Moral victory
Private John Wellfare talks to the Air Force officer who was accepted into one of Australia’s most prestigious leadership programs.

SQNLDR Melanie Smyth has been undertaking a Vincent Fairfax Fellowship for ethics in leadership; one of the most prestigious leadership programs in Australia.

Photo by PTE John Wellfare

WHAT does it mean to be a good leader? There are countless qualities that could be considered, but Squadron Leader Melanie Smyth is focusing on one of the biggies – ethics.

She’s undertaking a Vincent Fairfax Fellowship for ethics in leadership, a program that accepts no more than 15 applicants each year to challenge and develop their understanding of ethical leadership.

Some of Australia’s most successful young
leaders apply for the fellowship, but only a select few are accepted.

“I found out I’d been accepted and received a little summary of everyone else on the fellowship – a chief of staff to a government minister, a professor for indigenous studies, a head of division for CSIRO – it’s pretty esteemed company I’m keeping,” Squadron Leader Smyth says.

She’s already met her fellow participants and undertaken a few exercises with them in the Northern Territory.

“We were a hugely diverse group, [we] didn’t agree on everything, but in terms of just gelling as a group it was amazing.

“There were some pretty deep conversations – you don’t apply for an ethics fellowship unless you’ve got an interest in the deeper issues.”

The group undertook a week-long trek through Katherine Gorge to build teamwork and challenge the Fellows, and toured remote mining sites to develop a report on issues and business practices of major mining corporations.

The fellowship is made up of three components – personal/professional development, mentoring and community service. As a highly regarded program, Fellows have access to very successful Australian leaders to act as mentors.

“My mentor is very high profile, very high performing, and a woman as well,”
Squadron Leader Smyth says. “So for me it’s been great to have this woman to look up to who’s succeeding in her area and I’ve learnt so much just from watching her.”

Given the high esteem in which the fellowship is held, Squadron Leader Smyth wasn’t sure her own accomplishments would meet the standard.

“I didn’t know if I’d have a shot at getting it but I thought I might as well put my application in,” she says.

“The application process is pretty comprehensive – there were 10 quite in-depth questions.”

The questions cover a range of leadership issues to determine if the applicant has the potential to grow as a leader.

The fellowship looks for people who possess and exhibit moral courage, have a capacity for ethical reflection,
recognise the inherent dignity of every person, see leadership as an opportunity to serve, and appreciate the richness and diversity of Australian society and the societies of our region.

Squadron Leader Smyth put together a 10-page application and provided details of three people who could offer a blind reference – she would never see what their answers would be to questions like “what do you think this person’s weakest leadership quality is?”

She was short-listed for an interview.

“I actually had to do the interview by video conference from the Middle East because I was on active service at the time,” she says. “I don’t think it hurt – I don’t think they forgot the girl who had to do it by video conference.”

Currently on leave without pay and living in Seattle with her partner, Squadron Leader Smyth will travel to meet some obligations of the fellowship and perform others, such as the community service component, in the US.

The last component of the fellowship concludes in November next year, but she’s already noticed its influence.

“My bosses can see that it’s made a difference to my performance at work.

“People I work with and my friends have issues at work and they ring me up for advice, or I might ring up people from the fellowship and put it to them. It’s an amazing network.”

For more information on the Vincent Fairfax Fellowship, including applications, visit the St James Ethics Centre website at http://www.ethics.org.au

 

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