Why Adaptive Leadership Matters
26/08/2025
On Wednesday, 3 September 2025, Leadership Victoria Alumni, and past and present Board members and staff, gathered at Government House to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Leadership Victoria (LV), hosted by Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria and Patron of Leadership Victoria.
In this milestone year, we reflected on the legacy of more than three decades of developing, connecting and inspiring leaders. Since the very first cohort of the Williamson Community Leadership Program in 1990, Leadership Victoria has brought together leaders from every sector to tackle society’s complex challenges, learn from and with each other, and use their leadership expertise to contribute to meaningful change in their organisations and communities.
We welcomed a selection of Williamson Fellows representing all 35 years, and other program representatives, drawn from a range of sectors, generations, experiences and identities, as well as partners, volunteers and mentors, all of whom continue to lead organisational and systemic transformation across Victoria and beyond.
Her Excellency The Governor delivered a powerful address, reminding us that personal leadership development is most meaningful when it benefits others. She highlighted the distinction between leadership and authority, emphasising that true leadership is about championing others, ensuring we do the work that allows people to step forward, take action, and create real-world impact.
Professor Christine Nixon AM, APM, former Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police and Leadership Victoria Board Chair, also spoke to the impact LV has had across its 35 years. She reflected on the countless leaders who have stepped into new challenges with courage and curiosity, adapting as the world and its leadership demands have shifted, and the ripple effects of that leadership across the Victorian community.
Thank you to those who attended and celebrated this moment with us, some reuniting after many years and others meeting for the very first time, but all connecting over a shared purpose: to lead with authenticity and courage for an inclusive, equitable and sustainable society. We look forward to the next 35 years!
