Swings + Roundabouts Spring 2021

to the COVID-19 challenges that will be contained. This does not mean losing sight of our longer-term plans. For example, I am particularly interested in ensuring we are closely involved in the work the Government has indicated it will do to reform the funding for early learning. I see that work as most important. What would you like to accomplish as the CEO of ECC? I believe that when people work together, and do so with shared understandings, then they have the opportunity to create things that are greater than the sum of the individual parts (the individual parts being each individual’s specific contribution). For my part, I can’t set out to try to do everything or I will just feel overwhelmed and achieve little. Initially I will be taking a listen and learn approach – there’s nothing I dislike more than when someone new joins a group and assumes they have all the answers before listening to the people who are already there and know how the group got there. What makes a great leader?/What is the best piece of leadership advice you have received/read? In terms of educational theory, we know that high aspirations really help motivate students to do their best. They get better educational attainment results. It is such a simple idea but I think we are often guilty as adults of limiting our own aspirations and the aspirations of the groups we work in. When we are engaged in delivering an important public service like early childhood education and care, we need to ensure we set ourselves high aspirations. We will do our best when we feel motivated. I’ve worked alongside some very talented leaders too. One good piece of advice I picked up along the way was to ensure I stepped myself back from urgent decisions that seemed impossible. Sometimes I would find myself in a situation where it seemed like no matter which option I chose it would be the wrong thing to do (for one reason or another). My potential mistake in that situation was in assuming I had to choose one of these wrong options. I should have trusted myself. The correct thing to do was to not choose a wrong option and rather to wait until a new option arose that was better. Good advice should always give you options, and you should look for the option of “do nothing” in the advice (also known as the status quo option). It’s really good for your decision making if you are able to clearly understand what you are choosing between – so compare the options you are choosing from to the status quo. How do you unwind after a busy day/week? I enjoy my cycling commute to and from work each day, avoiding public transport. I love spending time with my family – my wife Michelle, Otto (14) and Mei-Mei (11). I’m essentially a bit of a boring home body really. I like to stick to my routines. Saturday mornings I referee my son’s football game. It would be a very unusual weekend if I didn’t get out at least once for a walk with our sometimes unhinged dog Molly. She is an adorable rescue dog but can (and regularly does) shatter any illusions I have of control over her – when another dog pops up unexpectedly. I’m currently really enjoying reading Mei-Mei the book Magician by Raymond E Feist. On my bookshelf I really enjoy books like Max Rashbrooke’s Government for the Public Good . September 2021 { 11 }