Australia's Leadership in an Uncertain World: You, yes you, are the Leader the World Wants!

The election of Donald Trump did not come as a surprise to me. Having spent several years listening to people across America including the blighted post-industrial cities like Flint and Detroit, I can understand the attraction of a loud promise to "make America great again."

People want confidence in the future of their children and grandchildren. They want dignified jobs to support themselves and their families. Modern western elections are close run affairs so it didn't take a large group to shift their votes: Donald Trump has 47.6% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's 47.5%. Reminds us of the Australian election win by Malcolm Turnbull with a margin of one seat.

Fascinating to me is the fact that Trump echoed the words of the most successful Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies. 

In victory, Trump said "The forgotten man and woman will never be forgotten again."

In 1942, Robert Menzies in his Forgotten People speech when he said, "the time has come to say something of the forgotten class - the middle class - those people who are constantly in danger of being ground between the upper and the nether millstones of the false war; the middle class who, properly regarded represent the backbone of this country."

Australians are well-regarded around the world for our plain speaking. In my experience, Americans have a profound love and respect for Australians and Australian leadership. I recall one very powerful corporate Chairman say to me, "You Australians remind me of the Americans of 100 years ago, nothing is impossible..."

During the G20 presidency, I saw then Treasurer and now Ambassador to the USA Joe Hockey provide clear respected leadership on global infrastructure needs and other needs of the global economy. I listened to the conversations in which Australian prosperity and governance were a model for global development.

In an uncertain world, where the clarity of Australia plain-speaking is appreciated and our economic and lifestyle success is iconic, I believe we have the opportunity to guide the world to a more optimistic, balanced, prosperous and peaceful future.

We have to have confidence in ourselves and confidence in the greatness of our Australian achievements. Yesterday's results and the world's uncertain reaction to the Trump victory, tells me our leaders are called upon to play an even greater role in world affairs. 

Every Australian has that global opportunity! You are the leader who needs to play that role. 

What do you think? Please take our survey on Australian Leadership!

Related Blog Posts on Australian Leadership:

• Australian Leadership - Introduction to the Australian Leadership Blog;
• Australian Leadership Strengths
• Australian Leadership: Typically Egalitarian with Flat Leadership Structures
• Australian Leaders must have a Sense of Humour!
• Stories and Examples of Australian Leadership
• Amanda Caples on Australian Leadership: "Innovation is for everyone not just for scientists and engineers."
• Jo Mikleus on Australian Leadership: "Australian culture is conducive to creating leaders who are approachable and collaborative."
• Glenn Barnes on Australian Leadership: "A combination of a “can do” attitude, resourcefulness and the need to develop a broad range of capabilities to survive and prosper."
• Sue Barrett speaks on Australian Sales Leadership
• Peter Beattie: "Australia leaders have to be innovative, collaborative and well educated."
• U.S. Ambassador Berry’s Remarks at the National Press Club of Australia - "Australia’s leadership has helped to make this century the Pacific century."
• Mark Bilton: Great Australian Leadership exemplified by Atlassian's Scott Farquhar & Mike Cannon-Brookes
• Alice Boer on Australian Leaders: "Australians look to leaders to be people who inspire us"
• Reflections on Australian Leadership by Adrienne Bonwick, President of the Australia, New Zealand & México Business Council
• Rowan Brookes on Australian Leadership: "We have a culture of irreverence towards authority in Australia"
• Glenn Buesnel-May on Australian Leadership: "Aussies draw upon their laid-back, but nonetheless highly attuned, sense of relationship when exerting their influence."
• Ryk Bliszczyk on Australian Leadership: Pragmatism, Consultative and Considerate
• Michael Burge OAM: The Social Psychology of Leadership;
• Professor Jane Burns on Australian Leadership: "Brave, Creative and Just"
• Josephine Cafagna on Australian Political Leadership: "Brains, courage and heart"
• Rachel Anne Carter: Australian leadership employs a "flat line structure where egalitarianism and features of a meritocracy are employed"
• Ian Cesa on Australian Leadership: "a maddening lack of self-promotion"
• Gayelene Clews: Unsolicited Discretionary Effort - Australian Sporting Leadership;
• Dr. Paul Cooper: "Australian Leadership is a strong inclusive style that does not pre-suppose a leadership mandate"
• "Reflections On Australian Leadership" with Stephen Cornelissen, Group Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Health
• Glyn Davis on Australian Leadership: our ‘characteristic talent for bureaucracy.'
• Carolyn Dean - the key quality that can make Australians unique is our irreverence, and with that our willingness to call a spade a spade.
• Victor del Rio on Australian Leadership: Values like fairness, compassion and having a “fair go” made our Australian leaders “human".
• Dr. Michael Dixon on Australian Leadership: "Thoughtful and creative, pragmatism is a constant thread through the endeavours of so many Australians working around the world."
• Dimity Dornan on Australian Leadership: "'this century is the century for empowerment"
• Paul D’Urso - "Australians have matured in a unique environment somewhat isolated from the rest of the world. This allows our leaders to evolve unique problem solving abilities."
• Neil Edwards: Australian Leaders have a democratic openness to challenge - to questions like 'why are we doing it this way?' - from the teams they lead.
• Terry Flew: "Leadership in Australia has to be reasonably egalitarian in order to be successful."
• Ron Gauci: "We Love those Leaders who have a Uniqueness About Them.
• Joseph Ghaly on Australian Leadership: Guts!
• Michael Gill on Australian Leadership: "Clarity of purpose."
• Guy Grossi on Australian Leadership: "Australians seek to learn from their leaders and are not afraid to ask for information."
• Turlough Guerin: A Core part of Australian Leadership is Humour;
• Robert Hadler on Australian Leadership: "the ability to engage in robust dialogue without embarrassment or personal hurt"
• Tim Harcourt the Airport Economist on Australian Leadership: "Australians are pragmatic in their leadership and not as ideological as other countries."
• Marc Havercroft on Australian Leadership: "privilege in leadership"
• Cecilia Hilder: " Australian leaders are quietly generous"
• Robert Hillard on Australian Leadership: "The most obvious strength is the ability for our leaders to talk straight, particularly in informal settings using adult-to-adult language."
• Bendigo and Adelaide Bank's chief executive Mike Hirst says "Australia has always been very innovative in business, it has had to be to compete, and I think a lot of innovation comes from gut feel."
• Dianne Jacobs on Australian Leadership: "Australians tend to rebuff the extremes of leadership and gravitate to the centre."
• Chris James - "True Australian leadership shows a regard for everybody in an organisation from new entrant to top-of-the-tree."
• Jeff Kennett on the Success of Melbourne through the Leadership of Successive Governments of Different Parties.
• Professor Paul Kofman on Australian Leadership: "An ability to inspire, and share"
• John Kolm on Australian Leadership: "Dry humour, often so dry that it’s not well understood in other cultures, is a badge of good Australian leadership."
• Cheryl Lacey on Australian Leadership: "True Australian leaders have grit and compassion"
• Rand Leeb-du Toit: Australian Leaders "bring an intensity to their work that is rarely seen on the international political and business landscape."
• Fay Libman: "Good leaders in Australian business prefer to guide and mentor rather than bark orders."
• Andrew McVinish on Australian Leadership: "A sense of humour is mandatory, and the ability to laugh at the good, the bad and the ugly."
• Mark Lowndes: Australian Leaders "are fiercely competitive and exude an infectious confidence and optimism"
• Alfredo Martinez-Exposito on Australian Leadership: "the value of egalitarian leadership, as opposed to the more hierarchical approaches you often find in other latitudes"
• Robert Masters: "Inclusiveness and listening are now key features of Australian leaders."
• Josie McLean on Australian Leadership: "Generous, Quiet and Pragmatic"
• Professor Flavio Menezes: Australian leaders have a "global outlook, being well-educated and being responsive to a rapidly changing world."
• Fabienne Michaux on Australian Leadership: "our diversity is one of our most compelling competitive advantages as a nation"
• Greg Morgan on Australian Leadership: "resourceful, collaborative and tenacious with a clear focus on action - getting things done"
• Susan Oliver on Australian Leadership: "make a difference for the future"
• Global Aquaculture Leader Roy Palmer on Australian Leadership
• Internet Australia CEO Laurie Patton on Australian Leadership: Lead, follow, or get out of the way
• James Pearson on Australian Leadership - "hard working, curious, and able to speak to truth to power"
• James Pearson: A challenge for Australian leaders is not the brilliant flash of leadership but the sustainable quality of leadership at a very high level.
• Warwick Peel on Australian Leadership: "the inclusive, collaborative and combative “we are in it together” team style leadership can be healthy."
• Melanie Reiter says "Australian leaders are thirsty for innovation, can act rapidly to drive change and create new market dynamics."
• Sue Renkin on Australian Leadership: "The Australian 'laid back' culture of not taking life too seriously provides a great backdrop to effective leadership."
• Australian Leadership Reflections by Chris Rodwell, Australian Trade Commissioner to Mexico, Central America and The Caribbean
• Brendan Rowswell: "Australian traits such as mateship, egalitarianism and directness mean that our leaders are often less formal, and are the first among equals."
• Erika Saeki: "A Fair Go"
• Evan Shellshear: "In Germany and Sweden what people like about Australians was their "get it done" or "can do" attitudes."
• Eilleen Shields: "Australian leadership is unique and leaders generally tend to possess strong connections with the Australian people"
• Michael Short says it nicely - Australia's a Great Place to Lead!
• Pat Slattery on Australian Leadership: Imagination, creativity, daring, mutually supportive teamwork.
• Ernest Stabek: Australian leaders are a melting pot of innovation, creativity and curiosity with determination like no others;
• Gabriele Suder on Australian Leadership: a "profound desire to make the best use of multiculturalism"
• Tasia Tassova: "Australians are natural leaders, because they lead by example - their own and that of their ancestors."
• David Thomas on Australian Leadership: "Australians need their leaders to be essentially like them"
• Former refugee Pauline Truong speaks on Australian Leadership
• Andrew Tulloch on Australian Leadership: Commitment, Communication and Progress
• Simon Vallone: Australian Leadership - It's Blunt and to the Point
• George Bowen on Patrick Walta: A Story of Australian Leadership
• Nigel Warren on the unique qualities of Australian Leadership: Resilience, Team and Social Impact
• Nicola Watkinson on Australian Leadership: "a willingness to challenge established thinking and a ‘can do’ attitude"
• John Wegner AO, Opera Singer: An undoubted Australian leader!  
• Chris Whalen, MD and Partner in New Technology Ventures on Australian Leadership: Australian leaders are more pragmatic and practical.
• On Australian Leadership: Peter Wilson AM, Chairman of the Australian Human Resource Institute;
• Russell Yardley: The Australian Ethos of mateship and no bullshit.
• It's a Good Place: Australia Ranks Number 1 as the place millennials would like to live
• It Takes Good Leadership: Melbourne proclaimed the world’s most liveable city with Adelaide & Perth also in the top 10!