Podcast
Menzies Leadership Forum
Hosted by menziesleadershipforum · EN
We speak with outstanding leaders from Australia and around the world to inspire you on your own leadership journey.
27episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Rebuilding with Purpose Leadership Beyond the System with Guest Jo Tarnawsky || Purpose Leading into the future
1w ago00:37:15Tap to summarizeWhat kind of leadership does the next chapter demand? In environments of heightened scrutiny and institutional fragility, leadership requires moral clarity and disciplined restraint. Through a Defence or national service lens, this episode explores how leaders remain anchored in purpose when obligations are formal, stakes are high and public legitimacy must be protected. The series concludes by examining leadership as guardianship — holding authority on behalf of others and sustaining institutional trust in times of uncertainty. Key Themes: Duty and obligation Ethical reasoning in high-stakes environments Institutional legitimacy under pressure Leadership as guardianship Jo Tarnawsky, Former Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
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Risk & Moral Judgement with Michael Saadie || Purpose Leading into the future
3w ago00:29:09Tap to summarizeWhat guides leadership when compliance is not enough? Financial institutions operate within highly regulated environments — yet regulation cannot resolve every dilemma. This episode explores the limits of compliance-based governance. When risk models fail to capture social consequence, where does judgement reside? Leaders reflect on how moral clarity, disciplined reasoning and institutional culture shape decisions under uncertainty. Purpose operates as a stabilising anchor when formal controls are insufficient. Key Themes: Governance beyond compliance Moral judgement under uncertainty Risk, accountability and consequence Trust in financial institutions Michael Saadie, CEO & Chairman JBWere
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Fairness At The Frontline with Guest Callum Smith || Purpose Leading into the future
May 1800:36:33Tap to summarizeWhat does purpose demand when affordability and supply chains intersect? Retail and consumer-facing sectors operate at the frontline of cost-of-living pressures. Leaders must navigate supplier relationships, workforce expectations and consumer affordability simultaneously. This episode examines how fairness is interpreted across interconnected value chains. What responsibility does a leader hold upstream and downstream? How are trade-offs made transparent? Purpose becomes the anchor that clarifies responsibility across complex economic ecosystems — ensuring commercial viability does not erode trust. Key Themes: System-wide fairness and accountability Supply chain responsibility Cost-of-living pressures Transparency and stakeholder trust Callum Smith, Chief Merchandise and Marketing Officer Kmart Australia Limited and Dr Peter Collins - Executive Director, Peter Collins and Associates
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Leading With Care Under Constraint with Guest Kelly Bayer Rosmarin || Purpose Leading into the future
May 700:35:04Tap to summarizeHow do leaders balance fairness, sustainability and responsibility in essential services? Education and health systems operate at the centre of public trust. Leaders in these environments face deeply human dilemmas — balancing equity, funding pressures, regulatory requirements and workforce strain. This episode explores how purpose anchors judgement when no option is without cost. How do leaders prioritise access, sustainability and fairness simultaneously? What happens when institutional resources are constrained but community expectations are not? The conversation reveals the moral weight carried by leaders in essential services — and how disciplined judgement sustains legitimacy in environments of constraint. Key Themes & Talking Points: Equity and access in essential systems Contextual ethical dilemmas Resource allocation under pressure Trust in public institutions Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, CEO and Group Managing Director Australian Unity and Dr Peter Collins - Executive Director, Peter Collins and Associates
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Purpose as an Operating System with Guest Will Harvey || Purpose Leading into the future
Apr 2100:41:25Tap to summarizeEPISODE ONE: PURPOSE AS an Operating System How does purpose move from statement to organisational discipline? Purpose often appears in strategy documents — but far fewer organisations successfully embed it into governance, incentives and daily behaviour. This episode explores how leaders translate purpose into operational systems. How are decisions filtered? How are trade-offs made visible? How is accountability reinforced? The discussion surfaces how ethical reasoning capability is cultivated across leadership teams — not just at the top. Culture, performance metrics and governance structures must align if purpose is to guide behaviour under pressure. Purpose becomes an operating system — shaping judgement before crisis arrives. Key Themes & Talking Points: Embedding purpose in governance and strategy Leadership modelling and cultural alignment Incentives, accountability and behavioural signals Building distributed ethical reasoning capability Will Harvey, Professor of Leadership - Melbourne Business School and Dr Peter Collins - Executive Director, Peter Collins and Associates
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The Purpose of Purpose-led Leadership, Thomas Walker || Purpose in Action, Redefining Leadership for the 21st Century
Mar 3000:35:22Tap to summarizeWhat does purpose look like in the next generation of leaders? As new forms of leadership emerge at the intersection of technology, behavioural insight, and social impact, how will purpose evolve? In this closing conversation, guests explore how data, economics, and human motivation can work together to drive a more inclusive and values-aligned future — one where purpose becomes an active force for systems change. Key Themes & Talking Points: The next frontier of purpose-driven leadership Data, behavioural science, and the future of civic engagement Redefining leadership impact for emerging generations With Thomas Walker - CEO of Think Forward & Hosted by hosted by Elly Hanrahan and Indigo Atkinson, Global Voices
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Shared Power, Shared Impact, Beth Eggleston || Purpose in Action, Redefining Leadership for the 21st Century
Mar 1600:34:16Tap to summarizePurpose isn’t a solo act — how do we co-create meaning and impact together? This conversation examines how shared purpose builds momentum, trust, and collective action. Guests explore the beauty and friction of co-leadership and reflect on what it takes to align across difference in pursuit of the greater good. Key Themes & Talking Points: Aligning across difference The dynamics of co-leadership and collaboration Purpose as a system-wide, relational practice With Beth Eggleston - Co-Founder & Director at Humanitarian Advisory Group & Hosted by hosted by Elly Hanrahan and Indigo Atkinson, Global Voices
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Purpose in Partnership, Thom Woodroofe || Purpose in Action, Redefining Leadership for the 21st Century
Mar 300:38:26Tap to summarizePurpose isn’t a solo act — how do we co-create meaning and impact together? This conversation examines how shared purpose builds momentum, trust, and collective action. Guests explore the beauty and friction of co-leadership and reflect on what it takes to align across difference in pursuit of the greater good. Key Themes & Talking Points: Aligning across difference The dynamics of co-leadership and collaboration Purpose as a system-wide, relational practice With Thom Woodroofe – Senior International Fellow with the Smart Energy Council & Hosted by hosted by Elly Hanrahan and Indigo Atkinson, Global Voices "Power Prosperity Planet" visit: https://www.booktopia.com.au/power-prosperity-planet-thom-woodroofe/book/9781923192751.html
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Purpose as Practice, The Hon. Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG – Former High Court Justice, Human Rights Advocatewith || Purpose in Action, Redefining Leadership for the 21st Century
Feb 1700:46:30Tap to summarizeHow does purpose show up in decisions, trade-offs, and action? Moving from reflection to action, this episode explores the realities of living one’s purpose in high-stakes, high-pressure environments. Guests share candid accounts of moments when values were tested, decisions were complex, and resilience became essential. Key Themes & Talking Points: Leadership in messy, uncertain spaces Holding true to values under pressure Purposeful risk-taking and courage in action With The Hon. Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG – Former High Court Justice, Human Rights Advocate & Hosted by hosted by Elly Hanrahan and Indigo Atkinson, Global Voices
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Finding your North Star, with Dr Naba Alfayadh – Founder, Rahma Health || Purpose in Action, Redefining Leadership for the 21st Century
Feb 300:38:36Tap to summarizeWhat catalyses clarity, conviction, and commitment? This episode explores the origins of purpose — those pivotal moments that ignite a leader’s sense of direction. Through personal stories and reflections, guests unpack how identity, experience, and values shape leadership journeys and help distinguish ambition from deeper purpose. Key Themes & Talking Points: Defining purpose on your own terms Identity, lived experience, and leadership emergence The difference between ambition and deeper purpose With Dr Naba Alfayadh from Rahma Health & Hosted by hosted by Elly Hanrahan and Indigo Atkinson, Global Voices
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