Today is one of the sessions with just me, and I wanted to reflect on a conversation we had at one of the accelerator groups recently. As many of you know, I host a program called Take on Board Accelerator. Each month, a group of board directors comes together, and we pull apart a challenge.

We share achievements and resources on the topic, and then somebody brings a challenge to the table. Now, I am not going to go into all the details of the challenge that was brought to the table, but I did think I would just touch on some takeaways and resources on the topic because it was super useful for the people in the room, and I reckon it'll be super useful for you. So the topic for this month was navigating the impact of kindness and niceness on boardroom effectiveness and decision-making.

Upcoming TOB Events

All events

You might want to:

Join the Take on Board Facebook community

Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community

Follow along on Twitter

Work with me

Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program

Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program

Find out more about me

Contact me

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Take on Board podcast, I'm speaking with Julie Lyford about the critical role of the board chair as the unifying force within the board, along with the challenges and benefits of that philosophy.

Julie is the chair of WELA, the Women's Environmental Leadership Australia. She's also on the boards of the Green Institute and Gloucester Transitions Incorporated. She was formally on the Boards of Regional Development Australia Hunter, The Sunrise Project, and various local government boards including Hunter Councils.

A few things about Julie, she immigrated to Australia at 18. She's lived in Gloucester for 40 years, which is a wonderful rural community. She's a former registered nurse. She's been a local government counselor, and she's passionate about climate, social justice, and good governance.

In 2015, she was an awarded a Order of Australian Medal for work with the community, local government and environmental activity.

Links and Resources

Julie on LinkedIn

Upcoming TOB Events

All events

You might want to:

Join the Take on Board Facebook community

Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community

Follow along on Twitter

Work with me

Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program

Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program

Find out more about me

Contact me

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day two of the Australian Governance Summit 2026 was filled with even more important governance insights, expanding on the themes from day one. We listened to an excellent group of speakers, starting with Kate Waterford on the vital need for boards to proactively utilise AI, moving beyond security concerns to address its full disruptive potential.

I shared takeaways from Philip Chronican on Australia's economic position, emphasising agility, social cohesion as a key strength, and the urgency of the housing challenge. Melinda Clarke offered thoughtful reflections on the value of boardroom hypotheticals in crisis decision-making, and Katie Constantinou expertly explained the critical chair-CEO relationship, highlighting the importance of trust based on shared values and clear roles.

Helen Hu offered valuable insights on shifting investor expectations toward long-term sustainability and active engagement, while my own reflections centered on the future of the care sector—specifically, the "delightful tension" around funding and the need for purpose-driven commercial balance in the boardroom.

Finally, we ended the day with insights from Jane Davel on fostering psychological safety for difficult conversations and Karen Raitt's thoughts on sports governance, before Nicola Gibbs wrapped up with a discussion on linking productivity to investment risk appetite and the need to free up board time for strategic priorities.

Upcoming TOB Events

All events

You might want to:

Join the Take on Board Facebook community

Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community

Follow along on Twitter

Work with me

Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program

Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program

Find out more about me

Contact me

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.