Turn Your Managers Into Confident Leaders
For your business to thrive, people need to be fully engaged, effective and empowered across the entire organisation. That’s why leadership development at every level is so critical.
No matter how good your processes and procedures, it’s impossible to achieve optimal results without first unlocking the potential of your people.
You need to bring the individuals together (virtually or in person) so they have the opportunity to be more effective, not just efficent. You also need leaders and they are everywhere. If you look for them.
You know how everyone is often in a rush to ‘get sh!t done’, but they often go around in circles before delivering anything?
Well, what we do is bring the expertise to ‘course correct’ your team towards the deliverables or end goals. Whether that be the day-to-day work or a specific project, we have the experience and knowledge to introduce changes that suit your business.
The Chief Encouragement Officer™ is here to support you and your team in leadership development.
Specialising in leadership development, psychological safety training, and program management, the Chief Encouragement Officer has the experience, knowledge and focus to get to the heart of issues and identify effective solutions.
With over 30 years of executive leadership experience across 13 industries, including senior management and board-level roles, Julia brings real-world expertise to leadership development in Australia.
As a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator trained directly by Dr Brené Brown and a former accredited Lifeline counsellor, she uniquely combines psychological safety training with practical business leadership.
Unlock the potential of your people and achieve organisation-wide success with our specialist leadership development workshops and program management expertise, serving organisations across Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
Our service offerings allow you to have us work with you side by side, teach you the core leadership skills to make changes in your business, or have a combination of both approaches.
LEADERSHIP AT EVERY LEVEL
Broad Experience
With over 20 years of corporate experience across multiple industries, leadership levels and business structures, the Chief Encouragement Officer is well placed to help, whatever your business.
Proven Results
The Chief Encouragement Officer (or Chief “Get It Done” Officer) combines empathy, experience & understanding to help your people and your business become more effective and achieve real results.
People Focus
A self-confessed “people geek”, the Chief Encouragement Officer draws on qualifications and experience to ensure team members and leaders are engaged and on the same page during projects.
Leadership Development: The Key to Your Business Success
Businesses need to constantly change and evolve to stay competitive and maintain success.
The challenge is how to juggle competing stakeholders, business priorities, leadership styles and attitudes to change in order to stay ahead while managing ‘business as usual’.
That’s where I come in. From strategy to delivery, the Chief Encouragement Officer adapts to meet your needs, helping to create order and simplicity in the midst of organisational change. With extensive experience across business analysis, sales, training and strategic planning, I’m here to make sense of ambiguity and secure your future business success.
Program Startup
Leadership consulting across Australia and New Zealand with 30+ years of executive experience.
Give your program or project the best chance of success by engaging us in the planning and scoping phase. I develop resources, create training and support your staff to connect effectively.
Project Review
Program and project reviews in Australia with proven success in getting underperforming projects back on track.
If you have a project or program already underway, bring us in to review its progress and direction. I review progress at any stage of the process to ensure it stays on track to deliver results.
Fearless Organization Scan
Psychological safety training for Australian organisations by a former Lifeline counsellor with board-level experience.
Amy Edmondson’s famed survey supports your team in understanding Psychological Safety.
I facilitate the process of completing the survey as a team and identifying key areas for growth.
Dare to Lead™
Certified Dare to Lead™ facilitator delivering leadership development across Australia and New Zealand with 30+ years of executive experience.
I facilitate Dare to Lead™ leadership training based on the research of Brené Brown. Tailored to fit in with your own leadership content, or can be delivered via the certified workshop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dare to Lead™ is a 3-day evidence-based leadership development skills program certified by Dr Brené Brown. The course builds courage skills for authentic leadership through four key skill sets: Rumbling with Vulnerability, Living into Values, BRAVING Trust, and Learning to Rise. It’s designed for all levels of managers and leaders, and particularly useful for teams navigating change. I offer the program across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Each participant receives up to three one-on-one coaching sessions after the training to help embed the learnings into daily practice.
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Psychological safety creates an environment where team members feel safe to speak up, share ideas, take risks, and admit mistakes without fear of punishment or embarrassment. Research by Amy Edmondson shows that psychologically safe teams are more innovative, collaborative, and productive. Our Fearless Organisation Scan measures four key dimensions: Inclusion and Diversity, Willingness to Help, Attitude to Risk and Failure, and Open Conversations. When teams score well in these areas, they consistently outperform teams where people stay silent or play it safe.
With 30+ years of organisational experience, I’ve worked across 13 industries including IT, construction, project management, retail, advertising, healthcare, government, education, and professional services. This breadth of experience means I can work with you to understand your sector’s unique challenges and tailor leadership development programs to your industry context. Whether you’re in a technical field requiring precise project delivery or a people-focused sector navigating complex stakeholder relationships, the principles of psychological safety and courageous leadership apply across all industries.
Program and project reviews typically take between one to three months, depending on the scope and complexity. The process includes stakeholder interviews, governance assessment, and a detailed recommendations report. For organisations wanting ongoing support, I can shadow staff and provide advisory services throughout implementation. Project start-up consultations usually run for approximately three months and include resource development, training creation, and staff support to ensure successful delivery on time and on budget.
Yes, I deliver training and consultations virtually via Microsoft Teams for clients across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. While the full Dare to Lead™ program is designed as a 3-day in-person experience for maximum impact and connection, it can also be adapted to deliver virtually. I would work with you to create a schedule that suits both the curriculum and your team’s availability. Many of our other services, including career skills consultations, project reviews, and one-on-one coaching sessions, are available online. Virtual delivery makes it easier for regional teams and interstate organisations to access leadership development without travel costs.
Participants in our Dare to Lead™ program consistently report increased confidence in difficult conversations, clearer personal and organisational values alignment, and stronger trust within their teams. Since being trained in the Dare to Lead™ program by Dr Brené Brown in 2019, I have received an average of 4.5 out of 5 for my facilitation skills. Our career skills consultation program has a 100% completion rate with a 4.9 out of 5 feedback score. For project reviews, all feedback from CEO’s and senior leaders has been they could not have achieved the results they did without my input. The key to lasting results is commitment to practice. That’s why we include follow-up coaching sessions and provide tools for ongoing reflection and skill development.
The Dare to Lead™ program is $2,495 plus GST per participant for the full 3-day course. This includes all course materials, up to three one-on-one coaching sessions after the training, and ongoing access to resources. For organisations with more than 25 participants, we may need to bring in additional facilitators to maintain the quality of interaction and personalised attention. Costs will be discussed prior, so the options are clear.
Investment for The Fearless Organization Scan from $3,500 plus GST depending on team size and scope.
My approach combines 30+ years of senior management and board experience across 13 industries with formal training in psychology, project management, and Dare to Lead™ facilitation. I’m not just teaching theory. I’ve lived these challenges as a program director, board chair, and Lifeline counsellor. I understand what it’s like to lead under pressure, navigate organisational politics, and make difficult decisions with incomplete information. This real-world experience, combined with evidence-based research from Brené Brown and Amy Edmondson, means you get practical, actionable strategies that actually work in Australian and New Zealand workplace cultures.
Unlock Your Organisation’s Potential
Discover how the Chief Encouragement Officer can help you cultivate change and power productivity.
Contact us today via our email address to discuss how our specialised leadership skills and expert program management could unlock your organisation’s potential.
