The leaders

Viv Benjamin is the CEO of the Oaktree Foundation. She was previously the National Head of Advocacy for TEAR Australia and has led campaigns for Make Poverty History.

Samah Hadid is the National Director of The Global Poverty Project, a former Australian Representative to the United Nations (UN) and Fellow with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Ellen Sandell has worked at the Australian Youth Climate Coalition for five years and has been its National Director since November 2010. Sandell has worked as a policy adviser in the Office of Climate Change in the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Describe your journey to becoming a young not-for-profit (NFP) leader.

Benjamin: As a teenager I volunteered at the Oaktree Foundation and created the Make Poverty History Road Trip, which achieved Australia’s largest ever increase in foreign aid to save and improve the lives of millions around the world. After approximately two years as Head of Advocacy for TEAR Australia, I’ve now returned to Oaktree as the CEO.

Hadid: My journey started at the age of 14 being the victim of discrimination. Being a member of a minority group and seeing your community group vilified compels you to make a difference. My journey in human rights activism just continued on after that as I become involved in community development working with grassroots organisations in refugee and migrant communities. I have also volunteered and worked with various international organisations including Oxfam, the Red Cross and the UN Secretariat, which has led me to my current role as National Director of The Global Poverty Project.

Sandell: Initially I worked as a policy advisor on climate change issues for the Victorian Premier, but from my experiences I saw that big change happens when politicians feel pressure from the community, and I knew I wanted to be involved in an organisation that was pushing decision-makers to do better.

Some of my friends were starting up the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and creating really powerful and creative campaigns on climate change. I thought it could have a huge impact so I jumped on board. Initially we were all volunteers but as we grew we were able to employ a few people. I was initially employed as the Victorian Director, then General Manager and finally National Director.

What are the challenges of being a young NFP leader?

Benjamin: I’m wholeheartedly driven by my passion and purpose – NFP – so much so that it’s often hard to switch off and think about much else.

Hadid: I think society still finds it hard to see a young, culturally diverse female speaking out and standing up against injustice. It’s also difficult being taken seriously because of my age and background, but I decided a long while back that I wasn’t going to be held back or preoccupied with the views of others. My role is to speak and live by my principles and vision.

Sandell: Being the CEO of a NFP is in many ways just like being the CEO of a business. You’re responsible for the strategic direction, vision, leading your team and executing projects.

However, being a NFP leader can be tricky because you have to focus on two things simultaneously: on achieving your mission, but also on finding the money to keep yourself afloat and the two aren’t always aligned.

Having to take on such a high-pressure role at a young age wasn’t easy. I didn’t have many friends or mentors who were CEOs when I started. I have had to become a specialist in so many areas: financial, legal, climate policy, human resources, strategy, team leadership and everything in between.

What strategies have you implemented to overcome these challenges?

Benjamin: I try to keep strong relationships with people outside Oaktree in the NFP world, for example, I have dinner every Tuesday with a small group of diverse people from my faith community to talk about life.

Hadid: By staying true to my moral compass and principles, and letting that code drive my path and agenda. I surround myself with other inspiring change-makers and peers who are working for positive change in society, and gain strength from my role models who have often been courageous activists from the Middle East and Africa.

Sandell: Ultimately, it’s been trial and error. I try to keep a really open mind, to try many things and then have the guts to get rid of projects or processes if they don’t work. I try not to stress anymore about getting things perfect the first time. I also try very hard to foster ownership amongst my team so everything isn’t just on my shoulders.

Do you have a leadership success or horror story you would like to share?

Hadid: The first six months of my role as National Director felt like a sink or swim moment. I was thrown in the deep end and had to learn the ins and outs, the organisational intricacies and cast a new vision for the organisation. Suffice to say it was the hardest phase of my life but I realise so much about my ability and capacity for leadership in those first few months.

Sandell: In the lead up to the UN climate talks in Copenhagen we spent all our money and energy on running a campaign to get the Australian Government to commit to strong climate action at the UN. We sent 30 people to the talks, ran a youth climate summit called Power Shift, and a huge national campaign called Youth Decide. However no good outcome came out of the climate talks. Everybody was really dejected because we had spent all our time, energy and money on the campaign and we didn’t have a plan or any money to keep the organisation going. Thankfully people believed in us enough to back our next projects and keep us afloat, and now we’re stronger than ever.

What it taught me was that we needed to do some big, bold projects and take lots of risks in order to prove we could do big things. If we had been really careful and hadn’t pulled off some huge projects or taken any risks I doubt people would have believed in us and helped us out when times got tough.

What is the most rewarding thing about being a young NFP leader?

Benjamin: When you are working on something you’re passionate about its never a burden. It’s a joy and a gift. Working for purpose as opposed to profit is deeply motivating and energising. Even the research shows that purpose-driven people are genuinely happier.

Hadid: Knowing that the work you do is having an impact on the lives of the world’s poor and the most vulnerable. It is an incredible responsibility and the most fulfilling reward.

Sandell: Every day I get out of bed knowing that I can work on whatever is most effective to solve the climate crisis on that particular day. It’s an incredible privilege.

What is the best piece of leadership advice you have received?

Benjamin: If you keep doing what you love, you’ll end up doing what you love. Leaders follow their passion and take others with them.

Hadid: Be authentic and live by your principles. Let this define your actions.

Sandell: You should always try to identify and improve your weaknesses but at some point you just have to accept them and compensate by finding great people who have strengths where your weaknesses lie.

What tips and advice can you give to other young people working in the NFP sector?

Benjamin: Don’t wait. You can lead now. At Oaktree, our young leaders are in charge of major projects – whether it’s leading our $2 million Live Below the Line fundraiser or our overseas projects in East Timor. All our leaders are under the age of 26 but they are making a huge impact in challenging leadership positions.

Hadid: Don’t be held back by conventional wisdom or typical trajectories that others have taken. Find your own scary unique and ambitious path. I have always had the confidence to apply for roles I didn’t expect I would get and it has always worked out. Even the rejections along the way were important learning experiences.

Sandell: Always do what you feel is the most effective to solve the problem that you’re passionate about. If you put in the time and effort, and show you’re willing to do the hard things (not just the glamorous things) then you’ll be very sought after.