Welcome to Alumni Insights, our series of conversations with leaders who have completed a Cranlana program.
Our aim is to understand the unique aspects of the Colloquium that stick with each leader as well as seek answers to the big questions like, how can leaders navigate the challenges of ethical decision-making and keep driving their organisations forward?
Our Alumni and Community Manager Steph Fernihough recently sat down for a conversation with Western Australia’s Inspector of Custodial Services and Cranlana alum, Eamon Ryan.
Eamon’s role carries a unique responsibility, sitting at the intersection of justice, human dignity, and systemic reform. His work involves inspections of facilities, documenting conditions and the writing of reports that governments don’t always want to read.
Eamon Ryan, Chief Custodial Inspector, Western Australia. (Image: Supplied, Office of The Custodial Inspector)
It’s work that requires courage and often invites conflict. Some advocates want him to argue harder, whilst others say he goes in too hard. “This isn’t the kind of job where everyone will be happy,” he acknowledges.
Eamon participated in Cranlana’s Colloquium in 2016, calling it “the most impactful week of professional learning that I’ve ever done.” Here he shares his reflections on the Colloquium and the broader practice of ethical leadership in the context of his own work, in a sit down with Stephanie.
This is the kind of job where you do need moral courage. You cannot look at it from a self-interest point of view. If you’re thinking, ‘these decisions might negatively impact the next stage of my career’—you’re in the wrong job.
Stephanie: After the Colloquium, did you re-evaluate your leadership style through more of an ethical lens?
Eamon: “It brought a whole bunch of threads together, into one ball of wool that made sense. I didn’t fully—or perhaps consciously—appreciate the role of ethics and how you approach problems, leadership, and other people. I ask myself when considering the greater good: if you advocate for something that’s going to leave some people behind, is that fair and equitable?
It’s made a big difference in my life; in my work, in my capacity volunteering in my community, in my personal life. It’s also made me more comfortable within myself. I can recognise that no one is perfect, and that we shouldn’t pretend to be – that’s the worst thing that you can do. Just be who you are.”
The transformation wasn’t immediate. Eamon describes it as a ‘slow dawn’; a gradual awakening to the ethical dimensions underlying every leadership decision. The program also gave him permission to speak more boldly, challenging opinions he might previously have let pass.
Making courageous decisions
Stephanie: How do you reconcile difficult decisions when making them?
Eamon: “I use a test. It’s simple. I ask myself: ‘If this was my son, or my daughter, how would I feel?’ And if the answer to that is, ‘Not good.’ That’s all the answer I need to do something differently. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a child from a remote community, from a disadvantaged family, or from an affluent family. The answer is the same, for me.
If the government doesn’t like me writing a report about poor conditions, I say to them: here’s your opportunity to do something about it. You should do the right thing, not for any reward, or validation, or recognition, but simply because it’s the right thing to do.”
Stephanie: What drives your approach to reform and change?
Eamon: “The next person who comes in here will have the best foundation we can give them. I may not be here to see those benefits come to fruition. But that’s okay. Because the person before me did work that I’m benefiting from now. So I’m a temporary custodian of this role.
We have a responsibility to those who are in prison today. But if we just focus on the longer term, there are many people who will suffer along the way. So you need to have a short, medium, and long-term focus—they’re all important.”
Stephanie: How has the Colloquium influenced your view of leadership more broadly?
Eamon: “When I see a public figure stand up, and they are honest and direct, and they take accountability for their actions, if they are willing to publicly acknowledge they’ve made a mistake – I have huge admiration for that person as a leader. It takes an immense amount of personal courage, and moral courage, to leave yourself exposed like that.”
This program gives you a moral foundation, to guide you in making these big decisions. It’s a solid rock that you can come back to. All leaders are custodians of trust; whether you’re the CEO of a big corporation, or a public servant, there is still that moral conundrum.
Stephanie: Are you guided by a certain set of principles?
Eamon: “Yes, but you must also recognise that you are a contradiction. You’re an advocate for social change – but in your neighbourhood? You want more social housing – but in your backyard?” He shakes his head. “But I have this view, that if you do your bit, and you do what’s right and reasonable, if everybody did that, things would be much better.” Eamon shows me his carefully preserved copy of the Colloquium readings, kept on his desk as a daily reminder of the experience.
Stephanie: How did the Colloquium build on this belief?
“After the Colloquium, I experienced a slow dawn. All of the threads coming together for me into a cohesive framework. I wasn’t a bad person, who suddenly became a good person. But I realised that I could be more aware, more self-aware, more aware of the implications of my decisions, and then act on that.
The Colloquium was influential. A really valuable professional development tool for existing leaders, for aspiring leaders, and if you embrace it – it can be transformational.”
Stephanie: You’ve referenced navigating the complex ethical terrain of your role – how do you balance this with the moral dimensions of your leadership challenges?
Eamon: “All leaders carry this with them. If you are a leader, you are a custodian of that trust. Whether you’re the CEO of a big corporation, or a public servant, there is still that moral conundrum.”
Pair timeless ethical principles with your leadership practice today, for tomorrow.
The Cranlana Colloquium is Cranlana’s flagship program for senior leaders across the private, public and community sectors. It has evolved over 30 years of dialogue and reflection, with Australian leaders like Eamon coming together to develop their capacity to lead organisations through volatility and complexity with courage and authenticity.
To meet the unique needs of leaders across levels and sectors, we offer the Colloquium in three streams: Executive Colloquium, Emerging Leaders Colloquium and Public Sector Leaders Colloquium. Find out more about our upcoming programs and where we’re running them here:
