The Leadership WA Story

We are champions for leadership.

In 2024 Leadership WA celebrates 20 years of championing leadership and creating stronger communities across Western Australia.

At the forefront of leadership development in the state, we are an independent, apolitical not-for-profit organisation, driven by our vision of ‘courageous leadership shaping a better WA’. We believe in the power of stronger communities through the development of leadership capacities and collaborative social impact initiatives.

Since 2004, we have taken almost 1,300 emerging and established leaders from across the corporate, government, small business and not-for-profit sectors, through our custom-designed experiential Programs and Courses. With cohorts that are carefully curated, made up of participants who bring a diversity of experience and perspective to the group, along with access to the State’s top leaders and involvement in collaborative social impact initiatives, we support Western Australian leaders in developing the skills, confidence and tenacity to lead with compassion and courage.

We recognise that leaders have the potential to make a real difference and our Alumni and participants set the standard. Each year, Leadership WA Alumni and participants provide hundreds of pro-bono hours of their time and expertise to community-based not-for-profits through our Skillsbank initiative.

Leadership WA | 2023 Annual Review

To learn more about the achievements of Leadership WA and our engaged community of supporters, leaders and change-makers, we invite you to read our 2023 Annual Review here.

A PDF version of the Annual Review can be accessed here and a Word Document version can be provided upon request.

Our Vision

Courageous leadership shaping a better WA.

Our Mission

Developing and enabling inclusive and courageous leaders for the benefit of themselves, their organisations and the WA community.

Our Values

  • We connect | We bring diverse individuals together in experience and thought, nurturing strong bonds for collaboration to shape a better WA.
  • We empower | We are committed to instilling leaders with the courage, confidence, and the lifelong connections required to shape meaningful community change.
  • We are adaptable | We inspire adaptability in WA’s change-makers. We proactively seek new approaches, resources and experiences to align with the ever-evolving requirements of today’s leaders.
  • We are exceptional | We strive to exceed the highest standards in everything we do, delivering exceptional experiences for our stakeholders.

The Power of Experiential Learning

Our Leadership Programs embrace the use of cohort-based, reflective learning. This approach encourages participants to examine their personal experiences, the experiences of their cohort and the experiences of the many highly influential external speakers who contribute throughout the Program.

Cohort-based learning is experiential by design, offering a collaborative and community approach to understanding. Our participants advance together in a safe and inclusive space, using personal and collective learning designed to challenge thinking and develop curiosity, while engaging in robust reflection for discovery, understanding and taking practical action.

The benefits of cohort learning include increased accountability, practical Program-specific resources, applied learning, community building, peer support and the development of the so-called ‘soft skills’.

“One of the most valuable parts of the Program, for me, was hearing the ‘journeys of a lifetime’ shared by my cohort. They unearthed the uniqueness of life and its experiences, creating a bond between us that traversed far beyond a room of mid-career professionals.” – Lincoln Elliot (Rising 2022) | Sia Partners

Leadership WA Awards

Established in 2013, the Leadership WA Distinguished Fellow and Honorary Fellow Awards recognise exceptional leadership, community contribution and/or support for the work and values of Leadership WA.

Distinguished Fellows are Alumni of Leadership WA’s Signature or Rising Leadership Program who have:

  • Graduated 4 or more years ago and are actively engaged with Leadership WA
  • Made an outstanding and enduring contribution to the Western Australian community
  • Embody the core values of Leadership WA and support our vision and mission

Honorary Fellows are Western Australian leaders who have:

  • Made a significant and enduring contribution to Leadership WA
  • Made a positive impact on the work and/or governance of Leadership WA over five years or more
  • Embody the core values of Leadership WA and support

Developing and enabling inclusive and courageous leaders for the benefit of themselves, their organisations and the WA community

Leadership WA's MISSION

Leadership WA Awards Recipients

Year
Distinguished Fellow
Honorary Fellow
2022
Anjie Brook (Signature 2015), Executive Manager, YMCA WA
Prof Lyn Beazley AO
2021
Dr Nicky Howe (Signature 2016), Former CEO, Southcare
Dr Richard Walley OAM
2020
Rebecca Tomkinson (Signature 2012), CEO, Chamber of Minerals and Energy
Sharyn O'Neill, Public Sector Commissioner
2019
Ashley Reid (Signature 2007), CEO, Cancer Council WA
Ian Carter AM, founding Leadership WA Board Member
2018
Joel Levin (Signature 2004), Aha! Consulting
The Hon Kerry Sanderson AC, former Governor of Western Australia
2017
Craig Spencer (Signature 2013), Regional Manager, St John WA
Richard Goyder AO, Chairman of Woodside
2016
Dominique Mecoy OAM (Signature 2009), CEO, Leadership WA
Reece Waldock, former Director-General, Department of Transport WA
2015
Prof. Frank Daly (Signature 2010), Former CEO, Northern Territory Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet
Prof. Colleen Hayward AM, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor Edith Cowan University
2014
David Thomas (Signature 2005), CEO, R2R Services
David Rose, Director Advisory Services KPMG
2013
Justine Colyer (Signature 2008), CEO, Rise Network
Dr Walter Cox PSM, Former Chair Leadership WA