The Australian Leadership Paradox ─ What It Takes to Lead in the Lucky Country

Australians bemoan the quality of our leaders. We blame those in power for not showing leadership, only to turn on them when they start tackling the hard issues they are expected to fix. No wonder, then, that even the most passionate and talented among us hesitate to take up this important role. The Australian Leadership Paradox offers us a circuit breaker for this impasse, providing new insights into Australia's distinct leadership culture and showing us a new way forward. It exposes the inherent tensions in Australians' historical relationship with authority; interrogates our culture of mateship and egalitarianism, and challenges the narrative of a nation of Aussies battling adversity when we are actually living in "the lucky country." These tensions are the paradoxes of Australian leadership. Drawing on their extensive experience working with hundreds of leaders from government, business, and community organizations, Geoff Aigner and Liz Skelton show how it's possible for Australian leadership to be inspiring, sustainable, and effective—and how we can participate in creating the change we want to see in the world.

Geoff Aigner and Liz Skelton are both senior managers, educators, and consultants for Social Leadership Australia at The Benevolent Society. They have a rare combination of hands-on experience in senior leadership roles and a deep understanding of change and leadership theory. Geoff is the Director of Social Leadership Australia, adjunct faculty at the Australian Graduate School of Management and the author of Leadership Beyond Good Intentions. Liz is Principal Consultant at Social Leadership Australia and brings almost 20 years experience leading social change organizations in Australia and the UK. Together they have led adaptive change initiatives for business, government and community sectors on complex issues such as homelessness, Indigenous leadership, and corporate/community engagement.