What happens to organisational culture when a key leader leaves?

For many not-for-profit CEOs, this is more than a theoretical question. Leadership transitions, executive exits, restructures and management turnover can all put culture at risk - sometimes slowly and subtly, sometimes almost overnight.

In this episode of The NFP CEO, Michelle and Danielle unpack an important leadership question: Can culture outlast leadership change?

The answer? Yes, but only if culture has been intentionally embedded into the organisation itself, rather than attached to individual leaders.

This conversation explores how CEOs and executive teams can build resilient organisational culture that withstands leadership transitions, protects team cohesion, and supports long-term organisational performance.

As you reflect on your own organisation, ask yourself:

1. Is our culture attached to individuals or embedded in systems?
2. Would our culture survive the exit of a key executive?
3. Are our values clearly translated into expected behaviours?
4. How intentionally do we onboard leaders into our culture?
5. Where do silos exist that may create cultural fragmentation?
6. Is our leadership team aligned in how they reinforce culture?

Resources & Support

If your organisation is navigating:

1. Leadership transition
2. Executive succession
3. Organisational restructure
4. Cultural alignment challenges
5. Leadership team development

We work with not-for-profit CEOs and executive teams to strengthen leadership capability and build resilient organisational culture.

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn

Website: thenfpceo.com.au

Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn

Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn

When senior managers don’t step up, it creates pressure, frustration, and bottlenecks at the CEO level. But the cause isn’t always obvious and it’s rarely one-dimensional.

In this episode, Michelle and Danielle unpack the real reasons behind why managers hold back, from unclear expectations and organisational culture to CEO behaviours and structural constraints. They explore how leaders can diagnose the issue, shift their own approach, and build the capability and confidence of their teams.

This is a practical conversation about creating space, building trust, and developing the kind of leadership bench strength that allows CEOs to focus on what matters most.

1. Two sides of the same problem
2. The clarity trap
3. Learned helplessness in compliance-heavy environments
4. The CEO as bottleneck
5. From tasks to thinking
6. Role modelling vs. telling
7. Building strategic thinking
8. Creating safe space for growth (and mistakes)
9. Practical ways to develop your team

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn

Website: thenfpceo.com.au

Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn

Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn

In this episode, we continue unpacking the implications of the Star Entertainment Group governance case—one of the most significant corporate governance rulings in decades.

While much of the public conversation has focused on large, listed companies, the lessons are just as critical for CEOs in the for-purpose sector. If you report to a board, operate under the Corporations Act 2001, and are responsible for organisational performance, this case applies to you.

We move beyond theory and explore what CEOs must actually do—in practice—to discharge their duties when it comes to risk.

We cover:

1. Why simply reporting risks is no longer enough
2. How CEOs can demonstrate they’ve exercised care and diligence
3. What boards really need from you when it comes to risk
4. How to structure risk reporting so it cuts through complexity
5. The critical (and often overlooked) role of culture in risk management

If this episode has raised questions or highlighted gaps, Danielle and Michelle invite you to connect via LinkedIn or through The NFP CEO website.

Sometimes a short conversation can make a significant difference.

The content in this episode is not to be taken as legal advice. We are not lawyers. CEOs should consider these points thoughtfully and determine what applies to their own organisation.

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn

Website: thenfpceo.com.au

Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn

Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn

Failure is a word most leaders avoid. But in this episode of The NFP CEO, Danielle and Michelle sit down with strategy and communications expert Chris Savage to unpack why setbacks are actually a normal and necessary part of leadership.

One of Chris’s key insights is that leaders need to reframe failure as a setback. If you’re pushing an organisation forward, turbulence is inevitable. The real test isn’t avoiding mistakes — it’s how you respond to them.

In the conversation, Chris shares several “brutal truths” about setbacks:

1. Leaders need to face reality quickly and honestly.
2. Don’t keep investing in something that clearly isn’t working.
3. Some setbacks simply happen — take them on the chin and move forward.
4. If you’re trying new things and creating momentum, setbacks are unavoidable.
5. Plans matter, but leaders must also pivot and respond to what’s in front of them.

Key themes from the episode

1. Why leaders should reframe failure as setbacks
2. Facing reality and taking accountability
3. Building resilient teams that can talk openly about mistakes
4. Creating momentum with small wins and achievable goals
5. Balancing honesty with optimism as a leader

Guest: Chris Savage | LinkedIn

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn

Website: thenfpceo.com.au

Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn

Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn

In this episode of The NFP CEO, we sit down with Ethne Irving, CEO of the Royal Australian College of Dental Surgeons, for a refreshingly honest conversation about stepping into the top job.

Ethne didn’t come in cold—she spent over a decade as Deputy CEO at the Australian Dental Association and even stepped in as Interim CEO. But as she shares, nothing quite prepares you for the moment when you realise:

There’s no one else to turn to. The decision is yours.

One of the biggest shifts Ethne talks about is surprisingly simple—but significant.

As a deputy, you always have someone to bounce ideas off. Someone to sense-check. Someone to ultimately make the call.

As CEO?

You are that person.

Ethne describes missing those informal “chew the fat” moments—while also stepping into a new level of responsibility where every decision, big or small, lands with you.

Her approach hasn’t been to go it alone though. Instead, she leans into collaboration, constantly asking her team:

“What would you do if you were in my seat?”

Letting Go of the Detail (Even When It’s Uncomfortable)

Another big adjustment? Not knowing everything.

After years being deep in the detail, Ethne found herself needing to make decisions without having the full history or all the moving parts in her head.

And that’s the role.

With a strong leadership team in place, she’s had to shift from knowing everything to:

1. Asking better questions
2. Trusting others’ expertise
3. Getting just enough information to move forward

It’s a different kind of confidence.

If you’re stepping into a CEO role or thinking about it, this conversation is a grounded, honest reminder that:

1. You don’t need to have all the answers
2. You do need to ask better questions
3. Leadership is as much about presence as it is about strategy

And most importantly - You figure it out by doing the job.

If you’re navigating that step up into CEO, this is a very real, very practical conversation.

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn

Website: thenfpceo.com.au

Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn

Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn

Culture rarely breaks overnight - it's a shift that happens slowly and subtly.

In this episode of The NFP CEO, we unpack how CEOs can recognise early signs of disengagement, diagnose what’s really driving it, and take practical, leadership-led action to rebuild trust, clarity, and momentum.

From navigating funding pressures and reform in the Australian for-purpose sector, to resetting expectations across your leadership team, this episode provides a clear, no-nonsense roadmap for restoring a healthy organisational culture, without superficial fixes.

If you’re sensing something is “off” in your organisation but can’t quite prove it yet, this episode is for you.

We cover:

1. The Moment You realise the Culture Has Shifted

2. Culture Is a Leadership System, not a Feeling

3. Diagnose Before You Act: What’s Really Driving Disengagement?

4. The CEO’s First Job: Restore Clarity and Direction

5. Rebuild Trust Through Visible Leadership

6. Reset Standards: What You Tolerate Becomes the Culture

7. Fix the Leadership Spine First

8. Culture Recovery Is About Momentum, Not a Big Gesture

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn

Website: thenfpceo.com.au

Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn

Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn

This week on The NFP CEO, Michelle and Danielle take a timely look at a major corporate governance case making headlines across Australia: the court judgment involving Star Entertainment Group.

The ruling has been described as one of the most significant corporate governance decisions in decades. While the case centres on a large listed company, the implications reach far beyond the corporate sector, including CEOs in not-for-profit and for-purpose organisations.

In this episode, Michelle and Danielle unpack the key themes emerging from the judgment and explore what CEOs can learn from it. In particular, the court found that the former Managing Director and CEO, along with the Chief Legal and Risk Officer, breached their duties of care and diligence. Interestingly, the case against the non-executive directors was unsuccessful.

So what does that mean for CEOs?

Most commentary so far has focused on the responsibilities of directors. But in this conversation, Michelle and Danielle flip the lens and examine what the decision signals for CEOs, especially when it comes to reporting, organisational culture, risk escalation, and the relationship between management and the board.

Michelle and Danielle describe this judgment as a “check-in moment” for CEOs. Not a cause for alarm but an opportunity to pause and ask:

1. Are the right risks being escalated?
2. Are reporting systems strong enough?
3. Would the board easily see the most important issues?
4. Is the organisational culture one where problems surface quickly?

This discussion reinforces a simple truth: being a CEO carries enormous responsibility and good governance is built not just on processes, but on transparency, curiosity, and culture.

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To review the judgement: Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Bekier (Liability Judgment) [2026] FCA 196

The content in this episode is not to be taken as legal advice. We are not lawyers. CEOs should consider these points thoughtfully and determine what applies to their own organisation.

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn

Website: thenfpceo.com.au

Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn

Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn

Supervision meetings are an important leadership tool a CEO has, but often poorly used. Too many become either a work-in-progress checklist or an unfocused catch-up that doesn’t add much value.

In this episode of The NFP CEO, Michelle and Danielle unpack how CEOs should structure supervision with their direct reports so that meetings drive clarity, accountability, strategic thinking, and leadership development.

They discuss how regular supervision can act as an early warning system for organisational risks, how CEOs can create a culture where issues are raised early, and why these meetings are critical for aligning leaders to the organisation’s strategy.

You’ll also hear practical advice on structuring the agenda, setting expectations for preparation, and using supervision conversations to build stronger leadership capability across your organisation.

This episode is essential listening for new CEOs, aspiring CEOs, and executive leaders in the for-purpose sector who want to lead high-performing teams without being buried in operational detail.

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn

Website: thenfpceo.com.au

Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn

Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn