The Leadership Lessons

Twenty-five years ago, Mel Thomas walked into a martial arts class and it changed the course of her life.Mel was born into family violence and throughout much of her youth. As such, she had a front-row seat to unhealthy and abusive relationships.As the final guest for Season Five of The Leadership Lessons, Mel talks about the shameful epidemic of domestic and family violence that exists in Australia, and her personal experiences that have propelled her to create change for others. Mel is now a specialist in Hapkido, a Korean form of martial arts, and has two Australian titles under her belt. She’s also the founder of the KYUP! Project, an organisation she started to empower young Australians, raise their standards and champion their safety and wellbeing.The KYUP! Project runs workshops all over Australia, in schools, communities and workplaces, aiming to end the cycle of violence at a grassroots level.The Leadership Lessons is hosted by Shirley Chowdhary and supported by Salesforce. It's produced by Allison Ho and Agenda Media, the publisher behind Women's Agenda. If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family and domestic violence, you can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.If you are in immediate danger, call 000.

Satu Vänskä speaks four languages, has lived all over the world and is the Principal Violinist of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. And as she explains, cancelling a concert had never been an option. Like most musicians, she’s always lived with an ethos of “the show must go on”.She's the latest to join The Leadership Lessons, bringing a unique perspective to leadership in Australia, and one that follows a challenging period in live music given COVID restrictions and continued uncertainty for the arts. Vänskä currently plays a Stradivarius violin at the Australian Chamber Orchestra. There are only two of these instruments in Australia. The violin she plays was built in 1726 by Antonio Stradivari, who made about 2000 instruments over his lifetime, out of which only about 600 have survived.She speaks with host Shirley Chowdhary, sharing her unique global perspective and why not have a country she feels is "home" gives her a sense of freedom. And she explains why every child should have the opportunity to play an instrument. You can read more on Satu Vänskä here. The Leadership Lessons is made possible thanks to the support of Salesforce. It's produced by Allison Ho from Agenda Media, the publisher of Women's Agenda. You can check out our other podcasts The Women's Agenda Podcast and Women's Health Project.

What do you learn about leadership, when you take on a CEO role at a young age? Shelley Cable says she never planned to be a Chief Executive Officer at the age of 24, but that’s exactly what happened when she was appointed CEO of Generation One at the Minderoo Foundation two years ago.In this week’s episode of The Leadership Lessons, Cable tells Shirley Chowdhary what the experience has been like, how it happened, and what she's learning along the way. A proud Nyoongar woman, Cable says her parents, who met working in a bank and had an “entrepreneurial streak about them”, instilled a love of business and finance in her. She also says she grew up in an environment that gave her an “inner confidence” which means she doesn’t get easily intimated by challenges that come her way at her work.Cable explains that she’s steadfastly focused on the primary objective of Generation One, which is to help close the employment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in one generation.Some excellent tips in this ep once again. The Leadership Lessons is made possible thanks to the excellent support of Salesforce. It's produced by Agenda Media, the publisher of Women's Agenda and mixed by our producer Allison Ho. You can check out our other podcasts, including The Women's Agenda Podcast and The Women's Health Project.

Lisa Annese is "always up against it". That's what it takes, fighting for change across Australian workplaces. As Chief Executive Officer of the Diversity Council Australia, which supports Australia's biggest employers in doing better on diversity and inclusion, she's learnt to be comfortable in being difficult -- always pushing employers and everyone to work harder on inclusion. She's launched a number of key campaigns, including 2020's  #IStandForRespect campaign, signed by over 220 CEO’s who have pledged to take a stand against gendered harassment and violence and stamp out sexual harassment in their workplaces.Her work comes from a place of passion. As she tells Shirley Chowdhary she's long been obsessed with fairness as well as diversity and gender eqaulity. And she's constantly agitating for change, which makes her such a strong leader for sharing just how to "get comfortable with being difficult" . The Leadership Lessons is made possible thanks to the excellent support of Salesforce. It's produced by Agenda Media, the publisher of Women's Agenda and mixed by our producer Allison Ho. You can check out our other podcasts, including The Women's Agenda Podcast and The Women's Health Project.

Helen Haines never imagined becoming a member of parliament. In fact, it’s one of the last things she thought she’d end up doing.But she's now an independent MP, and the only member of Federal Parliament with a background in midwifery. And she still feels excitement every time her name is mentioned in the chamber. Speaking with host Shirley Chowdhary, Haines is full of leadership wisdom and ideas on how to make your way in the world with passion, integrity and heart. She explains how her desire to be an active and useful member of her rural community-led her down the unexpected path of politics. And she opens up about the process of getting elected, and why she’s so passionate about issues of climate change, integrity, and making ourdemocracy work for everyone.The Leadership Lessons is made possible thanks to the excellent support of Salesforce. It's produced by Agenda Media, the publisher of Women's Agenda and mixed by our producer Allison Ho. You can check out our other podcasts, including The Women's Agenda Podcast and The Women's Health Project.

Lucy Turnbull is amazed that so many women underrate their life experiences when applying for different jobs. As such, she urges women to highlight and appreciate the experience they have, particularly after returning from a career break. She shares these insights alongside her daughter Daisy Turnbull, in this special mother-daughter episode of The Leadership Lessons, hosted by Shirley Chowdhary. Together, they discuss more on their careers and what they've learnt about leadership along the way, offering excellent tips for all of us. The Leadership Lessons is produced by Agenda Media, publisher of Women's Agenda. It's made possible thanks to the excellent support of Salesforce.