Australia’s leadership capability is struggling to keep pace with evolving best practice and future ready leadership demands

Australia is at risk of falling behind the global benchmarks of leadership effectiveness and the consequences are being felt across businesses and industries nationwide. According to Nicole Mathers, Australia's leading workplace culture and emotionally intelligent leadership expert and cofounder of Uncapped Potential, organisations must take urgent action to rebuild leadership capability and ensure future leaders are equipped with the right skills to drive engagement, innovation and performance.
 

"There are managers and then there are leaders and there is a difference. Leaders have the ability to connect, engage, read people and understand how to inspire, lift and impact thinking, behaviour and outcomes," Mathers said.
 

Mathers explained that to stay competitive organisations have to rethink their leadership mandate, to develop leaders that are equipped to manage the complexities of today's business environment.
 

"Leadership in a hybrid environment has been tested and many organisations have lost change- makers, innovators, inspirers and motivators - people with the ability to make transformational changes in business," Mathers said.
 

"Leadership is a contact sport and emerging leaders have lost access to crucial mentorship, leaving them to navigate leadership development without the guidance of experienced mentors.
 

"Relying primarily on hybrid micro-learning results in transactional learning experiences that fail to deliver meaningful transformation. It lacks the depth needed to drive genuine change. We have to be careful that once we obtain the leadership role we do not become lazy and too invested in ourselves and not invested enough in others."
 

Mathers added that many leaders evolving today have become stagnant or disengaged in their own leadership development.
 

"Some have even regressed, relying on outdated transactional leadership styles rather than fostering connection, motivation and strategic thinking," Mathers said.
 

The impact of this leadership gap is clear, organisations are experiencing talent drain, declining innovation and struggling to get the best out of their people.
 

Mathers believes that in order for businesses to thrive, they must rethink and reset their leadership strategy.

It is time to transform leadership development

"With the continued acceleration of societal and technological changes, organisations need structured leadership development programs that provide clear pathways for growth," Mathers said.
 

"Unfortunately, many programs include generic theory, that ignores the nuances and unique challenges faced by leaders. Training needs to be customised, delivered by practitioners that have done the job and can provide meaningful insights through their lived experience. Effective leadership programs are built around emotional intelligence competencies."
 

Investing in emotional intelligence training

"Leadership requires more than effective decision-making and delegation. Leaders must develop self-awareness, relationship management social awareness and self-regulation to foster high- performing teams," Mathers said.
 

"Emotionally intelligent leaders build trust to inspire and motivate - fostering collaboration, adaptability and a growth mindset. By balancing logic, smarts and emotional awareness, they create engaged, high-performing teams that drive innovation and long-term success."
 

Holding leaders accountable for people development

"Performance metrics should not solely focus on results and KPIs. Organisations must ensure leaders are measured and rewarded for how well they develop and nurture talent," Mathers said.
 

"The measure of a true leader is how many leaders they have developed."
 

Embracing continuous learning and leadership evolution

"Leadership isn't static, it must evolve with the workforce. Organisations need to provide ongoing education, feedback loops and adaptive leadership strategies that keep their leaders engaged and growing," Mathers said.
 

Mathers emphasised that by investing in contextualised and personalised leadership strategies businesses can ensure their leaders, both current and emerging, are equipped to drive success into the future.
 

About Uncapped Potential (UP)

Uncapped Potential (UP) is a forward-thinking consultancy founded by Marnie Brokenshire and Nicole Mathers, dedicated to empowering HR practitioners and business leaders to drive high- impact strategies and build thriving, emotionally intelligent workplaces. The company focuses on providing innovative and practical leadership solutions, challenging traditional methodologies and redefining what's possible in corporate success. UP has rapidly grown, partnering with medium to large businesses, including major corporate entities.