Firstly, Happy New Year! Welcome back to Series 2 of Making It Count.
For many in Australia, the year certainly hasn’t started well. It’s been heartbreaking to see our Great Southern Land burning with the Vic and NSW fires consuming lives, property, wildlife and livelihoods in it’s path. It’s devastating and my heart goes out to all affected. I just can’t fathom what these people have been going through and witnessing at this time.
On a positive note, in tough times, the true Australian spirit shines through the darkness and I am in awe of the courage and dedication shown by our fire fighters and the many volunteers who are helping at this time.
As with any crisis situation, there are lessons that we can take out of this dreadful situation as leaders. That is what this podcast is focused on. There is one man I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of right now and that’s our Prime Minister! I’m not about to make judgments or play the blame game here, there’s plenty of that going on. However, I have used this first podcast of season 2 to talk about the three biggest lessons I have learnt as a leader from this situation.
The message from people both directly and indirectly impacted are very loud and clear and these voices provide a clear indication of what people are looking for from their leader in tough times. These are:
- Presence
- Empathy
- Support
Donations
If you would like to assist the wonderful organisations that are assisting the victims, both human and wildlife, during this time, here are some that you can consider:
Bendigo Bank (Vic Govt endorsed and donated)
CFA – Country Fire Association (Vic)
RFS – Rural Fire Service (NSW)
Wildlife
Zoos Vic has set up an emergency fund
Wildlife Rescue – WIRES