Australia, a diverse and vibrant nation, is known for its strong economy, high quality of life, and unique geographical position in Asia-Pacific. With a reputation for having a laid-back style with a love of nature, resilience, and optimism, Australia continues to thrive as a hub for global trade, research, and sustainable development. This country’s business landscape is shaped by a spirit of collaboration, an informal and pragmatic approach to leadership, and a commitment to fairness and transparency—all values that mirror Australia’s rich multicultural traditions. Understanding the personalities of leaders who drive Australia’s top organizations offers meaningful insight into the behavior that Australian organizations reward and the values that guide how Australian leaders make decisions.
At Hogan Assessments, we have data on more than 850 Australian executives in our executive leader benchmark. We collaborated with Peter Berry Consultancy (PBC), an authorized Hogan distributor in Australia, to bring these insights to life. PBC has played a central role in driving smarter leadership selection and development with personality insights across Australia and New Zealand. We interviewed Peter Berry, owner and CEO at PBC, to learn from his experience working with Australian executives. By understanding what motivates Australian leaders, how they succeed, and where they may face challenges, we can uncover critical insights into the leadership DNA of Australian businesses.
What Do Australian Leaders Want?
Hogan’s Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (MVPI) measures the core goals, values, drivers, and interests that determine what people care about and aim to accomplish.
Commerce
For Australian executives, the strongest motivator is Commerce. Compared to the global executive benchmark, Australian leaders place a high value on financial success, business growth, and profitability. Leaders who score high on Commerce are likely to be focused on results and pay close attention to budgets and KPIs. These leaders may favor using financial incentives to motivate performance across their teams. Leaders who score high on Commerce are motivated by the return on their investments and the profitability of the projects they undertake, which can influence how they set goals, measure success, and reward their teams.
Hedonism
Berry notes that Hedonism is the second highest motivator for Australian executives. Australian leaders rank in higher than the global executive benchmark by four percentile points. Leaders who score high on Hedonism tend to seek enjoyment, excitement, and stimulation in their work. They are often seen as lively, dynamic, and fun to be around. Berry shares that Australia has “fabulous beaches, really good bars, and socially active networks.” He notes that people in Australia enjoy these, along with food and wine, all of which foster an environment where leaders enjoy life. Whether it’s a celebratory drink after a big win or building rapport over a memorable client dinner, Australian leaders value enjoyment during business and may foster a culture that embraces having fun, spontaneity, and shared enjoyment with their teams. Their approach to leadership often includes bringing a fun energy to their teams and building an environment where people enjoy working. Berry advises Australian executives to continue to bring this value of enjoyment to their teams and to “tie it to achievement of results and celebrate the big milestones and KPIs.”
Security
At the other end of the scale, Security ranks as the lowest motivators for Australian leaders, who score 10 percentile points lower than the global executive average. Leaders who score low on Security tend to bring agility and fearlessness to the table. These leaders are known for embracing constructive feedback, taking smart risks, and valuing independence. Berry notes that executives with scores lower on Security may tend to be more risk-taking, open to innovation and change, and agile. This may give them a more competitive edge. Unfazed by job security concerns, leaders lower in Security excel in fast-paced, innovation-driven environments where initiative is key. Their comfort with ambiguity and change makes them effective in dynamic industries undergoing rapid transformation.
Maintaining a forward-thinking mindset, leaders with low Security may champion progress and adapt quickly but may sometimes undervalue structure and long-term planning. These leaders’ comfort with risk, when paired with a strong drive for Commerce, however, suggests a leadership profile that is entrepreneurial, resilient, and focused on growth, even in uncertain conditions. Berry offers the advice that Australian leaders should ensure their strategic plan is clear and that they should set KPIs for maximum success.
How Will Australian Leaders Get What They Want?
The Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) measures how we relate to others when we are at our best. It provides valuable insight into how leaders work, how they influence others, and how they achieve success. Among Australian executives, the highest scoring HPI scales are Ambition and Sociability, painting a portrait of leaders who are driven, energetic, and socially proactive.
Ambition
Leaders who score high on Ambition tend to be seen as confident, goal-oriented, and full of initiative. They are likely to set challenging objectives for themselves and their teams, pushing hard to meet them and rarely shying away from a challenge. Their drive to succeed often makes them stand out and positions them for leadership roles early in their careers. However, their intense focus on results can sometimes lead them to be intimidating to others and overlook input from their team members in pursuit of their own vision and goals. Berry notes that the Ambition of Australian leaders equals that of their peers in the global executive benchmark and points out that Australian leaders have levels of drive and energy that get them ahead in their companies.
Sociability
Paired with Ambition, Australian leaders score high on Sociability, a scale that reflects social proactivity and engagement. Australian leaders who score high on Sociability are often described as approachable, expressive, and well-connected. Leaders like this tend to build networks inside and outside their organizations and communicate frequently and in large quantities. Berry notes that Australian leaders indeed tend to be outgoing, extraverted, chatty, and socially active. He shares that time management, however, can be an issue, especially with higher Hedonism, because leaders are focused on having a good time. Executives who are high on Sociability may overshadow quieter members of the team. Taking the time to include other voices is critical for these leaders.
Prudence
On the other end of the continuum, Prudence is the lowest scoring HPI scale among Australian leaders—seven percentile points lower than the global executive average. Leaders who score low on Prudence tend to be flexible, adaptable, and comfortable working without rigid structure. Executives like this are more likely to take a pragmatic, results-driven approach rather than follow rules for rules’ sake. Berry mentions that this is true for Australian leaders: “We don’t always follow rules. We don’t sit there focused on the work being absolutely 100% quality.” He points out that this approach does, however, make Australian executives flexible, spontaneous, and open to change.
While being flexible and results-driven can promote speed of execution, it may also lead to missed details, inconsistent follow-through, or resistance to established policies and procedures. Berry suggests that Australian leaders should learn that for the “boring but important stuff, they should either pay attention or have good managers at the next level who can pay closer attention.” According to PBC’s CEO research, effective CEOs tend to have much lower average Prudence scores than the rest of the population.
Adjustment
Australian leaders also score higher than the global benchmark on Adjustment, a scale that reflects emotional resilience, optimism, and composure under pressure. Leaders who score high on Adjustment are typically calm, steady, and resilient in high-stress environments. Berry notes that Australian leaders can handle pressure without getting overly stressed. He points out that they tend not to overreact, which can be valuable in times of crisis or uncertainty. However, their personal tolerance for stress may mean they lack urgency and may underestimate the emotional toll of pressure on others. As a result, they may overlook the stress signals from their teams or delay offering support when it’s most needed.
In combination, while leaders in Australia have big goals and lofty ideas, they may not have the focus on implementation to successfully action the goals. Their relaxed and resilient nature can also lead to relaxed accountability towards delivering on these goals.
What Will Get in Australian Leaders’ Way?
The Hogan Development Survey (HDS) measures personality-based risk factors—overused strengths that can emerge during times of stress, pressure, or boredom. These behaviors, if unchecked, can damage a leader’s reputation and relationships, ultimately derailing careers.
Colorful
For Australian executives, the highest scoring derailer is Colorful, which falls within the Moving Against cluster of the HDS—behaviors often marked by charisma and influence. Compared to the global executive benchmark, Australian leaders score only two percentile points higher on Colorful. Generally, Australian leaders follow the trends of executives around the globe who tend to call attention to themselves and their work. Leaders who score high on Colorful tend to be perceived as animated, entertaining, and socially dynamic. They often make strong initial impressions and are skilled at being entertaining and using enthusiasm to win others over. Berry comments, “In Australia, we see a lot of advantages in Colorful—if they are not derailing or overusing these strengths.”
Colorful leaders are often lively and have a flair for bringing attention to projects and accomplishments; however, their need for attention can become problematic. They may overcommit, become easily distracted, or struggle to follow through. In group settings, they may seek the spotlight rather than focus on facilitating collective success and may prioritize personal recognition over team outcomes. Over time, direct reports may find high Colorful leaders hard to work with, particularly if their self-promotion overshadows their ability to lead with consistency and substance.
Bold
More unique to Australian executives, however, is the low score on the Bold scale, which is associated with arrogance, overconfidence, and an inflated sense of self. Although Hogan has measured an empirical correlation between high Ambition and high Bold, for Australian leaders, their high Ambition, low Bold combination is an unexpected relationship that offers unique insights into how they lead. Australian organizations value leaders who are self-confident and driven (high Ambition) yet humble and ready to admit mistakes or share when they don’t know something (low Bold). Australian leaders score ten percentile points lower on this scale compared to the global average of executives.
Berry says that the lower Bold was surprising to hear, but not completely unexpected. He views Australian executives as “fairly confident, fast-paced, and enjoying life.” With the lower score on Bold, however, Berry notes that Australian leaders seem to maintain a sense of humility as well. “In Australia, we have a thing called the ‘tall poppy syndrome,’” he says. “If you are egocentric or narcissistic, or full of yourself, Aussies like to take you down a peg or two. We don’t like narcissists in Australia—humility is good.”
Leaders who are low on Bold may be more open to admitting their faults and could offer a sense of psychological safety to those they lead. Berry mentions that these leaders can be more supportive of teams as well: “It’s not about the leader or the ego of the leader. It’s about the team.” In times of stress and pressure, instead of developing an aggrandized sense of self and abilities, such as many other global executives may do, Australian leaders remain grounded in their sense of self and abilities. Berry comments that with lower on Bold, however, “Australian executives may need to be a little more assertive, especially when making difficult decisions and challenging poor performers.”
What Can We Learn from Australian Leaders’ Personality Data?
Australian executives bring a dynamic mix of Ambition, Sociability, and risk tolerance to their leadership style. Driven by commercial success and energized by socially engaging work environments, they thrive in fast-paced settings where a relaxed, people-focused atmosphere is valued. These leaders are ambitious, outgoing, and resilient—radiating optimism and a strong presence that inspires those around them.
Berry describes Australian executives as outgoing, fun-loving, and trusting. He says that these executives are also “flexible, spontaneous, delegating, not micromanaging.” While teams tend to love the freedom Australian executives provide, Berry also cautions that “on the boring routines, they have to knuckle down and do the basics.”
Australian leaders are also adaptable and open to uncertainty, often willing to challenge the status quo to achieve results. Their charisma and enthusiasm can elevate team morale and foster a vibrant workplace culture. However, their high energy and focus on personal impact may come at the expense of consistency or team-centered execution. Together, these personality trends define Australian leaders as commercially savvy, socially confident, and unafraid to take big steps—all while staying open, grounded, and attuned to the people they lead.
On the global stage, Berry agrees that Australian executives may be seen as flexible, strategic, and having high EQ compared to other global leaders. However, he notes that Australian leaders may struggle in Europe or in Asia where markets expect leaders who have a more structured and conscientious style of leadership and who value tradition and respecting the past more than having fun at work. Berry suggests that Australian executives must consider how their own values and behaviors fit in with the local norms for the countries where they work. Self-awareness and self-regulation will be key to success.
Overall, Berry notes that Australian leaders seem to empower people with their propensity for fun at work, their tendency to seek out social interaction, and their willingness to admit when they are wrong. Berry states, “Leadership is about engagement, and engagement is about performance. The lesson for Australian leaders is to use that extraversion and energy to get results from people.”
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