Ep #113: Cultivating collaboration and leadership under pressure with Martin Hehir PSM and Kathy Hilyard

If your team is grappling with an increasingly busy workload, today’s episode of Work with Purpose with Martin Hehir PSM and Kathy Hilyard will give you some useful tips on how better collaboration can become part of the solution.   

With a busy work program following the pandemic, Martin Hehir PSM, deputy secretary, Governance and Corporate and chief operating officer, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and his team faced this exact challenge while working at the Attorney-General’s Department. At the time, Martin had an inkling that expanding collaboration might be the key to meeting these increasing demands, whilst also maintaining a sense of happiness and resilience in the team. But how could he bring them along for this change amidst persistently high workloads?

On this episode, Martin shares the story of how his team made it happen with the help of Kathy Hilyard, co-founder of the Centre for Collective Leadership. Martin and Kathy tell presenter David Pembroke about the “aha” moments and challenges, from experimenting with new ways of working across groups and professions to addressing fears around authenticity and vulnerability. Along the way, their efforts profoundly changed how leaders interacted with their teams and each other, fostering a more connected and resilient work environment.

Discussed in this episode:

  • how people’s workstyle changes under pressure
  • creating a more collaborative culture
  • opening up and being vulnerable as a leader
  • learning through discomfort
  • working across teams and professions
  • growing relationship intelligence
  • why professionals with specific expertise can often struggle to collaborate
  • finding and empowering influential leaders in an organisation
  • why leadership isn’t about position
  • practicing how to disagree with grace
  • honest, save, and respectful engagement

Show notes:

Martin Hehir PSM

Martin Hehir PSM commenced as deputy secretary, Governance and Corporate and chief operating officer, in January 2024. Prior to joining PM&C, Martin was the deputy secretary of Workplace Relations where he led a range of industrial relations policy and programs.

Earlier, Martin held several deputy secretary positions in federal government during his career. He has been responsible for areas including developing a new employment services model; work, health and safety policy; and small business and industrial relations policy. Before this, Martin Worked as deputy secretary for Schools and Youth in the former Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and the former Department of Education, dealing with the Australian Education Act, and associated funding mechanisms.

Kathy Hilyard

Kathy is a co-founder of the Centre for Collective Leadership, a for purpose business established in 2023 to research, facilitate, experiment, design and cultivate leadership and governance practices fit for complexity.  She works with groups, organisations and leadership teams as a facilitator, advisor and sometimes provocateur.  She is pioneering work on leadership for complex settings.  Kathy has worked in and for public sector organisations for over 30 years. 

Transcript: