More than ever, Toowoomba businesses need decisive leadership

MY VIEW is what we need, what small business needs right now, is decisive leadership, delivered with authenticity and communicated simply, that empowers us to prepare, adapt and innovate.

The ever changing and no doubt complex response to COVID-19, has in my view, been confusing and created uncertainty.

In a time of crisis, we need leadership.

A key component of a great leader is the ability to make decisive decisions.

Decisive leaders know, the risks, that if things go pearshaped, they will not blame others, but hold themselves responsible and accountable for their decisions.

Many of us who lead teams, are in that boat right now.

We are making decisions about what is in the best interests of our business, our staff, our community.

The actions we take in these uncertain times, will be telling.

As I will do my best to fulfil the essential qualities of leadership, I look to our community leaders – our elected officials at a national, state and local level to do the same.

I have no doubt, this crisis will be a life-changing event for the nation.

I have no doubt that we will change, adapt and reinvent ourselves.

It is what we do. But the constant changing goalposts and complete lack of certainty and direction from our leaders must come to an end.

It creates an inability to do all we can to protect local jobs and work our way through this series community challenge.

It gives us no time to prepare, adapt and innovate.

I will let you come to your own conclusions, about the leadership being shown at a national or state level.

As we appear to fast track towards total lock down to protect communities and the most vulnerable, we, at chambers across the country continue to advocate for small business.

Every day with each proposed stimulus package we look into the detail to determine what is available for small business and if it is enough.

At the local level, it was great to see all three mayoral candidates agree that a local economic stimulus package is required.

This is on the back of their earlier commitment to the local business community by signing an accountability agreement.

This demonstrates leadership to me.

A pledge to stand up and commit to the community, to small business and after 100 days, if elected return to the people about what has been done or not been done or can’t be done and why.

Isn’t that all we want from our leaders?

The chamber has also been advocating with council candidates to stand up and deliver for small business.

Several candidates spoke to the value of supporting small business at the recent council candidate forum.

But the following list of candidates said they were willing to be accountable to the community and small business by signing accountability agreements.

They were Gary Humphries,

Cr Geoff McDonald, Tim McMahon, Warren Midgley, Joy Mingay, Cr James O’Shea and Michael Truskinger.

I would like to thank all candidates who have led from the front and decided to be accountable to the community and small business, to do all they can for an estimated 50% of people the workforce, help households retain incomes and protect jobs in these stressful times.

Whatever the result of the local government elections this Saturday, the simple request is to provide decisive leadership to enable the small business community to prepare, adapt and innovate.

Toowoomba Chamber CEO