Band of Leaders Australia

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BoLA is an intimate forum for making better decisions and creating exceptional outcomes—members bring their multi-million dollar challenges for resolution and innovation.

If we had a happy childhood, the chances are that we can become a good leader.A happy childhood means that we will have ...
28/08/2026

If we had a happy childhood, the chances are that we can become a good leader.

A happy childhood means that we will have consistently experienced unconditional love and a feeling of total acceptance.

A happy child believes that he/she has value and dignity, and that other people also have value and dignity. In Transactional Analysis—a theory of personality—this is “I’m OK, you’re OK.”

Every one of us entered the world knowing that we were vulnerable in a world full of danger—our overriding concern was for survival. We learnt from our experiences what threatened us and what protected us and so we made up or our own rules for living—our own little manual by the age of 7, with a few more rules in adolescence.

We will have internalised our rules as facts of life—but we may not be conscious of any them, even as educated adults.

These rules will drive much of our behaviour, particularly if we are under stress or we see something that reminds us of a particular event in our childhood.

These rules will have caused us problems, and we will have developed problem-solving tactics to overcome them.

So it’s obvious that the rules, our arrival at “I’m OK” (or not OK), will come substantially from our parents.

But if we were not loved unconditionally and accepted, can we become a good leader?

It depends on being able to value our own worth and dignity—and the worth and dignity of others. Both of these are possible. It takes a high level of self-awareness, plus the right tools, impulse control and a willingness to change.

And maybe some help through coaching, therapy or psychology.

We can change if we have insight and can make conscious choices.

Explore the Band of Leaders Australia and Leadership Coaching to go Beyond Achievement- 💻 http://www.bandofleadersaustralia.com.au/ . Alternatively, contact Jeff Bell directly on 📞 0439 988 662 to find out how you can become part of BOLA, develop your leadership skills and grow your business.

26/08/2026

Becoming a Father is an act of biology.

There is much more to being a Dad.

We probably learn most about being a Dad from our own Dad. It is being conscious of his strengths and his positive influence that puts us on the road to becoming a good Dad.

But we only become our fully realised selves when we use all of our grown-up resources to respond to the world. Here are 10 ways to get there:

Be an Adult. Become aware of the rules that guide our being and seek to find our own solutions.

Decide what we stand for. Choose and articulate our values and describe the behaviours that buttress those values.

Model desired behaviours. Behaving in direct alignment with what you say is absolutely crucial—they will be watching!

Explain the desired behaviours. You will also need to explain the why of what you believe, think and do.

Free them from yourself. Gently challenge them to become independent—they will be ready sooner than you expect.

Be warm, be generous. Look for opportunities for the physical and the emotional hug, there is no better boost.

Be calm, be peaceful. By applying impulse control, getting adequate sleep, being fit and healthy and avoiding mind-altering substances.

Be humorous. This can be when we are your most influential and humble, not taking ourselves too seriously.

Transition from Manager to Leader. Growing kids need to make their own choices with our guidance and influence, not control.

Be courageous. Choose what is right over what is comfortable or popular—a courageous Dad acknowledges fear and proceeds anyway.

All of these are hard to do—especially consistently, over a long period, just like our whole life. Being a Dad, being a parent, is the purest form of leadership. And even with our best efforts, none of us can get it right all of the time.

Explore the Band of Leaders Australia and Leadership Coaching to go Beyond Achievement- 💻 http://www.bandofleadersaustralia.com.au/ Alternatively, contact Jeff Bell directly on 📞 0439 988 662 to find out how you can become part of BOLA, develop your leadership skills and grow your business.

As we are facing the greatest uncertainty of our lifetimes (unless we lived through the Great Depression and WWII), we a...
24/08/2026

As we are facing the greatest uncertainty of our lifetimes (unless we lived through the Great Depression and WWII), we are in danger of overlooking our greatest asset: leadership.

Rudyard Kipling’s poem says:

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs…

…then we can make some sense of the turmoil in all that we hold dear.

But only if, we can hit the right button.

All great leadership is based on a cause, and could anything be more worthy than overcoming this existential threat?

We require leadership from our elected representatives and their administrative apparatus. We also require leadership from the leaders of industry and their executive teams.

These leaders need to be among the people; each seeking to:

Make the present understandable—relying on science, with its implications for the way our work and home lives need to respond—and…

Make the future inspirational—looking beyond the brooding horizon to new ways of living and relating.

Such leadership must also be delivered by every capable adult, especially we as parents.

The biggest threat to leadership is our own amygdala hijack—the equivalent of the retail shopping mania where people lose all rationality and buffet the less able to get what they want.

And incidentally, this behaviour cannot be merely attributed to “drongoes”—even the most intelligent (and often the most intelligent) will act irrationally when they feel threatened. No name calling please.

We must all set the standard for clear, calm leadership.

Explore the Band of Leaders Australia and Leadership Coaching to go Beyond Achievement- 💻 http://www.bandofleadersaustralia.com.au/ . Alternatively, contact Jeff Bell directly on 📞 0439 988 662 to find out how you can become part of BOLA, develop your leadership skills and grow your business.

Today in Australia we can expect to live longer than any generation before us. Men to their mid-80s and women to their l...
21/08/2026

Today in Australia we can expect to live longer than any generation before us. Men to their mid-80s and women to their late-80s—although if you are indigenous, it’s 10 years less.

Chronic disease claims most people over 45 years. If you are 25–44, su***de is the leading cause of death, followed by accidental poisoning and road accidents.

On the face of it, we can expect 31,000 sleeps.

But there are no guarantees. My father died at 50 after 35 years of manual labour and a malignant melanoma. We all have family and friends who have died before they reach a good number. It’s tragic to go early.

Concurrent with my father’s demise, I left high school and won a fascinating job, full of promise. But I soon realised that I was surrounded by people living a life of regret—a high incidence of family-break-ups, alcohol- and nicotine-related ailments, combined with a belief that they had no chance of advancement, “doomed” for the last 25 years of their working lives (if they lived that long).

But they were in a prison of their own making. A different employer or a different career was possible for the adventurous. So, I learned what else is tragic—denying ourselves an enjoyable, fascinating and purposeful life; blaming circumstances or other people for their own unfulfilled promise.

Many of my coaching clients are in their 40 and 50s. So with an expectation of another 40 years of hopefully enjoyable and productive life, statistically, they already have had more sleeps than they will have. What about you? Try taking this quiz http://www.livingto100.com .

And consider what poet Mary Oliver asked:

Tell me, what [else] is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

Explore the Band of Leaders Australia and Leadership Coaching to go Beyond Achievement- 💻 http://www.bandofleadersaustralia.com.au/ . Alternatively, contact Jeff Bell directly on 📞 0439 988 662 to find out how you can become part of BOLA, develop your leadership skills and grow your business.

20/08/2026

Vulnerability in business strategy is weakness.

How could you possibly risk losing market share for instance? How could you not create the safest conditions for your workers? How could you not have a succession plan? Your shareholders, owners and followers would be in a spin.

Of course, knowingly making your business vulnerable would be ridiculous.

But this is different. Here we’re talking about the personal vulnerability of the leader.

Of the many ingredients in leadership, the key is courage—that is, taking action, knowing full well the dangers involved.

The formula is something like: Courage = Vulnerability + Humility + Danger + Action.

The leader courts vulnerability, speaking up for what he/she believes in, regardless of personal risk or danger, and takes action.

So, where does it start? Here are behaviours that demonstrate vulnerability:

We see that we always have something to learn.

We are open to being challenged by anyone.

We represent ourselves and our capabilities without embellishment.

We surrender any positional power, relying instead on personal influence.

We seek to learn from our competitors’ strengths.

We help those who speak the truth at their own expense.

We hold our position in the face of an attack.

We are able to admit to our mistakes.

We are open to challenge on our own values.

We do what we say we will do.

All of these behaviours will demand a high level of self-confidence—a strong belief in who we are.

Explore the Band of Leaders Australia and Leadership Coaching to go Beyond Achievement- 💻 http://www.bandofleadersaustralia.com.au/ . Alternatively, contact Jeff Bell directly on 📞 0439 988 662 to find out how you can become part of BOLA, develop your leadership skills and grow your business.

The most effective leaders aren't measured by how much attention they receive, but by the opportunities they create for ...
18/08/2026

The most effective leaders aren't measured by how much attention they receive, but by the opportunities they create for others.

Great leadership means recognising potential, encouraging growth, sharing knowledge and celebrating the success of those around you. When people feel supported and valued, they gain the confidence to contribute, innovate and lead in their own way.

The strongest legacy any leader can leave is a team that continues to thrive long after they've stepped aside.

How do you help others move forward in their careers?

Explore the Band of Leaders Australia and Leadership Coaching to go Beyond Achievement- 💻 http://www.bandofleadersaustralia.com.au/ . Alternatively, contact Jeff Bell directly on 📞 0439 988 662 to find out how you can become part of BOLA, develop your leadership skills and grow your business.

13/08/2026

“I struggle for ideas when it comes to engaging my customers.”

“I would like to explore and explain a wider story of how we could help our customers, beyond what we are already doing. But when I consider that there are so many and diverse needs which require different solutions—usually to be delivered faster and cheaper—it’s not clear to me where to start."

In BOLA, we always have someone with a different approach.

Explore the Band of Leaders Australia and Leadership Coaching to go Beyond Achievement- 💻 http://www.bandofleadersaustralia.com.au/ . Alternatively, contact Jeff Bell directly on 📞 0439 988 662 to find out how you can become part of BOLA, develop your leadership skills and grow your business.

We all wear a mask. It’s who we want the world to see and it covers the deeper us within.This is a common characteristic...
11/08/2026

We all wear a mask.

It’s who we want the world to see and it covers the deeper us within.

This is a common characteristic of human behaviour—hidden among interactions in all cultures. The key is in understanding that it exists and, critically, the inevitable gulf between the appearance of the mask and the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of the real person.

To get to that understanding, we need to build our self-awareness by asking:

What am I hiding in any given situation?

Who am I hiding it from?

What am I afraid of, should that secret be revealed?

Would it be a relief if I owned up to it?

When we can provide answers to these questions—about ourselves—we are some way to becoming better leaders.

We only need to reflect on what gets in the way of our own best performance to know what may be happening for those we work with, especially in situations of contention and conflict?

For instance, walking into the office one morning, we see and hear a team member verbally abusing a customer. On the face of it: serious misconduct; grounds for dismissal, on the spot. An abject apology to the customer. Serious implications for those who have witnessed the incident and our future staff training. The high possibility of damage to the company’s reputation if not, our profitability or even business viability.

As a reactive leader, all of the above have already played out and who would blame us in following such a script. Wearing a mask.

But as a responsive leader, we can slow down, speculate on what has led to this, and to dig deeper. Then we ask, as this abusive behaviour appears to be motivated by anger, what could be the abuser’s underlying fear? Their own mask.

If we understand the motivation, then we can grapple with the behaviour.

Both sides may dispense with the mask.

This requires a more considered way of thinking. And behaving.

Read more about ‘The Person We See’ by Jeff Bell - https://www.bandofleadersaustralia.com.au/the-person-we-see/

Explore the Band of Leaders Australia and Leadership Coaching to go Beyond Achievement- 💻 http://www.bandofleadersaustralia.com.au/ . Alternatively, contact Jeff Bell directly on 📞 0439 988 662 to find out how you can become part of BOLA, develop your leadership skills and grow your business.

As a teenager, I was blown away by the movie “Zulu”—the depiction of the Battle of Rorke’s Drift in South Africa on 23 J...
10/08/2026

As a teenager, I was blown away by the movie “Zulu”—the depiction of the Battle of Rorke’s Drift in South Africa on 23 January 1879.

Now, over 60 years later, in terms of film-making and tension, the movie still holds its own. It especially provides some brilliant illustrations of strategy for today’s business leader- not the least of which is the need to observe and direct from afar.

The setting is a makeshift British fortification of about 150 soldiers, engineers and sundry others led by Lt John Chard and Lt Gonville Bromhead (Michael Caine—in his first major role).

Bearing down on them is Prince Dabulamanzi’s 4000 battle-primed Zulu warriors who carry thrusting spears and cowhide shields -contemptuous of the rifle as they believe that real warriors meet hand-to-hand.

This is a fascinating illustration, among many things, of contrasting strategies by the leader in the heat of battle.

High on the hill, the Zulu prince’s command group separate themselves from the action as he directs successive attacks by the Zulu warriors. Each time they are testing the firing range and capabilities of the British defences. The prince is able to make calm and calculated moves; he can allocate the deployment of resources.

Down in the valley, the British officers are struggling to determine who is the most senior. They do their best to lead their meagre forces, with the successive attacks causing panic, dissension, desertions and casualties. They are stoic in the face of overwhelming odds, suffer a breach of their defences, and they see only the battle in front of them. The officers’ lives too are in danger with each attack.

On the face of it, battling at the stockades is heroic and inspirational.

But it is also vain. The leader is consumed in hand-to-hand combat, not in control of strategy, and will almost certainly be overwhelmed by opposition with a clearer, calmer viewpoint.

If you haven’t seen the movie, you’re in for a treat.

Suffice to say that there are other leadership lessons - besides strategy.

Explore the Band of Leaders Australia and Leadership Coaching to go Beyond Achievement- 💻 http://www.bandofleadersaustralia.com.au/ . Alternatively, contact Jeff Bell directly on 📞 0439 988 662 to find out how you can become part of BOLA, develop your leadership skills and grow your business.

07/08/2026

On occasion during my high school holidays I worked on a wheatbelt farm, moving sheep.

At least, I waved my arms while 3 dogs moved the flock—from beyond the skyline to where I was, near the ute. I had to stay calm and apply an array of whistles and commands for the kelpies:

“Fetch ‘em up!”

“Bring ‘em back!”

“Stay behind!”

Once corralled, I also learned that the dogs undertook their own crowd control—keeping the sheep in a tight bunch, settling them in the pens and wading across the sea of woolly backs.

And I learned about the strong-eyed dog.

When a sheep, usually a cantankerous old wether, started to break away, the strong-eyed dog would intercept and fix him with a withering stare. Its shoulders would be down and its head low, holding the stare until the whether retreated and returned to the flock. The dog would be swift, silent and intense. In some situations, it may have used its voice, but only sparingly.

This type of dog, worth its weight in gold, relies on a strong relationship with the farmer. Over time, there is profound mutual respect, affection and loyalty.

In business and in sport, I have seen the strong-eyed leader. I don’t mean someone who eats raw meat and frequents the doghouse, but someone who:

Looks everyone in the eye and greets them by name.

Is sharply focused on the purpose of the business.

Does the right thing, according to a set of values.

Has the courage to stand alone, seeking to shape opinion.

Is silent, swift and intense, rarely raising their voice.

A leader who is worth their weight in gold.

Written by Jeff Bell.

Explore the Band of Leaders Australia and Leadership Coaching to go Beyond Achievement- 💻 http://www.bandofleadersaustralia.com.au/ . Alternatively, contact Jeff Bell directly on 📞 0439 988 662 to find out how you can become part of BOLA, develop your leadership skills and grow your business.

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