“Conversations That Matter” presented by Gayle Hardie and Malcolm Lazenby at Australia/Pacific Centre for Initiatives of Change, Melbourne.
Reported by Niloufer Rakhangi in Melbourne

Rediscover Leadership Group Discussion

At a time when the world sees leadership take a new form in Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's apology to Australia’s ‘stolen generation’ and Obama's victory in the United States, this conversation and deeper enquiry into 'leadership' could not be better timed. It was experience of rediscovery and awakening. The two speakers Gayle and Malcolm from Global Leadership Foundation kick started the evening at with, ' If you want to make a difference, you've got to start doing things differently'. 

Like a breath of fresh air, they brought ‘feelings’ back into leadership and highlighted the need to include the “head, heart and instinct” in decision-making. At World Café style workshops, we brainstormed on the different qualities of a good leader - integrity, transparency and ability being essential qualities but what was highlighted was that a leader with a vision is of paramount importance. 

The environmental, economic and political crisis our world is in today threatens us into becoming more individualistic and self-centered - a barrier to effective leadership. It is only when we stop thinking of ourselves can we serve the world selflessly. To understand the theme further, the speakers shared with us different 'emotional levels of being' on a scale of one to nine. Level one was a state of perpetual presence and happiness, and nine when one is destructive, out of touch with reality and clouded with obsessions. We could identify some leaders (Mandela and Gandhiji) to have reached wisdom and social values (level two and three respectively) though the common man grovels between acting for survival and defending ourselves (level seven to five) till we recognize our choices and choose to become more aware of our actions and behaviour (level four). 

Very much in keeping with the Australian aboriginal beliefs and way of life, Malcolm and Gayle shared their experiences and learning when they took groups of business leaders and CEOs to what they call ‘turtle camp’ where they worked together to protect the turtle eggs and clean the beaches. It was a unique and transforming experience, working in an environment of complete contrast to the corporate life in the cities, where outcomes must be reported every three months. The outcome of ‘turtle camp’ will be known only in twenty years time but their relentless energy and effort invested now is based on hope and belief for the future. 

In this process of working and caring for nature and the land they felt more in tune and aware of their conscience and the coming together of the head, heart and instinct. Malcolm shared how he suddenly realized how minute our individual existences and our troubles really are. In the infinite scheme of the universe when we learn to think beyond ourselves. This is when true leadership is born. 

‘Conversations that Matter’ is a series of forums run in Melbourne by Caux Initiatives of Business, a program of Initiavives of Change.