As we recognise leaders at every level, we discovered two who have used their ability to connect with others, communicate complex messages, and support individual growth to inspire their team and influence others.
Natasha Meston
Natasha has been with the Attorney-General’s Department since 2022. Working with an incredible team within Workforce Planning & Capability, Natasha contributes to the design and coordination of a wide variety of activities for the department. The team is currently focused on taking automated dashboards to the next level, coordinating the census and second year of the strategic commissioning framework, and piloting a new approach to workforce planning.
Earlier this year, Natasha was lucky enough to participate in a Jawun secondment. This involved spending 6 weeks in central Australia, working within an organisation in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) that served Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands).
During this experience, Natasha met and worked with so many innovative, generous, and future-focussed Arrente people (Anangu), and is continuing to think about how her team and broader department can progress and advocate for Priority Reforms 3 and 4 now that she’s returned to her regular role. This learning would not have been possible without Anangu time, patience, and permission, and she’d like to thank the traditional custodians of the region for this opportunity.
Simone Bell
Simone works at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) in South Australia, as part of the People Services Branch in HR Learning & Development focusing on leadership and performance. Simone has worked with DVA since 2020, after spending 25 years in management roles across Hospitality, Aged Care, Disability Enterprise, SA Health, and The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Simone holds an Associate Diploma in HR, Cert 4 in Training and Assessment and a Cert 4 in Frontline Business Management.
How would you describe good leadership?
NM: I am really lucky to be surrounded by great colleagues who model leadership for me every day.
At home on Ngunnawal country, my director ensures we achieve gold standard outcomes and have an environment open to constant innovation, but he also prioritises team wellbeing. Our workforce data lead never lets a meeting finish without shouting out his junior’s achievements, and our workforce planning lead is always thinking about stewardship – how can we make this process more accurate, more insightful, and more fit-for-purpose for the next time someone picks it up?
Additionally, I encountered some extraordinary leaders in my time in central Australia. The innovation coming out of this region is only possible thanks to leaders at every level, all pulling in the same direction. I was lucky to work closely with Andrea Mason on the NIAA-funded Indigenous Skills & Employment Program. Andrea was all about the malparara way, which is a principle whereby two staff members – one Anangu and one non-Aboriginal – partner up and strengthen each other’s work. I learnt so much, including about leadership, from Andrea - and in return poor Andrea had to sit through my tutorials on pivot tables in Excel!
SB: For me, great leadership is about bringing people together around a shared purpose and helping them succeed. It’s about listening, building trust, and creating an environment where they feel supported and valued. I believe the best leaders lead by example - they communicate clearly, act with integrity, and are adaptable when challenges arise. Most importantly, they invest in their people, helping them develop to reach their full potential.
What would you say are your leadership strengths? Would those that work with you select the same?
NM: When it comes to my leadership strengths, I’ve been told I’m good at translating high level strategies, direction, and frameworks into something that feels approachable and easy to engage with by my team. On the other hand, my personal Jawun experience taught me about working in ambiguous and complex environments while remaining comfortable, optimistic, and proactive. That doesn’t come naturally to me, so I’m now focusing on building this as a strength too.
SB: I work collaboratively in leadership roles. I like to work to people’s strengths and genuinely enjoy supporting individual growth. I’m happy to hand over the reins, seeing it as part of succession planning and helping people step into their next role with confidence. I believe in creating opportunities for others to stretch and develop, giving them the chance to ‘test drive’ leadership with the safety net of support around them. For me, it’s not about titles or ego - it’s about learning, growth, and setting others up to succeed.
The team I work with now may not have much opportunity to see my leadership strengths as I’m not currently in a formal leadership role. That said, I still try to show up in ways that reflect those qualities - through collaboration, reliability, and supporting others where I can.
Can you provide an example of when your leadership style was particularly impactful?
NM: One instance where my leadership style was particularly impactful was when my agency implemented the Strategic Commissioning Framework last year. We took the approach of setting up a multi-disciplinary team across various enabling services. We had one eye on a tight timeframe, were cognisant of our leadership role across our portfolio, and were implementing a lot of system and behavioural changes at once. This meant our team and our work had to be proactive, accurate and clear. I’m proud of leading through this environment, and emerging out the other side with a trusted, robust and repeatable approach.
SB: One example that’s stayed with me wasn’t about leading a team or delivering on a major project. It was about supporting someone when they were experiencing a real low point at work. A colleague I worked with had been overlooked for a promotion they’d worked extremely hard for. It completely shook their confidence. Instead of brushing it off or giving the usual pep talk, I set up time to sit with them, listen and acknowledge their frustration and disappointment. We talked about what they wanted next and worked together to map out some small wins to help them rebuild momentum. Over time, they re-built their confidence, stepped up in new ways, and eventually secured an even better opportunity. That experience reminds me that leadership isn’t always about the big moments. Sometimes it’s about walking alongside someone when they’re struggling and helping them see what’s still possible and supporting them to achieve it.
Can you think of a time where you learned something about your leadership style ‘the hard way’?
NM: I’m sure many of my colleagues can relate to a lesson I’ve learnt about my leadership style ‘the hard way’! A few years ago, I undertook a workplace behaviour assessment coordinated by the wonderful Peta Pocock, previously of Australian Bureau of Statistics. It confirmed to me that I’m very outcomes orientated but can move to a people focus when I’m under stress. This can look like an instinct to swoop in to support a project that looks to be in trouble because I’m hoping to shield a staff member. There are times when this is the right thing to do, but other times when - in hindsight - I took away an opportunity for someone very capable to step up, or even made matters more complex by adding another cook to the kitchen.
SB: Early in my career, I tended to take on too much responsibility. I thought it was easier to get things done quickly rather than delegate or involve others. I believed I was protecting the team from overload, but in reality, I was creating a bottleneck and limiting their opportunities to grow and contribute. I learned very quickly that trying to carry everything isn’t sustainable. I learned that effective leadership is about empowering others, sharing responsibility, and trusting the team to achieve.
Thinking of a time when you led a team or project but weren’t in an official leadership role – how did you motivate others?
NM: Being involved in staff reference groups, diversity networks or multi-disciplinary project taskforces is a fantastic way to experience leadership without being an official leadership role. I enjoy being a part of my department’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Network, which itself has fantastic leaders who balance their roles with their business-as-usual job. In my network I’ve had the opportunity to lead the coordination of networking events and an edition of our Culture Club newsletter, and in undertaking these roles without being in an official leadership capacity I’ve found that simple and genuine recognition goes a long way to motivating others.
SB: One example of when I have stepped into leadership without the Project Manager title was in a previous role in SA Health when we were improving the onboarding process at a major hospital chain. The project included teams across HR, ICT, Clinicians, Hotel Services, and Admin. Part of the challenge was bringing everything together through software systems like Chris21. There wasn’t an official lead, but I stepped in to keep things moving.
A big part of keeping the onboarding project on track was making sure every team lead had clear communications outlining each step, who was responsible, as well as the deadlines. I made sure updates went to key players, not just those in the meetings, because often the same people couldn’t attend each time. This helped keep the momentum, avoided confusion, and made sure everyone was on the same page. I focused on the relationships. I spent time understanding what mattered to each team, made sure their concerns were heard. I helped break the work into manageable steps and kept checking in. It was a simple way to keep everyone aligned. I encouraged the group to celebrate the small wins along the way too.
Whether it was ICT raising system challenges or Clinicians concerned about time on the floor, I worked with everyone to find solutions instead of letting things stall.
By the end of the project, not only did we have a more efficient onboarding process, but the teams felt pride in what we had managed to pull together. We also finalised the project 2 weeks ahead of schedule! For me, it showed that leadership isn’t about having a title. Sometimes it’s about helping people come together and get things done.
Can you tell me how you build trust in those you work with and/or work for?
NM: My time in Mparntwe taught me that ‘relationships happen at the speed of trust’, and how important it is to have that secure foundation. I often engage with senior leaders, or key new stakeholders who we haven’t worked with before. One ‘hack’ that I’ve always used to demonstrate reliability is to find something small to commit to during our first meeting – a little quick win, like promising to follow up with a copy of a document or with a summary email. Delivering on that small item takes little effort for my team, but it starts to demonstrate the kind of productive collaboration this stakeholder can expect from us going forward!
SB: I am reliable. I build trust through consistency, transparency, and follow-through. I show respect for others’ views and give credit where it’s due. I’m also open about my own learning and personal challenges, which I believe helps create a culture where people feel safe to be honest and engaged.
Reflecting on these experiences has reinforced for me that leadership can happen at every level through the way we communicate and support one another. I’m passionate about continuing to grow as a leader and helping others do the same, no matter where they sit in an organisation.