The Australian Rural Leadership Program is our flagship program. It has run annually since 1993 and is open to a diverse group of around 30 people from across rural and regional Australia each year. It runs 15 months in four intensive sessions plus online engagement and mentoring. The first session is in a remote location where participants are set solo and group challenges. They emerge with a better understanding of themselves and the impact their behaviour has on others, and a chance to connect with Country and First Nations custodians. Two other sessions are in other parts of Australia, where participants engage with leaders from government, business and community. One session is overseas, providing a unique insight into how another country is managing critical issues. Participant selection is competitive and funded through industry, government or philanthropic scholarships. Each scholarship is matched with an applicant aligning with the sponsor’s industry, sector or purpose.

Milparanga is our growing suite of First Nations leadership programs, with two programs forming the entry points. One for people in the early stages of leadership and one for established leaders. Each is an eight-day course that allows Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants to engage in robust conversations that honour existing skills and knowledge, as well as provoke thoughts, all within a supportive space. Milparanga Emerging participants hear stories from Indigenous leaders, visit culturally significant sites and undertake outdoor and other activities that test their self-awareness and ability to communicate. Milparanga Established participants network with other First Nations leaders from across Australia, hear a range of speakers with different perspectives on leadership, and put their skills and awareness of culture, gender, politics, social and environmental systems, and history into decision-making and action.

The Australian Agribusiness Leadership Program is a bespoke, 11-day leadership development program for agribusiness leaders. It focuses on fostering individual and collective behavioural change helpful to an adaptive leadership style. Participants are challenged to respond to complex real-world scenarios facing the sector. As a result, participants develop greater self-awareness and establish trust with others. Participants develop inter-organisational connections, and strengthen a network of leaders from across the sector. Places on the program are purchased by an agribusiness organisation, though participants can also be self-funded.

TRAIL Emerging Leaders Program is a cross-sector, seven-day leadership program for Australia’s emerging rural leaders. It develops their leadership skills and connects them with a network of peers and role models. It includes a four-day outdoor experience, along with numerous workshops and panel sessions. Participants become more self-aware through experiential and challenged-based learning and psychometric assessment. They deconstruct complex situations and assumptions through exposure to topical issues for rural, regional, and remote Australia. They build awareness of ethics, values, social responsibility, negotiation, communication, and critical thinking. Applicants come from diverse backgrounds and are self-funded or sponsored by employers or industry bodies.