The Foundations of Relational Leadership in National Security Masterclass

About this Master Class

It is often said that moral courage is more important than physical courage. The extent to which we are successful in securing the trust of those who choose to follow and/or rely upon us is principally dependent upon two things: our courage to think, speak and act through the virtues of our character, and our competence to deliver results that bring benefits to ourselves and others. If we fail on either of these, we fail as a leader.

Being true to our inner moral compass and understanding the effect it has on others defines not only our leadership, but the legacy we leave when we move on to other pursuits. This legacy plays a major role in defining our personal and professional reputation and contributes to our future success and the success of our organisations. Most importantly, our innate capacity to act ethically is fundamental to the happiness and well-being of ourselves and those we lead and interact with. It contributes substantially to our sense of meaning and purpose in all aspects of life and makes for a more productive and cohesive organisation. Recent international research found that over 90% of senior political, operational, and administrative leaders across Australia, New Zealand and the United States rated relational ethics as critical to their leadership success.

Recent international research found that over 96% of senior political, operational, and administrative leaders across Australia, New Zealand and the United States believed that their lived experiences and the insights gained from them were fundamental to their leadership effectiveness and success in life. This 2-day Master Class guides leaders to reflect deeply on their own lived experiences, explore the virtue ethics that are most important to them as informed by these experiences, and describe the eight most important and valuable aspects of their “world”. From here, leaders are guided to answer key questions that result in the crafting of a Philosophy of Leadership in Life.

The purpose of this program

The purpose of this program is to help leaders:

• Gain a greater understanding of the foundations of relational leadership ethics
• Improve their capacity to perform their role as relational leaders
• Enhance their understanding of some factors that constrain relational leadership
• Deepen their understanding of the ethics most important to them
• Improve their skills in how to act with virtue without being exploited
• Express their relational leadership style in their own words

The benefits of this program

The benefits to the organisation include:

• Improving external and internal relationships
• Improving organisational culture
• Reducing turnover of staff and employees
• Increasing productivity and effectiveness
• Enhancing resilience and wellbeing of staff and employees

Testimonials

“Attending this program has provided a wonderful opportunity to focus and reflect on topics that are profound personally as well as in the workplace.”

“I appreciate the personal experiences that were shared by Mark and the effort made to ensure a “safe” environment for people to also share their thoughts and experiences.”

“Mark is a fantastic presenter who allows for an open and authentic discussion of very large and difficult concepts. Sharing personal stories and reflections was helpful for grounding these concepts in the real world and lived experiences.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed this course and believe that every leader would benefit from the learnings on this course. Mark is a fantastic teacher and delivers with clarity and created a space where all contributors would feel safe in participating and providing opinion.”

“Fantastic – best course I have ever been on. I will remember this course for the rest of my career and life!”

“I loved the program – not only did I grow in knowledge, but as a holistic person – which arms me as a leader out of many leaders in the workplace. The connection between participants and the discussion that ensued was priceless. Demonstrates the competence and compassion of the amazing facilitator!”

“Would have loved the course continuing for a week!”

“I will be using the knowledge gained to increase and expand my knowledge of self – to help me become a better leader, and more broadly, a better person.”