Character or Credit? Leadership in an age of self

Sunflower seller on roadside selling sunflowers to customer, symbolizing grassroots enterprise, community connection, and warmth.

In a culture that rewards self-promotion over self-mastery, what does it actually take to lead meaningful change? Drawing on the work of David Brooks, Angela Duckworth, Jonathan Haidt and Robert Greenleaf, this article explores why character is the foundation of effective leadership in healthcare and community change work, and why humility may be the most important capability that change leaders still need to develop.

When Co-Design Becomes a PR Exercise: Learning from Australia’s Live Export Debacle

Co-Design vs Performative Consultation Co-design has become the darling of public policy. Governments and organisations everywhere trumpet their commitment to collaborative decision-making, promising to work alongside affected communities to shape policies that impact them. But what happens when co-design is deployed not as a genuine collaborative process, but as window dressing for decisions already made? … Read more

Why Co-Design Delivers Better Results

Team collaborating under facilitator guidance, demonstrating co-design, shared leadership, and teamwork.

For generations human history has been littered with evidence that people want to be included in decisions which affect them.  In 1789, the French Revolution echoed to calls for liberty, equality and fraternity; one of the most memorable rallying cries of any movement.  Liberty spoke to the need to be free of rules imposed by … Read more