Camberwell Catchup 2 – Leadership and Management Theme
After hosting monthly events for people who live, work or network in Camberwell under the brand name Camberwell Network from 2012 – 2022, I have re-started monthly Camberwell Catchups on the 1st Wednesday of the Month from 7:30am – 8:30am at My Other Brother, Rear of 586 Burke Road, Camberwell, Melbourne, Victoria 3124.
Our second event was held on Wednesday 3 June 2026 and our theme was ‘Leadership and Management.’
The fabulous guests who joined us provided the following leadership and management tips:
Colin Freckleton – never forget what it is like to be an employee
Michael Serpell – every crew on a documentary is different with different leadership styles so the goal is to empower every person to make sure their voice is heard in a way that works for them so that even the quietest voices are heard
Eliza Wong – after working with teams of people with very different countries of origin, you need to understand that there are diverse cultural and personality backgrounds and no one-size-fits-all approach
Richard Serpell – make sure you engage with your team. Turn up to meetings, review documents that you are given and provide feedback, follow up on work done and respect the work that they do
Maria Di Pietro – need to develop your ability to listen and listen well. Pick up on people’s concerns before bigger problems arise. When you listen, you do not need to solve everything
Jo Faull – listen to your staff and encourage them to be their own person with their own ideas and thoughts, let them have their own style and way of doing things
Monica Wang – when you are busy and have lots of requests, give colleagues and objective and explain the reasons behind it and let them manage the work themselves. If the work is completed differently, explain your reasons why and follow up but also listen to their needs and their career goals
Scott Patterson – it is important to hire emotionally intelligent people. You need to be able to criticise the work but not the person
Brodie Callanan – what I learned from Richard Branson was that a lot of businesses put the customer first, but you need to look after your staff, have their back and be on their side
Harin De Soysa – don’t underestimate your own staff – seek their advice before you hire a consultant. Also have empathy for people that are neurodivergent as they may not work as fast or may need more time to process information or be sensitive to noise or other distractions
Clare Cotter – you need to be always learning. Catch up with everyone internally on a one-to-one basis regularly, understand their pain points and the positives, find out how you can help them as you may learn something you weren’t aware of. Everyone is different, they dress differently, have different personalities. I like people to be happy and clients are just as important as staff. If things are not working out with a new hire, I let go of them quickly
Sue Ellson – leadership and management is about making sure you can lead and manage yourself and be a role model for others
Daniel B – value your employees as they give you the best eight hours of their day and they spend it with you
Shirley Li – a flat hierarchy is better as it is easier to reach the top people. Treat employees as humans who have ups and downs and highs and lows. Be sensitive to their needs. Organise team building activities, share tips and knowledge
Ken Maher – understand the difference between management (formal authority, maintaining the organisation and resources, identify and capitalise on skills) and leadership (develop the organisation, may not be someone’s role, everyone has leadership responsibility)
Keith Rhodes – understand what motivates each person, their style and what they like, it may not always be money
See all of the Camberwell Catchup post event blog posts here.
Feedback
1. What was most helpful to you?
Meeting people from local biz
Network
Meeting new people
Sue’s approach – warm and professional
2. What will you do next?
Keep coming to the network catchups
Connect with people I met
3. What would you like to learn next?
Leadership skills
Culture wise, how to understand people from different backgrounds and how to manage
4. Any other helpful comments or advice?
Getting the tips from leadership and management
Ideas
More feedback welcome via the Workshop Evaluation online questionnaire
Review
Sue runs an excellent networking breakfast on the first Wednesday of each month in Camberwell. I was told about this event by a friend who had attended in the past and it certainly has lived up to expectations. I have been twice now and on each occasion I have made some valuable contacts. If you are a business owner wanting grow your customer base, I strongly recommend you attend. Richard Serpell
Join me at
Tuesday 14 July 2026 LinkedIn for CEO’s Online Webinar at 1pm – 1:30pm
Saturday 25 July 2026 LinkedIn for me and my career or business Workshop at Melbourne City Library 11am – 1pm (includes digital and paperback book, cafe drink and social catchup)
Wednesday 1 July 2026 Camberwell Catchup at MOB Camberwell 7:30am – 8:30am
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