A Tribute to a Champion

20 Dec 2024

As owners of HardyGroup, Jean and I would like to pay tribute to one of our retiring Learning Set facilitators, Gloria Wallace.

We have been associated with Gloria for more than 20 years and we have been the lucky beneficiaries of her talent, skill and wisdom. We have been blessed to be a client of, and a sub contract employer of, Gloria who optimises all that we strive to be at HardyGroup in terms of character and values.

Gloria reminds us of the current Wallabies rugby union coach, Joe Schmidt, a Kiwi coach who has successfully coached all over the world. Schmidt believes that character carries as much important as ability. In recruiting good people he quotes Bill Belichick as saying “Talent sets the floor, character sets the ceiling”.

Gloria has been a constant tour de force both in regard to character and values. You always knew when working for her what she stood for and what she wanted when recruiting people to be executives on her teams. Skills and ability were very important but who the person was and what they stood for was of critical importance in terms of “fit” in the team and the organisation. It was a joy to work for her because of her honesty and integrity. She was “straight up” and direct in a respectful way. You knew what was important to her. Sure she knew how to manage the politics and the complexities and contradictions of public service life but she always remained true to who she was. She was a “constant” force for good in the organisation’s life and in the life of people who worked there. She treated people with respect and dignity.

When Gloria left Queensland Health we approached her to see if she was interested in undertaking 3- 12 months locum CEO roles in other States. She enhanced our reputation each and every time with our clients wanting her back for repeat performances. Indeed sometimes bypassing us to go direct to Gloria!! We were the lucky beneficiaries of a real leader who was respected by our clients and by the organisations that she assumed leadership of. She handed the organisations on to those who followed her in better shape than what she inherited. She reflected the very qualities that are mentioned above.

We then asked Gloria whether she might be interested in facilitating some of our Learning Sets. Talk about a duck to water!! It is one thing to be a good technical facilitator. It is another thing to bring the finesse required to bring people with you, to challenge them in constructive ways, and, to lead them to solutions that were beneficial to the sponsoring organisations paying the membership fees and to the Set members enhancing their strategic and problem solving skills, achieving sustainable change management outcomes, building their support networks and systems, and, their leadership “capability bank”.

At the end of the day the people who counted throughout her time as a facilitator were the Set members and what they thought of Gloria. Their feedback was always about the phenomenal value they got from her. The practical insights and thought leadership she provided and the challenges she posed made people “lift the bar” on themselves personally, organisationally and in terms of the system. Set members didn’t leave her Sets unless circumstances occurred beyond their control.

Gloria, we will miss you hugely. We treasure your talent, your values, your resilience and the wisdom you imparted to us and to our clients whether Search or Set based.

May your next phase in life be full of joy and that you do what truly is in your heart to do. Much love

By Kevin Hardy & Jean Fagan