“Why would anyone want to follow you?” 

This challenging question can silence any room of current or aspiring leaders!

Richard will explore what it means to be a leader in the current world, and in particular how Disability Professionals can lead: the importance of self-leadership, the importance of vision and influence, the importance of realizing that “leading” is not “managing”, and the importance of fostering leadership in our colleagues and in the people we support. 

The session will include “buzz groups”, Q&A and discussion.

Richard is the Chief Executive Officer of E.W. Tipping Foundation, an organization building social capital and infrastructure, and providing community services to around 800 people.

He has been working in the community sector for almost two decades, working in child, family, disability and advocacy/policy agencies.  Richard is Deputy Chair of National Disability Services Victoria,  a former Board member of the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) and of the Council of Intellectual Disability Agencies (CIDA).

Richard is an alumnus of the Williamson Community Leadership Program, the Harvard Fellowship, and has been recognised as Disability Professional of the Year.  He was the driving force creating the unified peak body NDS in Victoria. He is currently undertaking a Doctorate in Organisation Dynamics.