"Don’t feel the pressure to have all of the answers"

Twenty-five years ago, Lee walked into Water Corporation to help out a friend and cover 3-months of leave. As a small business owner, who was motivated to commercialise a hobby, Lee saw the job as an opportunity to help him grow his finances and skills, to further build his IT consultancy.

Now as the Head of Projects and Portfolio Delivery at Water Corporation, Lee still celebrates the fleeting moment of saying “yes”, those many years ago.

“In my first few weeks at Water Corporation, my manager was determined to find me a permanent role. He was a leader who championed me, so I began to chase the next opportunity. I’ve never stopped doing that”.

Driven by the values of ethics and integrity, Lee operates in life and leadership with a commitment to always doing the right thing.

“I’m definitely my own harshest critic, so there have been many personal hurdles throughout my journey.”

“At times, leadership hasn’t felt innate to me. I now know that every leader is different, and that I don’t need to mirror the qualities of those who have positively impacted me. I’ve come to appreciate that I have my own authentic leadership style and have worked hard to accept that.”

To Lee, leadership is about empowering his team to be the best they can be, setting them up for success and supporting their journeys both within and beyond his team”.

Lee applied for the Signature Leadership Program with the aim of continuing to invest in his emotional intelligence, capabilities to build relationships and his overall ‘soft skills’, to complement leading others.

“The Program was nothing like I had expected and everything that I needed. It got me thinking about my leadership role, not just as an employee at Water Corporation, but as a member of the Western Australian community. It challenged me beyond measure and was the most valuable self-development journey I’ve ever participated in”.

Noting the regional field trips as highlights, Lee recalls how unique it was to see first-hand the challenges and opportunities in Western Australia, from large-scale mining operations, cultural conservation and the many initiatives driven by and for communities.

“My family is most important to me and I’m fortunate to have balance. The field trips really got me thinking about whether I could, at the right time, take a leap with my family and relocate to one of the many regional Water Corporation offices”.­

A tennis fanatic and engaged community member, Lee is the Chair of his children’s School Board and is the President of his local tennis club. To him, giving back is an opportunity to show up for your community, build new relationships and develop as both an individual and a leader.

An active member of Leadership WA’s Alumni network, Lee recently discovered fellow Alumni, Lincoln Elliot’s (Rising 2022) Leadership Story, and became interested in Lincoln’s role as Chair of a not-for-profit called Catch Music.

Since reaching out to Lincoln with eagerness to get involved, Lee has officially become a Board Member of Catch Music! Lee’s desire to give back, embodies the community spirit that runs throughout Leadership WA’s Alumni community.

Lee’s advice to others is three-fold.

“Don’t feel the pressure to have all of the answers, trust in your team of subject matter experts and don’t be so hard on yourself”.