Amazing teams flow with each other, says St Kilda Mums CEO Ruth Holdaway.
Speaking at the Monash Business Awards breakfast, Ruth recounted lessons she learnt from her leadership roles in the sporting industry, saying the same methodology could be applied to any business. Her top advice included using real evidence to elicit change, breaking down long-term goals into manageable phases and instilling the mindset that leaders don’t win, but teams do.
‘Think about the people you work with and pick your team,’ Ruth said. ‘Every person in that team knows what their role is. They practice that job over and over and over, relentlessly, and then they communicate with each other. The really amazing teams flow with each other.’
Ruth is leading her team at St Kilda Mums to an ambitious 2030 goal of helping every Victorian child in need under the age of six. There are an estimated 100,000 Victorian children in need and St Kilda Mums currently reaches 20,000. The goal of reaching every other child by 2030 has been broken down into manageable targets and the resources needed to achieve each milestone assessed. The next step is to remain focussed.
‘It’s really simple,’ Ruth said. ‘I apply it every day. I’m answering emails and phone calls and I have to stop and ask ‘will this achieve the goal’. It’s an effective way to stop doing things.’
The Monash Business Awards also presented three new nominees at the breakfast, including two in our new Food Services Category. Pictured below left are staff from Garden State Cafe and Marketa & Co, plus Soundfair Australia, which was nominated in the Not-for-profit category.