Sector and AuSAE News

  • 02 Apr 2015 9:40 AM | Louise Stokes
    The Australasian Evaluation Society (AES) is a member based organisation which exists to improve the theory, practice and use of evaluation in Australasia for people involved in evaluation including evaluation practitioners, managers, teachers and students of evaluation, and other interested individuals.


    The AES Awards for Excellence in Evaluation are awarded annually and recognise exemplary evaluation practice, evaluation systems or evaluation capacity building in Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Pacifica). Awarded annually, the awards provide significant peer recognition for leading evaluators, leading evaluations and evaluation best practice. The award recipients represent best-in-class for each Award category.

    Evaluations are a partnership between the commissioner, the evaluator, and the participants of the project. For evaluative projects, the Awards recognise the role of all the partners, not just the evaluators.

    The Awards are announced and presented at the AES International Conference Awards Dinner each year. All nominees are invited to attend the conference or nominate someone to attend on their behalf. Recipients are published on the AES website (click here for previous recipients).

    We encourage all recipients to play an active role in promoting excellence in evaluation. Award recipients are encouraged to consider ways in which their knowledge and experience may be shared with others.

    Closing date: 30 June 2015


    Awards nomination information

    Awards categories

    How to nominate 

    Previous awards recipients


  • 02 Apr 2015 9:30 AM | Louise Stokes
    Here’s a question for you: is a sprinter more productive or harder working than a marathon runner? Sure, the sprinter will cover a lot of ground fast. A great sprinter will cover 100 metres in a matter of seconds. Over the first 100, 200 or 400 metres, the sprinter is far more productive than his or her long-distance running counterpart.

    Over a short distance, Usain Bolt will easily win the race. But beyond that initial burst, by distance covered and average speed, it’s the marathon runner who ends up in front. A Usain Bolt might well be catching his breath after sprinting to the 600-metre mark while a distance runner like Samuel Wanjiru is already 42 kilometres down the road. In running, beyond a certain critical point, pacing becomes far more important to covering a large distance in a given span of time than simply running as fast as possible off the starting blocks.

    This is all quite self-evident. And yet, in the office, it’s amazing how often working hard and working productively is equated to sprinting. The workplace equivalent of sprinting is encouraging people to cover as much ground in as short a time as possible – without looking at how it’s paced.

    Many motivational and business coaching techniques encourage sprinting. So do many workplace cultures. And too many entrepreneurs push themselves to sprint to the point they burn out. The problem can quickly become overwhelming, causing a burnout. This is the workplace equivalent of Usain Bolt grabbing his side after getting a stitch from trying to sprint too far, while Samuel Wanjiru jogs past while barely breaking a sweat.

    The answer lies in knowing your limits, being smarter with your time management, breaking big jobs into small, manageable tasks, taking a break when you need to and getting a proper night’s sleep. And then making sure your team does likewise. After all, there’s no gold medal for a runner who tries to sprint through a marathon!


    Please see full article here.

  • 02 Apr 2015 8:58 AM | Louise Stokes

    LinkedIn Pulse Post by Heather Dauler


    Influencing others. Sometimes we think of this concept negatively, through the lens of manipulation. But that’s our perception laid over what is really a neutral idea. Influence wielded correctly allows us to move projects, lead teams, or affect change. It allows us to manage up and to cut through internal bureaucracy.

    Applying thoughtful, positive influence is an important tool, one that can help us gain allies and champions at work, in our community, or even at home. Laying the right foundation is important as successful influence takes time. Here are some tips to help:

    • Develop a relationship. This is key. We cannot influence people without enjoying some kind of positive relationship with them. This starts with listening more than talking, sharing experiences, and engaging with others. For example, inquire about the family of your coworkers; learning the names of children and grandchildren goes a long way.
    • Work towards trust. Trust doesn’t happen overnight, but it can start quickly. Accountability is an important aspect in building trust - do what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it. Don’t overpromise and if you’ve bitten off more than you can chew, communicate your oversight early and ask to discuss alternative strategies.
    • Ensure consistency. When you behave differently each week, those around you never know what to expect. This erodes trust and stymies influencing efforts. Become known as someone who is dependable, whom others can always count on, even in small ways. Those small ways will lead to large pay-offs.
    Lastly, know that some people are simply harder to influence than others. We all have a past history that shapes our current experiences, and building trusting relationships may simply be a lot to ask of some. All we can do is try. In the end, that act alone may prove to be a turning point.

  • 02 Apr 2015 8:48 AM | Louise Stokes

    LinkedIn Pulse Post by Jon Bisset FSAE (Chief Executive Officer at Community Broadcasting Association of Australia - CBAA and AuSAE Board Member)


    How does an organisation build member value? How do you stay relevant? How do you integrate social media wisely? How do you identify major trends within association management? These were just some of the questions tackled as part of a panel session in which I participated at the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) conference Great Ideas Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong earlier this week. 


    It was a pleasure to be joined on the panel by executives from the Project Management Institute China, The Hong Kong Management Association and Korean MICE Association, as well as moderator Peter O'Neil, of the American Industrial Hygiene Association, who lead the dialogue. It was fascinating to hear such a culturally diverse group of association CEOs from around the world discuss their own organisation’s challenges and successes, especially in terms of change management and the process of transforming “great ideas” into action.


    Diversity provides a lesson for each of us to be okay with and open to those things that set us apart – race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical and mental ability, language (the list goes on) and understanding and accepting of people for who they are. Being culturally aware provides an opportunity to stand back and consider that there are certain backgrounds, personal values, beliefs and upbringings that shape the things we all do. Learning about and listening to people from other cultures helps us relate to one another and be okay with different perspectives.

    I saw this quote recently, and it’s stuck with me.
    "Diversity is the one true thing we have in common."
    Now that’s something to embrace.


    This post originally appeared on LinkedIn here (click on link to listen to a CBAA podcast on diversity).

  • 02 Apr 2015 8:30 AM | Louise Stokes
    It is invaluable to have experienced people guiding your organisation. How can you obtain this help? A senior employee is a considerable investment, and you may not need long-term permanent help. An external consultant can provide invaluable expertise, but may be short term and costly. A board of directors gives the company direction, but being a director is a commitment that comes with considerable legal obligations. There is another alternative – appoint an advisory board. What is an advisory board, why should your business have one, and what issues need to be addressed?


    What is an advisory board?

    An advisory board is a group of individuals who provide know-how and strategic advice to the business’ co-founders, managers, and board of directors (if it has one). There is no hard and fast rule about what level of experience the members have or in what field they specialise. An advisory board is made up of whoever the founders choose.

    You should choose people with the skills, experience and/or connections to help you grow your business. Advisory board members with contacts in the industry are of very high value to your business. When choosing your advisory board, try to find experts with different skills and experience to the founders. Having a broad skill set is generally more valuable to the business than having expertise in the same area.


    How much will an advisory board cost?

    Members of advisory boards typically provide their expertise free of charge. Some organisations might offer certain members a small amount of equity in exchange for a longer-term commitment to the business and as an incentive to stay on board.


    What makes an advisory board different from a board of directors?

    A board of directors is a shareholder-elected body that governs the company. The primary goal is to make decisions in the best interests of the company. Directors are in charge of business strategy, setting business goals, inspecting company accounts, and appointing senior executives, such as the CEO, to run the business. Board decisions are binding on the company.

    An advisory board offers general advice on strategy, such as making directional recommendations based on their assessment of the business plan and offering ideas to test. Advisory board guidance is not binding on the company. Under the law, members of an advisory board do not have to comply with directors’ duties.


    What liability does an advisory board have compared to a board of directors?

    It is crucial to know the important distinction between directors and advisory board members, so they understand the risks, duties and liabilities of each role. Directors have director’s duties under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), the general law and the corporate governance documents including the Shareholders’ Agreement. Directors have fiduciary duties to the company, which include exercising due care and diligence when making company decisions, and acting in the best interests of the company, and to endeavour to ensure that the company does not trade while insolvent.

    These duties are a risk for directors. If directors do not uphold these duties, they can be expelled from the board, face legal repercussions, and be penalised under the Corporations Act. Directors need to know their obligations and duties. It is good business practice to take out insurance for directors and officers of the company.

    Advisory board members need to be careful that they are not inadvertently acting as directors. Under the Corporations Act, directors are defined in two ways: (i) people appointed to be directors, and (ii) people with sufficient influence and power over the decisions of a company. The latter are de facto or shadow directors. De facto or shadow directors can be held to have full directors’ duties and liability.


    Key legal agreements – terms of reference and an Advisory Board Agreement

    In setting up an advisory board, it is important to have an Advisory Board Agreement that establishes expectations, roles, and legal protections for the business and its advisory board members. This includes confidentiality, and that all intellectual property generated by the advisory board for the business belongs to the business. Your Advisory Board Agreement should clearly set out that members have no power or influence over the running of the company, and the advisory board is not empowered to instruct or direct the directors.

    The more clearly this distinction is set out in the agreement, the more protected your advisory board will be from inadvertently taking on the liability that comes with director’s duties. It is also a good idea to have a Terms of Reference, to give each member an overview of the other advisory board members, roles and obligations.

    In conclusion, advisory boards can be an invaluable asset, and can assist in accelerating your business growth. A solid understanding of how an advisory board, and a strong Advisory Board Agreement, will allow you to protect the members from exposure to liability, and help your company benefit from their expertise.


    This article first appeared on startup smart.

  • 01 Apr 2015 1:30 PM | Louise Stokes

    The recent 2015 Intergenerational Report illustrates that we need to take continued steps to boost productivity and encourage higher workforce participation to drive future economic growth. While the report projects income growth will slow, it also shows that Australia can continue to prosper by making the best of our circumstances and opportunities. Tax reform is a critical part of the Government’s policy to create jobs, growth and opportunity.


    The Federal Government has released a new tax discussion paper which begins a dialogue on how we create a tax system that supports high economic growth and living standards, improves our international competitiveness and adjusts to a changing economy and new opportunities.


    This paper specifically targets the Not-for-Profit (NFP) sector asking if the current tax arrangements are appropriate - raising issues around the ongoing availability of Fringe Benefits Tax concessions and other foregone tax revenue. Governments provide a number of tax concessions to support the NFP sector. While these tax concessions help increase the level of activity in the NFP sector, the value of revenue forgone from the concessions is significant and growing steadily. Tax concessions for the sector can also increase complexity, in part because they vary according to the type and purpose of NFP organisations. In some cases, NFP tax concessions provide NFPs with a competitive advantage over their commercial competitors.


    Please find the full NFP chapter of the tax discussion paper here. For more information about this process and discussion please click here or check out the interactive website


    The Treasurer opened the conversation on tax by releasing the tax discussion paper on 30 March 2015. The Government is seeking submissions on the issues raised in the discussion paper. You have until 1 June 2015 to lodge your formal submission.

  • 01 Apr 2015 10:56 AM | Louise Stokes
    Business travel is a significant cost area for any organisation and with help from a Corporate Traveller expert, you can take control of your expenses and boost your bottom line.


    As the official travel manager and Annual Partner of AuSAE, Corporate Traveller is offering up to $1,000 business travel credit* to all AuSAE members who become clients before 30 June 2015.

    When you partner with Corporate Traveller you can take advantage of the Flight Centre Travel Group's global negotiating strength. Corporate Traveller clients benefit from dedicated 24/7 service, access to flexible payment options, local personal service, clear financial reporting and no lock in contracts.


    They specialise in business travel management for a range of industry sectors. Their service, expertise and travel management strategies have been tailored to suit each market to ensure you achieve the best results from your travel.

    For more information, visit the AuSAE Corporate Traveller special offer page or call them on 1300 732 280.

    *Refer Terms and Conditions on Corporate Traveller website



    Corporate Traveller is a leading Australian business travel management specialist. They are a wholly owned division of Flight Centre Limited and offer a unique combination of expert advice, local personal service and global negotiating strength to maximise your business travel savings.

  • 01 Apr 2015 9:05 AM | Louise Stokes
    Despite the tough funding environment facing the Australian Not for Profit sector it’s time to start talking about and investing in the exploration of sustainable business models, writes NFP strategy expert George Liacos.

    As we approach the time of year traditionally dedicated to strategic planning, Not for Profits face pressure unlike many of us have seen in a long time. Although existing funding is under question for thousands of NFPs, planning for the future still (perhaps now more than ever) needs to happen.

    Don’t make the mistake of searching for new grants, or rushing to rebrand. Instead, this year, take a fundamental look at your business model - this may help to unearth new opportunities where your organisation can deliver value, and accordingly may open up new avenues for financial sustainability.

    There is no point regaling you with all the factors at play. Suffice to say, funding is hard and getting harder. So what’s changing? The sector is now not just talking about, but investing in, the exploration of sustainable business models. That’s what’s changing. There is a real sense of momentum. The Big Mo (as they say in US presidential races) - The point where the conversation turns from ‘what if’ to ‘how to’, where it’s harder to swim against the tide than keep moving.

    If you only do one thing this differently this planning season – catch this wave - make it the year to start seriously addressing long term financial sustainability – don’t only talk about funding models or fund raising this year, talk about your business models. Whether your company hosts a formal planning session, a 2 day retreat or just updates last year’s numbers, dedicate at least 25% of your planning time to exploring and stress testing your future business model and sustainability and see what funding models appear.

    Here are a few tools and techniques that might help you guide your team on the sustainable business model journey:
    1. It’s time to start from a different place

      Put some things on the bench – don’t do SWOT, PESTEL, environmental analysis yet. Also bench quantitative analysis – revenue lines, price per service, funding per person. We will go through these – but later on.

    2. Redesign around what social problem you will solve

      a. What’s your Value Proposition? What’s your Impact Goal? Question what problem you exist to solve (or will have solved in 5 years) with your customers, stakeholders, partners. This will generate modifications to existing services and may uncover new ones. Be prepared to let go (in the workshop at least) of the major current funding source in pursuit of delivering value (the key to sustainability).

      b. Using tools like the acclaimed Business Model Canvas, develop a business model around these value propositions & services.

    3. Go even further

      a. See if digital innovation can fundamentally transform either the external or internal dimensions of your organisation – or both.

      b. Run same logic over partnerships. Outsource, co-source etc.

      c. Look to innovative payment models to not just alter your funding stream but as a way to keep you afloat.

    4. Break your new model

      a. Use old school strategic planning tools to try to break your shiny new model. These tools have a place and it’s right here.

      b. Get your Excel on! Model out your changed and new income lines, weave in your expenses and use your innovative payments ideas to massage the cash projections.

      c. Develop an appropriate budget. Run through some scenarios: shoestring, surplus, steady.

    5. Find, and then Line up, the ducks …

      a. Create your roadmap/action plan. Try a simple four step mode for creating usable roadmaps

      i. Get down all the projects you need to do to reach a sustainable model

      ii. Sort them into the four rows Financial Projects, Client Projects, Internal Projects and Growth & Development Projects (thanks, Balanced Scorecard!)

      iii. Sequence them into three columns, this year, next year and later. No one really keeps the roadmap past two years anyway so this little technique keeps the team happy that they have been heard but pushes less important projects backwards

      iv. Chose no more than 2 projects per year per category… doing less can be more

      b. Most NFP’s don’t have one or both of these skills: Commercial / Business development OR Technology. Find them. Secure them. Put them to work.

      c. Set the cultural tone and tempo to one of change and engage already well-documented change management techniques.

    The transformational journey to sustainability is as uncomfortable as it is inevitable and delaying the outset is simply irresponsible. 2015 is the year to be taking the first step towards a sustainable business model. There is a large and growing community of organisations that have already begun. It’s time for you to embark.

    “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
    ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

    Step out with purpose. Keep your feet.

    About the author: George Liacos is the Managing Director of Spark Strategy, an agency that works with Not for Profits and Social Enterprises to realise their social mission objectives. Liacos has advised Not for Profits, Social Enterprises, Governments and Commercial organisations for over 18 years in the areas of new business and funding models, business and digital strategy, and system transformation. He has also held roles as the National Lead Partner for Transformation at Grant Thornton, Program Director for the Department of Premier and Cabinet as well as Chairman and Non-Executive Director on a number of technology and service businesses. 

    This article first appeared on ProBono News. Please see the original article here.
  • 01 Apr 2015 9:00 AM | Louise Stokes

    Cloud computing is the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer.


    Cloud computing in recent years has exploded to be terminology that we are all familiar with. Although for many of us this new technology is not easily understood, what businesses must understand though is there are many positive ways cloud technology can help your business excel, saving you time and money and giving you peace of mind in the event of a disaster.

    A recent survey conducted by Infosys found that Australia businesses are leading the way in accepting cloud computing(1), this shows there is obvious benefits to cloud computing, but how can you use cloud computing to help your business and ultimately increase your bottom line.

    Here are our top five benefits on why your business should start cloud computing now.

    1) Infrastructure and Upgrades
    Because technology is always changing, and so is the infrastructure that goes with it. The cost of updating your infrastructure is always a large financial investment. By using a dedicated cloud company which continuously purchases state of the art equipment to ensure your service is reliable in an environment, eliminates the need for maintaining hardware and associated IT administration. Most of the cloud solutions offer upgrades for free as part of the package and can easily be downloaded via the internet or even automatically completed to help with easy software integration.

    2) Capital Cost
    Businesses are quickly waking up to the fact that cloud solutions make good business sense when it comes to cost management. Managing in-house IT infrastructure and operating costs are the main reasons that businesses are turning to the cloud. With so many cloud providers in Australia, the cost of this service has become very competitive. Evaluating your business requirements for a cloud service before approaching providers will ensure the service you will be provided with matches your company needs. When it comes to cloud services cheapest may not be the best option.

    3) Disaster Recovery
    Implementing a system of backups where your data is stored both on your system and on the cloud is a perfect contingency plan for your business. Make sure that your cloud provider has a Disaster Recovery and business continuity plan in place for those “what –if” scenarios. Ensuring your Cloud Computing provider can support your business if a disaster does occur is also a prerequisite.

    4) Security
    Security concerns are still one of the greatest apprehensions that businesses have in regards to using cloud technology. Trusting your valuable data to a third party does have risks. But by acquiring knowledge about the physical and technical controls of the data centre, it’s country location and who can access it, is a good way to put you at ease that your data is safe. Ensuring that both the data centres’ and it’s anti-virus software and firewalls are updated will help secure your data.

    5) Performance/Availability
    In today’s world having fast, secure access to your data when you want it is essential. To achieve this select a cloud provider that includes a multi-server environment or multi location access. Ask if your cloud provider can easily increase its capacity when you need it without interrupting your workflow is essential for business to run smoothly.


    Sage MicrOpay (AuSAE Annual Partner and Payroll/HR System Specialists) Private Cloud provides software services for companies who want to leave it to the specialists to manage the IT component of their payroll and HR systems. Together with their Australian based Private Cloud provider Dimension Data Cloud Services, they provide a service that delivers the highest levels of security, management and skills to ensure your sensitive human capital data is protected and delivered to users on time, every time.

    Speak to the AuSAE Annual Partner Representative for Sage MicrOpay Christine Marcos on christine.marcos@micropay.com.au or phone 02 9884 4128

  • 31 Mar 2015 4:59 PM | Louise Stokes

    One of the most popular Dilbert comic strips in the cartoon’s history begins with Dilbert’s boss relaying senior leadership’s explanation for the company’s low profits. In response to his boss, Dilbert asks incredulously, “So they’re saying that profits went up because of great leadership and down because of a weak economy?” To which Dilbert’s boss replies, “These meetings will go faster if you stop putting things in context.”

    Great leadership is indeed a difficult thing to pin down and understand. You know a great leader when you’re working for one, but even they can have a hard time explaining the specifics of what they do that makes their leadership so effective. Great leadership is dynamic; it melds a variety of unique skills into an integrated whole.

    Below are 12 essential behaviors that exceptional leaders rely on every day. Give them a try and you can become a better leader today.

    1. Courage

    “Courage is the first virtue that makes all other virtues possible.” —Aristotle

    People will wait to see if a leader is courageous before they’re willing to follow his or her lead. People need courage in their leaders. They need someone who can make difficult decisions and watch over the good of the group. They need a leader who will stay the course when things get tough. People are far more likely to show courage themselves when their leaders do the same.

    For the courageous leader adversity is a welcome test. Like a blacksmith’s molding of a red-hot iron, adversity is a trial by fire that refines leaders and sharpens their game. Adversity emboldens courageous leaders and leaves them more committed to their strategic direction.

    Leaders who lack courage simply toe the company line. They follow the safest path—the path of least resistance—because they’d rather cover their backside than lead.

    2. Effective Communication

    “The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.” —Joseph Priestley

    Communication is the real work of leadership. It’s a fundamental element of how leaders accomplish their goals each and every day. You simply can’t become a great leader until you are a great communicator.

    Great communicators inspire people. They create a connection with their followers that is real, emotional, and personal, regardless of any physical distance between them. Great communicators forge this connection through an understanding of people and an ability to speak directly to their needs.

    3. Generosity

    “A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.” —John Maxwell

    Great leaders are generous. They share credit and offer enthusiastic praise. They’re as committed to their followers’ success as they are to their own. They want to inspire all of their employees to achieve their personal best – not just because it will make the team more successful, but because they care about each person as an individual.

    4. Humility

    “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” – C.S. Lewis

    Great leaders are humble. They don’t allow their position of authority to make them feel that they are better than anyone else. As such, they don’t hesitate to jump in and do the dirty work when needed, and they won’t ask their followers to do anything they wouldn’t be willing to do themselves.

    5. Self-Awareness

    “It is absurd that a man should rule others, who cannot rule himself.” —Latin Proverb

    Contrary to what Dilbert might have us believe, leaders’ gaps in self-awareness are rarely due to deceitful, Machiavellian motives, or severe character deficits. In most cases, leaders—like everyone else—view themselves in a more favorable light than other people do.

    Self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence, a skill that 90% of top performing leaders possess in abundance. Great leaders’ high self-awareness means they have a clear and accurate image not just of their leadership style, but also of their own strengths and weaknesses. They know where they shine and where they’re weak, and they have effective strategies for leaning into their strengths and compensating for their weaknesses.

    6. Adherence to the Golden Rule +1

    “The way you see people is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them is what they become.” – Jon Wolfgang von Goethe

    The Golden Rule – treat others as you want to be treated – assumes that all people are the same. It assumes that, if you treat your followers the way you would want a leader to treat you, they’ll be happy. It ignores that people are motivated by vastly different things. One person loves public recognition, while another loathes being the center of attention.

    Great leaders don’t treat people how they themselves want to be treated. Instead, they take the Golden Rule a step further and treat each person as he or she would like to be treated. Great leaders learn what makes people tick, recognize their needs in the moment, and adapt their leadership style accordingly.

    7. Passion

    “If you just work on stuff that you like and are passionate about, you don’t have to have a master plan with how things will play out.” – Mark Zuckerberg

    Passion and enthusiasm are contagious. So are boredom and apathy. No one wants to work for a boss that’s unexcited about his or her job, or even one who’s just going through the motions. Great leaders are passionate about what they do, and they strive to share that passion with everyone around them.

    8. Infectiousness

    “The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.” —Reverend Theodore Hesburgh

    Great leaders know that having a clear vision isn’t enough. You have to make that vision come alive so that your followers can see it just as clearly as you do. Great leaders do that by telling stories and painting verbal pictures so that everyone can understand not just where they’re going, but what it will look and feel like when they get there. This inspires others to internalize the vision and make it their own.

    9. Authenticity

    “Just be who you are and speak from your guts and heart – it’s all a man has.” – Hubert Humphrey

    Authenticity refers to being honest in all things – not just what you say and do, but who you are. When you’re authentic, your words and actions align with who you claim to be. Your followers shouldn’t be compelled to spend time trying to figure out if you have ulterior motives. Any time they spend doing so erodes their confidence in you and in their ability to execute.

    Leaders who are authentic are transparent and forthcoming. They aren’t perfect, but they earn people’s respect by walking their talk.

    10. Approachability

    “Management is like holding a dove in your hand. Squeeze too hard and you kill it, not hard enough and it flies away.” – Tommy Lasorda

    Great leaders make it clear that they welcome challenges, criticism, and viewpoints other than their own. They know that an environment where people are afraid to speak up, offer insight, and ask good questions is destined for failure. By ensuring that they are approachable, great leaders facilitate the flow of great ideas throughout the organization.

    11. Accountability

    “The ancient Romans had a tradition: Whenever one of their engineers constructed an arch, as the capstone was hoisted into place, the engineer assumed accountability for his work in the most profound way possible: He stood under the arch.” – Michael Armstrong

    Great leaders have their followers’ backs. They don’t try to shift blame, and they don’t avoid shame when they fail. They’re never afraid to say, “The buck stops here,” and they earn people’s trust by backing them up.

    12. Sense Of Purpose

    “You don’t lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.” – Ken Kesey

    Whereas vision is a clear idea of where you’re going, a sense of purpose refers to an understanding of why you’re going there. People like to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. Great leaders give people that feeling.

    Bringing It All Together

    Becoming a great leader doesn’t mean that you have to incorporate all of these traits at once. Focus on one or two at a time; each incremental improvement will make you more effective. It’s okay if you “act” some of these qualities at first. The more you practice, the more instinctive it will become, and the more you’ll internalize your new leadership style.

    What other qualities would you like to see added to this list? Please share your thoughts on exceptional leadership in the comments section below, as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.

    About the author:

    Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award-winning co-author of the #1 bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and the cofounder of TalentSmart, the world's leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training, serving more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies. His bestselling books have been translated into 25 languages and are available in more than 150 countries. Dr. Bradberry has written for, or been covered by, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Harvard Business Review.


    This blogpost first appeared on LinkedIn


The Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE)

Australian Office:
Address: Unit 6, 26 Navigator Place, Hendra QLD 4011 Australia
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Phone: +61 7 3268 7955
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