Leading with authenticity – the four H’s

Last week I presented to my peers, team, analysts and the media on our performance for the past six months. It’s a result I’m sure will be analysed and dissected, with conclusions drawn about my performance as the leader of this incredible company.

While preparing for this I was also preparing to speak to a room of people about how I stay authentic and harness this authenticity to be the best leader I can be. Needless to say, having to articulate my inner workings was far more challenging than talking about our balance sheet.

After reflecting on some pivotal moments that made me who I am today, I’ve realised there’s a few things I’ve always intrinsically carried that helped along the way. Now that the work is done, I thought I’d share a bit about my journey to who I am today, and the four H’s that have gotten me here.

A bit about me

My mum and dad were amazing parents. Life was simple, but it got more challenging when Dad’s bad heart was diagnosed. We learned to live with not much and it was an early lesson not only in the value of a dollar, but the need for a decent and fair social welfare system.

Despite this, we were given the best opportunities to develop with my parents investing more than they really had in our education. They also pushed me to work hard and, like most teenagers, I was faced with some exciting career options; flipping burgers, waiting tables, pushing trolleys or punching checkouts.

I ended up first working in a toy shop and then at Target and it was here I found my love for retail. The team, the customers, the product and the buzz of it all drew me in. It’s funny how the most emotive elements of retail still resonate with me to this day.

As an average student and sportsperson what I relished most in retail was that you could make your own luck. By working hard and conscientiously, I was able to find a place in this world of business and service and found not only did I like it, but that I loved it.

Having worked in retail for seven years I found myself up against a ceiling. Too young to be promoted (it was a thing in those days) I looked outside of retail and found an opportunity in banking, joining Westpac in mid-1995.

Westpac gave me numerous opportunities and new skills but also taught me where my professional heart lay. During Christmas I remember walking through Bourke St Mall seeing all the buzz, energy and excitement of that time of year in retail and feeling none of it. Work at the bank had wound down and here I was feeling I was the one missing out.

Clearly the die was cast, but there were more challenges to come.

In mid-2017 I took over group wide responsibility for Bunnings. The next year came and went with an unbelievable maelstrom of change on every level. Professional and personal, physical and mental. In 52 weeks I learned more about who I am than I had in the 2500 or so that came before that. Reflecting on this, I realised that there were four key things that helped me through those years and all the ones before.  

Be honest

It’s said that bullshit baffles brains, but it also baffles yours. Being open, honest and candid will always mean your foundations are secure and those around you know what to expect, rely on and trust. Each night when you go to bed you do so with a conscience that’s clear.

Be humble

If you treat others the way you want your loved ones treated (a higher standard than the usual idea of treating others the way you expect to be treated) you will quickly learn that every person matters. People are not title or rank. Some have opportunities, some have hardship, some just have bad luck. No one is better than anyone else.

Be helpful

Pay forward what’s been shown to you. Gratitude is best recognised in helping someone else. The fewer people who know, the better.

Be happy

No matter your beliefs, this life in this body will end. One of the all-time greats of NBA once said, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. Take the time to work out what and who makes you happy and invest your time accordingly.

The best part about authenticity is that in knowing who I truly am I have become more settled, more secure and more real than I thought I could be. I hope what I’ve shared helps you find the right mirror in which to reflect and the right path on which to wander.