My family and I went to the Classic Cinema in Elsternwick and watched a documentary titled The Australian Dream. My youngest son told me afterwards:” This is the best documentary I’ve ever seen.” The Australian Dream is a story about Adam Goodes, the Australian footy player and Australian indigenous leader. However, more broadly, it's the story about racism in Australia.
Adam Goodes is a role model who is navigating the complexity of modern Australia, a talented athlete, a proud indigenous Australian and an inspirational leader. He became an icon for what he liked doing “playing Australian Football”. He became a leader for everything he did, not only for playing AFL. Goodes played 372 matches, won two Brownlow Medals and two premierships. He became Australian of the year in 2014. Nevertheless, he was verbally abused on social media and booed by the crowd until his last match, until he decided it had to stop.
Earlier this year, the AFL and all of its clubs issued an unreserved apology for the sustained racism and events which drove Goodes out of the game. They said: “Adam, who represents so much that is good and unique about our game, was subject to treatment that drove him from football. The game did not do enough to stand with him and call it out. Failure to call out racism and not stand up for one of our own let down all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, past and present. Our game is about belonging. We want all Australians to feel they belong and that they have a stake in the game. We will not achieve this while racism and discrimination exist in our game... We will stand strongly with all in the football community who experience racism or discrimination. We are unified on this, and never want to see the mistakes of the past repeated.”
Back a few years ago, I set foot in Australia for the first time in September 2010. My husband, our 2 boys who were 2 and 5, and I travelled around the world for 6 months at the time. We visited the Melbourne Museum. I remember well an exhibition about Indigenous called From little things big things grow was on. I’m ashamed and sorry to say, coming from France, this was the first I heard Indigenous people stories. I heard about the stolen generations. I heard voices that I haven’t heard before, and it was a lot to take on.
I think this quote from Mick Dodson, Co-chair of Reconciliation Australia was part of the exhibition: “Difference is not an easy thing to accommodate. It's not simple to embrace and respect and defend cultures that are different to your own. That's the nature if you like of human relationships. We gotta work and build on it. And it’s by having these sorts of debates, getting people to think about it and talk about it that we're going to move along.”
I was speechless. One of my boys asked me that straightforward question I didn’t know what to answer “Why did they take the children, mum?”
Five years later, we moved to Australia. Our plane landed on the 7th of August 2015. We were excited about moving to an egalitarian country. A country which promotes diversity and multiculturalism. A country where you can have diverse backgrounds and still feel proud of being Australian, a country where diversity bonds people together. Our goal was to offer our children the opportunity to embrace a different culture and learn a different language. We were proud of our French citizenship. We also firmly believed our kids needed to become citizens of the world, to hear about other different stories and learn new ways to look at things. We thought it would make them more curious and tolerant, open-minded. We weren’t the only ones, 2000 other people did the same that same week in Melbourne.
These first months in our new country was a defining moment. I felt an awkwardness, a mix of feeling welcome yet still a stranger. It would shape us and open up our eyes. One of the first objectives we had was to learn as many things as possible about Australia and Melbourne.
Everything was new and different:
For the first time, I became "Em" and learned the friendly habit of shortening every word. I learned "barbie" wasn’t a doll but a gathering between friends while eating sausages. Despite thinking I knew the language, I realised my colleague’s wife wasn’t making really good coffee but was actually a barrister.
History and culture are the DNA of a country. It explains why it functions this way. I had to get up to speed with Australian icons’ names, major leaders, filmmakers, musicians, athletes, AFL players...I was overwhelmed by all these brilliant people I didn’t know only a few months earlier. I also remembered going to my first Footy game Richmond vs North Melbourne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2015. Actually, I was amazed by how supporters from both teams could sit next to each other in the stadium.
When I moved to Australia I missed so many pieces of the puzzle. One big piece was the Aboriginal history. It is insane to think we are still missing the history of the country we live in. I learn aboriginal history wasn’t part of the Australian curriculum. It is a call from each school's principal to decide whether they want to teach our kids about 50 000 years of tradition, art, music and connection to the land.
So I did my best and went through this journey. As part of this journey, I revisited my own homeland’s challenges with colonialism and what was taught me at school.
I learned facts and figures about Aboriginal history I couldn’t believe in but are unfortunately true:
I keep thinking about these stories because this is the country I live in and l love. Also, I’ve been working hard on instilling inclusive leadership in organisations. I'm helping leaders having these tough conversations about inclusiveness, helping them and their teams to be more diverse and drive more sustainable growth.
Inclusive leadership is a fascinating topic. It requires many qualities. I believe the command and control leadership model is dead and yet still very much practised. There are plenty of ways to improve our leadership: many models, tools, abstracts... Self-reflection is also a big part of it. Ultimately what really matters is role modelling. And the lack of role models is one of the big reasons why we still fail in having a fully inclusive workplace and culture.
Despite the relentless unacceptable attitudes he faced while playing footy, he became Australian of the year in 2014. During his speech, he stated “The ultimate reward is when all Australians see each other as equals and treat each other as equals. To me, everything is about people and the choices we make. I believe it’s the people and the interactions between us that makes this country so special.”
I couldn’t agree more with you Adam, and I’d like to highlight the inclusive leadership lessons you’ve taught me and others:
Growth mindset
His mum was taken away from her family and put in foster care when she was 5 as part of the stolen generation. Adam first didn’t know anything about his aboriginality. When he was a young kid, he was called coconut by his cousins. “Growing up I didn’t actually know what it meant to be an Indigenous person. (...) The more I learned about what it meant to be aboriginal the more pride I got.”
In 2008, he decided to perform Aboriginal Studies. In an essay titled "The Indigenous Game: A Matter of Choice", published in the 2008 AFL history book, Adam Goodes writes of the ancient Aboriginal game, Marngrook, and its possible link to the origins of Australian rules football: "I don't know the truth, but I believe in the connection. Because I know that when Aborigines play Australian Football with a clear mind and total focus, we are born to play it."
He could have chosen anger, revenge… He chose sports, knowledge and education. He’s embraced and leveraged off both the culture of his club and his aboriginal culture.
Empathy
In May 2013, while he and his team were playing against Collingwood at the MCG, he came to the boundary line and heard a 13-year-old girl called him an ape. Goodes pointed in the direction of the insult. To say to the 13-year-old girl who called him an ape this wasn’t her fault and we couldn’t blame her for that, this is a tremendous act of empathy: “She’s 13, she’s still so innocent. I don’t put any blame on her. Unfortunately, this is what she hears in the environment that she’s grown up in that has made her thinks it is OK“. Stan Grant, another aboriginal leader, said later about Adam “My hope for him is that he can show others there is a path from the worst of Australians to the best of Australians.”
Vulnerability
A teenage girl sitting in the grandstand of the MCG called him an ape, and he walked off. “First time on a footy field I’ve been referred to as a monkey”. When he left the ground, he burst into tears. “It affected me so much; I couldn’t be on the ground last night to celebrate a victory, I’m still shattered.” In a sports environment which has still a long way to go in accepting diversity of culture, race, religion, sexual orientation… Adam told about his pain and showed his vulnerability. When advocating against racism, he would also encourage people to put themselves in others' shoes.
Courage
Adam made a big stand “Racism stops with me”. Walking off the field while his team was winning at the MCG and making a stand was courageous. He also empowers others to take actions and to stand up. “There are always two ways we can look at a situation. We can choose to get angry. Or not. We can choose to help others. Or not. Or choose to be offended. Or not. We can keep our silence or educate ourselves and others about racism and minority populations. It is not just about taking responsibility for your own actions but speaking to your mates when they take out their anger on their loved ones, minority groups or make racist remarks. It means treating people the way you want to be treated, whether that’s your manners, the way you talk to people, whether they are your loved ones or the person serving your dinner. It’s about how you choose to give back and make a difference to those around you, your community or your country that goes outside of just yourself.” Despite racial comments still being made, a vast number of people reacted positively to his courage “In Goodes we trust”.
Self-awareness
After being booed game after game during his final 2015 season, Adam knew he was struggling with his identity and needed to improve his self-awareness. “The baggage we carry over as Aboriginal is always there.” Adam reconnected with his aboriginal tribes and a few months later acknowledged the trauma her mother went through and the challenge associated with bearing the tragedy of stolen generations.
Empowerment
In 2014, when he became Australian of the year, he urged people to stand with him, to stand for respect. He holds each of us accountable for taking action. It wasn’t an order imposed on us, it was a strong positive message to all Australians: “I’m not here to tell you what to think, or how to act to raise your children. All I’m here to do is tell you about my experiences and hope you choose to be aware of your actions and interactions so that together we can eliminate racism.”
Collaboration
Adam Goodes transcends boundaries. He empowers not only Aboriginal Australians but also all minority groups and ultimately all Australians. He’s advocating for eliminating racism against all minority groups “I believe we are all connected whether we like it or not. We are all equal and the same in so many ways. My hope is that we as a nation can break down the silos between races, break down those stereotypes of minority populations, indigenous populations and all other minority groups. I hope we can be proud of our heritage regardless of the colour of our skin and be proud to be Australian.”
Belonging
In winter 2015, after a match against the West Coast Eagles, he broke down “I just can't be here. It's got nothing to do with anything about us. I've just got to go."
He spent five days in the outback, in the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. Re-energising in looking for his origins and reconnecting to the significance of his country, elders of his heritage tribe led a sacred ceremony to help him. "I knew that going to the Flinders Ranges was the best thing for my mental health. I wasn't thinking of self-harm or anything like that. All I knew was that I needed to get myself out of an environment that was toxic."
Resilience
Ultimately Goodes is this champion who was booed into retirement. His own experience coupled with his hunger to uncover his Aboriginal heritage has fuelled the leader he is today and the inclusive role model he’s playing in the Australian society.
I’ve just finished writing this piece. I feel empowered by Adam’s hope and positive actions. Although I've been in Australia for a short period of time, I feel accountable for sharing his story. I’ve also just opened The Age Tuesday 27th August 2029 and read the following title on the front page” Racism ‘rife’ in Victorian schools”. According to an ANU survey done in 2017, 36.97% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were called derogatory names by other students, and 1 in 5 was already threatened by other students.
We need you Adam Goodes and we need all of us to take action, educate others and have these difficult conversations with our friends, our relatives, our colleagues, our kids.
Sources:
https://www.acuitymag.com/people/adam-goodes-on-longevity-leadership-and-tackling-racism
https://www.annesummers.com.au/a/37481/adam-goodes
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jul/28/adam-goodes-given-break-by-sydney-swans
Adam Goodes is a role model who is navigating the complexity of modern Australia, a talented athlete, a proud indigenous Australian and an inspirational leader. He became an icon for what he liked doing “playing Australian Football”. He became a leader for everything he did, not only for playing AFL. Goodes played 372 matches, won two Brownlow Medals and two premierships. He became Australian of the year in 2014. Nevertheless, he was verbally abused on social media and booed by the crowd until his last match, until he decided it had to stop.
Earlier this year, the AFL and all of its clubs issued an unreserved apology for the sustained racism and events which drove Goodes out of the game. They said: “Adam, who represents so much that is good and unique about our game, was subject to treatment that drove him from football. The game did not do enough to stand with him and call it out. Failure to call out racism and not stand up for one of our own let down all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, past and present. Our game is about belonging. We want all Australians to feel they belong and that they have a stake in the game. We will not achieve this while racism and discrimination exist in our game... We will stand strongly with all in the football community who experience racism or discrimination. We are unified on this, and never want to see the mistakes of the past repeated.”
Back a few years ago, I set foot in Australia for the first time in September 2010. My husband, our 2 boys who were 2 and 5, and I travelled around the world for 6 months at the time. We visited the Melbourne Museum. I remember well an exhibition about Indigenous called From little things big things grow was on. I’m ashamed and sorry to say, coming from France, this was the first I heard Indigenous people stories. I heard about the stolen generations. I heard voices that I haven’t heard before, and it was a lot to take on.
I think this quote from Mick Dodson, Co-chair of Reconciliation Australia was part of the exhibition: “Difference is not an easy thing to accommodate. It's not simple to embrace and respect and defend cultures that are different to your own. That's the nature if you like of human relationships. We gotta work and build on it. And it’s by having these sorts of debates, getting people to think about it and talk about it that we're going to move along.”
I was speechless. One of my boys asked me that straightforward question I didn’t know what to answer “Why did they take the children, mum?”
Five years later, we moved to Australia. Our plane landed on the 7th of August 2015. We were excited about moving to an egalitarian country. A country which promotes diversity and multiculturalism. A country where you can have diverse backgrounds and still feel proud of being Australian, a country where diversity bonds people together. Our goal was to offer our children the opportunity to embrace a different culture and learn a different language. We were proud of our French citizenship. We also firmly believed our kids needed to become citizens of the world, to hear about other different stories and learn new ways to look at things. We thought it would make them more curious and tolerant, open-minded. We weren’t the only ones, 2000 other people did the same that same week in Melbourne.
These first months in our new country was a defining moment. I felt an awkwardness, a mix of feeling welcome yet still a stranger. It would shape us and open up our eyes. One of the first objectives we had was to learn as many things as possible about Australia and Melbourne.
Everything was new and different:
- How to order a coffee
- Why do you have to go to a bottle shop to buy alcohol
- The lyrics of the national anthem
- How weird it was to drive on the left side of the road
For the first time, I became "Em" and learned the friendly habit of shortening every word. I learned "barbie" wasn’t a doll but a gathering between friends while eating sausages. Despite thinking I knew the language, I realised my colleague’s wife wasn’t making really good coffee but was actually a barrister.
History and culture are the DNA of a country. It explains why it functions this way. I had to get up to speed with Australian icons’ names, major leaders, filmmakers, musicians, athletes, AFL players...I was overwhelmed by all these brilliant people I didn’t know only a few months earlier. I also remembered going to my first Footy game Richmond vs North Melbourne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2015. Actually, I was amazed by how supporters from both teams could sit next to each other in the stadium.
When I moved to Australia I missed so many pieces of the puzzle. One big piece was the Aboriginal history. It is insane to think we are still missing the history of the country we live in. I learn aboriginal history wasn’t part of the Australian curriculum. It is a call from each school's principal to decide whether they want to teach our kids about 50 000 years of tradition, art, music and connection to the land.
So I did my best and went through this journey. As part of this journey, I revisited my own homeland’s challenges with colonialism and what was taught me at school.
I learned facts and figures about Aboriginal history I couldn’t believe in but are unfortunately true:
- When the first settlers came to Australia, the British Government declared Australia as “terra nullius”
- The martial law was announced in 1828 effectively providing legal immunity for killing Aboriginal Australians
- Until the 70ies, thousands of indigenous kids were taken away from their families to be “assimilated” as part of the stolen generation
- Aboriginal people were not considered citizens of Australia until 1967 after a referendum was voted
- Before 1967, Aboriginal affairs were regulated under Fauna and Flora Law.
- In Queensland, Aboriginal people could not own their own property until 1975
- Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia, apologised for the first time in 2008
- An aboriginal Australian die on average 10 years earlier than an average Australian
- Only 50% of young indigenous people go to year 12
- 25% of the prison population is indigenous, yet less than 3% of the population is.
I keep thinking about these stories because this is the country I live in and l love. Also, I’ve been working hard on instilling inclusive leadership in organisations. I'm helping leaders having these tough conversations about inclusiveness, helping them and their teams to be more diverse and drive more sustainable growth.
Inclusive leadership is a fascinating topic. It requires many qualities. I believe the command and control leadership model is dead and yet still very much practised. There are plenty of ways to improve our leadership: many models, tools, abstracts... Self-reflection is also a big part of it. Ultimately what really matters is role modelling. And the lack of role models is one of the big reasons why we still fail in having a fully inclusive workplace and culture.
Despite the relentless unacceptable attitudes he faced while playing footy, he became Australian of the year in 2014. During his speech, he stated “The ultimate reward is when all Australians see each other as equals and treat each other as equals. To me, everything is about people and the choices we make. I believe it’s the people and the interactions between us that makes this country so special.”
I couldn’t agree more with you Adam, and I’d like to highlight the inclusive leadership lessons you’ve taught me and others:
Growth mindset
His mum was taken away from her family and put in foster care when she was 5 as part of the stolen generation. Adam first didn’t know anything about his aboriginality. When he was a young kid, he was called coconut by his cousins. “Growing up I didn’t actually know what it meant to be an Indigenous person. (...) The more I learned about what it meant to be aboriginal the more pride I got.”
In 2008, he decided to perform Aboriginal Studies. In an essay titled "The Indigenous Game: A Matter of Choice", published in the 2008 AFL history book, Adam Goodes writes of the ancient Aboriginal game, Marngrook, and its possible link to the origins of Australian rules football: "I don't know the truth, but I believe in the connection. Because I know that when Aborigines play Australian Football with a clear mind and total focus, we are born to play it."
He could have chosen anger, revenge… He chose sports, knowledge and education. He’s embraced and leveraged off both the culture of his club and his aboriginal culture.
Empathy
In May 2013, while he and his team were playing against Collingwood at the MCG, he came to the boundary line and heard a 13-year-old girl called him an ape. Goodes pointed in the direction of the insult. To say to the 13-year-old girl who called him an ape this wasn’t her fault and we couldn’t blame her for that, this is a tremendous act of empathy: “She’s 13, she’s still so innocent. I don’t put any blame on her. Unfortunately, this is what she hears in the environment that she’s grown up in that has made her thinks it is OK“. Stan Grant, another aboriginal leader, said later about Adam “My hope for him is that he can show others there is a path from the worst of Australians to the best of Australians.”
Vulnerability
A teenage girl sitting in the grandstand of the MCG called him an ape, and he walked off. “First time on a footy field I’ve been referred to as a monkey”. When he left the ground, he burst into tears. “It affected me so much; I couldn’t be on the ground last night to celebrate a victory, I’m still shattered.” In a sports environment which has still a long way to go in accepting diversity of culture, race, religion, sexual orientation… Adam told about his pain and showed his vulnerability. When advocating against racism, he would also encourage people to put themselves in others' shoes.
Courage
Adam made a big stand “Racism stops with me”. Walking off the field while his team was winning at the MCG and making a stand was courageous. He also empowers others to take actions and to stand up. “There are always two ways we can look at a situation. We can choose to get angry. Or not. We can choose to help others. Or not. Or choose to be offended. Or not. We can keep our silence or educate ourselves and others about racism and minority populations. It is not just about taking responsibility for your own actions but speaking to your mates when they take out their anger on their loved ones, minority groups or make racist remarks. It means treating people the way you want to be treated, whether that’s your manners, the way you talk to people, whether they are your loved ones or the person serving your dinner. It’s about how you choose to give back and make a difference to those around you, your community or your country that goes outside of just yourself.” Despite racial comments still being made, a vast number of people reacted positively to his courage “In Goodes we trust”.
Self-awareness
After being booed game after game during his final 2015 season, Adam knew he was struggling with his identity and needed to improve his self-awareness. “The baggage we carry over as Aboriginal is always there.” Adam reconnected with his aboriginal tribes and a few months later acknowledged the trauma her mother went through and the challenge associated with bearing the tragedy of stolen generations.
Empowerment
In 2014, when he became Australian of the year, he urged people to stand with him, to stand for respect. He holds each of us accountable for taking action. It wasn’t an order imposed on us, it was a strong positive message to all Australians: “I’m not here to tell you what to think, or how to act to raise your children. All I’m here to do is tell you about my experiences and hope you choose to be aware of your actions and interactions so that together we can eliminate racism.”
Collaboration
Adam Goodes transcends boundaries. He empowers not only Aboriginal Australians but also all minority groups and ultimately all Australians. He’s advocating for eliminating racism against all minority groups “I believe we are all connected whether we like it or not. We are all equal and the same in so many ways. My hope is that we as a nation can break down the silos between races, break down those stereotypes of minority populations, indigenous populations and all other minority groups. I hope we can be proud of our heritage regardless of the colour of our skin and be proud to be Australian.”
Belonging
In winter 2015, after a match against the West Coast Eagles, he broke down “I just can't be here. It's got nothing to do with anything about us. I've just got to go."
He spent five days in the outback, in the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. Re-energising in looking for his origins and reconnecting to the significance of his country, elders of his heritage tribe led a sacred ceremony to help him. "I knew that going to the Flinders Ranges was the best thing for my mental health. I wasn't thinking of self-harm or anything like that. All I knew was that I needed to get myself out of an environment that was toxic."
Resilience
Ultimately Goodes is this champion who was booed into retirement. His own experience coupled with his hunger to uncover his Aboriginal heritage has fuelled the leader he is today and the inclusive role model he’s playing in the Australian society.
I’ve just finished writing this piece. I feel empowered by Adam’s hope and positive actions. Although I've been in Australia for a short period of time, I feel accountable for sharing his story. I’ve also just opened The Age Tuesday 27th August 2029 and read the following title on the front page” Racism ‘rife’ in Victorian schools”. According to an ANU survey done in 2017, 36.97% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were called derogatory names by other students, and 1 in 5 was already threatened by other students.
We need you Adam Goodes and we need all of us to take action, educate others and have these difficult conversations with our friends, our relatives, our colleagues, our kids.
Sources:
- Special thanks to Seona James for all the things you've taught me, I'm very grateful.
- The Australian Dream documentary website (resources available)
- Aboriginal history and culture at school
- Adam Goodes - Australian of the Year 2014 Acceptance Speech
- 1967 Referendum
- Kelly From little big things grow
- From little big things grow, testimonials from indigenous Australians
- Kevin Rudd apology to “Stolen generations”
- The Reconciliation Action Plan framework
- Adam Goodes interviews:
https://www.acuitymag.com/people/adam-goodes-on-longevity-leadership-and-tackling-racism
https://www.annesummers.com.au/a/37481/adam-goodes
- Press articles
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jul/28/adam-goodes-given-break-by-sydney-swans
- Link to Utopia documentary
- Link to The Final Quarter documentary
- IQ Racism Debate: Stan Grant 2016