Human on the Inside with Lysander’s Matthew Lanham
Human on the Inside. We’re big believers in the power of human skills. But don’t just take our word for it - the evidence for excellence powered by human (‘soft’) skills is everywhere! In this engaging, ever-enlightening series, we speak with industry leaders, innovators and game-changers to learn a little about their personal career journeys, and how human-led strategies, philosophies and cultures are proving a force for good in their working worlds …
Maxme: Welcome Matthew, and thanks for stepping into the #SuccessIsHuman Spotlight!
You’re the Chief Operating Officer at Lysander and a non Exec Board Member at Volleyball Victoria..
In 1 sentence (ok, we’ll give you 3), what does your role entail?
Matthew Lanham: My role at Lysander is to run the delivery side of the business. So I work with our project managers, learning designers and consultants to ensure that we are delivering on our commitments to our clients.
As a board member of Volleyball Victoria, my role is to apply a governance lens to the organisation. I also look after the Pathways subcommittee which is something I’m really passionate about.
M: You’re a people and capability leader with deep experience in culture transformation, leadership development and employee experience. As COO at Lysander and a Board Director at Volleyball Victoria, you draw on over a decade at Airservices Australia where you built and delivered large-scale programs that developed leaders, strengthened organisational capability and aligned people initiatives with business strategy — while coaching senior executives to drive lasting change.
How does all this work speak to your personal purpose and what drives you as an individual?
ML: For me, my career has really been focussed on supporting and developing others to get the most out of themselves. In the first part of my career, this took the form of coaching and high-school teaching, and then transitioned into Learning and Development in a corporate context. In the last decade or so, my remit has expanded to organisational culture and leadership which are significant levers in creating an environment where people can thrive.
So, in short, my purpose is about developing individuals and teams to be their best.
M: Tell us a little about your personal education pathway/s - what led you to where you are now? How closely do your formal qualifications match your current career?
ML: At school, I was very sport focussed. I had a great PE teacher who was also my 1sts basketball coach. He was a fantastic leader and role model, so I decided that a teaching degree would enable me to build a career in sport. After 3 years of teaching, I realised that I’d spent a lot of my life in a school environment, beholden to the school timetable. I decided I wanted to get out of teaching, but also didn’t want to completely start again. I started applying for L&D roles as this seemed like a logical transition where I could still leverage my 4-year education degree. It took a little while, but I landed a role at Defence. I remember my first day, I had a 1-on-1 with the Exec leader. I had no idea what my job was or what she was talking to me about. It was highly technical and full of jargon and acronyms. Thankfully I had a couple of great colleagues that helped build me up. I learnt quickly.
I then landed a role at Airservices which was a real blessing. I tell people I kind of “grew up” there. It’s a really interesting organisation, looking after Aviation Rescue Firefighting and Air Traffic Control. A complex operation with varied workforce needs and challenges. I found my time there really engaging and enjoyable for the most part. Airservices supported me in studying a Masters of Business and continued to entrust me with a number of different roles and promotions.
I’d say my qualifications were pretty aligned to my career path. I certainly wasn’t someone that got into HR with a marine biology degree (which I have seen!). Having said that, OD does tend to have more organisational psychology graduates, so maybe it’s a little different.
M: If you could share one piece of career advice to your 21 year old self it would be ...
ML: Just to take more risk. Not recklessly! But definitely in a considered way. I think I played it a bit safe when I was younger at times. I was comfortable following a well-worn path rather than creating my own path. I should say, that’s worked out ok. However, I just think a 21 year old has a great opportunity to try things and learn.
M: Maximising the potential of individuals, communities and businesses through the power of human skills is the reason Maxme exists. Can you tell us a little about the role and / or value of human skills in your workplace or industry right now?
ML: My whole career is about human skills. All of the projects and initiatives I have led have been about enhancing human skills. In my own practice as a leader, my job is to deliver work through others. I have to rely on strong human skills. That means I need to have a strong connection with my team members, we need trust, respect and we need to value our collective attributes - what we each bring to the table. For me, this is the interesting work..
M: Self Awareness sets the critical foundation for all Maxme learning experiences. What’s your strongest trait / personal super power?
ML: I think I’m a good listener. I find other people’s perspectives really interesting, so listening intently and trying to decipher why they hold a particular view is always intriguing to me.
I know you only asked for 1 thing, but I’d have to add humour as a super power. When done appropriately, it can break down barriers, cut tensions and create connections. Of course, done inappropriately, can find you in HR (so I’ve heard…)
Listening and humour both require self-awareness if they are to be done well.
M: And on the flip side, what’s one human / ‘soft’ skill you’ve had to really work on improving over the course of your career?
ML: I hate the term “soft” skill. It implies it’s “less than” other skills. I digress…
A big one for me was really about backing myself. Early days, I was probably too reflective and overly concerned with the views of others. This became inefficient. Everything is about balance. So for me, it was about understanding the perspectives of others, while also being aware that there would be times where I needed to make decisions that not everyone would be happy about. You can keep some of the people happy some of the time, but not all of the people happy all of the time! Once I worked this out, I found I was backing myself with more conviction.
M: If you could share one piece of career advice with recent Uni graduates or candidates keen to work for an organisation like yours, what would it be?
ML: It would probably be along the lines of take risks, and say “yes”. I had a few times in my career where I was asked to take on a project or initiative that I knew would be uncomfortable and stressful. Getting through those times gave me great confidence and expanded my skillset to take on more complex and challenging tasks.
M: You’ve been granted approval to add one Uni graduate to your business, but have 100 applicants, all with outstanding academic results. How do you find your perfect candidate - what are you looking for?
ML: I’m looking for a good balance of academic and practical skills. I’m looking for a problem solver. I’m looking for someone that has a strong work ethic. I’m looking for a good cultural fit with the team.
M: In the words of American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer John Dewey, “education is not preparation for life, education is life itself.”
What’s next on your #learning agenda?
ML: I’m still learning a lot in my current role. While it’s a smaller scale business than I’d previously experienced, that has meant I’ve been working in many more areas than I would have in a larger organisation. I’ve really enjoyed this challenge.
Matthew Lanham
COO at Lysander
Matt is a humanistic and driven capability development leader with deep experience in designing and implementing robust people capability strategies, frameworks and programs. With a genuine passion for creating real value for both people and organisations, Matt brings a pragmatic yet light-hearted approach to challenges and has achieved proven success across HR strategy, talent, learning, succession planning, performance and engagement, all in alignment with culture change and transformation.
As a highly qualified, trusted advisor and coach to C-suite and executive leadership, Matt leverages a strategic mindset, strong collaboration skills and commercial acumen to deliver impactful people and culture initiatives. Known for an ability to balance detail-oriented execution with objective big-picture analysis, Matt has built a strong track record of successful collaboration and measurable results.
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