Leadership Series 07 – Dr. Peter Chandra

I’d like to begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land that I record these episodes on, the Gadigal people of the Eora nations. I pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging and I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people listening today.

Welcome to the seventh episode in our leadership series of Good Will Hunters.

I have to admit, this series was a bit of a risk. It’s the first series we’ve done without a series partner in two years. I went back to basics and did it all myself – none of the usual help with sourcing guests or designing social media posts or marking up transcripts – it was all me, at home, making it happen and of course working with our brilliant sound editor Bruce Heald from Noise International.

The series was self-funded, because leadership is an issue I personally care so much about and when I came up with the idea for this series, there was no going back. I was completely determined to have conversations on purpose-driven leadership with some outstanding guests. And the risk has paid off – the response to this series has been huge, but it’s also been very personal. I’ve never had so many listeners get in touch to share their own challenges in regards to having a purpose-driven, values-aligned career at the heart of social change and community development.

I know that we’re onto something special here, and I have some big plans for what comes next. But for now, we’ll air the final episode in our first leadership series today, and then we’ll be airing a very special three-part series recorded at the OzWater conference in mid-May. You would remember our water series last year, with our two outstanding hosts Michael Wilson and Rosie Wheen – well, after much demand, they’re back with a three-part series continuing the conversation on Water for Development. Stay tuned for that in the coming fortnight.

Now today’s guest is Peter Chandra. Peter is an experienced Executive Leader and Board Director. I met Peter last year when I undertook my Foundations of Directorship course with the Australian Institute of Company Directors. It was a significant milestone for me personally, because it was the first big investment I’d made in the next stage of my leadership journey. It was daunting, as the average age in the room was probably double my age, and I felt a bit out of place in the boardroom. But Peter was a supportive and insightful facilitator, and we have stayed in touch since.

In this episode, Peter reflects on his leadership journey, and the lessons he’s learnt as a board director, and also as an executive in the development and not for profit sectors. Peter shares his philosophy on aid and empowerment, which aligns closely with my own. I hope you enjoy the episode, with Peter Chandra.