Adaptive Leadership Program
Leading across difference
A program for leaders who want to stay clear and steady when a conversation gets hard. It starts with the one thing you control, which is how you show up.
The Equality Project, in collaboration with the Centre for Civil Dialogue.
The problem
Most leaders don’t lack good intentions.
What they lack is a way to stay steady when a conversation turns tense. So the feedback goes unsaid. The conflict grows. People work around it.
At work, decisions stall and trust drains away. Outside work, relationships strain and causes lose momentum.
This is where you change that.
What you’ll be able to do
Walk into a hard conversation instead of avoiding it.
Stay calm and think clearly when someone pushes back.
See what’s really going on before you react.
Catch your own triggers before they run the room.
How it works
You can't control the other person. You can control how you read the moment and how you respond.
Over three days you learn to step back and see the whole conversation. Work out what is driving it. Name your own assumptions. Manage your reaction so you stay in the room.
The work is on you, because you are the one tool you bring to every conversation you lead.
Where this leads
This is the foundational work. It's about how you think, how you read a moment, and how you manage yourself when a conversation gets hard.
You'll dip a toe into the conversation skills themselves.
Going deeper on those skills is what the Centre for Civil Dialogue does next.
Who it’s for
Leaders and advocates who want to lead through complexity and difference.
If you have ever avoided a hard conversation, or watched one go sideways, this is for you.
You don't need years of experience. You do need a willingness to look at yourself.
All levels of experience are welcome. Participants come from workplaces, community organisations and advocacy. What they share is a role where the conversations are hard and the stakes are real.
For your manager
Why send someone:
Leaders who can hold hard conversations make faster, cleaner decisions.
Issues get named early instead of blowing up.
Steady leaders keep their teams, and keep their trust.
It's practical. Each person brings a real challenge and leaves with a way to handle it.
Adaptive Leadership Program 2026
Key Dates
Program: Wed 2nd to Fri 4th December 2026
Online induction one week prior, plus short pre-work
Registrations open: 7 September
Registration close: 16 November
Program Fee
Workplace-funded: $3950 inc GST
Self-funded and non-profit organisation: $2495 inc GST
Early bird (discounted) registration open to early sign ups
Maximum of 24 participants. Melbourne CBD location.
Register your interest and you'll get first access to the early bird before registrations open on 7 September.
Places open 7 September. You'll hear from us on 1 September.
Taryn Sexton
Program Lead Facilitator
Taryn Sexton is an experienced leadership development specialist, facilitator and executive. Passionate about developing leaders to tackle the complex issues we face in a rapidly changing future, she is an Alumni of the Transformative Leadership Program (2016), a collaboration between the University of Adelaide and the Lyndon B Johnson School of Government at the University of Texas and a Fellow of the Governor's Leadership Foundation (2009).
Taryn is also an accredited Executive Coach, Resilience @ Work Practitioner and Team Management Systems Practitioner. Taryn is skilled at diagnosing organisational and sector needs and curating plans and programs to address these. Her facilitation style is warm, inclusive and results driven.
2025 Program Participant Testimonials
“I thoroughly enjoyed the course and got so much out of it. I leave feeling very inspired and that it’s exactly what I needed at this point in my career. I could have done this for a whole week!"
“I thoroughly enjoyed the course and got so much out of it. I leave feeling very inspired and that it’s exactly what I needed at this point in my career. I could have done this for a whole week!"
"This training somehow should become mandatory for leaders and emerging leaders as I believe this course is incredibly powerful and will stay with me for a very long time."
"Absolutely loved the program days. Thank you!"
"This training somehow should become mandatory for leaders and emerging leaders as I believe this course is incredibly powerful and will stay with me for a very long time." "Absolutely loved the program days. Thank you!"
"The concepts that were taught are incredibly powerful and thought-provoking. They have led to me realising to look at things in a different perspective."
"The concepts that were taught are incredibly powerful and thought-provoking. They have led to me realising to look at things in a different perspective."
"The adaptive style of delivering the content and the humanisation of dealing with participants resonated with me most."
"The adaptive style of delivering the content and the humanisation of dealing with participants resonated with me most."
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Adaptive Leadership Program?
The Adaptive Leadership Program is an experiential development training program designed to enhance the leadership skills of individuals who seek to thrive in uncertain and changing environments. The program focuses on developing adaptive leadership abilities and fostering a supportive network among new leaders to facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences. Adaptive leadership equips you to make progress on complex problems, through the teaching of a variety of tools and frameworks, and the development of self-awareness and persona growth of all participants.
How many participants will be part of this program?
The Adaptive Leadershp Program will have a maximum of 24 participants only.
WHEN WILL THIS PROGRAM BE HELD?
Please refer to the key dates above.
Where will the program be held?
The in-person program days will be held at a central location in Melbourne, Victoria. Venue details will be provided to participants upon registration.
Is there a fee to attend the program?
Yes. Here is the fee structure:
Workplace-funded: $3950 inc GST
Self-funded and non-profit organisations": $2495 inc GST
Scholarships available for eligible non-profit organisations only, apply here.
Fees subject to change at short notice.
How will the program be delivered?
The program will consist of three in-person program days and an induction conducted online one week prior to commencement. All participants are required to complete pre-work/writing task ahead of the program.
Can reasonable adjustments be made to support the participation of people living with a disability?
We want this program to be accessible to participants of all abilities. Reasonable adjustments to support full participation will be accommodated. These may include, but are not limited to:
Universal access for people using a wheelchair or other mobility devices
Adjustments to the set up of learning spaces/venues
Accommodating the presence of support workers at training workshops
Alternative format learning materials
Dietary requirements
You will be asked to provide details of the types of support or adjustments that you require at the time of registration.
If you would like to discuss your accessibility requirements with us before you submit your application please contact us on: accessibility@equality.org.au.
Who is delivering the program?
The Adaptive Leadership Program 2026 is a collaboration between The Equality Project® and the Centre for Civil Dialogue. The lead facilitator for this program will be Taryn Sexton and supported by CCD and TEP team.
What is the difference between the Adaptive Leadership Program and the Changemaker Masterclass?
Changemaker Masterclass is about grounding people in purpose, connection and the core skills that help them understand themselves and others. While adaptive leadership focuses on navigating complexity and leading through challenge, this program builds the mindset, self-awareness and human skills that make meaningful change possible in the first place. Adaptive leadership concepts will not be covered in this program.
Adaptive Leadership Program is about leading across difference. It focuses on how you read a conversation, how you manage yourself when it gets hard, and how you keep making progress when people disagree.
Put simply: Changemaker builds your purpose and connection. Adaptive Leadership builds the diagnostic skill to read a difficult situation accurately and the self-management to stay effective inside it.
How does this program relate to the Centre for Civil Dialogue?
The Adaptive Leadership Program is delivered by The Equality Project® in collaboration with the Centre for Civil Dialogue.
This program is the foundational work. It's about how you think, how you read a moment, and how you manage yourself when a conversation gets hard. You'll dip a toe into the conversation skills themselves.
Going deeper on those skills is what the Centre for Civil Dialogue does next.
What approach does this program draw on?
The program is grounded in adaptive leadership, the framework developed by Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky at Harvard Kennedy School and set out in Leadership on the Line and The Practice of Adaptive Leadership.
Its central distinction is between technical problems, which can be solved with existing expertise, and adaptive challenges, which require people to change how they think, what they value or how they work. Most difficult conversations stall because an adaptive challenge is being treated as a technical one.
Over three days you'll work with:
Technical versus adaptive. Diagnosing which kind of challenge you're actually facing, and why the usual fix isn't working.
Getting on the balcony. Stepping back from the action to see the pattern you're caught inside.
Work avoidance. Recognising how groups, including your own, sidestep difficult work without admitting it.
The holding environment. Creating enough safety for people to do hard thinking, and enough pressure that they actually do it.
Self as instrument. Understanding your own triggers, defaults and blind spots, because you are the one tool you bring to every conversation.
Participants bring a real challenge from their own work and apply each of these to it across the three days.
Who can attend this program?
The Adaptive Leadership Program is for individuals who are seeking to enhance their leadership capabilities.
Participants must also:
Be 18 years old or over;
Be able to commit to attending the 3-day in-person intensive on all the key dates listed above. There will be a post-program session that will also require your attendance.
Have support from their organisation and/or senior leadership to participate.
All levels of experience are welcome, including individuals who are new to the role. No prior long-term experience is required to participate.
Is there a scholarship?
A limited number of scholarships will be available to eligible non-profit organisations. A reduced registration fee will apply. Apply for a scholarship here.
That sounds like me! How do I book my spot?
That’s great to hear! You can start the registration process when it opens here.
As part of your registration, please describe your role and the ways in which you’ve contributed to promoting diversity of thought in your organisation. If you're new to the role, please share your intentions or aspirations.
We kindly request the participant to complete the form.
If you need assistance to complete the registration form, please let us know.
Please take note of the registration closing date listed above.
Can I get an invoice to organise payment?
Yes. Please email us at mail@equality.org.au.
ANY TESTIMONIALS?
Here are some testimonials from participants of the Victorian LGBTIQ+ Leadership Program 2021:
My question hasn't been covered. How can I get in touch?
Please contact us at:
mail@equality.org.au
In order to create lasting and meaningful change, we need more diverse and adaptive leaders who value critical thinking, prioritise connection and embody a commitment to lifelong learning.
The Adaptive Leadership Program 2026 is a collaboration between The Equality Project® and the Centre for Civil Dialogue.
Program details are correct at time of publishing and are subject to change without notice.