5.5 CSI ’ s Social Impact Leadership Australia
Principle 5
The Centre for Social Impact (
CSI – also see Sections 3.3 and 4.2 ) have developed and deliver the innovative five-year , $ 9 million
Social Impact Leadership Australia ( SILA ) program . The Myer Foundation , the Sidney Myer Fund , the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation and the Paul Ramsay Foundation have collaborated to fund SILA and , in doing so , unlock leadership potential to improve the economic , social , cultural and environmental wellbeing of Australians .
SILA focuses on leadership development and capacity building for CEOs of for-purpose organisations . Designed by leaders in social impact education and drawing upon hundreds of hours of interviews with CEOs , the program will be delivered annually for five years . A new cohort of leaders commence each year and one third of participants will be selected from organisations that work in regional and rural areas .
Crucially , the program will build leadership cultures and capacity within the wider ecosystem of for-purpose organisations , rather than just individual leaders . This is achieved by focusing on three intersecting pillars : individuals , organisations and the social purpose ecosystem .
A core component of SILA is a three-month tailored sabbatical . During this period , participating CEOs are asked to completely disengage from their organisations and take a period of leave . The CEO continues to be paid during the period of leave and , through the capacity funding available , an identified leader from the organisation ( the Step-Up Leader ) will step-up to the CEO role . The Step-Up Leader will , in turn , be supported throughout the program with executive coaching and personalised leadership assessments .
5.6 Health @ Business Research Network
The Network
Health @ Business Research Network is a collaborative , cross-disciplinary network that aims to advance the knowledge and practice of business activities that enable health , healthcare , and effective health outcomes .
One of the network ’ s current research projects looks at the mental health impact of financial stress on small business owners , particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic . Many small businesses that were already financially fragile before , are now having to cope with the added stress of mass layoffs , closures and exceptional levels of uncertainty about the future .
The project brings together experts including the
Black Dog Institute ’ s Mark Deady and Associate Professor
Ann Kayis- Kumar from the School of Accounting , Auditing & Taxation . Their aim is to help find solutions for small businesses struggling in the current economic climate , and their
findings so far offer insights for business owners and government , including the need to reduce compliance burden for small businesses .
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