Disability-sector leadership: turning a vision into service
Why we need visionary leadership in the disability sector
By Fran Connelley · Originally published 30 December 2015
Original article
Fran Connelley is a strategic marketing specialist and Director of FC Marketing. This article includes extracts from her new book, ‘How to Thrive under the NDIS: A Pathway to Sustainability for Service Providers’ available late February 2016. The book includes insights and experiences of 15 disability CEOs and thought‐leaders in Australia and the UK. To order a copy visit http://bit.ly/1POkfwH.
An organisation’s Vision is the ultimate statement of its ideal future state. It should encapsulate what the organisation aspires to achieve and become. It’s the destination that guides the strategy.
During my time in the non-profit sector I’ve seen leaders who manage, leaders who lead and then a few leaders who actually provide visionary leadership. In times of massive change, it’s the third category that’s most needed.
Now, more than ever, leaders in the disability sector are being tested. With the changing funding model, many CEOs are under the kind of pressure they’ve never had before to lead transformational levels of change.
Visionary leadership inspires change in others by sharing the organisation’s Vision and the reason for that Vision with frequent and transparent communication, firstly within their team and then with clients, families, partners and the community.
It’s about sharing a meaningful image about the future that will resonate with each of these groups. It requires a clear communications plan across the entire organisation.
Visionary leaders know how to share and know how to listen. This is the antithesis of the outdated ‘command and control’ style of leadership. A shared vision is owned by everyone in the organisation. Command and control leadership won’t get you to sustainability.
Inspiring others begins with knowing your why. In his ground-breaking book Start with Why, Simon Sinek remarks: ‘If the leader of the organisation can’t clearly articulate why the organisation exists in terms beyond its products or services then how does he expect the employees to know why to come to work?’
Sinek gives the example of 20th century English explorer Ernest Shackleton’s advertisement in the _London Time_s which he used to recruit his team:
‘Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.’
Shackleton was specifically recruiting for ‘cultural fit’. As a result, despite being stranded in the Antarctic for ten months, losing their ship _The Endurance _and being stuck on the ice – no one died!
Finding a cultural fit within an organisation gives meaning to work and enables us to define why we do what we do. It also gives the organisation a much stronger chance of survival. There are many visionary leaders in the Australian disability sector and the closer we come to the full NDIS roll-out, the more obviously they will stand out.
Clickability editorial update: October 2026
Translate the vision into actions participants can observe
Ask which parts of the service show the stated values and where practice falls short. Assign responsibilities for access, communication, complaints and continuity, then report what has changed. A statement about inclusion means little if people cannot understand the agreement or get a concern heard.
Listen to disagreement rather than recruiting only people who think alike. Provider governance standards connect leadership with accountability. Review worker capability and service evidence alongside organisational goals, without assuming growth is the only measure of success.
Ask what the values mean for the work you do
Seek clear role expectations, training and supervision. Raise examples where workload or a procedure conflicts with the organisation’s stated approach. A shared mission does not require unpaid effort or silence about unsafe practice. Capability-development guidance provides a practical reference for linking support and learning to the work.
Questions readers ask
Does a shared vision replace governance and supervision?
No. Practical responsibilities, capability and follow-through still matter. Official guidance
Find providers with clear service responsibilities
Compare Clickability profiles and ask how a provider’s values shape daily support, communication and complaints. Confirm arrangements that fit your needs.
