiliar territory as you pioneer in new spaces. You will need to paint a picture of your desired future, while at the same time intentionally shift fixed mindsets and dysfunctional thinking that causes people to stay where they are.
  • Moments of sensemaking: creating clarity
    You will experience moments of uncertainty when the narrative is open to interpretation. It is in these moments that leaders distinguish themselves. If you cannot tell the story, your people – or worse, someone else – will do it for you. Great leaders view people and circumstances differently and need to help others do the same. You will be required to make sense of uncertainty and chaos and to control the narrative through clearly articulated and compelling messaging.
  • Moments of confronting or reinforcing: shaping culture
    Every time you speak is an opportunity to reinforce and shape your desired culture. By culture, this doesn’t just mean what you want people to do but who you want people to be. The stories you share, the behaviour you confront and the behaviour you reward paint a picture of your culture and reinforce the ‘way things get done here’.
  • Moments of bonding: building connection
    Every moment you have to speak is an opportunity to build and strengthen trust and connection with your team, and trust is a foundation for growth. Leadership author John Maxwell writes, “Teams that don’t bond, can’t build.”
  • Moments of mobilizing: casting a compelling vision
    Do you have a compelling vision or a common purpose to rally around and move towards? Do you know how to communicate it? In his book Amplifiers, Matt Church writes, “It’s been said that when Caesar spoke men wept, but when Cicero spoke men marched.” For a leader to inspire people is valuable but to mobilise people towards action is better.
  • Moments of influencing: strengthening commitment
    Do you have great ideas? Do you want people to buy into those ideas? Do you need something from people? The ability to influence people by articulating and communicating the value of your ideas is a critical leadership skill.
  • Moments of steering: navigating crisis
    There is a challenge and then there is a crisis. As a leader you will be required to navigate both. You must be the calm voice of authority while steering the organisation through turbulence. You must be the steady adviser and voice of reason in seemingly unreasonable circumstances.
  • Moments of translating: managing complexity
    Can you apply your high-level strategy in low-level situations? Can you turn your ideas into strategy and communicate that strategy to generate action? Can you articulate complex information in a jargon-free way that is useful for your team and organisation? In moments that matter, you need to be able to communicate a message that counts. It’s the difference between a person who speaks and a leader who leads.

While all of these moments are unavoidable, all are also important, because every moment you stand in front of your team or organisation is an opportunity to lead. It’s an opportunity to leverage your platform to accomplish collectively in a moment something that might have taken weeks or months to accomplish individually. The question isn’t if you will face them but rather how you will face them. With that in mind, what do you need to do now to get ready?

Shane Hatton is a leadership and communication expert and the author of Lead the Room – Communicate a Message That Counts in Moments That Matter.

Empathetic and factual communication during uncertain times

By Peter Russo FIML

In front of you lays an ever-increasing amount of distressing news, and growing uncertainty. It’s hard to see what your workplace tomorrow, let alone later today, will look like. Your staff are also confronted by this, becoming increasingly apprehensive, which weighs heavily on them – a knot is building in your stomach. The obstacles perhaps seem insurmountable, and your attempts to find answers just create more questions. You are dealing with an unprecedented event in modern times, and it is now, more than ever, a time to become people-centric as a leader. When the mechanical aspects of business seem to be in seizure, you need to draw on the more visceral attribute of leadership – being human.

Throughout history there are multiple examples where collaboration underwrote the resilience for a group to overcome adversity. The remedy to our current state of affairs is no different. Therefore, it’s vital that you are engaging your staff about not only the economic realities facing your business, but the human aspect. The only way to do this is by showing empathy and dealing with facts.

Why empathy and truthfulness matter

In today’s world people are faced with an incredible number of opinions, some of which are generated with the intent to sensationalise. This creates anxiety, and only acts in the interest of derision as a community.

Your message must be clear, empathetic and constructive. No one has all the answers, but you – as a leader – can provide them with a feeling of security, and you shouldn’t be afraid to admit you don’t know. It’s support, not false-hopes, that will bind your team and ensure you’re moving together in the right direction.

The 24-hour news cycle, and the relentless bombardment of news only acts to aggravate fear and panic. What your staff really need is a clear, concise and candid outlining of facts.

What you can do as a leader

Here are some ideas on how to provide empathetic and factual communication during uncertain times:

  • Give regular updates. Do it often and in simple digestible portions. As a suggestion, at least every second day and more often for staff who have been isolated or working from home for an extended period.
  • Provide timely information. Tell your teams what you know now rather than waiting until you have all the answers. Use all appropriate channels to communicate new information regularly.
  • Do not exaggerate. Whether it is good or bad, stick to the facts. Do not simply look for a positive spin.
  • Use a collaboration of ideas. Often staff have sound ideas that can help. Be prepared to unpack those ideas and push them up the organisational chain. In adversity, very few ideas are considered bad ideas as everyone has a part to play.
  • Recognise and acknowledge emotions. Understand the behaviours we see are the proverbial tip of the iceberg; the result of the underlying emotions, including fear, doubt and concern. Have open conversations to help allay fears.
  • Be open and honest. It is very important to ensure you keep your staff in the loop on how decisions are made and what considerations are being taken.
  • Make yourself available. Finally, check-in with your staff. Sometimes a simple ‘how are you?’ can break down barriers resulting from isolation.

The challenges we are facing are unprecedented in modern times. The foundations of our society are being tested, and we ought not forget that. Social distancing is impacting the fabric of our communities and how we collaborate. For many, the work environment, whether it be virtual or physical, is now their sole community linkage and it is essential they maintain a sense of belonging in such an environment. Remember, adversity builds character and over the longer term can bring people together. Create the work community that helps bring staff together and that has some semblance of normal, in a not so normal world at present.

No matter how this turns out, your business will invariably reshape. You therefore are tasked with quite an exciting opportunity – to use a crisis to embed humanistic leadership practices.

Peter Russo is a sessional lecturer at RMIT University and the founder of Engaging Leaders, a  professional training and coaching consultancy.

Mastering social media

By Anthony O’Brien

In digital marketing much has been said about the importance of data to drive decision-making. Much less is said about gut feel.

Yet it was instinct – not analytics – that led advertising guru Wendy Thompson to strike out on her own and establish a social media agency a decade ago.

“I had a strong gut feeling social media would drastically change how people communicated with one another,”

Wendy Thompson

She was proven correct in the most dramatic way possible. Today, 3.2 billion people are using social media worldwide. And Thompson’s Auckland-based social media business, named Socialites, has gone from strength to strength. The agency works with clients across the globe including New Zealand, Australia, North America, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and Singapore. Thompson explains, “There are 13 official employees and a network of approximately 30 contractors whom we work with day to day.”

Last year, the Auckland-based firm was named Australasian Social Media Agency of the Year. Thompson was also a finalist in Next Woman of The Year.

NAVIGATING A PATH TO GROWTH

While recruiting social media specialists in the early days was challenging, as a newly minted leader, Thompson discovered that retaining staff was just as arduous. “The first time people leave; you take it personally. But you learn over the years that it’s not about you. It’s about the job or their position in their lives. My attitude to staff leaving now is much healthier.”

Thompson started her business with some start-up experience. “I ran a physiotherapy practice with my husband, which enabled me to learn a lot about running a business,” recalled Thompson. That said, the former advertising pundit found being the sole owner of a business presented several unique challenges. “In the first few years, you did everything. And then, as we picked up a reputation and improved our systems and processes, things have grown, which has been lovely. We go through ups and downs. But in general, it’s awesome. I even brought on a business partner a few months ago.”

Socialites new co-owner Melanie Spencer has started as a managing partner and will be responsible for overseeing the team and the day-to-day operations of the agency. Spencer’s appointment will enable Thompson to work on the business and its plans for more Asia-Pacific expansion. “Bringing in a partner is a big decision. However, when you meet the right person, it’s a lot like a marriage.”

NOT A NATURAL LEADER

As a leader, the self-effacing Thompson describes herself as “sucky.” “I’m not a natural leader. I don’t know if anyone is, but I have completed a lot of leadership development, training, and reading.” Thompson nominates Drive by Daniel H. Pink as the best book on motivating teams she’s read. The social media whiz has also undertaken the Gazelle strategic training program to assist her management style. “Being a leader is not easy, but it’s enriching. There’s something about a team coming together, and it feels like family.”

Thompson describes the working culture at Socialites NZ as high performance. “We say we’re all A-players and one of the best things that I’ve learned over the years, is to hire slow, fire fast.”

Thompson continues, “Also, probably another significant learning is that someone might be fantastic and brilliant when they first come on board. But then, as your company grows, they’re not the right person anymore.”

Thanks to her evolution as a leader, Thompson is adamant she’s not a micromanager, which the appointment of Spencer corroborates. “I do have a pretty strong vision of how things should be. I also go on gut a lot, and encourage my team to listen to their gut, which makes for an interesting and dynamic way of working.”

CONSISTENCY BREEDS TRUST

Since 2010, Thompson has pursued a marketing strategy based on thought leadership to grow the profile of Socialites NZ worldwide and to attract more business-to-business clients. “We still get work from blog posts we wrote two years ago,” she explains.

Consistency is another crucial ingredient in Socialites’ business-to-business marketing success. “The work I’ve done over the past 20 years, and the work the company has done over the previous nine, gives us work now.

“We have competition from huge companies and small start-ups. But our consistency makes us strong. We do consistently good work and are very trustworthy. With us on board, our clients know we will propel them to success every single time.”

This article originally appeared in the December 2019 print edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s exclusive Member’s magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

Attitude and actions: How to display leadership that supports equality

Less than a third of people working in science, technology and engineering in New Zealand are women. It’s no wonder that leading women in the industry, including manager of measurement, insight and reporting at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, Vij Kooyela MIML, are concerned.

Vij Kooyela MIMLKooyela believes that the challenge isn’t exclusive to leadership and management in the industry – there simply isn’t a solid pipeline of young women entering the workforce in this field.

It’s not that the industry is lagging in taking positive steps toward social change. “The energy industry is in a fantastic space in New Zealand,” Kooyela admits. It is bolstered by policy directions that will benefit the environment, in particular the New Zealand Energy Strategy.

However, Kooyela can see that more can be done to grow the number of women in the energy sector.

 

Leaders’ actions matter

One factor that makes Kooyela acutely aware of the need for greater gender diversity in her industry is the team she manages. “My team are all men,” she says.

Kooyela would love to shake off the stereotype that male-dominated industries become that way due to natural abilities that men possess. “I don’t believe that girls are not as good as boys when it comes to quantitative skills. I think women have excellent communications skills and if that can be coupled with solid technical skills, then that’s an advantage.”

Simply put, the qualities of a good leader remain the same regardless of gender.

She also suggests practical ways for leaders to drive change:

  • Language: For Kooyela, leaders should start with what they say. For example, when recruiting, she believes organisations should take a leaf off the UN, which include specific encouragement for women to apply for roles they advertise.
  • Behaviour: Having once presented to an all-male room – and finding herself, the only woman, left alone on one side of the said room – Kooyela hopes more leaders will consider their actions. She challenges all leaders to remove all barriers to the equal treatment of people and to make everyone feel comfortable no matter the situation.


Leaders’ attitudes matter

Being no stranger to poor management experiences, Kooyela made a conscious decision to lead well. She found herself with a manager who didn’t do a great job and was described as a bully. Although for Kooyela, the focus was always on the silver lining. “I am so grateful for that experience because that is what pushed me to take the right steps, to demonstrate that [leadership] can be better and it can be done well,” Kooyela explains.

Since then, she has challenged herself to be a better manager and leader because of the impact she knows that leaders have on people. “If I can positively influence someone so that they make a step forward – whether that’s in their life or their career – that’s something very powerful,” Kooyela says.

However, she cautions other leaders, particularly women, to break away from the fear of uncertainty. “Leaders find comfort when we can tick all the boxes before venturing into something different and unknown. We want to get everything right,” she says.

Kooyela believes that more women should back themselves. For her, waiting for perfection is not the way forward.

Her advice? “Go for it. Don’t worry about having all the boxes ticked,” confirms Kooyela.

 

Leaders’ dialogue matters 

“The key thing we are looking for is diversity of thought. Women do bring a different perspective on things and every workplace needs that balance of views,” says Kooyela.

What better way to gather a diverse set of views than through dialogue with a group of peers?

In March, for the first time, IML ANZ is hosting two International Women’s Day (IWD) events in Auckland and Wellington. This year, Vij Kooyela will join other leaders to explore the official IWD topic, ‘#EachforEqual’. Be part of the discussion and join forward-thinking managers and leaders in creating the type of dialogue that drives change.

Purchase tickets now:

Auckland – Friday, 6th March
Wellington – Friday, 13th March

Or for more information, contact events@managersandleaders.com.au.

Connecting with the people of the forest

By Karyl Estrella MIML

Nowhere else can you find orangutans in the wild except in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. So the rare opportunity to see these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat is a genuinely thrilling prospect. A privilege that Core Laboratory Manager at Pathology Queensland, Lara Keller CMgr FIML, enjoyed as a Regional Representative for The Orangutan Project (TOP). “In May this year, I saw the Bukit Tigapuluh ecosystem in Central Sumatra. That was absolutely amazing because only eight people a year enter this conservation site,” recalls Keller. The area is inaccessible to tourists with visits reserved for those able to travel with TOP founder and President, Leif Cocks, while he monitors and evaluates the organisation’s work there.

INSPIRATION

Visits to the orangutan’s rainforest homes are exciting, but that’s not the primary motivation for Keller to volunteer. “In 2017, during a fundraiser for TOP, I got to hear Leif speak about the work they were doing. I’ve always been a massive animal lover and am fascinated by orangutans. They are intelligent, peaceful and sentient creatures, and are Critically Endangered. At that point, I wanted to do something to help, so I decided to volunteer.”

When not visiting remote rainforests, Keller’s activities are less adventurous, albeit very crucial. “Our main goal is to raise the profile of orangutan conservation,” says Keller. “So we do market stalls, attend festivals and visit schools to talk about how people can support the work. We also sell cookies, cakes, books and orangutan toys to raise funds on top of inviting people to adopt rescued orangutan orphans.”

Not only have these activities supported the charity’s ongoing efforts to rescue and rehabilitate orangutans, but they have also opened Keller up to a variety of audiences. “Recently, we visited a kindergarten. I wouldn’t be speaking to kindergarten children in my day job! But it’s a different kind of leadership experience for me.”

Volunteering has indeed helped Keller view leadership from a different lens. “It’s taught me a lot about how to adjust my leadership style and to take into account people’s motivations.” Contrasting her role as a health sector leader to her role as a volunteer leader, Keller hones in on the need to become a positive influence.

“Volunteers have no obligation to meet any targets as paid employees do. Ultimately, I must make them want to join me. They have to feel that we are all working towards something important together.”

WILD ENCOUNTERS

Although given TOP’s unique position, it can be difficult to get a real sense of their work’s impact. Unlike most Australian charities whose work is based on home soil, all the results of the organisation’s efforts are only seen and felt in Indonesian rainforests. That’s why meeting the orangutans was a truly memorable experience for Keller.

On one outing to Central Kalimantan in Borneo last year, she witnessed the rehabilitation of young rescued orangutans in what TOP affectionately calls ‘jungle school’. “They were learning to climb trees, and one of them fell out of the tree and cried out like a baby,” Keller recalls. “It looked like he’d broken his arm, so they put on a splint and took this little one to the closest town, which is an hour and a half away. He got x-rayed, and fortunately, he didn’t fracture his arm and was back to climbing trees in no time.

“During the trip in May this year we saw mothers and babies who have been released back into the rainforest. When we reached a different part of the camp, I recognised one of our adopted babies, Citrawan, as she attended jungle school. I’ve seen so many photos of her and spoke about her to so many people. It was amazing to see her face-to-face. These are the moments not many people get to experience.”

Keller considers her volunteer work as a privilege, offering a unique sense of fulfilment. “You can go see orangutans in captivity, but seeing them in the wild is a completely different experience,” explains Keller. “I’ve looked them in the eyes and seen the person inside. And that’s how I view them, as persons.” Almost literally true when you consider that the word ‘orangutan’ in the Malay language translates to ‘person of the forest’.

It’s no surprise then that Keller recommends volunteering for all leaders. Her advice, “Find something you’re passionate about.” She also recommends doing your research and finding out what the commitment involves. The effort, Keller believes, is all worth it. “It’s been a marvellous thing for me. I feel this is something I do to reach my potential as a person. Giving something back and doing something for my soul makes me feel refreshed and excited. I love it!”

PRECIOUS CREATURES

Today, there are only 104,700 Bornean orangutans, just 7,500 Sumatran orangutans and no more than 800 Tapanuli orangutans – the most endangered of all the great apes.

For more information about The Orangutan Project and their conservation work visit orangutan.org.au.

This article originally appeared in the December 2019 print edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s exclusive Member’s magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.