Why anyone can be a leader

IT takes a lot of confidence to start a business at 19 and to be thriving 15 years later is a true sign of success.

Westpac native campaign

IT takes a lot of confidence to start a business at 19 and to be thriving 15 years later is a true sign of success.

But Alicia Curtis’s confidence comes from a belief that leadership is within all of us and she has built her leadership education company Alyceum with a desire to create an inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to make a difference.

“There’s a whole range of skills, values, expertise and, importantly, networks that drive leadership value, “she says. “For boards, bringing different voices to the table opens up new ways of thinking, as well as forging powerful intergenerational connections outside the previous norm.”

As a boutique business owner Curtis has always reached out to mentors and networks so when she was selected as one of Westpac’s Top 200 Business of Tomorrow last year she grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

She said it was great to talk to a range of business owners who are in different industries, and find out what they are doing, their future strategies and how they are capitalising on business trends and utilising cutting edge technology.

“Some people are great at building innovative visions for their business, others are whizzes on the operational side so meeting diverse business brains helps you to cement your own ideas, see where there are opportunities for your business and gain insights,” she said.

“There’s a lot of focus on start-ups and those at the beginning of their business journey but after 15 years you need different strategies and the confidence to double down and persist.”

She said when you’re in the process of trying new ideas for your business it is reassuring to hear from successful companies that sometimes you can have 100 ideas that don’t succeed before you hit on one that works.

Curtis won the accolade soon after having her second child so she took a four month-old baby to the summit. She says having children can be a positive in business as it has taught her to focus on what’s important and be more purposeful with her time, projects and relationships. There’s no time for navel gazing.

Westpac launched the Businesses of Tomorrow program as part of its bicentennial celebrations last year, recently launching the 2018 program with applications open until 8 April.

“We saw some really impressive businesses as part of our 2017 program across many industries like healthcare, retail, publishing, technology, education and manufacturing,” said Ganesh Chandrasekkar, General Manager of Westpac SME Banking. “A Business of Tomorrow can be large or small, working in any industry across metropolitan or regional Australia, and doesn’t need to be a Westpac customer.”

This year, a panel of independent experts from Deloitte and Westpac will select the top 200 businesses who will receive a three-day Melbourne Business School program and access to the Businesses of Tomorrow network among other money can’t buy experiences.

A prestigious panel including Tim Fung, CEO and co-founder of Airtasker and Westpac director Alison Deans will then select the top 20 businesses who will win a two-week study tour to the US, one-on-one mentoring, a professional services package worth $50,000 and further media recognition.

The mentors include business leaders such as former Westpac CEO Gail Kelly, McDonald’s Australia CEO Andrew Gregory, Mecca cosmetics founder and CEO Jo Horgan and Airtasker CEO and Co-founder Tim Fung.

To apply go to  https://businessesoftomorrow.com.au/

Originally published as Why anyone can be a leader