A CEO Signalling a Shift
According to recent reporting, Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson has been taking a notably hands-on approach to leadership—often choosing to fly economy, holding regular skip-level meetings, and spending time with crew on the ground. Her style stands in contrast to that of her predecessor, and it’s drawn attention for its understated presence.
Rather than leading from a corner office or the front of the plane, Hudson is described as building connection seat by seat. She’s reportedly focused on listening—meeting with staff two or more layers below her in the hierarchy, visiting crew rooms without notice, and redesigning team rosters to keep cabin and flight crew working together over time.
(Source: The Australian, “Vanessa Hudson: the quiet Qantas CEO flying economy”, June 2025. Read the article)
Creating Space for Candid Conversation
It reminded me of something I introduced when leading a branch—Admiral’s Tables—an adaptation of another leader’s practice called Captain’s Tables.
Our leadership structure mirrored a fleet, with each director steering a different portfolio. I was dubbed the admiral. But rank wasn’t the point—relationship was.
Admiral’s Tables created a psychologically safe space where people could speak freely. Each unit nominated a couple of people to join me in conversation—no set agenda, no formal reporting. Just time to talk about what mattered to them, what was getting in the way, and what helped them do their jobs well. My role was to listen, ask curious questions, and follow the themes they raised.
Often the issues were small but persistent: broken chairs, missing forks, unclear forms. But these weren’t trivial—they were daily friction points. Fixing them wasn’t just about logistics. It signalled that people’s experiences mattered.
Importantly, I never used the space to bypass directors’ authority. Issues were referred back through the right channels. But we built a quiet failsafe too—if something stalled or resurfaced, I could gently check in. Trust deepened not by overriding roles, but by showing care.
More than anything, it created connection. And for many, it reshaped how leadership was experienced: not as distant or hierarchical, but as present, attuned, and quietly responsive.
Inter-relational expertise isn’t about charting the course alone—it’s about adjusting your pace to walk alongside. It’s knowing when to pause, when to ask, and how to keep the conversation moving forward without losing anyone along the way.
The Ripples Of Disconnection Can Become Waves
According to Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report, global employee engagement has dropped for only the second time in more than a decade—falling to 21%. Manager engagement was hit hardest, dropping from 30% to 27%, with young and female managers experiencing the steepest declines.
Gallup estimates the cost of this disengagement at US $438 billion in lost productivity worldwide.
The message is clear: when connection breaks down at the level of people leaders, it reverberates across teams and cultures. Engagement isn’t just about motivation—it’s about relational leadership being visible, present, and credible at every level of the system.
That’s why practices like Admiral’s Tables matter. They don’t replace the role of direct managers—they reinforce it. They help senior leaders stay connected to the lived experience of their workforce and surface insights that may not yet be visible at other levels. Just as importantly, they model the kind of listening, curiosity, and relational presence that managers themselves can adopt.
“I always remind myself: ‘We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
— Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo
But modelling isn’t enough on its own. If we want relational leadership to take hold, it has to be cascaded and supported. That means sending a clear message: this isn’t soft stuff—it’s system-critical. And it means equipping managers not just with performance tools, but with the time, trust, and space to reconnect with their teams in ways that foster genuine engagement.
Want to Try This in Your Context?
- Host your version of an Admiral’s Table
Invite 2–3 people from each area to a one-hour, unstructured conversation. Look beyond the people who always speak up. No agenda. Just talk about what’s working, what’s not, and what they wish someone knew. - Go beneath the surface
Listen beyond the words. Ask open, curious questions. Resist jumping in with fixes—sit with the discomfort long enough to see what’s really underneath. - Get the follow-up right
If something needs action, refer it to the right person—and check it doesn’t disappear. Gentle follow-through matters more than grand gestures. - Sense the signals
Tune in to patterns. Are irritants building up? Is energy dropping in a pocket of the organisation? Use what you hear to inform your leadership team and invite a co-created response.
When the ground keeps shifting, it’s not certainty that steadies you—it’s connection. The kind that listens, adapts, and stays present—even when answers aren’t clear.
