In our leadership development work with groups across Australia, we’re noticing a concerning trend. People are increasingly hesitant to share their perspectives, particularly when they differ from the prevailing view. There’s a growing fear of upsetting others or being judged, leading to superficial conversations that avoid real challenges. This mirrors the findings of the 2024 Scanlon Foundation report, which shows declining levels of social cohesion and trust in Australia, with people less willing to engage in conversations across difference.
This reluctance to engage in constructive disagreement is happening just when we need diverse perspectives most. In today’s Brittle, Anxious, Non-Linear, and Incomprehensible (BANI) world, we need to rethink how we develop leadership capability. Rethinking leadership means working at three distinct yet interconnected levels:
Me: Unlocking individual potential
We continue to help build deep self-awareness in individuals regarding their strengths, development needs, and the values and motives that drive their behaviour. Strong individual leadership remains essential – but it’s just the start.
We: Navigating interpersonal dynamics
Beyond self-awareness, leaders need to understand how they show up in relationships. This means recognising the roles they and others assume, and how these create productive or unproductive patterns. It’s about building the capacity to work across difference and engage constructively with diverse perspectives.
Us: Aligning teams and organisations
Ultimately, leadership happens in service of something larger. Leaders need to see themselves as part of a broader system, understanding how to align values, clarify roles, and deliver results collectively. This is where individual capability meets organisational purpose.
So now what?
For organisations:
- Build adaptive capacity
Develop your organisation’s ability to diagnose adaptive challenges versus technical problems. This includes developing people at all levels to ask better questions and resist the urge for quick fixes. - Create psychological safety
In our anxious world, organisations must intentionally create environments where diverse viewpoints are not just tolerated but actively sought. This means rewarding constructive dissent and measuring the quality of debate in decision-making processes. This is messy work, that needs focussed time and effort. - Balance individual and collective development
Continue investing in developing strong individual leaders while creating spaces for collective leadership practice. Design programs that both build personal capability and bring diverse groups together to work on real organisational challenges.
For individuals:
- Lead with questions, not just answers
While technical expertise remains important, in a non-linear world, the ability to ask good questions becomes crucial. Start with:
- What concerns you most?
- What are your fondest aspirations?
- What makes it hard to close the gap?
- Hold steady under pressure
Learn to:
- Generate enough urgency to motivate change without causing overwhelming anxiety
- Build your capacity to disappoint people at a rate they can tolerate
- Share the work with others
- Identify one challenge you’re holding that actually belongs to your team
- Practise sitting with uncertainty rather than rushing to solutions
- Build a support network of peers who are also practising leadership
The Way Forward For Leaders
The challenges ahead require us to work at all three levels – Me, We, and Us. The most effective organisations will be those that can develop individual leadership excellence while building the capacity for collective work across their systems.
This balanced approach isn’t easy – it requires courage from individuals and commitment from organisations. However, it offers our best chance of successfully navigating our BANI world.
The choice isn’t between individual or collective leadership – it’s about integrating both. We need technically skilled, emotionally intelligent leaders who can also create the conditions for collective leadership to emerge. This multi-level focus will help organisations not just survive but thrive in uncertain times.
People Measures seeks to develop visible and values-based leadership that makes a difference where we work, live, and serve. We care very much about your success – because it is our success too.
Read the Rethinking Leadership white paper
Ready to transform your leadership approach? Download the full Rethinking Leadership whitepaper from People Measures or get in touch for a consultation on how to develop effective leadership within your organisation. Let’s tackle your leadership challenges together. Contact People Measures.
Anthony Ball 
Jamie Sims 