Ineffective leadership creates a closed and exclusionary culture
Pros
nice office - good food when in training
Cons
The leadership culture within the organisation felt deeply ineffective and, at times, exclusionary. Senior leaders were often placed on a pedestal and appeared largely unapproachable, contributing to what felt like a closed and hierarchical environment. There was limited openness to dialogue, and access to leadership was restricted, which made meaningful engagement difficult. From a workload perspective, expectations were extremely high, with significant pressure placed on individuals to drive work independently and deliver outcomes under tight timeframes. While ownership of work was expected, recognition of that work was often lacking. In several instances, substantial contributions were met with repeated rounds of critical feedback and rapid revisions, only for the final outputs to be presented without appropriate acknowledgment of the original contributor. There also appeared to be an inconsistency in how individuals were treated when they brought forward ideas or perspectives. When offering viewpoints grounded in professional experience, particularly when those views differed from leadership, there was a noticeable shift in engagement. Rather than being constructively challenged, input could be dismissed, and this sometimes led to feelings of exclusion or marginalisation. Over time, this created a perception that differing opinions were not genuinely welcome. In my experience supporting the development and facilitation of the Milestone program, I observed behaviours that reinforced this dynamic. During sessions, senior leaders would cluster together and importantly did not acknowledge my presence in the room, despite my role in designing and delivering the program. This created a clear sense of hierarchy and separation, which I experienced as disengaging and, at times, undermining. Collectively, these behaviours contributed to what I perceived as a culture that did not consistently align with principles of inclusion or psychological safety. While the organisation promotes values such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, my experience did not reflect those principles in practice. There is a significant opportunity for reflection at a leadership level to consider how behaviours, not just stated values, impact employee experience. A more inclusive, open, and respectful leadership approach would better support both staff and organisational outcomes.
