THE COURAGE TO LEAD INTERVIEW SERIES

In this episode of The Courage to Lead Interview Series, Allan Sicard speaks with Mike Wassing, Commissioner of the NSW State Emergency Service.

Mike leads an organisation of more than 11,100 volunteers across 262 units, supported by over 600 staff, with responsibility for floods, storms and tsunamis across New South Wales.

This conversation explores Mike’s leadership journey from under-16 cricket captain, park ranger and Country Fire Authority officer, through to senior emergency management roles in Victoria, Queensland and now NSW.

Mike shares powerful insights on volunteer leadership, listening, being present, building trust, learning from mistakes, supporting people through crisis, mental health in emergency services, community resilience and the future of disaster management.

His three leadership words are

humility, empathy and courage

— values that sit at the heart of this thoughtful and deeply human conversation.

Follow Allan Sicard on LinkedIn, Instagram and ALLANSICARD.COM.

The Courage to Lead - The Book

Listen now to The Courage to Lead Podcast and explore more stories of leaders who are redefining courage into action, empowering others to create supportive and inclusive workplaces where people can thrive.

In this deeply reflective episode of The Courage to Lead Interview Series, Allan Sicard speaks with Reverend Dr Mark Layson — researcher, disaster recovery chaplain, former NSW Police officer, Anglican pastor and author of The Unexpected Poison: Betrayal and Moral Injury in Your Workplace.

Mark shares his remarkable journey through policing, emergency services, ministry and academia, exploring how workplace culture, leadership and betrayal can profoundly impact mental health and wellbeing.

The conversation dives into:

This is an honest, insightful and powerful discussion for leaders across every industry who want to create safer, healthier and more compassionate workplaces.

Follow Allan Sicard on LinkedIn, Instagram and ALLANSICARD.COM.

The Courage to Lead - The Book

Listen now to The Courage to Lead Podcast and explore more stories of leaders who are redefining courage into action, empowering others to create supportive and inclusive workplaces where people can thrive.

In this compelling episode of The Courage to Lead Interview Series, Allan Sicard sits down with returning guest Alex Greenwich MP to explore leadership under pressure. Alex shares his deeply personal journey over the past three years, including the impact of public attacks, mental health challenges, and the turning point that came from asking for help.

They discuss the importance of stability in leadership, working across differences, and staying focused on outcomes that genuinely help people. Alex also reflects on the role of kindness in leadership, the reality of political life, and why vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness.

This episode is a powerful reminder that leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about courage, compassion, and continuing when it would be easier to stop.

Follow Allan Sicard on LinkedIn, Instagram and ALLANSICARD.COM.

The Courage to Lead - The Book

Listen now to The Courage to Lead Podcast and explore more stories of leaders who are redefining courage into action, empowering others to create supportive and inclusive workplaces where people can thrive.

In this episode of The Courage to Lead, Allan Sicard sits down with former NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Rob Rogers.

Rob reflects on 45 years of service, including leading through Australia’s most devastating bushfire season. He shares insights into crisis leadership, organisational transformation, and the complexity of decision-making in high-stakes environments.

From managing 100+ simultaneous fires to navigating COVID challenges across a 70,000-strong volunteer workforce, Rob offers practical leadership lessons grounded in experience.

Now in retirement, he’s embracing new challenges—learning to fly and redefining life beyond leadership.

This episode is a powerful exploration of

Resilience   Humility   Learning

the true nature of leadership.

Follow Allan Sicard on LinkedIn, Instagram and ALLANSICARD.COM.

The Courage to Lead - The Book

Listen now to The Courage to Lead Podcast and explore more stories of leaders who are redefining courage into action, empowering others to create supportive and inclusive workplaces where people can thrive.

In this episode of The Courage to Lead Interview Series, Allan Sicard speaks with former NSW Police sergeant Kate Baker, founder of The Kind Rebellion and author of Staying Kind in an Unkind World.

Kate shares her journey from hospitality to policing, her mission to improve relationships between police and the queer community, and the leadership lessons shaped by exceptional mentors and challenging environments.

This episode explores the power of kindness in leadership, the importance of team culture, and the courage required to pivot when personal capacity is reached.

A must-listen for leaders seeking to build resilient, inclusive, and high-performing teams.

KINDNESS, COURAGE, CRAFT

Follow Allan Sicard on LinkedIn, Instagram and ALLANSICARD.COM.

The Courage to Lead - The Book

Listen now to The Courage to Lead Podcast and explore more stories of leaders who are redefining courage into action, empowering others to create supportive and inclusive workplaces where people can thrive.

In this powerful episode of the Courage to Lead interview series, Allan Sicard speaks with Kylee Dennis, Director of Two Face Investigations, forensic romance scam investigator, author, and winner of Micro Business of the Year 2025 at the Women Changing the World Awards in London.

Kylee shares her remarkable leadership journey — from growing up in a policing family, to serving as a detective and negotiator in some of NSW’s toughest policing environments, to navigating the deep personal loss of leaving a career she loved.

The conversation takes a moving turn as Kylee explains how her mother becoming the victim of a romance scam in 2023 reignited her sense of purpose and led her to establish Two Face Investigations.

Drawing on her policing, investigative and negotiation experience, Kylee now helps individuals and families identify romance scams, understand offender tactics, and escape the devastating emotional and financial damage these crimes cause.

This episode is a deeply honest conversation about leadership, identity, reinvention, service, resilience, and turning pain into purpose.

If you want to hear what authentic leadership really sounds like, this is an episode not to miss.

Be you. Give things a go. Stay curious.

Follow Allan Sicard on LinkedIn, Instagram and ALLANSICARD.COM.

The Courage to Lead - The Book

Listen now to The Courage to Lead Podcast and explore more stories of leaders who are redefining courage into action, empowering others to create supportive and inclusive workplaces where people can thrive.

In this episode of The Courage to Lead Interview Series, Allan Sicard speaks with Professor Amanda Davies, PhD — currently based in Dubai, leading research acceleration with Dubai Police and supporting policing curriculum at their academy. Amanda shares how a single opportunity (sparked by supportive leaders and family) led her from Charles Sturt University and the NSW Police Academy in Goulburn to senior academic leadership roles in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Amanda explores the power of mentorship, how inclusive leadership means listening to the people closest to the work, and why informed decision-making matters — especially in high-stakes policing environments. She reflects on earning credibility as a non-police academic in policing settings, leading as a woman in predominantly male environments, and the importance of checking how communication lands across cultures and languages.

This is an inspiring conversation about service, courage, and the quiet leadership choices that change lives — including your own.

3 words to describe Amanda's leadership style:

Thoughtful   Courageous  Generous  

Follow Allan Sicard on LinkedIn, Instagram and ALLANSICARD.COM.

The Courage to Lead - The Book

Listen now to The Courage to Lead Podcast and explore more stories of leaders who are redefining courage into action, empowering others to create supportive and inclusive workplaces where people can thrive.

In this episode of The Courage to Lead Interview Series, Allan Sicard speaks with Ben Pronk DSC — former Commanding Officer of the Australian SAS, co-author of The Resilient Shield, and co-host of the Unforgiving 60 podcast. Ben shares his earliest experience of leadership (surprisingly, in junior cricket), the influence of his father’s belief that “everything is figure-outable,” and why leadership is a learnable skill — not something you’re simply born with.

The conversation moves through Ben’s transition from infantry to special operations, the realities of leading in complex environments, and the often-unspoken loneliness of command. Ben reflects on Afghanistan, the importance of peer support, the need for humility and vulnerability in leadership, and why certainty can be dangerous in a polarised world.

Ben also discusses organisational identity and cultural transition during his time commanding the SAS, plus the role of family, stability, and relationships in shaping a meaningful life. He closes with a standout three-part guide for any leader:

Educate. Back yourself. Fail.

Follow Allan Sicard on LinkedIn, Instagram and ALLANSICARD.COM.

The Courage to Lead - The Book

Listen now to The Courage to Lead Podcast and explore more stories of leaders who are redefining courage into action, empowering others to create supportive and inclusive workplaces where people can thrive.

In this episode of The Courage to Lead Interview Series, Allan Sicard speaks with Professor Anthony Burke—architect, educator, broadcaster and TV presenter—about leadership, purpose, and human connection. Anthony shares his philosophy of “leading from the middle,” lessons from studying at Columbia University in New York, and how great leaders hold opposing ideas in balance. He reflects on setbacks, resilience, and the discipline of reflection through running and meditation. Anthony also reveals why he landed major TV roles: he didn’t perform to the camera—he connected with people.

A powerful conversation on curiosity, courage, and building a life driven by purpose.

Follow Allan Sicard on LinkedIn, Instagram and ALLANSICARD.COM.

The Courage to Lead - The Book

Listen now to The Courage to Lead Podcast and explore more stories of leaders who are redefining courage into action, empowering others to create supportive and inclusive workplaces where people can thrive.

In this deeply powerful episode of The Courage to Lead Interview Series, Allan Sicard speaks with Deborah Wallace APM — one of Australia’s most respected policing leaders. From frontline policing to organised crime, from tragedy to reform, Deb shares extraordinary insights on leadership, integrity, community safety, and resilience. This conversation explores authentic leadership beyond rank, the power of listening, and the human moments that define great leaders. An essential episode for anyone passionate about courage, service, and making a difference.

COURAGE   COMPASSION   LEGACY

Follow Allan Sicard on LinkedIn, Instagram and ALLANSICARD.COM.

The Courage to Lead - The Book

Listen now to The Courage to Lead Podcast and explore more stories of leaders who are redefining courage into action, empowering others to create supportive and inclusive workplaces where people can thrive.