Cadence Catch-up with Lewis #18

Welcome to the eighteenth edition of Cadence Catch-Up, the final one for 2024.

At a time when more and more attention is being drawn to poor leadership in various situations, I am often asked “Where does great leadership live?”. The good news is that it’s all around us. The irony is that the people demonstrating it don’t often attract headlines or attention, they just get on with the job of leading.

To round out the year on a high, I reflected on two recent examples of great leadership that attracted some attention, however fleeting that was. The first is the Sydney Swans coaching handover, which saw 14-year senior coach John Longmire hand the reins to his understudy of 7 years, Dean Cox. The second, perhaps surprisingly, involves a state government.

The Swans have long been admired for what is termed “Bloods culture” – a system that promotes open and honest dialogue, a commitment to improvement, and an emphasis on teamwork. Longmire’s decision to step aside with one year left on his contract revealed there had been succession discussions involving key stakeholders over at least eighteen months. His selflessness in believing it to be the right time for another voice at the top underlined his commitment to the ongoing success of the unit – effectively saying nobody is bigger than the organisation. And for the various stakeholders involved – players, sponsors, club employees and supporters – after a short “tools down” moment to pay respect to what Longmire had achieved over a very long time in professional sporting terms, it was back to work. Minimal fanfare, minimal disruption, maximum impact in terms of how to manage leadership succession well.

Another event that many overlooked was the South Australian Government achieving, at times during the spring months, 100% reliance on renewable energy sources. Its aspiration is to achieve 100% net renewables by 2027. All of this from a state that experienced crippling blackouts in 2016 following storms that felled high-tension wires. Through investment in home battery schemes, wind farms and solar farms, South Australia is now a net exporter of energy to other states.

This is a prime example of adaptive leadership – solving complex problems that involve the mobilisation of individuals to face into changing circumstances. The sort of problems that cannot be solved simply by a policy change. There is more on this story in one of my chosen posts in this edition.

Also this quarter, after a European sojourn in September/October, I reflect on signature values and behaviours of a culture – those landmarks, artefacts or stories that say “this is what we stand for”. And finally, to close the year out, I share some leadership gold from Adam Grant and Tim Minchin that has sat on my fridge door all year, reminding me what “playing the long game” is all about.

I hope you and your loved ones have a restful festive season, and look forward to engaging with you all again in 2025.

WHAT ARE YOUR SIGNATURES?

TOO MUCH SUN?

WHY MICRO-AMBITIONS ARE COOL…..

PODCAST CORNER

Over the past year I have become more familiar with the work of Arthur C. Brooks. Brooks is a Harvard professor, social scientist and author, with a focus on leadership, well-being and happiness.

I tuned in to a recent podcast in the Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais series, where Brooks revealed happiness to be a mix of enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning. What personally impacted me was Brooks’ revelation that “strivers” – of which I and many colleagues would probably label themselves – tend to “obviate enjoyment”. In other words, we are so busy investing toward the next goal, we rarely stop to celebrate when we do attain a goal. Our satisfaction, or “joy after struggle” as Brooks puts it, is often very short-lived.

What helped me get some clarity is when Brooks put satisfaction into a formula: Our haves, divided by our wants. Personally, I don’t spend enough time on the numerator, looking at the good stuff in my life, whether it be personal, professional, or something else. At this time of the year, when we do get more time to reflect on this kind of stuff, I think it’s a good message that he sends.

It’s great to have wants and goals – they get us out of bed in the morning – but let’s really respect what we’ve achieved in increasing proportion. It’s something I will be thinking more about.

ABOUT LEWIS

Lewis Williams is the Founder of Cadence Leadership Advisory, which provides coaching, strategic and team leadership facilitation and services to individuals and organisations. He has over 25 years leadership experience through senior roles at National Australia Bank and HSBC. Lewis regularly contributes as Adjunct Faculty to AGSM@UNSW on a variety of reskilling, leadership and development programs. He is also a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

Cadence Leadership Advisory is a leadership development business specialising in coaching people, team leadership and development, strategy review and organisational culture.