Maureen Moat - South Burnett Regional Council

Maureen Moat, Senior Laboratory Analyst, South Burnett Regional Council

Back in January 2020 15 candidates from across the state of Qld assembled in Brisbane to undertake leadership training. We had no real concept of what was required or what was ahead of us other than we would travel to other Councils and learn about how they worked in comparison to those we currently worked for. I had prepared myself for additional workloads and for meeting new people but had no idea the scope this training would eventually entail.

The appearance of COVID-19 forced a hiatus, but we all stuck with the program, our designated teams, and our commitment to complete what we had started.

In January 2021 we fired up the Propellers again, and when back on track we all travelled by plane, bus, car (and boat) to six host Councils covering Regional, Rural, Remote, Metro, Coastal and Indigenous jurisdictions and had the opportunity to receive Local Government and leadership wisdom and inspiration from some amazing, generous, and dedicated people. We soon discovered many Councils faced similar operational challenges as our own and we heard many positive adversity-to-success stories along the way.

It wasn’t all about the travel, although it definitely was a highlight and a great opportunity to network and engage with others, it was also about finding about your own personal leadership qualities (some you aren’t even aware of) and the qualities present in the other members in your designated team. The projects you are given stretch your skills, your knowledge, and your comfort zones. You become a support person, a champion, a learner. You find who you are, your strengths, weaknesses, and this plays a key role in the dynamics of those around you and your results.

We visited some very diverse and interesting Councils in the Program and I think the what resonated with me was the level of passion and generosity the leaders we met showed for their community, it’s wellbeing and its progression. They were all prepared to go above and beyond and make positive changes wherever possible.

Would I recommend the program to others?

Great Program… run by great people. Plenty of support. Travelled to some awesome Councils. Networking opportunities. Learning. New friendships. Personal Challenges. New Perspectives…

No -brainer really! Go for it… I am glad I did.