ARLP takes leadership skills to a new level – applications now open
As CEO of the Barossa Grape & Wine Association back in 2011, Sam Holmes didn’t seem like an obvious candidate to apply for the Australian Rural Leadership Program. He’s glad he did however, describing it as ‘an amazing opportunity’.
‘At the BGWA we were annually circulating and promoting the program to local wineries and grapegrowers and the feedback was always how amazing the program was and that it was actually life changing,’ he said.
‘When our Chair, Linda Bowes, encouraged me to make time for personal development, I applied and was lucky to be accepted.
‘The calibre of the participants was diverse but extremely high; I was certainly the junior in the room and realised quickly that I was going to have to bring my A game as there is nowhere to hide on this program.’
That’s the intention. Run by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, the ARLP is designed to further develop leadership skills, examine and analyse key national and international issues, and encourage interaction with leaders in government, industry, and community.
It consists of up to 50 days’ face-to-face contact, delivered in multiple sessions over 15–18 months. Five of these sessions take place in different locations across Australia and one overseas.
The group size is 30 to 35 and they’re a mixed bag. Mr Holmes remembers sharing time and experiences with people involved with mining, pork, beef, feedlots, indigenous relations, mixed farms, remote medicine, grain, fisheries, abalone, rural services, forestry, media and government.
‘We would come together for two weeks at a time,’ he said. ‘Every day was a marathon of meetings, presentations and training. We visited the Kimberleys, central Queensland, Brisbane, Tasmania, Adelaide, Sydney, Canberra and India. All were amazing experiences where we zeroed in on a topic and looked at it in great detail.
‘Many of the speakers were of a very high repute, there were senior politicians, CEOs, business owners and experts in their fields. The ARLF has such a reputation that Australian and international leaders took time to meet with the group to share experiences.’
Mr Holmes, who is still based in the Barossa as GM International Sales for Negociants International, said the program’s greatest impact had been in lifting his sights and broadening his thinking.
‘The personal development is incredible, but for our sector of grapegrowers and winemakers it provides the type of environment and situations where you get out of the daily bubble of life to consider broader issues; most importantly, how to frame a problem, seek solutions and get the most out of others or organisations to drive those solutions rather than you trying take it all on.’
Applications for the ARLP Course 24 are now open, and Mr Holmes believes that for the right person it represents a great chance to take a giant leap forward in improving leadership skills.
His advice for those contemplating an application? ‘Start thinking about how you could contribute more to your region and our sector, we will always need new and young leaders to come from within to take us up a notch or two’
Wine Australia sponsors an annual ARLP scholarship for a member of the grapegrowing and winemaking community. For more information about the ARLP, visit the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation website.