With ANZAC Day being commemorated this week around Australia, it is a good opportunity to pause and reflect on what the ANZAC qualities are, and their lessons for leaders. The ANZAC spirit has been researched by many academics over the years and provides a useful lens for leaders to reflect upon.

The ANZACs at Gallipoli helped shape the Australian story. Once used to refer to those who fought in World War I, ‘ANZAC’ has come to represent all men and women who serve Australia. The term also expresses the characteristics that are seen as Australian, including:

• Courage
• Egalitarianism
• Mateship
• Resilience
• Sacrifice
• Adaptability
• Camaraderie – the human element.

These qualities are ingrained into the ANZAC psyche and embody the qualities that make Australians unique. These qualities have become a symbol of national identity and help guide what we are prepared to stand up and fight for, what we see as right!

ANZAC qualities and lessons for leaders

Leaders can learn several valuable lessons from the ANZAC spirit:

Courage: Leaders must be able to demonstrate bravery in the face of challenges and adversity, inspiring teams to persevere in difficult times. This quality was referred to many times by leaders around the country as we battled through the COVID epidemic, as well as dealing with the ever increasing natural disasters (fire, flood, drought etc).

Egalitarianism: The great Australian quality where everyone is treated equally regardless of title, role, wealth, or background. Australians were the first to challenge the British High Command back at Gallipoli all those years ago and this continues today – equality and fairness are important qualities for a leader to observe and endorse. No labels – just people.

Mateship: Cultivating a sense of unity and togetherness is something that grew out of World War I, rather than the tradition of rank and division. Mateship is a quality within teams fostering loyalty, trust, collaboration and unity. These are a must for any team to achieve common goals, build respect and foster team morale.

Resilience: Resilience is a quality that helps people and teams bounce back from setbacks. There is an old saying – nothing ever goes according to plan. There will always be issues and unpredicted setbacks. How teams learn from failures, adapt to changing circumstances and align as a united team is a key quality for any team to succeed.

Sacrifice: Leaders must be willing to role model making personal sacrifices for the greater good. Setting the example of selflessness and dedication are critical to a leader’s credibility. Asking people to volunteer or make sacrifices has much more gravitas if the leader is practising what they are preaching.

Adaptability: Like the ANZACs who faced unfamiliar environments and challenges, leaders must be agile, flexible and open to new ideas and initiatives to navigate new and emerging trends, risks and opportunities. Nothing ever stands still. Time and change marches on. As Charles Darwin famously said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

Camaraderie – the human element: People are not robots. They have feelings and emotions. A sense of fun and belonging always helps foster commitment, resilience and connectedness with teams. Leaders must pay attention to the human aspect of their teams, showing empathy, compassion and understanding in their interactions and decision-making processes. Having good humour encourages openness, communication and candidness (an ability to safely say it as it is).

The ANZAC spirit is ageless. By embodying these ANZAC-inspired qualities, leaders can create a positive and emotionally safe team culture to help inspire resilience and excellence into their teams, especially as we navigate through times of uncertainty and adversity.

Leadership Lesson

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them

Facta Non-Verba – Deeds Not Words