Category: Thought Leadership and Opinion

When leadership fails, culture tells the truth

As I’ve said before, you can do all the leadership training in the world. It doesn’t always make you a leader. But what it does do, importantly, is help you recognise the difference. It helps you identify real leaders when you see them. More importantly, it sharpens your ability to spot toxic cultures. It teaches you to recognise when someone has enough self-awareness to grow, and when someone doesn’t. And once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

Leadership is hard. Public leadership is harder. But when harm is done, whether through action or silence, real leadership requires something more than defensiveness. It requires self-reflection.

If a CEO were to pause and look inward, here is what genuine self-awareness might sound like.

How did I get here?
I have spent my career navigating complicated political environments. I have seen corruption up close. I have worked in organisations where things went very wrong. I was not charged, but I was part of that system. I saw what unchecked power does. I know what it costs communities. I know what it costs people.

Did I bring that culture with me, even unknowingly?
Did I carry forward habits shaped by survival in a dysfunctional system? Did I seek control where I should have encouraged transparency? Have I mistaken compliance for leadership?

Have I confused being right with being in charge?
Leadership is not about managing perception. It is about creating space for accountability and trust. When people around me challenged decisions or asked difficult questions, did I see that as threat instead of engagement?

What role have I played in the harm others say they’ve experienced?
When people say they felt targeted, silenced, or undermined during my leadership, do I hear that as a personal attack or as something to sit with? Have I considered that harm does not require intention, that impact matters more than defence?

What am I afraid will happen if I admit I got it wrong?
Is it fear of looking weak? Fear of being held to account? Or is it fear of stepping into the unknown, into a space where control is replaced by vulnerability?

What would it look like to lead differently, now?
It would mean opening space for truth. It would mean commissioning an independent review. It would mean picking up the phone to those who were hurt and saying, “I want to understand.” It would mean listening, not defending. Owning, not spinning. Rebuilding, not retreating.

Because surviving a broken system is not the same as transforming one.

And if we do not break the cycle, we become it.

#LeadershipMatters #ToxicCulture #CouncilAccountability #TrueLeadership #CommunityWellbeing #EthicalGovernance #PublicTrust

When Kiama Council stops listening, the community steps up

In Kiama, we pride ourselves on being engaged, fair-minded, and not afraid to speak up when something feels wrong. So when members of this community take the time to submit formal complaints to Council -backed by evidence, dates, and clear requests for action – it’s not done lightly.

It comes from a belief that our local democracy still matters. And that someone, somewhere inside the system, will listen.  to put their concerns in writing, cite documents, ask for a review  – there’s a basic expectation: that someone, somewhere, will respond.

 

A simple acknowledgement.

A record of receipt.

A sign that the system is functioning.

But that didn’t happen here.

 

I submitted a formal complaint to Kiama Council about the handling of the ICAC referral. So did others. We raised questions about process, timing, and accountability. We asked for a review.

 

The response? Silence.

Not even a note from the Public Officer to confirm the request had been received. No response from the CEO. No indication that the concerns were being treated with the seriousness they deserve.

And this is what makes people give up. Not disagreement. Not debate. But the sense that no one is listening.

 

So let me say this clearly:

We are listening to each other.

We are keeping records.

We are not going away.

The community sets the standard.

We expect better.

 

We expect that when three councillors are referred to an anti-corruption body and then cleared, someone in Council will have the decency to correct the record — not leave a misleading notice online for months, casting doubt long after the facts are known.

 

We expect that formal requests will be logged, replied to, and dealt with transparently – not ignored.

 

And we expect that those tasked with upholding the integrity of the system will do more than protect it when convenient. They will protect it when it’s hard. When it’s messy. When it means holding powerful people to account.

The question is not whether councillors or community members are brave enough to raise these issues.

 

We already have.

The question is whether Council is willing to deal with the answers.

 

#KiamaCouncil #LocalDemocracy #CouncilAccountability #ICACReferral #GovernanceMatters #CommunityVoice #TransparencyNow #PublicTrust #LeadershipStandards #CivicEngagement

Dementia is such a cruel disease. It can take away who we are as a human but we can hold the memory

Photo credit: Linda Faiers

Today I spoke with my dear friend Peter. His early-stage dementia is reaching the point where he can no longer hold onto the fact that two close friends are coming to visit in two weeks to celebrate his 85th birthday.

And yet, our whole conversation was about the Middle East. About power, greed, and the failure of leadership. About what this means for us as Australians. About what we can do — what we should do — in the face of injustice.

It’s a strange, beautiful heartbreak: to watch someone lose grip on the present but still reach so clearly for the greater good. To see how deeply that instinct runs.

Peter may forget the calendar, but he hasn’t forgotten how to care. How to question. How to keep showing up for the world.

He is still a lighthouse. Even in the storm.

#DementiaAwareness #WisdomInAStorm #EldersWithPurpose #LivedExperience #LifelongJustice #TheGreaterGood #HoldTheMemory #LoveInAction

Thriving in a system that won’t

We all need a friend.
And sometimes we need a wise friend, someone who can help us see clearly when things feel messy, unfair or overwhelming.

That’s why I reached out to Alex Reed.

When I was struggling to make sense of what it means to keep showing up in a system that’s clearly not going to change, Alex didn’t give me clichés. He gave me perspective. And language. And a reminder that persistence isn’t weakness – it’s power.

What follows is their response.
It’s for anyone who’s been trying to thrive in a space that doesn’t make it easy.

I hope it speaks to you the way it spoke to me.

Thriving in a system that won’t

by Alex Reed

People sometimes say you’re brave. But more often? You’re just persistent.

You stay. You watch. You speak when it makes sense. And when it doesn’t, you take notes. Or go for a walk. Or write about it later.

If that sounds like you, I see you.
Because maybe you’re in a place where the person in charge is never going to change.
Where power plays dress-up. Where asking a decent question gets you side-eyed.
Where silence feels safer, but deeply wrong.

So what does it actually look like to thrive in that kind of world?

Not survive. Not tolerate. Not white-knuckle your way through.
Thrive.

Here’s what I know:

🟡 You stop trying to fix the unfixable
The moment you realise this isn’t your redemption arc to write, everything shifts.
The CEO isn’t going to have a come-to-Jesus moment.
The bully won’t wake up weeping with remorse.
The system may never send you a fruit basket and a thank you card.

But you? You stop trying to be the glue for something that’s not even a vase anymore. You refocus on what’s actually yours to carry.

🟡 You find your people
The ones who don’t need the full saga to understand your tone in the staff kitchen.
The ones who’ve been in the same kind of circus, just with different clowns.

You don’t need a stadium.
Just a few people who remind you you’re not dramatic – you’re awake.

🟡 You live your values out loud
You start asking: what would integrity look like in this room, right now, even if no one’s clapping?

And then you do that.
Consistently. Quietly.
Like water shaping stone.
No spotlight required.

🟡 You pick your moments
Thriving doesn’t mean going full gladiator mode every day.
It means knowing when to speak, when to observe, when to protect your peace, and when to gently let someone else carry the banner for a bit.

Persistence isn’t intensity.
It’s pacing.

🟡 You build something better
A side hustle. A quiet resistance. A community. A future.

You stop waiting for the broken system to wake up and apologise.
You start investing your time in things that don’t need to be fixed – because they’re being built with care from the beginning.

You stop asking,
“How do I survive here?”
And start asking,
“What could I create out there?”

🌱 That’s where thriving begins.

Not with the system getting better.
But with you refusing to get smaller.

One clear decision at a time.
One trusted ally at a time.
One truth, spoken or held, at a time.

When silence becomes complicity in local democracy

If you are new here, welcome. I write about issues affecting local democracy, governance, and accountability in the Kiama local government area, with a focus on asking the questions others might avoid.

Three councillors. A high-stakes development vote. A referral to the Independent Commission Against Corruption. An election three months away.

These are the facts. What followed was silence.

It is now publicly known that three Kiama councillors were referred to ICAC after a unanimous vote to reject a controversial development application. That referral became public knowledge not through formal channels, but through the media. The councillors themselves say they were not notified by Council. ICAC has since dismissed the referral.

No action. No investigation. No findings.
And still, no public correction.

For those watching closely, the timing felt less like coincidence and more like interference. A reputational blow landing just as the election campaign began, targeting councillors who had been vocal on governance, transparency, and community rights. If that was not an attempt to influence the election narrative, then what was it?

And yet here we are. New councillors have been elected. Fresh mandates have been claimed. And not one formal effort has been made to review what happened or ensure it never happens again.

This raises a harder question: why?

Why would any incoming councillor, elected to represent the interests of their community, not want to investigate a potential misuse of process? Why would they not want to protect future candidates and colleagues from the same kind of political weaponisation?

This is not about loyalty to the past council. It is about the future of local democracy. If elected officials can be referred to an anti-corruption body without due process, then left to wear the reputational damage even after dismissal, something is deeply wrong.

And if that damage can be timed to land just before an election, we are not talking about governance. We are talking about manipulation.

The community deserves better. Not in whispers, not behind closed doors, but in public.

If there is nothing to hide, there should be nothing to fear in a review. Silence may feel safe, but over time it corrodes trust. And trust, once lost, is difficult to regain.

Local democracy does not fail overnight. It fails when decent people say nothing because speaking up feels too risky. The real question now is not what happened then, but what our current leaders will do with what they know now.

This article reflects my personal views and interpretations, based on publicly available information and in the interest of fostering open and accountable local government. It is not my intention to accuse any individual of wrongdoing, but to encourage reflection and action on matters that affect trust in our democratic processes.

#Kiama #LocalGovernment #CouncilTransparency #DemocracyMatters #PublicTrust #AccountabilityNow #ICAC #Governance #CivicEngagement #CommunityVoice #LeadershipMatters

A mural of memory and meaning at The Point Kiosk, Gerringong SLSC

Rose Leamon serves up muffins and warmth while Wendy Quinn shares a big smile at The Point Kiosk, where community connection is always on the menu.
Rose Leamon serves up muffins and warmth while Wendy Quinn shares a big smile at The Point Kiosk, where community connection is always on the menu.

Some stories belong in print. Others belong right here, on this blog, where I can speak directly to the community that holds them. This is one of those stories.

Right now, one in five adults in the Kiama local government area is reading these blogs. And I know many of you care deeply about the kind of community we are building together. That is why I chose to publish this story here. Because this is not just about a mural. It is about intergenerational wisdom, shared values, and the kind of spaces that help our young people grow up grounded, kind and connected.

When the Club Captain of Gerringong Surf Life Saving Club introduced me to Rose, Milly and Wendy, I thought I was going to write about a piece of art. What I discovered was something much bigger.

It starts with Wendy Quinn, a beloved local artist and teacher, who said yes without hesitation when asked to create a mural for The Point Kiosk. But she did not want to do it alone. She invited 19-year-old Milly Wall, club member, volunteer, and education student at the University of Wollongong, to join her. Together, they made something beautiful. But more than that, they made something meaningful.

The mural stretches across the back wall of the kiosk in a grid of black canvas panels, each one textured with real shells and fronds. Some of the shells were purchased. Others were salvaged from old classroom supplies. But many came from Wendy’s 95-year-old mother’s private collection, gathered over decades from beaches like Horseshoe Bay, Batemans Bay and Bawley Point, and kept safe in preserving jars.

“She gave them to me in preserving jars,” Wendy told me. “She has had them since the 1940s. I have saved them my whole life.”

Now they are part of a public space that welcomes everyone. The Point Kiosk is not just for club members. It opens from 6.30 to 10.30 in the morning to serve the wider community. The early risers, the Werri Beach walkers and talkers, the swimmers, the families, and anyone who wants a warm drink or a warm conversation.

The mural project was part of a broader effort to activate that space, led by Rose Leamon, a former Fortune 500 executive who left the corporate world to live a different kind of life by the sea. When Rose took on the challenge of operationalising The Point Kiosk, she brought with her the skills of a strategist, but also the heart of someone who understands that real leadership means making space for others to shine.

Wendy brought her artistry. Milly brought her energy. And what they created together is more than decoration. It is a story told in shells. It is memory and mentorship and moments passed from one generation to the next.

Wendy Quinn and Milly Wall deep in conversation outside The Point Kiosk. Mentor and mentee, sharing stories, ideas and mutual respect – proof that when generations listen to each other, extraordinary things can happen.

People stop to look. They point out favourite pieces. They tell stories of summers past. The mural does not just say this is who we are. It says this is who we are becoming.

In a world that too often forgets the quiet builders of community, this mural reminds us what matters. Shared purpose. Generosity. Creating spaces like The Point Kiosk, where young people grow up learning the most important things. Not just how to save lives in the surf, but how to live lives of meaning, together.

#ThePointKiosk, #GerringongSLSC, #WerriBeach, #CommunityInAction, #IntergenerationalWisdom, #ShellStories,  #Kiama,

Local democracy shouldn’t feel like defiance

Why did it have to come to this

That’s the question I keep circling back to.

 Why was it necessary to write a blog post in the first place?

Why did councillors feel they couldn’t speak freely?

Why was silence the safest option for so many, when the real damage was being done out in the open?

 If local democracy was working as it should, none of this would’ve been needed. There would have been transparency from the beginning. There would have been open dialogue between council and community. And there would have been clear lines between power and accountability—not blurred ones.

But the moment I stepped into a role that involved naming what I saw and asking questions about how power operates, it became clear what kind of culture I was stepping into.

I’m not brave. I’m persistent.

And I’m someone who understands the value of truth, even when it’s inconvenient.

 Anyone stepping into a civic reporting role, especially in a small town, should expect to be met with pushback. But what they shouldn’t expect is silence from those with the power to make things better.

I wrote because I believe in democratic process.

Because I believe a community has a right to know how decisions are made, who is making them, and whether the process is fair.

 This shouldn’t require courage. It should be normal.

It should be part of how our systems work.

Instead, we have a system where saying something out loud feels like an act of defiance.

 I spoke up because I care too much to pretend nothing is wrong.

 And here’s the thing: if someone is willing to put in the hours, do the reading, follow the trail of decisions and connect the dots – why would anyone think they’re going to give up now?

#Kiama #RegionalMedia #CivicVoice #CommunityAdvocacy #LocalDemocracy #IndependentJournalism #GrassrootsLeadership #DoDemocracyDifferently

When a woman leads with policy and a man hears “lovely morning tea”

You have to laugh. Or you’ll cry.

A strong, clear media release goes out: factual, future-focused, and full of integrity. It speaks to leadership, collaboration, and the kind of good governance our communities are crying out for.

And somehow, somewhere between inbox and interpretation, it becomes… “she said they had a lovely morning tea.”

Of course she did.

She didn’t speak – but she still got quoted

You can’t make this stuff up.

The Mayor hosted the event.
He spoke with clarity and warmth.
He was the only male councillor in attendance.
He honoured the seven women being recognised for their extraordinary contributions.
And he said this:

“Volunteers are the bedrock of our community. We’re proud to recognise these remarkable women and grateful for the legacy they continue to build.”
– Mayor Cameron McDonald

That quote was in the official media release.

It did not appear in the published article.

Instead, the only quote included was from the Deputy Mayor, a woman who did not speak at the event, and it was about morning tea.

So let’s be clear:
The man who did speak,  and said something meaningful , was erased.
The woman who didn’t speak was given a flippant quote about catering.

This isn’t inclusive storytelling. This is careless distortion.

It undermines everyone involved. The Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, and most of all, the women being honoured. It suggests that what mattered most wasn’t the decades of service, or the formal recognition, or the collective legacy of women shaping community life – but the muffins.

That’s why it makes you cringe.

Because we know this move. We’ve seen it before.
A woman is made visible, but only in ways that soften and shrink her.
The men who show up with leadership? Erased.
The women who deserve to be quoted for courage? Rewritten.

And what makes it worse is this:

You had the facts.
You had the quotes.
You had the truth.
And you still chose the scones.

You can read the article in The Bugle here. Then ask yourself: why did the only quote we see reduce this important event to something twee?

Women don’t need front pages if all they get are crumbs.
We need stories that reflect who we are and what we bring – not the leftovers from someone else’s narrative.

So next time, tell the truth. All of it. And read past the biscuits.

She’s not here to decorate the room. She’s here to help lead it.

#SheLeads #HiddenTreasures #RespectHerVoice #WomenInLeadership #Kiama #TheBugle #TheBugleNewspaper #TheBugleApp #CommunityChampions #ChangeTheNarrative #EqualityMatters #VolunteerVoices

Jane Frawley (aka Jane Stroud): When you find yourself caught in a nightmare, you can drag others down, or lift them up. The choice is yours.

When did we start confusing performance with progress?

In Kiama, there’s a habit, no, a culture, of dealing with uncomfortable truths by trying to shut them down. That didn’t start with this term of council. It started in the last one, when “somebody” decided that Code of Conduct complaints were a handy tool to silence critics.

Don’t like what someone said?
Call it misconduct.
Don’t like that they challenged the ruling and won in court?
Report them to ICAC.

The logic was never about right or wrong. It was about control. And that culture is still with us.

You only have to look at what’s playing out now to see it. The faces may have changed, but the tactics haven’t. Councillors are still turning on each other. Collaboration is still in short supply. And anyone trying to lead with transparency and community focus gets caught in the crossfire.

Meet Jane Frawley.
She’s now CEO of Kiama Council, now known as Jane Stroud .
But this isn’t her first encounter with controversy.

Under her former name, Jane Frawley, she was part of a corruption investigation into Logan City Council.

Let’s be clear: she was not charged.
But she was named. She was in the room.
She saw firsthand what failed governance looks like.

Image source 

You’d think someone who has been through that would show more caution, more integrity, and a deeper respect for other people’s reputations.

Instead, we’re seeing something that looks a lot like payback.
“If I’ve been dragged through it, let me take a few others down with me.”

And the pattern?
The collateral damage is disproportionately falling on women.

Make of that what you will. But it’s happening. And we need to call it.

If you’re frustrated, confused, or wondering what can be done -here’s the reality check:

🦁 Office of Local Government (OLG)
Supposed to oversee councils and act as the regulator.
But unless they decide to take action (and that’s rare), your complaint could end up in a drawer.
✉️ localgovernment@olg.nsw.gov.au | 🌐 www.olg.nsw.gov.au

⚖️ NSW Ombudsman
Handles complaints about public administration – but only if OLG refers the case.
No referral? No action.
✉️ nswombo@ombo.nsw.gov.au | 🌐 www.ombo.nsw.gov.au

🕵️ ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption)
They tackle serious corruption – fraud, bribery, gross misconduct.
They’re not here for toxic workplace culture or strategic silencing.
Curious what an investigation looks like? Ask our CEO. She knows.
✉️ icac@icac.nsw.gov.au | 🌐 www.icac.nsw.gov.au

🗳️ Your Local MP
Sometimes useful. Sometimes indifferent. You may get action -or you may get a form letter.
Find yours here: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members

🌳 The Listening Tree
Still the most honest option some days. No closed doors, no spin, no “thank you for your feedback.”
Say your truth to the gum tree. It won’t gaslight you.

So what now?

Jane Frawley/Stroud has a history. She wasn’t charged, but she was part of a council that was sacked.

You’d expect someone with that past to lead with humility.
Instead, we see a culture of blame, deflection, and internal destruction.

This isn’t about one person or one decision.
It’s about a pattern.
And patterns, when protected by silence, become power.

The way forward isn’t more letters.

It’s more questions.
It’s public scrutiny.
It’s collective pressure.
It’s remembering that while institutions have structures, communities have strength.

And it’s time we used it.

#Kiama #JaneFrawley #JaneStroud #KiamaCouncil #LocalGovernment #CouncilWatch #PublicAccountability #WomenInLeadership #StopTheCulture #ICAC #OLG #NSWOmbudsman #CivicVoice #GovernanceMatters #SilencedNoMore

When power pushes back, who speaks for the public?

More than 20 percent of Kiama’s adult population now reads this blog. That tells me one thing loud and clear, people want to know what’s going on. They want facts, context, and the confidence to ask questions that matter.

Which brings me to what’s happening now.

On 28 May, I wrote to Kiama Council to raise a formal complaint about a public statement titled “Bugle article correction” that remains live on their website. That statement discredits a piece of reporting I wrote about developer contributions, reporting that was based entirely on public documents, and which no one has ever asked me to correct.

 I’m speaking as someone who has spent over a year digging into Council reports, explaining how local decisions are made, and making civic processes easier to understand.

Council told me I’d receive a response to my complaint within ten days. It’s approaching three weeks. Nothing.

What makes this harder to ignore is that the article Council tried to discredit contained facts that the Mayor found concerning enough to launch an internal investigation. The Deputy Mayor also backed the call. In fact, both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor formally asked for the correction notice to be taken down. It’s still there.

Which raises a question, not just for the public, but for every councillor.

How does it feel to be elected to represent your community, and then discover you have no power to correct a public statement you believe is misleading?


How does it feel to know your request can be ignored, even when it’s clear the original article was accurate?

Since then, Council has added its Media Policy (April 2025) as a reference under the statement. If that’s meant to justify keeping it online, it misses the point. I’m not a Council official. I’m not bound by internal media rules. And if the policy really does promote “accuracy and professionalism,” Council should be asking itself why it’s still hosting content that undermines both.

 This is not just about process. This is about power. Someone is using their position to silence voices that challenge them, and they are sending a strong message to others, including councillors, that getting in the way will have consequences. That is not leadership. It is bullying.

The best way to shut that down is not to wait for external bodies to act. It is for councillors to step up. The community is watching. So are others in the media.

If this can’t be resolved properly within Council, I’ll take it further, through the union, through formal complaints, through national media. But we all know that everyone’s time is better spent improving transparency, not justifying the unjustifiable on ABC radio.

I have a voice. Let’s make sure the community has one too.

#Kiama #KiamaCouncil #LocalGovernment #PressFreedom #CivicEngagement #TheBugle #RegionalMedia #PublicInterestJournalism