How a leadership program creates catalytic connections across sectors

Fellows of the Williamson Community Leadership Program commit to ‘always take the call’ from another Fellow. This creates a web of influence that spans business, government and civil society lasting decades. Katherine Ellis, CEO of Leadership Victoria, which runs the program, says that investment in leadership is an ‘impact accelerator’.

Giving News: What does Leadership Victoria do? Tell us about the Williamson Community Leadership Program.

Katherine Ellis: Leadership Victoria develops, connects and inspires leaders across all sectors to strengthen communities and tackle society’s complex and systemic challenges. Our flagship Williamson Community Leadership Program is a year-long immersive experience that challenges participants to expand their perspectives, grapple with complex issues and build enduring relationships with a diverse cohort of leaders.

GN: How is it different to other leadership programs?

KE: Unlike programs focused on technical skills or single sectors, Williamson and our short courses are deeply experiential and cross-sectoral. Participants hear from seasoned leaders, explore adaptive leadership concepts and forge trusted, long-term relationships. These networks last decades beyond the program and fuel participants’ commitment to leading and collaborating for the greater good.

A powerful outcome of the program is the relationships formed between people from vastly different outcomes who might never otherwise meet: a council officer with a corporate executive, a social entrepreneur with a public servant, a First Nations community leader with a tech innovator. These connections build trust and collaboration, spark innovation and creativity, and can be drawn on in times of crisis. Each Williamson cohort is intentionally diverse in sector, lived and professional experience, background and identity, which drives deeper awareness, rich exchanges and fresh perspectives.

GN: What are your reflections on the Philanthropy Leadership Summit 2025? What kind of leadership do we need for the times?

KE: The Summit reinforced that today’s leaders must be comfortable with complexity, ambiguity and discomfort, and use adaptive approaches to make progress. As Professor Homer-Dixon highlighted, leadership is not about eliminating uncertainty but helping others navigate it – and in that space of discomfort and complexity, new ideas and innovations can emerge. Julia Gillard’s call to ‘fund the glue’ underscored the importance of collaboration and connection. This is exactly the value Leadership Victoria brings: creating trust, building shared capability and connecting leaders across boundaries so systems change can happen.

Leadership doesn’t just appear when needed – it must be cultivated and supported. And no single sector can meet today’s challenges alone. We need leaders who can draw together diverse voices and mobilise collective action, which requires deliberate investment.

Leadership used to be seen as top-down and individual – the ‘hero’ model. Now, the most effective leaders are those who share power, listen with curiosity and humility, inspire hope and agency, and build collective approaches across boundaries.

GN: How do you support and develop LV’s alumni network? What’s its value?

KE: We have more than 1,400 Williamson Fellows, within a wider network of around 7,000 LV Alumni. We nurture this community through events, learning opportunities and cross-sector collaborations – but its real strength lies in its diversity and culture of generosity. Fellows commit to always ‘take the call’ from another Fellow, creating a web of influence that spans business, government and civil society. Alumni can pick up the phone in moments of challenge and collaborate on shared problems in ways others cannot. I’ve personally seen connections from my cohort 18 years ago evolve into lasting friendships and collaborations that continue to drive real-world impact today.

GN: What potential do you see for leadership development in philanthropy?

KE: The philanthropic sector has unique potential to lead, not only through funding but by shaping systems, convening stakeholders and modelling collaborative leadership. Investment in leadership development multiplies the impact of every philanthropic dollar. Philanthropy has the freedom and long-term vision to invest in the less tangible but profoundly powerful work of strengthening leaders and networks.

Australia’s great social transformations have been driven not just by policy or technology but by courageous leadership – and by leaders working across boundaries. Philanthropy can catalyse this by investing in people, not just projects, and in the networks that allow those people to collaborate across sectors.  

They can also lead on bringing new philanthropists into the space, building their awareness of the impact they can achieve and the personal rewards of giving.

Q: Is leadership development seen as a ‘nice to have’ in tough economic times?

KE: Leadership development can get sidelined in tough times, but it shouldn’t. Leadership is an accelerator of impact. Strong leadership and connections enhance resilience, enable better decisions in crises and make every other investment more effective and future-focused.

The polycrisis is daunting, but it is also an invitation to rethink how we build our collective capacity to respond. Philanthropy is uniquely placed to strengthen the leaders and networks we need to face whatever comes next. The real question is not whether we can afford to invest in leadership – but whether, in these times, we can afford not to.

The Williamson Community Leadership Program is for ‘experienced leaders from all sectors who are ready to stretch themselves, and look upwards and outwards in their leadership’. It’s designed for people who want to make a difference in their organisation and their community, and are ‘curious about tackling complex societal issues’. Applications close Monday 31 August 2025.