Acceptance of tech will lead Australia’s business transformation

David Gonski is chairman of ANZ Banking Group and Coca-Cola Amatil, chancellor of the University of NSW and president of the Art Gallery of NSW. He speaks with Financial Review Chanticleer columnist Tony Boyd.

How is Australia going to be different once this is over?

The things that I think will change are, first, the acceptance of technology. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that this crisis has basically given a big impetus to all of us, whether we are young or old, to use more technology.

The second thing is that we will have a movement towards more self-sufficiency. We are seeing governments buying oil and other things and thinking to themselves: we need to make sure that we have enough of this onshore and that we perhaps do not totally remove our industrial presence.

But in general terms, I believe when there is a vaccine, that invariably people will go back to working in offices, even though they may be more flexible in the way they do that. I don’t believe office buildings will be empty. I do believe that art galleries and museums and aeroplanes, in fact, will fill. It may take a bit of time, but I don’t believe that will change.

Have particular leadership skills come to the fore? After we’re through COVID-19 and the economy is firmly on the rebound, are there traits to being a leader that will be different?

Crises bring out the best and worst in people. We are seeing this. And they certainly give the opportunity for great leaders to actually show leadership. This is a period where we can see the great leaders and actually score them against the also-rans.

What we will see more clearly then is an answer to the question of what is great leadership. It is not the commander-in-chief, over-confident in their own judgment. It is not just someone with a loud voice or personal charisma.

A great leader accepts they do not know all the answers. They know the people they work with will, in particular areas, have more experience or more direct knowledge or greater insight. They will inspire and co-ordinate, allowing their own views to change if required but ensuring in all cases that an answer is found which is ethical, clear, fair and strong.