"As a leader, I’ve always tried to be a lighthouse, keeping the light shining, the direction clear."

Jane Harwood has always been a leader, long before she had a job title to match. Her career has been defined by the values of equity, fairness and service, and her journey offers insight into what it means to lead with purpose.

Early leadership foundations

It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact beginning of Jane’s leadership journey because, as she put it herself,

“I’ve always been in leadership roles. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t. I was a patrol leader in girl guides, a student leader as an undergraduate, then was elected as a student welfare officer in the Student Guild before going straight into paid and voluntary leadership positions in my professional journey.”

“From a career perspective, I moved quickly into management positions, pushed forward by a desire to serve others and an ability to stand up for myself and them.”

“These days I’m clear about what drives me, my values around equity and fairness, which then leads to transparency and inclusion, though I don’t think I was able to articulate that when I was younger.”

“I look back at the roles I had as a student, such as the student welfare officer role, an elected position to represent students’ interests around healthcare, homelessness and accommodation, and can see clearly how even these earliest roles reflect my values.”

What is a leader?

Today, Jane is CEO of Linkwest, a peak body for neighbourhood and community resource centres. She describes leadership with a vivid metaphor:

“As a leader, I’ve always tried to be a lighthouse, keeping the light shining and the direction clear. Providing guidance around the sharp rocks and through rough seas.”

“I think that also sits well with my values, with that sense of equity and transparency. If the light’s clear then it doesn’t matter where you’re looking at it from, or who’s looking. There’s an equity in being able to see that light and receive the same safe passage.”

Signature Experiences

Jane said that her experience in the Signature Leadership Program in 2022 gave her an excellent chance for reflection, reminding her of past lessons,

“Signature was fantastic for giving me a chance to stop and reflect on where I’d come from and where I was going, a chance to make it all about me, question myself and my responsibilities as a leader. It also gave me an opportunity to spread my wings and grow my network from my cohort. In 2022, my network had really receded because of COVID.”

“It reminded me that I was comfortable with the uncomfortable. I’d become very comfortable in my job, but that in itself was not a happy place for me. I wanted a bit more challenge, and to be a little bit more in control of that challenge.”

That same realisation had surfaced years earlier, during an experience in 2003 on a university trip to South Africa, where Jane led university and TAFE students working in remote communities.

“It was an amazing, life-changing experience. I would love to go back. We made a schoolhouse and an orphanage in a small community. It taught me that I was capable of being well and truly out of my comfort zone, could achieve more than I thought possible and would still be alright.”

Advice for aspiring leaders

For emerging leaders, Jane’s advice is both practical and deeply reflective.

“If others see leadership potential in you, recognise that, question it, be curious about it, explore it with those people that are seeing it in you. Ask them to tell you why they think you’re good for that role.”

She encourages aspiring leaders to slow down and make space for self-awareness.

“I think in those emerging leader roles you can be so busy, so focused at looking at your career without making that personal investment in understanding your own qualities and characteristics, so it’s important to make the time and space to reflect.”

The responsibility of leadership

Jane speaks passionately about the burden, and gift, of leadership. She references words often shared by Leadership WA CEO, Dominique Mecoy,

“I know Dom says that we have huge privilege in carrying the roles leaders carry, but in doing so you have a huge responsibility to do something with that.”

“I think it’s absolutely true. If there’s something I can change, if there’s an effect that I can have that is going to leave other people better off or result in positive change, then I feel a responsibility to do something to achieve that.”

For Jane, this commitment to equity and transparency isn’t confined to her professional life.

“That responsibility is very personal. It doesn’t stop when I leave the office. It’s very connected with what is important to me in life.”

“I think from a leadership perspective, we must recognise that leadership has a privilege and a mirror responsibility that goes with that.”

She closes with a return to her guiding metaphor, one that ties together the themes of discipline, duty, and care.

“A good old-fashioned lighthouse keeper’s sole job was to walk up those stairs every day and keep that light burning. We need to do the same as leaders. Keep walking up those stairs, keep polishing the light and keep it shining for whoever needs it.”

Lighting the way

In Jane’s eyes, leadership isn’t a title, it’s a lifelong responsibility to shine a light for others. Whether in community service, parenting or mentoring, her path continues to reflect the values she’s carried since her days as a student, and the steps she still climbs every day to keep the light burning.

Jane Harwood | Chief Executive Officer | Linkwest