Topics discussed

• Craig’s background and the complementary roles of public and private sector organisations.
• The impact of digital transformation on our society longer term. Great upheaval. Impact on jobs and the economy
• Craig’s leadership journey. The challenges of leading in Australia (tall poppy syndrome)
• Limited delegation for leaders and the damage that can do to an organisation including stifling developing leaders
• Business is about people
• The difference between operational and transformational leadership
• Early stage vs bleeding edge innovation. Craig is much more interested in proven early stage tech that’s moving into maturity
• Digital transformation is a cultural and organisational change management process
• The impact of being a thought leader on influence.
• The value of older workers and their experience and approach
• A leader doesn’t have to know it all. Can rely on experts elsewhere while still maintaining value by proving oversight, vision, coordination, removing blockers. Etc.
• How to bring people in the journey while allowing them to retain their dignity.

Questions asked

• 4:30 How do you think about yourself these days? As an entrepreneur, a leader, or an influencer?
• 13:26 What do you geek out about these days?
• 19:20 Tell us about your leadership journey?
• 30:05 What do you think about the way you look at the world that allows you to think outside the box and take that leap into the oil industry?
• 36:16 What is your approach to bringing people on a transformational journey with you?
• 49:47 Do you find this kind of published thought leadership afford you a certain level of influence in the workplace? Or do you still have to argue your point with people?
• 58:17 How do you open people’s eyes to the future while allowing them to retain their dignity?
• 1:15:57 Do you think there is a disconnection between the leadership and the depth of technical understanding to be able to engage in this age?
• 1:22:11 What does the future hold for Craig Thomler?
  

Quotable

• “A lot of leadership is about being a step forward and taking over responsibility for things”—Craig Thomler
• “Leaders grow only when you have an environment where it’s safe to fail”—Craig Thomler
• “Nobody becomes a leader by getting everything right”—Craig Thomler
• “If you want to be a transformational leader, you need to have a very clear, simple, and transferable message of what the transformation should be and why”—Craig Thomler
• “People need to be brought on the journey, and they need to be able to go on the journey on their own speed”—Craig Thomler
• “Organisations that empower staff to be leaders at any level are more flexible, proactive and able to deal with rapid change”—Craig Thomler
• “you don’t have to change the technology today, start by changing the behaviours, attitudes and culture in the organisation”—Craig Thomler
• “Digital is wonderful. When it works”
• “Sometimes the best approach to leadership is finding out where people are already headed and getting in front of them”
• “A leader needs to model what’s possible and then show people case studies of what’s possible”
• “Digital Transformation is a change management process”
• “you don’t have to change the technology today, start by changing the behaviours, attitudes and culture in the organisation”.
• “I’ve seen people achieve amazing things with primaries technology once the attitude has changed”.
• “I’m the boss, but that doesn’t mean I know everything”
• “In Australia we have lots of managers, but relatively few leaders”
• “Leadership can be at any level of the organisation”
• “Anyone in the organisation can be a leader”
• “Organisations that empower staff to be leaders at any level are more flexible, proactive and able to deal with rapid change “
• “Leadership doesn’t require enormous technical depth. You need to understand people”