{"id":8600,"date":"2024-03-21T03:41:44","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T03:41:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/cop28-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-03-21T04:26:56","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T04:26:56","slug":"emerging-leader-program-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/emerging-leader-program-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Emerging Leader program"},"content":{"rendered":"[mk_page_section bg_image=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/treetops-homepage.jpg” bg_position=”center center” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_stretch=”true” enable_3d=”true” min_height=”500″ js_vertical_centered=”true” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” section_id=”donate” el_class=”donate-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”70px”][mk_fancy_title font_family=”none” align=”center”]BOARD OF DIRECTORS ‘EMERGING LEADER’ PROGRAM[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”67″][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789112768{padding-right: 36px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_left”][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”15″ visibility=”visible-sm”][mk_padding_divider visibility=”visible-tl”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” el_class=”terrain-title-2″]BOARD CREATES EARLIER LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”60″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″ visibility=”visible-nb”][vc_column_text el_class=”sub-head” css=”.vc_custom_1710994149524{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]March 2024[\/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1699845516005{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1710994500834{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]When you think of a board of directors, what images come to mind? In Australia, almost 70 per cent of directors are males and their average age is 60, but some organisations are beginning to buck the trend. One of them is Terrain NRM, whose \u2018Emerging Leader\u2019 program is in its sixth year and is inspiring other organisations to think outside the square.<\/p>\n

When the Terrain NRM Board came up with the \u2018Emerging Leader\u2019 program back in 2018, the youngest board member was in his fifties and six out of seven directors were male. Five years later, four directors are in their thirties and the Board is made up of four women and three men.<\/p>\n

Former Chair Keith Noble says directors could see there was \u201cuntapped leadership talent in the region\u201d and it was most noticeable in the environment sector, where Terrain is the Far North\u2019s natural resource management organisation.<\/p>\n

Earlier leadership opportunities for the younger generation\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we recognised that youth were our region’s future, the Board had very little engagement with the younger generation at the time,\u201d Keith says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe very first interviews for an Emerging Leader blew us away \u2013 this program has shown us just how much the Far North\u2019s millennials value the environment and the community we all live in, and how they are looking for ways to make a bigger contribution. It has given us the confidence to appoint younger directors and we\u2019ve seen the benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two-way knowledge-sharing program<\/strong><\/p>\n

The one-year \u2018Emerging Leader\u2019 program is a mentoring initiative aimed at giving the younger generation opportunities to break through to leadership positions and gain governance experience while also giving the Board a chance to tap into fresh perspectives and connect with a new audience across the region.<\/p>\n

Since 2018, three of the Board\u2019s six Emerging Leaders have gone on to become Terrain NRM directors. Lucy Friend is an environmental scientist and North Queensland Airport\u2019s Environmental Manager, and this year she became a Deputy Chair on the Board.<\/p>\n

Lucy says a seat around the table to set the strategic direction of an organisation and help shape the region\u2019s future resource management plans has been invaluable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe issues facing natural resource management are large-scale, long-term and multi-faceted. It is going to take innovation and commitment from a wide range of individuals and organisations to balance environment, social and economic sustainability across the Wet Tropics region.<\/p>\n

\u201cYoung people have a lot to contribute and they want to be involved in decision-making, but we don\u2019t often get the opportunity to sit at the boardroom table as colleagues.<\/p>\n

“This program gave me the growth I needed…”<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis program gave me the growth I needed to become an effective director, and it has also given me a strong foundation for further growth. I will be more effective in my profession as an environmental scientist too, because I have a better understanding of how organisational structures work and how decisions are made.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789122720{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 34px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_right”][mk_padding_divider size=”206″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1710994036259{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\"\"[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1700534677201{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1710994518886{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\u201cI\u2019ve completed theoretical courses on these things, but nothing compares to getting practical experience and learning from supportive peers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope these opportunities for young people and for organisations become more common.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daniela Matheus-Holland is the Board\u2019s latest \u2018Emerging Leader\u2019, and an ecologist with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.<\/p>\n

She says the role is \u201ca unique opportunity to contribute to the industry in a different way\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also an incredible opportunity for professional development and growth. Board positions don\u2019t usually open up at this stage in careers. Since my appointment, I\u2019ve been involved in Terrain\u2019s annual general meeting and regular board meetings, and I\u2019ve planted trees as part of the organisation\u2019s 20th anniversary event.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diversity the key to strong leadership<\/strong><\/p>\n

Terrain NRM Chair Barry Hunter says diversity is the key to strong leadership.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen how encouraging diversity leads to better decision-making and to innovation and growth. This program is one example of this. We have a skills-based board and in the last five years we\u2019ve welcomed emerging leaders from environment, agriculture, tourism and economic sectors.<\/p>\n

Idea used by other organisations<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Emerging Leader program has now been adopted by several other organisations and the concept is currently being explored by others. It\u2019s a win-win \u2013 we learn from our emerging leaders as they learn from us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Terrain NRM is an independent not-for-profit natural resource management organisation working with the Wet Tropics community in the areas of biodiversity, water and soil health, climate and regenerative economies. Terrain is one of 56 regional natural resource management bodies around Australia. Its work advances the sustainable use of land and waterways, protects environmental values and supports healthy, viable communities.<\/p>\n

Find out more about our Emerging Leader program here.<\/strong><\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section el_class=”grean-btn-sec” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”47″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_button dimension=”outline” url=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/what-we-do\/biodiversity\/” align=”right” el_class=”green-btn” outline_skin=”custom” outline_active_color=”#175137″ outline_active_text_color=”#ffffff” outline_hover_bg_color=”#175137″ outline_hover_color=”#ffffff”]Read More[\/mk_button][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1-blog” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”105″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” align=”right” el_class=”terrain-title”]RELATED NEWS[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][vc_row fullwidth=”true” fullwidth_content=”false” id=”post_grid_filter_1″][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”grid_greate_3″ css=”.vc_custom_1651022120669{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

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