I’ve been a reluctant leader of things since I was a young teen thanks to Scouts- starting as a ‘Sixer’ in Cub Scouts (age 10), then ‘Patrol Leader’ in Scouts (age 14), ‘Unit Chairperson’ in Venturers (age 17), ‘Crew Leader’ in Rovers (age 24), and ‘Adventurous Activities Leader’ (specifically Balloon Team Leader+Chief Pilot and Archery Leader) once I aged out of being a Youth Member.
I completed a Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) course in 2010, the ANU Vice Chancellors Leadership Program in 2012 and a STS Young Endeavour Voyage in 2013. More recently I completed the ‘Mastering Excellence in Leadership‘ program through the Jim Grant Institute in 2024, after being formally invited into the Consumers Health Forum of Australia’s ‘Leadership Group’.
Currently I am completing a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) through Melbourne Business School (Australia’s #1 Business School and MBA as they tell you repeatedly in all their promotional material). Commenced in 2024, expected completed end of 2026.
To not belabour the point, I’ve ended up taking leadership roles in pretty much any community group or association I’ve been part of. With none of them collapsing due to my actions and most being improved compared to when I got involved. As a non-exhaustive list: GAMMA.CON (President/Convenor), AFL Canberra Umpires Association (Vice President/Treasurer), ANU Anime & Gaming Society (President), Queanbeyan-Monaro Greens (Secretary), Greens for QPRC (Digital Coordinator), ANU Science Communication Society (President), ANU Physics Student Society (Vice-President), ANU League of Godlessness (President), NTEU ANU Branch (Branch Secretary/National Councillor) and Scouts NT/Scouts ACT (various, listed above).