Dr Keith Suter leads us into the future

Following with the theme for the conference, “Growing me! Growing you!” Dr Keith Suter, one of Australia’s leading social and economic commentators kicked off the day on Thursday morning, discussing how to turn leadership theory into practice.

Dr Suter, the keynote presenter for the conference, is one of the world’s greatest thinkers and communicators.

The well known social commentator discussed different styles of leadership, the rising expectations people have in work and in life, workforce shortages, changes in technology and the role of corporate culture in disability services. Download handout.

Dr Suter emphasised that there is “no one brand theory of leadership,” and that even though Winston Churchill is highly regarded as a leader during war, he was inadequate to lead in the peacetime situation. And thus he asked the question, “do great leaders create great events, or do great events somehow create great leaders?”

With an understanding of how the world is changing, Dr Suter said we look for a new type of leadership in the 21^st century. Rather than hiring someone who knows everything there is to know about the company, there is a need for someone who is inspiring. He indicated that it is important to select the right people to lead.

Temperament and energy is vital to a leader, Dr Suter said, using examples like Bill Clinton, JFK, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.  He said you can have a positive or negative temperament, and either active or passive energy, and it is the combination of the two which decides if someone is a good leader.

For example, both Clinton and JFK were both positive and active, and this is what made them effective, influential leaders.  

In regards to the very different world we live in now, Dr Suter indicated that the pace of change will continue to accelerate. He said everyone has more money, mobile phones and luxury items.

“So how can the disability industry meet the rising expectations of this generation?” he asked.

While Dr Suter said that is no immediate answer for workforce shortages, retention of staff was vital, and maybe employers should start looking for staff in areas where they least expected to find someone suitable.

For example, he said young people often make fantastic mentors, in the case of Nokia, where a 15-year-old could see that SMS messaging was going to be popular with young people, but the older executives could not see that.

Another thing the disability sector had to embrace was the IT revolution. “Currently we over-estimate the impact of IT in the short-term and under-estimate it in the long term,” Dr Suter said.

In just under 45 minutes, Dr Suter had raised many important questions, and set the task of finding new ways to use this leadership advice in the workplace. He said the DPV conference was very important for a number of reasons.

“One is simply as general sharing of ideas, in other words this is a field like all other health-related fields which are changing rapidly, so it’s an opportunity for people to just catch up with what’s going on in various activities, so you’re getting knowledge. Secondly you’re also getting inspiration; we’re encountering some really inspiring people here so you leave these conferences feeling a little better about the work you’re doing. Thirdly we’re also here for networking in the sense that during conversation, at meal times and refreshment breaks you get to see other people in the field, see other job opportunities and see how other people handle things differently,” Dr Suter said.

Background

Our keynote presenter was Dr Keith Suter.  He is one of the world’s great thinkers and communicators. A foremost  speaker on global issues, as well as a highly regarded social commentator, strategic planner, writer and broadcaster, Dr Suter appears on radio an average of once per day, and is recognisable as the global issues/foreign affairs presenter on Channel 7’s “Sunrise” program.

Keith has an extraordinary mind and extensive knowledge; his expertise covers International Affairs, Law, Society, Leadership, Business, and the Future.  Keith is a member of the most prestigious global think tank in the world, The Club of Rome – comprised of only 100 members including people such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Bill Gates, Al Gore and Jimmy Carter. The Club of Rome meets  regularly to discuss and analyse the social, political, economic, and  environmental issues of the day and how those issues impact on us  now and into the future.

Please refer to the conference program for details on the other wonderful speakers we have engaged to be part of the Conference.  Workforce issues and challenges facing the sector will also be a particular focus of the conference this year.  As the conference title suggests there will also be presentations that promote personal as well as professional growth.

Dr Keith Suter is an economic and social commentator, strategic planner, author and broadcaster.

As a broadcaster, he appears on Australian radio an average of once per day. He is the TV Channel 7 “Sunrise” foreign affairs editor appearing on weekday mornings. He is also a foreign policy analyst for Sky TV Australia, which also broadcasts to New Zealand.

He is also Director of Studies, International Law Association (Australian Branch) and was for many years the Chair of the Environment Committee of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has been a member of the international think tank The Club of Rome since 1993.

In 1986: International Year of Peace, he was awarded the Australian Government’s Peace Medal. In 1994, he was voted “Australian Communicator of the Year”.