{"id":265380,"date":"2026-07-16T14:08:54","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T11:08:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/leading-from-the-dreaming-paul-callaghan-paul-gordon\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T14:08:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T11:08:54","slug":"leading-from-the-dreaming-paul-callaghan-paul-gordon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/leading-from-the-dreaming-paul-callaghan-paul-gordon\/","title":{"rendered":"Leading From The Dreaming – Paul Callaghan Paul Gordon"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The old saying \u2018look before you leap\u2019 is wisdom that needs to be better embraced by all of us. Leadership theory suggests great leaders need to have great vision. To have great vision you need to see. Our Old People could see all because they continually nurtured their ability to look. It is a skill that you might want to develop as well.<\/p>\n

When we are children, we have an unfettered curiosity that enables us to explore the world with an open mind and heart. We ask questions without embarrassment and listen intently to the answers. The ability to listen dissolves as we get older. By the time we are adults, we can find ourselves in a world where personal interactions are dominated by talking. I shared this thought with an Elder one day and they responded as follows.<\/p>\n

\u2018When you have a meeting with those whitefullas, you watch what happens. They all start squawking and flapping like a flock of cockatoos. See. When whitefullas are in a meeting, they listen so they can talk. When Aboriginal people gather, they listen so they can learn.\u2019 For many months after, I observed meetings as a kind of social experiment, watching interactions, body language and overall behaviour to test the Elder\u2019s hypothesis.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t surprised to find the Elder was right. There was lots of squawking and posturing going on. I understood why it was happening. The fight mentality society instils in us from when we are young is exacerbated in the corporate environment where we compete for either personal or team gain (reputational, staffing and funding). These meetings often involved barging into conversations (including speaking before someone else had finished talking), which I was never comfortable doing.<\/p>\n

When we are listening so we can talk, there is no space for silence. When there is no space for silence, there is no opportunity for reflection. Without reflection, learning opportunities are lost. We are unable to harvest and understand the many workplace stories that surround us and miss out on accessing the knowledge we need to be great leaders.<\/p>\n

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Indigenous Thinking to Change Your Life Adventures on the Dreaming Path: Stories, Wisdom and Activities for Kids OceanofPDF.com OceanofPDF.com To our future leaders. May the wisdom of our Old People inspire you to lead for the greater good, including Country. To my grandchildren: Kaia, Marcia, Josephine and Vincent. You fill my cup with joy and remind me of why we need to create a better world to hand onto future generations. OceanofPDF.com CONTENTS Introduction Chapter 1 Responsibility Chapter 2 Relationships Chapter 3 Respect Chapter 4 Recognition Chapter 5 Reflection Chapter 6 Results Chapter 7 Resilience Chapter 8 Renewal Epilogue References Acknowledgements OceanofPDF.com INTRODUCTION In 1997, I commenced a role in TAFE NSW as a manager of an Aboriginal team providing vocational education and support to Aboriginal communities throughout the Hunter region.<\/p>\n

I was a little nervous about the responsibilities involved but never let my anxiety stop me from trying new things and doing what I thought was right. Within a few years, and much to my surprise, I found myself rising through the organisational hierarchy into executive roles. Within eleven years I was CEO of New England TAFE, responsible for 23,000 students across eleven campuses and an annual budget beyond anything I could have comprehended when I was younger. Over many years I could never really figure out why I ascended through the ranks so quickly, but in writing this book, the light bulb moment has finally happened.<\/p>\n

A large part of my success was due to the application of the cultural knowledge I had been given over the years. By bringing the two worlds (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) together, I demonstrated that Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing can enhance leadership and performance in the Western corporate space. Since that time, I have continued to build my two-worlds knowledge base and am very excited to be now sharing that learning with you.<\/p>\n

In this world of global economic interdependency, intense competition and information overload, leadership excellence has never been more critical. Tens of billions of dollars are spent on leadership development programs globally per year. Why is this so? First, it is because leadership is so critical to business success.<\/p>\n

Most businesses are aware that no matter how amazing their goods or services are, without good leadership, they are at extreme risk of joining the business failure club.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.<\/em><\/p>\n

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