On 15 March, we held our Future Leaders Summit together with the Future Leaders Committee (FLC) to explore influential leadership. FLC member Rachel King shares her key takeaways from the event.

It was a pleasure to engage in thought-provoking discussions and hear our guest speakers speak about influential leadership during our recent Future Leaders Summit.

Keynote speaker Tristan Hoffmeister, Director of Access and Learning at the National Portrait Gallery, spoke about authenticity and the importance of understanding your own life narrative, connecting on a human level, working through crises, and having the courage to take on uncertainty and new challenges. Tristan also spoke about the importance of chasing passion, not level or promotion.

FLC co-chair Anthony Pronin facilitated the panel discussion with Amanda Cattermole PSM, CEO of the Australian Digital Health Agency, Chris Mercer, Head of Programs and Place at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, and Xiaoyan Lu, Executive Director of the System Assurance and Data Analytics Group at the Australian National Audit Office. The conversation provided insights into defining career moments and touched on topics including trusting your instincts, working through complexity and creating a strong network and environment where people can be the best versions of themselves.

The event finished with a masterclass from Dr Pamela Kinnear, principal consultant at Kinnford Consulting, on managing upwards and influencing at all levels.

The event was packed with words of wisdom and practical advice for future leaders. Here are some of my takeaways:

• Build trust through human connection. Be willing to share a bit about yourself and be vulnerable with others
• Create certainty in relationships before uncertainty or crisis hits
• Communicate, communicate, communicate. You can never overcommunicate
• Choose courage over comfort. Stand up for what you believe in and choose the ‘harder right’ thing to do over the ‘easier wrong’
• Be a leader who brings good energy and positivity. Don’t take yourself too seriously but take your job seriously
• Good governance is critical. Use governance as your best friend
• Trust your instincts and judgement. Lean in early when you notice something isn’t going right
• Surround yourself with people who are better than you so you can learn from them. Build your professional network and have people who will back you up
• Leadership is a daily practice. Assertiveness, listening, and mutual respect are critical skills for influence