QMV Consulting Practice Leads - Individual Approach To Leadership

Practice leads at QMV have a critical role in driving successful delivery of client engagements, providing advice and counsel to clients and ensuring client satisfaction. They support and guide their consulting practice group with knowledge and direction to enhance their performance and assist them reach their full potential. Additionally, practice leads form an integral part of the QMV leadership team and implementation of company strategy.

We asked them to describe their leadership style and why they value being part of the leadership group.

Anthony Forbes, Principal Consultant

I’ve been fortunate to have had many terrific leaders throughout my career and I try to blend their strengths into my own leadership style. Simple things like remaining composed, reading a situation before speaking and being consistent in disposition helps enormously with trust because people know what to expect.

An important part of my leadership style is to unite people and build reserves of positive energy. When people are heard and valued, they belong. They contribute more and to a higher level, and this means superior client outcomes.

Part of fuelling that drive is unpacking their thinking with them (not for them) and ensuring that career aspirations are spoken about and worked towards.

My role at QMV gives me the opportunity to listen to and learn from fellow consultants. I get to hear about how they are helping clients achieve their goals and am in a position to support them through challenges. I hope those in my practice group benefit from my experience, as I know I learn and gain so much from them.

Leigh Johnston, Principal Consultant

I like to lead by example, to build a relationship on support, transparency and trust. I want people to be feel confident to engage with me on a personal and a business level. It’s always a balance of personal support and arms length in terms of management.

I’m a big advocate for autonomy and helping someone help themselves. I’m not afraid to put my hand up when something doesn’t work or I’m out of my depth, as it’s about the holistic outcome and not about me.

I genuinely enjoy giving back and helping others find their way to achieve an outcome. There is always much to learn and much to share, and that cycle should never stop. Growth for everyone requires the support of those who may have been there before them who can pass on what they have learned. This is another way that I can contribute to the overall outcome for people and for the business.

Jane McKinnon, Practice Lead

My leadership style is collaborative and sincere. I love getting to know people, understanding what motivates them and supporting them in their role and professional development. Even though our work is mostly very prescriptive and serious, I find injecting fun and balance helps with maintaining a freshness of thinking and energy across the team.

A big part of leadership is promoting a continuous learning mindset. Sharing one another’s successes and failures is an important part of that. The attitude around ongoing improvement is vital to achieving increasingly higher standards of delivery and to drive career progression and fulfillment.

My focus is to build a cohesive team, who strongly identify as being part of the QMV family. Even though we are all working on different client sites on a diverse range of projects, we know QMV is our base for knowledge, support, learning and professional development. The practice lead role is all about making that happen for our people.

Kirsty Sinclair, Practice Lead

I measure leadership success against whether client goals are being met and whether my team is fulfilled and succeeding. I like to lead by example and set strong standards of work ethic, quality and exceptional client outcomes. It is important to enable team and individual successes with the right tools, information and appreciation for their efforts.

People come with different personalities and experiences so building safe and genuine relationships is a primary focus. This really helps when the pressure is on or when someone needs to voice their opinion, there is a basis of trust and respect to get a positive outcome.

The role of practice lead allows me pass on my experiences to help lead, mentor and grow our consultants. Being involved in the QMV leadership team is a great opportunity to contribute to QMV's strategic growth as a trusted business partner.

Steven Morrissey, Practice Lead

The role of the servant-leader (in the agile/CSM world) really resonates with me. I’m here to serve my team be it clearing blockers or simply setting them up for success. I’m always happy to roll my sleeves up and get my hands dirty regardless of roles, labels or the task at hand.

I want to grow people and as such measure my own success in the growth and success of others. Seeing them succeed, especially if it means stepping outside comfort zones is deeply rewarding for me.

I value my people’s time and am a stickler for making meeting bookings and sticking to them. Always being available to the team is important to me and vital to ensuring my team feels supported.

QMV provides trusted advisory, consulting and technology to Australia’s leading superannuation, insurance, banking and wealth management organisations. For further information please telephone our office p +61 3 9620 0707 or submit an online form.

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