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Leadership lessons

Yesterday

Cicada boss Sally Ann Williams.

A top CEO reveals what you shouldn’t do in a job interview

Cicada Innovations chief Sally-Ann Williams discusses tips when trying to advance your career, and the thing she does every morning to make better decisions.

  • Sally Patten and Martin Peralta
The rising cost-of-living burden has left more Australian unhappy.

Social cohesion hits record lows, support for immigration slumps

The cost of living, high interest rates, the growing wealth gap and concern over migration all contributed to Australians feeling more anxious about life.

  • Patrick Durkin

This Month

Charlotte Young.

Why Charlotte says her ‘otherness’ is a cause for celebration

Charlotte Young, who is studying at ANU, has been named the overall winner and rising star (under 25) of the Asian-Australian Leadership Awards.

  • Julie Hare
Monash University VC Sharon Pickering  says her researchers are within striking distance of curing lupus.

Monash University’s new boss says don’t call us elite

Despite coming in third overall in The Australian Financial Review’s Best Universities Ranking, it has long had a chip on its shoulder about rival Melbourne.

  • Patrick Durkin
Florence Potter who has differing views on her generation than older managers who are too quick to write off Gen Z.

Why bosses should stop railing against Gen Z

They may do things differently, but new research suggests younger workers are often the most engaged and motivated segment of the workforce.

  • Euan Black
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Paul Scurrah.

The mantra that keeps this CEO ahead of the game

Former Virgin CEO Paul Scurrah reveals how he avoids distractions, what he has learnt from the collapse of two airlines and why he doesn’t eat until midday.

  • Sally Patten and Martin Peralta
Coles Group chief executive Leah Weckert told the Chanticleer brunch the top job was “something I had always aspired to”.

If you want the top job, say so: Coles CEO

Leah Weckert has some refreshingly honest career advice for aspiring executives, particularly women.

  • Patrick Durkin

This top fundie names the best business leaders she has met

WaveStone director Catherine Allfrey has worked in equity markets for 30 years. Over breakfast, she reveals the top thinkers who have impressed her most.

  • Sally Patten

Why retail was the Bunnings MD’s third career choice, and why he stayed

Michael Schneider found doing the thing he was passionate about helped make his career much more worthwhile than seeing it as a job with a fortnightly pay.

  • Sally Patten and Lap Phan

October

BHP grooming ‘internal candidates’ for chairman, CEO succession

BHP chairman Ken MacKenzie says directors of the miner will discuss whether it’s time for a new chairman in 2025.

  • Tess Bennett and Peter Ker
BHP chairman Ken MacKenzie in 2022. He is expected to announce his resignation next year.

Inside the contest to succeed Ken MacKenzie at the top of BHP

It has been one of the most coveted prizes in corporate life. The next chairman of the Big Australian will have profound influence on the entire market.

  • Patrick Durkin
Kyle Faulconer

What this CEO learnt from losing $30m

Kyle Faulconer, the CEO of PepsiCo in ANZ, discovered the value of rapid prototyping and minimum viable products after a failed launch cost his client $30m.

  • Euan Black, Sally Patten and Lap Phan
BHP chairman Ken MacKenzie has overseen an era of dynamic dealmaking.

BHP chairman Ken MacKenzie eyes the end of his rule

Ken MacKenzie is expected to retire next year as he prepares to honour the informal nine-year limit he imposed on director terms at the mining giant.

  • Peter Ker
Atlassian’s Alicia Lenart says the company’s dual career tracks make its managers more effective.

Why most managers are set up to fail

Employers underinvest in training managers and are often bad judges of who could make a good one. But there are signs things are starting to change.

  • Euan Black
Christine Holman resigned from the WiseTech Global board citing concerns about founder and CEO Richard White.

Director goes from ‘troublemaker’ to whistleblower

It is hard for investors to work out if a director is any good, when the first rule of director club is don’t talk about the director club.

  • Patrick Durkin
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This top accountant doesn’t eat in airport lounges, with one exception

Tony Schiffmann, chief executive partner at accounting firm BDO, reveals why he schedules all his meetings in the morning, why he doesn’t lunch, and the airport lounge he likes to eat in.

  • Sally Patten
NAB chief executive Andrew Irvine has laid out a big goal.

Why NAB’s new CEO just set the bank a seriously big goal

While shareholders have taken delight in NAB’s turnaround, customers haven’t. Newish CEO Andrew Irvine wants to change that. 

  • James Thomson
Zip Co chief executive Cynthia Scott says a simple reframing exercise helped her overcome her fear of the word ‘no’ and become the CEO of Barclays in Australia and New Zealand.

The simple ‘reframe’ that helped this leader become a big bank CEO

Zip Co CEO Cynthia Scott nominates a simple reframing exercise that taught her not to fear the word ‘no’ as the best career advice she ever received.

  • Euan Black, Sally Patten and Lap Phan
The ASX involves a different set of rules. from those founders might be used to.

A rare insight into the role of founders in listed companies

There can be a tension between the maverick individualist approach needed to create new businesses from scratch, and the obligations of a public company.

  • The AFR View
Jaqui Lane, Founder of The Book Adviser.

This year’s worst corporate jargon, and the woman trying to fight it

Ducks in a row, reinventing the wheel, putting a pin in it, circling back, low-hanging fruit and thinking outside the box are among this year’s most hated buzz phrases.

  • Patrick Durkin

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/leadership-lessons-1mwr