Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s Culture and Leadership conference in Sydney and Melbourne.
We hope you were inspired by our speakers and their insights from real world experiences, to begin or continue your own journey’s. We are thrilled to share these presentations with you again.
If we are going to Change the World – One Organisation at a Time ™ we can only do it together with our amazing community – so thanks for coming out and supporting us.
WELCOME TO THE 27TH ANNUAL CULTURE & LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Human Synergistics Managing Director, David Byrum introduces our 27th annual Human Synergistics Culture & Leadership conference – presented in both Melbourne and in Sydney, he explains how Human Synergistics specialises in developing and providing tools, information and proven change strategies that enable Individuals to discover, make aware, build acceptance and take action to be the best version of themselves everyday.
We work with teams to be highly performing, highly engaged and highly functioning units. We develop leaders and managers to understand the impact they have on their peers. And, lastly we help organisations build upon its culture to deliver its promises to their employees, customers and shareholders.
David Jones – From Caterpillar to Butterfly: The David Jones Leadership Transformation
Shannon Psaila Head of People Experience & Transformation & Julie Hannah People Experience Lead – Capability, of Australian retailer DAVID JONES present at the 27th Annual Culture & Leadership Conference.
At David Jones, transformation isn’t just a strategy—it’s a lived experience. In this video, they share the journey of moving from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly—a powerful metaphor for leadership growth and cultural change.
Over the past few years, they’d invested deeply in their people, building the foundations of constructive leadership through Human Synergistics’ Life Styles Inventory (LSI) and their Leading to Thrive program. From self-awareness to empowerment, leaders have embraced the challenges of transformation, even when it felt uncomfortable, uncertain, and messy.
Marriott International – Culture Change by Stealth
Join Tayn Pavelic. Vice President, Global Leadership Development, Marriott International as he explores the paradox of culture change in a values-driven, legacy-rich organisation. Drawing on 20+ years of global HR and leadership experience, he introduces the idea of “culture change by stealth”—small, strategic moves that honour heritage while equipping leaders for the future. Backed by Human Synergistics’ tools like the Life Styles Inventory™ (LSI) and the Organisational Culture Inventory® (OCI), this journey shows how subtle influence can unlock lasting transformation.
Lindt & Sprüngli Australia – From Good to Great!
Freda Behrens, Human Resources Director & Robyn Rodrigues People & Culture Manager, Lindt & Sprüngli Australia outlined how the Life Styles Inventory™ (LSI) program has driven significant leadership and cultural transformation within the organisation.
Lindt emphasised that change starts at the top, with the executive team modelling constructive behaviours. The program strengthened capability, accountability, and collaboration, shifting the culture towards more constructive leadership and performance-driven practices.
Looking ahead, Lindt will continue the journey with Human Synergistics’ Organisational Culture Inventory® (OCI), embedding leadership development at all levels to sustain high performance and ensure the company’s purpose of “enchanting the world with chocolate” is carried forward for future generations.
Richard Harding, Forefront Leadership – From Strategy to Culture: Driving Lasting Organisational Impact
Richard Harding of Forefront Leadership shared insights from his 35 years of leadership experience, including CEO roles across three organisations: TIO, Tower Insurance, and icare. He focused on the critical role of culture in driving sustainable organisational change and performance. Using examples from each organisation, he illustrated how transforming culture – from oppositional and avoidant to constructive—can improve engagement, trust, and business outcomes.
Richard’s experience demonstrates that lasting transformation is possible when culture is intentionally integrated with strategy, underpinned by a clear moral purpose, and supported by aligned leadership and coaching practices. The result is organisations that are not only financially sustainable but also trusted and valued by their employees, customers, and communities.
Ash Smith, Head of Consulting, Human Synergistics – The Data That Proves Culture Drives Performance
In this presentation, Ash Smith unpacks the data that sits behind the powerful transformation stories shared throughout the conference, highlighting how constructive thinking and behaviour not only improve individual performance and well-being but also lift team effectiveness, leadership impact and organisational culture. Drawing on the “ripple effect,” he demonstrates how starting at any level – individual, team, or organisation – creates positive flow-on outcomes across the whole system. The data reveals that constructive leaders are seen as more effective, less stressed, and more capable of building strong relationships. Constructive teams make better decisions, waste less time, and achieve stronger alignment. At the organisational level, constructive cultures drive adaptability, innovation, customer experience, and reduced risk. Importantly, they also foster psychological safety, diversity, inclusion, and overall workplace satisfaction.
Ash concludes by showing how these outcomes are not just theory but are backed by 50 years of data, proving that building constructive systems delivers sustainable performance and meaningful results.
Want to speak to someone to support you on your Culture & Leadership journey?
Contact Us – 📧 Email us at info@human-synergistics.com.au or 📞 Call us on (02) 9271 5900
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Want to dive deeper into Culture and Leadership — and understand how Human Synergistics can guide you there? Tune into the Culture Bites Podcast!
Hosted by Consultant Dominic Gourley, Culture Bites brings to life the ideas behind Constructive leadership and healthy organisational culture.
Featuring;
Stories and insights from leaders who’ve built constructive cultures
Conversations with Human Synergistics consultants breaking down key models and tools
Episodes tailored for individuals post-LSI debrief, managers driving culture change, and accredited practitioners looking for fresh ideas
LISTEN HERE. It’s free and available anywhere you listen to podcasts — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and more.