From Bali to the Boardroom: Leadership Lessons in Connection and Change

If there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout my career, it’s that leadership is about people and relationships. No matter how strategic your goals are, the success of your team depends on how well you connect, understand, and support those you lead. Right now, I’m in Bali, where I’ve chosen to experiment with living and working for a school term. This experiment has provided unique leadership insights that are crucial for senior leaders managing teams of people managers.

As leaders, we’re often told to act quickly and stay focused on results. While this is important, slowing down, reflecting, and reimagining how we lead is equally as important. My Bali experiment has provided some powerful leadership lessons.

1. Genuine Connections Lead to Trust and Performance

One of the first things that struck me about Bali was the warmth of the community. The coffee shop down the street, the school community, and local warungs have made my son and me feel included and safe and reminded me of the power of genuine connections.

As senior leaders, we often focus on efficiency and results, but sometimes we forget that strong relationships are the foundation of a successful team. Encouraging your managers to build authentic relationships can lead to a deeper sense of trust, loyalty, and cooperation. When people feel genuinely connected, they are more willing to go the extra mile, support each other, and achieve more as a team.

Takeaway for Leaders: Encourage your managers to prioritise building authentic connections. It’s not just about managing tasks; it’s about investing time in understanding and supporting each individual in the team.

2. Empathy: A Leadership Superpower

Living in Bali, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of education, especially at my son’s school, where children from various socio-economic backgrounds have the opportunity to learn together. This reminded me that leadership is about exploring and appreciating different perspectives.

For senior leaders, empathy is crucial. Understanding the needs, struggles, and aspirations of both your managers and their teams can lead to more effective leadership decisions. Empathy allows us to respond to challenges with kindness, to lead with compassion, and to create an environment where people feel valued.

Takeaway for Leaders: Model empathy by listening deeply and responding with compassion. Encourage your managers to take the time to understand their teams on a personal level, fostering a culture of mutual respect and support.

3. Teamwork: The Backbone of Success

Moving to a new country has required a lot of teamwork between my son and me. We’ve had to figure out how things work in a new environment and support each other. Our ability to work as a team has been essential to our success here.

In teams, it’s the collective effort that drives sustained success. Senior leaders must ensure their managers understand the value of collaboration, not just among their own teams but also across different departments and levels of the organisation. Strong teamwork builds resilience, helps navigate challenges, and encourages innovation.

Takeaway for Leaders: Encourage collaboration across teams. Make it a priority for your managers to build environments where people feel comfortable working together, sharing ideas, and supporting one another.

4. Embracing Discomfort for Growth

Relocating and adapting to a new environment hasn’t always been comfortable, but it’s been incredibly rewarding. It’s easy to stay within our comfort zones as leaders, but it limits our growth potential. Bali has reminded me of how much we can achieve when we challenge ourselves. Seeing my son grow in his confidence has bought this home for me.

For senior leaders it is critical. Encourage your managers to push their teams—and themselves—out of their comfort zones. Whether it’s tackling a new project, embracing a new way of thinking, or leading in a way that feels unfamiliar, growth comes when we are willing to take risks and face discomfort.

Takeaway for Leaders: Create opportunities for your managers to grow by encouraging them to take on new challenges. Support them as they experiment, learn, and grow in their roles. Take away the fear of failure and see what they can create!

5. Creating Space for Reflection

One of the reasons I came to Bali was to slow down and create space for reflection. As leaders, we are so focused on the next task or the next goal that we forget the importance of pausing to reflect on what we’re learning along the way.

Creating space for reflection is critical—not just for yourself but also for your team. Reflection allows you to gain insights, assess your strategies, and course-correct when necessary. It takes you out of reactive and into a thoughtful response. Encourage your managers to make time for their teams to reflect, learn, and adjust. This will lead to better decision-making, stronger team cohesion, and more intentional leadership. A small amount of time each week can save you hours and days in the future.

Takeaway for Leaders: Prioritise reflection in your leadership routine. Encourage your managers to pause and assess how things are going, both personally and with their teams, to ensure they’re leading with intention.

Final Thoughts

As senior leaders, the pressures we face can be immense, but often, the solutions lie in the Senior leaders face immense pressures, but the solutions often lie in relationships. Leadership is about more than just strategy—it’s about people. By building genuine connections, fostering empathy, encouraging teamwork, and embracing growth, you can create teams that thrive on trust and shared success.