In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed, the Unbreakable Farmer, mental health crusader Warren Davies, speaks to us about the insights and stories he feels privileged to share in as he travels around rural Australia. He reflects on the forces buffeting the communities he speaks to, and particularly the impact that the rapid transition to renewable energy sources is having throughout country Australia.

In this conversation, Warren reflects on what he is seeing and hearing as many farmers, families and towns face circumstances they’ve never come up against before. He shares what he sees as the key ingredients to navigating the things we can’t control and staying connected so that we can support each other.

Warren’s message of communicating, connecting and reaching out for help is cemented on the foundation of his own battles as a farmer suffering from mental ill health and how he has harnessed his story to help others.

Warren is sharing his personal experiences and anecdotes as he travels around the country speaking with hundreds of rural communities. We acknowledge that there are a whole range of different experiences wherever energy projects are rolling out, and they are all unique in their impact.

Some highlights:

• No plan is complete unless wellbeing is factored in

• Warren’s keys to resilience include communication, connection and clarity

• Problems with Australia’s renewable energy transition arrive when transparency, consultation and sound communication are lacking

• Leadership at all levels is critical to navigate unprecedented change

• Being able to reach out for help is integral to our mental health

• Creative vehicles for connection are needed to support busy, overwhelmed farmers and rural communities

• Sharing your story gives others permission to share theirs

Our host:

Claire Delahunty, is a writer and journalist who has worked with the ARLF for more than ten years, interviewing leaders having a positive impact on rural and regional Australia.

Resources:

ARLF podcast blog

ARLF website

Rural Leadership Unearthed

The Unbreakable Farmer

Beyond the Back Paddock

Blue Tree Project

TIACS

In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed, Australian Rural Leadership Foundation CEO, Matt Linnegar, sits down with former Australian diplomat and founder of Geopolitical Strategy, Michael Feller, for a conversation about leadership in an increasingly chaotic global environment.

Matt and Michael examine how leaders internationally are navigating rapid change and disruption. They discuss the limitations to a ‘transactional’ style of leadership, and the need for calm, empathetic leaders with strong values and clear objectives. They discuss the implications of economic policies impacting free trade and offer some observations about what may lie ahead as we move from a unipolar global order towards a multipolar order.

We note that the insights and analysis provided in today’s episode are not a reflection of the views of the ARLF. This conversation is a stimulating one that leaves plenty to consider, whatever context you are leading in.

Some highlights:

• Why transactional leadership delivers poor long-term outcomes

• When context matters, and why the ‘Silicon Valley’ approach may not translate to the Whitehouse

• Examining constraints to better understand global leadership decisions

• Beware the appeal of a simplistic solution

• The logic and the emotion behind a return to tariffs

• How artificial intelligence is driving the fifth industrial revolution

• Tools leaders need to navigate an increasingly disrupted world order

Resources:

ARLF podcast blog: https://rural-leaders.org.au/blog/

ARLF website: https://rural-leaders.org.au/

Rural Leadership Unearthed: https://rural-leaders.org.au/podcast/

Geopolitical Strategy: https://www.geopolitical-strategy.com/

Andrew Bryant is a manager of learning at the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, responsible for the design and delivery of leadership programs.

He joins us for this episode of ARLF podcast,Rural Leadership Unearthed, to illuminate what it takes to be a ‘vulnerable leader’. Andrew draws on our second ever episode, with regional arts leader Alysha Herrmann, who describes how she frames the raw and difficult parts of her story to enhance her leadership.

This is the first of a recurring ARLF episode format where we sit down with one of our knowledgeable learning team and go deeper into an aspect of leadership. Here, theory meets practice, as we look at a real mini-case study and examine how we might understand and apply what we’re exploring.

We also get behind the scenes and learn more about Andrew, as he shares his personal experiences with authenticity, self-belief, personal growth and the ongoing development of emotional intelligence.

He also shares two of his favourite resources on the art of vulnerable leadership.

Some highlights:

• Vulnerability takes courage
• Self-worth should not be tied to achievements
• Incremental change is key to personal growth
• Community connection enhances leadership practice
• Authentic leaders embrace their full stories, including struggles
• Courage is essential for practicing vulnerable leadership
• We are wired for connection, and vulnerability is a key ingredient for trust and understanding.

Our host:

Claire Delahunty, is a writer and journalist who has worked with the ARLFfor more than ten years, interviewing leaders having a positive impact on ruraland regional Australia.

Resources:

ARLF podcast blog: https://rural-leaders.org.au/blog/

ARLF website:https://rural-leaders.org.au/

Rural Leadership Unearthed – The Art of Vulnerable Leadership:https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-art-of-vulnerable-leadership/id1729314042?i=1000644516273

Meet our team: Andrew Bryant -https://rural-leaders.org.au/people/andrew-bryant-2/

TEDx Houston, Brene Brown, The Power of Vulnerability:https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability

There’s a huge amount of symbolism in a new year, and that can bring with it a lot of pressure.

As we mark the start of a year and a new season for the ARLF podcast, Rural Leadership Unearthed, we wanted to give you some inspiration and ideas that we hope will set you up to start the year off in a positive way.

So, we’ve wrapped up a bit of collective wisdom from some past guests, including Aaron Thomas, Megan McLoughlin, OIi Le Lievre, Melanie Bloor, Liz Stott and Bernice Hookey. While in many ways wildly different, these leaders all share strong values and a clear sense of the impact they want to have. They have also mastered the art of reflection: taking their rich experiences – successes and failures – and tucking away lessons that serve them well into the future.

If you need to ‘take the pressure down’ and put your aims for the new year in perspective, this is an episode for you.

Some highlights:

• Aaron Thomas on slowing down

• Megan McLoughlin on living our lives with empathy and gratitude

• Oli le Lievre on managing our inner critics

• Melanie Bloor on creating fertile ground for ours and others’ efforts to flourish

• Liz Stott on making plans and setting goals

• Bernice Hookey on making sure that we let love guide our leadership.

Our host:

Claire Delahunty, is a writer and journalist who has worked with the ARLF for more than ten years, interviewing leaders having a positive impact on rural and regional Australia.

Resources:

ARLF podcast blog

Rural Leadership Unearthed – Dairy Leader’s Mental Health Mission

Rural Leadership Unearthed – To Be Saved by a Stranger

Rural Leadership Unearthed – Reframing How We Think About Farming

Rural Leadership Unearthed – Resilient Communities Run on Connection and Kindness

Rural Leadership Unearthed – Cotton’s Leadership Fibre

Rural Leadership Unearthed – Healing Self to Heal Others

In this episode, we reflect on the recent challenges and wins for Australian agriculture and take a look at trends that will continue to impact the sector. This is a conversation between two veterans of agricultural advocacy and leadership in rural Australia: CEO of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and former head of the National Farmers Federation, Matt Linnegar, and our inaugural Special Representative for Australian Agriculture, Su McCluskey.

Sitting down with our host, Claire Delahunty, Su shares her recent experience representing Australian agriculture at the COP29 Summit in Azerbaijan. She and Matt discuss the ways international events are creating headwinds and tailwinds for our rural industries, and the role of leadership and innovation in managing these.

In the face of significant uncertainty around global politics and trade, Matt and Su examine the keys to resilience in the face of challenges, and the importance of supporting the collaborative leadership required for our agricultural sector to thrive.

Some highlights:

• Su walks us through what really happens at a climate conference

• Matt’s take-aways from the 2024 Australian Farm Institute Roundtable

• What net zero means for Australian agriculture right now

• How shifting global regulations and changes of government might be felt closer to home

• Why sustainability matters more than ever

• The importance of collective, collaborative leadership

• Opportunities and causes of optimism for Australian agriculture’s future

Our host:

Claire Delahunty, is a writer and journalist who has worked with the ARLF for more than ten years, interviewing leaders having a positive impact on rural and regional Australia.

Resources:

ARLF podcast blog

ARLF website

COP29 Baku

Australian Farm Institute Roundtable - Walking the talk: Putting policy into action

Rural Leadership Unearthed episode 8 – Cotton’s Leadership Fibre

In this expansive episode registered nurse, John Wright, reflects on the career he has built as a remote area nurse and clinical educator currently serving some of Australia’s most remote communities. John is a proud emissary for a career that he has found to be rewarding, challenging and rich.

Sitting down with our host, Claire Delahunty, John shares the winding path he walked on his way to join the ranks of a profession of which men make up just over ten percent. His love of ‘bush’ communities has remained a constant throughout his life, as has his gravitation to work where his skills are most needed.

John is frank about the legacy of family violence in his childhood and the way it impacted his ability to deal with conflict as an adult. In the management roles he has taken on throughout his career, John has worked determinedly to develop healthy communication skills and tools to have difficult conversations. Learning is another constant throughout John’s story, as at every turn he has invested in further study to enable him to give his best to every role. He talks about the impostor syndrome and the leadership development opportunity that helped him to truly embrace ‘being a leader’.

John is currently a Nurse Education and Research Coordinator with the Tennant Creek Hospital’s Clinical Improvement Unit, and he has a part time secondment with Flinders University as a teaching academic. He completed Course 16 of the Australian Rural Leadership Program in 2010 thanks to a scholarship from the-then Department of Health and Ageing.

Some highlights:

• The rewards for men of a career in nursing

• Why early career health workers should give remote communities a go

• How to beat imposter syndrome and reject self-imposed limits

• How practical steps and peer support helped John un-learn a fear of conflict

• Insights into the long-term impact of the global pandemic on the health workforce

• Relationships and trust: the keys to being a health practitioner in rural communities

• How feeling valued, heard, and respected helps health workers to stay in the bush

Our host:

Claire Delahunty, is a writer and journalist who has worked with the ARLF for more than ten years, interviewing leaders having a positive impact on rural and regional Australia.

Resources:

ARLF podcast blog

ARLF website

Australian Rural Leadership Program

Department of Health and Aged Care

CRANAplus

This episode discusses domestic and family violence. If you need support, reach out:

Lifeline | call 13 11 14 | text 0477 13 11 14

Kids Helpline | 1800 551 800

1800 RESPECT | 1800 737 732

Kids Helpline | 1800 551 800

MensLine Australia | 1300 789 978

Safe and Equal

In this raw episode, dairy industry leader, Aaron Thomas, shares the story of his mental health break-down in the midst of a “perfect storm” of personal and professional hardship. As well as managing a dairy farm in Southeast Gippsland, Aaron is working to break down the stigma, shame and lack of support that can see people struggle alone – especially in rural communities.

Sitting down with our host, Claire Delahunty, Aaron candidly talks about his battle with depression, anxiety and alcoholism, and how in 2016, his mental health deteriorated to the point that he twice attempted to end his life. From the darkness of rock-bottom, the belief of Aaron’s employers, his family and his industry supported him to get back up and choose the life and impact he wants to have.

October is Mental Health Month and as Aaron explains, “you never beat it, but you learn to live with it”.

Aaron is a Farmer Director on the GippsDairy Board and a graduate of Dairy Australia’s Developing Dairy Leaders program. He completed Course 29 of the Australian Rural Leadership Program thanks to a scholarship from the Gardiner Foundation.

Some highlights:

• Aaron describes the gradual and accumulative factors that can lead to mental health decline & how recovery is equally gradual

• The essential role of the support of Aaron’s employers and industry

• How ARLP Course 30 graduate and fellow dairy leader and mental health crusader, Sallie Jones, affirmed Aaron’s purpose in sharing his story

• How the Australian Rural Leadership Program taught him to ‘slow down to go faster’

• To be curious and ‘trust your gut’ if you think someone you know is struggling

• Why Aaron sees a bright future in the dairy industry

• Being truthful about our mental health is what matters, and it’s ok not to have all the answers

Our host:

Claire Delahunty, is a writer and journalist who has worked with the ARLF for more than ten years, interviewing leaders having a positive impact on rural and regional Australia.

Resources:

ARLF podcast blog

ARLF website

Australian Rural Leadership Program

Gardiner Foundation

National Farmer Wellbeing Report

More on Aaron’s mental health and leadership journey

Sallie Jones, ARLP graduate, dairy industry leader and mental health advocate