Shelley Meagher

"The coaching and mentor sessions broadened and extended my career plans and development in ways I had not expected."

I have developed a really solid preliminary understanding of what I think leadership is. The networks are excellent and the opportunity to network, derived from the connection to CSL, is ongoing now, when the course has finished - this is great. There have been opportunities to meet other great people through networking events with other change makers. I thought I had direction before I came on the course but I now have a lot more, and I also have a far more concrete vision, something I didn't even realise I was lacking. I am comfortable articulating this vision to others, something I would not have thought of doing before doing CSL. And I understand the need to provide others as well as myself with direction if I want them to share my vision and work to achieve it. The connection to CSL has opened more doors than I expected it to.

From the projects I've gained a much better understanding of leadership because I've had the opportunity to experiment with different leadership styles and techniques in a situation in which, ultimately, it didn't matter too much if I made mistakes. The other really valuable thing I've taken from the projects is an enormously increased confidence, hope and faith that I can make a difference, that others want what I want, and that working together, you can achieve things you never thought possible. Although the projects brought much of this learning into focus, I doubt I would have learnt from them in this way without the stimulation of the retreats, the workshops, my coaching sessions and my discussions with mentors. The retreats taught me a huge amount as well as creating great admiration for others on the course, and the Sydney CSLers as well, and I think this admiration is very important in inspiring people to work together. The coaching and mentor sessions provided invaluable support for what I was trying to learn in the projects in terms of leadership. The workshops provided material which we could use to create structure in the projects. The best guest speakers provided great inspiration for the projects. Sessions with goal buddies kept me focussed and provided some support.

Do it on the Roof is a specialist green roof and wall company. We design, construct and maintain green roofs and walls for Australian conditions. As CEO I am responsible for keeping our eyes on the roof, clarifying how we will get there, bringing our team together and giving our people what they need to collaborate and excel. We convert wasted real estate into beautiful gardens. We breathe life into barren facades. Most building owners' single greatest undeveloped asset is their roof. We realise rooftop potential. We do everything from feasibility studies to project management to maintenance to community engagement. We have developed Australia’s only guide to green roof management and maintenance and a set of templates to help you maintain and manage your green roof for optimum performance. We did so because management and maintenance are the chief barriers to Australia getting better green roofs happening. We started life as a campaign to promote green roofs. Today we’re working in every part of the green roof sector because we’re serious about effecting better green roofs in Australia. We want to bring nature back to our cities.