Better Boards Conference 2025

Master the Art of the Boardroom

25-26 July • Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Center

Presentation

Preparing for the Future - When Individual Superheroes Are Not Enough

Deborah Johnston


Corporate Psychologist, Deborah Johnston Consulting

As an organisational consultant and psychologist with more than 35-years’ experience, Deborah has helped countless individuals, teams and organisations enhance and improve their corporate health and performance.

Building capability to respond to always changing circumstances and challenges of today’s world is a key aspect of Deborah’s work.

How do we lead in these complex and chaotic times? How do we do this sustainably without trading off parts of our life that are important? Whether it is a new starters, chief executive officers or directors it is clear from Deborah’s experience that people take their responsibilities seriously. However, there is always opportunity to grow, develop awareness of one’s value, skills, and potential. This includes leadership of self and others to successfully achieve organisational goals. We are human first!

With a wealth of experience as a coach, a lecturer, a counsellor and a senior manager, she has worked extensively with all tiers of government across Australia, as well as private and not for profit organisations. She has new and unique insights into leadership, the challenges we face, the mindsets and the skills we need, and the practical steps we must take to be successful in todays’ world.

With a strong focus on action learning, Deborah’s focus is on building capability at both the individual and the system level to meet these challenges. Deborah has a pragmatic focus on what is real and pressing and uses the latest research and engaging processes to meet client needs. People find participation easy, learning enjoyable and report high levels of gain from working with Deborah.


In today’s world where there are high degrees of ambiguity, uncertainty, complexity and chaos there is an increasing need to manage paradox and change. It is not so easy to simply be correct, solve the problem, find the right answer…

How do we prepare our people? How do we lead in these environments so that we can be successful and not burnout in the meantime? How do we create the mindsets for success and move beyond the more binary views? We need more, and different superheroes. Don’t get me wrong it’s great to have the extraordinary capabilities of the Superman and Wonder Woman, however they are just not enough. Even extraordinary individuals can only do so much, they also get busy- and rarely have holidays!

In this presentation you will hear about three things: Firstly, the current context of workplaces and what people say is most important for them (from research that’s come out of changes to the organisational health index recently conducted by McKinsey. 2024)

Meet the new superhero M.POWA who has the ability to share power, to enable others to create networks and relationships (inside out approach) that makes decision making both fast and effective! This also highlights how people’s experiences and the workplace is different (healthier!)when M.POWA is operating!

Thirdly, you will be taken through the key contextual factors, critical steps and impacts of applying this approach (& in developing this superhero) in the workplace of one of Australia’s largest energy providers… and reflect on applicability to your situation-individually and organisationally.



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Master the art of the boardroom

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Conference Partners

ASSPL
BoardWise
OCH
Roundbox Consulting
CSB Corporate Services
Beaumont People
Wave CRM
Australian Aging Agenda
Streamcast
Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre