UNSW has been working towards scaling its leadership development approach, with the aim of reaching more people in a refreshed way. This new approach aims to have a greater cultural and behavioural impact,which will ideally create more sustained impact across the university.
UNSW has held impactful programs in the past, however these programs struggled to reach all potential leaders across the university. Some of UNSW's key challenges include:
Cultural shift: Moving from technical leadership to intentional, people-centred leadership focused on recognition, collaboration, and psychological safety.
Habitus worked with UNSW to design and pilot a leadership development program for those enrolled in the Established Leaders Program, which aims to support UNSW’s evolving “Leadership Signatures” framework. The pilot program involved the delivery of our Human-Centred Leadership Training across four half-day sessions, followed by three x 1 hr Group Coaching Sessions. The impact from the leadership training and the group coaching was supported by the inclusion of two of our eLearning modules, Human-Centred Leadership and
The pilot problem outline included:
To support the cohorts growth and to maintain momentum throughout the program, Habitus has built-in gamified “rituals” and practice tasks for participants to complete between sessions. These gamified “rituals” help to reinforce learning and provoke reflection throughout the coaching portion of the program.
This program aimed to support participants in:
The outcome of this pilot program was to support emerging and aspiring leaders at UNSW to begin thinking and communicating differently, using the UNSW Leadership Signatures as a framework to guide their leadership practice. By the end of the program, participants will have had a powerful and practical experience of new ways to lead—feeling more connected, energised, and motivated in their roles. The program was designed to generate momentum, with those outside the cohort actively seeking to join future iterations. It will also offer valuable insights into what is resonating and what isn’t, enabling meaningful improvements.
Most importantly, senior leaders will not only witness the impact of the program—they will model the behaviours and language themselves, helping to embed and reinforce a broader cultural shift across UNSW.
"I had the pleasure of partnering with Habitus for a pilot leadership program for staff at UNSW. Working with them was a joy, from program design and delivery to program evaluation and various iterations in between. Habitus brings something unique and a little bit different to leadership development, combining an anthropological perspective with somatic awareness building. If you are looking for a provider that is experiential, guides you through the journey, embraces feedback, and exemplifies outstanding human qualities, I highly recommend Habitus. Good human beings doing good work – thank you Habitus!"
Georgina King
Culture and Development Consultant
Ready to take your leadership to the next level? Join our next transformative workshop and empower your team to thrive in a culture of collaboration, innovation, and growth.
Sign-up to our mailing list for weekly human hacks, anthropic insights and news from Habitus.