“It’s not what you do, it’s how much you enjoy doing it"

Lincoln Elliot was previously a Partner at Sia Partners, and is a graduate of the 2022 Rising Leadership Program and above all, a family man. A Sydneysider originally, travel has formed a large part of Lincoln’s early career, which began in advertising before taking a path in finance, strategy and consulting.

“For the seven years following my MBA, I worked for a global company of 400,000 people, consulting throughout Australasia. Working across the world was a great experience, but I came to the realisation, upon learning I was to be the father of twins, I was ready to spend more time at home; to feel more grounded.”

Touching down on our WA coastline, where his partner/wife grew up, Perth become home for their growing family. Lincoln took the opportunity to re-calibrate and ask himself ‘what do I want to be when I grow up?’, a question that had guided him from advertising, to studying for his MBA and into strategy.

“I joined Sia Partners, formerly Churchill Consulting, when it had 20 employees. Now, we have more than double that number, and despite joining a global firm, we have a quintessential Western Australian focus with exceptional connections in the local market.”

Leadership in all its forms constitutes a large part of Lincoln’s day-to-day, albeit combined with client delivery, business development, upskilling internal capabilities and the formal mentorship program within the firm. As an avid believer in lifelong learning, Lincoln was keen to pursue the opportunity to further develop his leadership capabilities.

“I’m fortunate that Sia Partners invests in their people. Undertaking the Rising Leadership Program gave me the space to reflect on my journey so far and unpack leadership challenges that I have faced along the way.”

“One of the most valuable parts of the Program was, for me, hearing the ‘journeys of a lifetime’ shared by my cohort. It unearthed the uniqueness of life and its experiences, creating a bond between us that traversed far beyond a room of mid-career professionals.”

Humanity in leadership is a reoccurring theme in Lincoln’s journey. Speaking in detail about the importance of creating a life that you wholly enjoy, from exercise to hobbies, from family time to work, and everything in between.

“It’s not what you do, it’s how much you enjoy doing it. If you aren’t happy with your future path, don’t be afraid to re-assess where you’re at. Consider the other opportunities that you can pursue and then, take measured leaps.”

“I’m involved with my local community; I head up the father’s group at my children’s school as well as Chairing a not-for-profit called Catch Music. I enjoy giving back, however, my most important leadership responsibility is being a Dad.”

Reflecting on the close-knit cohort of the Program, Lincoln speaks to the impact of peers and mentors throughout his journey.

“My very first mentor continues to positively shape my leadership, however throughout my career, I’ve cherry-picked leadership qualities from those who I have been positively impacted by, actively striving to implement and live these qualities. The Rising Program has further cultivated his perception of self-growth and self-belief. I now have more confidence to dig deeper and lean into my innate way of doing things.”

“The cohort has provided me with a two-way support system where we regularly connect, listen and help each other, these conversations are invaluable.”

Lincoln’s advice to other leaders is to be courageous, lean into your failures and to share these with those coming up behind you. Vulnerability in your mistakes is pivotal in developing the skillsets of others.

“Operating with integrity guides my every action, honesty really is everything.’

Lincoln is now the Executive Director of Lexcen Consulting.