Australian leadership: Diversity as our strength
Simon McKeon AO is Monash University Chancellor, a philanthropist and international sportsman. He was awarded Australian of the Year 2011. Simon talked to australianleadership.com about multiculturalism, rebellion and quiet achievers.
We think of ourselves as unique, although we’re not that unique in the true sense of the word. For example, in many of the countries that I have travelled to, they have their own endearing term for ‘mateship’ So I do not see ‘mateship’ as particularly unique to Australians.
A central part of this question is the word ‘unique’.
I found myself thinking about the word unique, and one thing struck me and that is in contemporary Australia we are strongly multicultural. Thinking about the teams I am a member of; none of them are mono-cultural. They are all multicultural. This is something approaching “unique”.
Diversity and leadership
Relative to other countries, Australia is right up there in being diverse. This tells me that being a leader in Australia poses challenges around the diversity a leader needs to manage.
I’d like to think it’s innate for Australian leaders to ask: What are the backgrounds of the diverse team that I am leading? Where do they come from and how best can I communicate with them considering their backgrounds?
A leader will need to choose a particular leadership style that will work given the diversity and cross cultures of his team.
In contrast, countries such as Norway and Japan are comparatively monoculture.
I think we could use the challenge of diversity in our culture, compared to other countries, to develop and equip our leaders to be particularly relevant in a globalising and increasingly multicultural world.
To read the full interview click on this link. To participate in the Australian Leadership Project please fill in the survey on Australian Leadership.
Simon McKeon is Chancellor of Monash University, Chairman of In2Science and the Group of Eight’s Industry and Innovation Board. He is also a member of the Big Issue Advisory Board and an Australia Day Ambassador for the Victorian Government.
He previously served as Chairman of AMP and CSIRO and was Founding President of the Federal Government’s Australian Takeovers Panel, as well as its Point Nepean Community Trust. Other previous roles include Founding Chairman of MS Research Australia and Business for Millennium Development. He was also Chairman of the Federal Government’s Panel which in 2013 completed a Strategic Review of Health and Medical Research. Simon was also the 2011 Australian of the Year.
In early 2014, Simon retired from Macquarie Group after a 30 year career culminating in his position as Executive Chairman (Melbourne Office). He continues to be retained by Macquarie as a consultant.
