Who we are: Lessons in leadership Matt Wadewitz

‘I thought you know what, I can really help kids in my class ... and make a difference, but if I can work with 100 teachers or 100 leaders, I can have a much bigger impact’

WHO WE ARE: Matt Wadewitz

It would take a remarkable proposition to bring the conductor of the Australian Symphony Orchestra, the coach of NRL team the Sydney Roosters and television personality Dr Chris Brown together. Or perhaps, a remarkable person, like Matt Wadewitz.

Lessons in leadership

Story by Meghan Carr. Photograph by Jason Porter.

It all started with an idea that was so compelling a sporting club offered to double Matt’s yearly salary as a teacher just to apply his scientific coaching to their team. Matt turned the offer down – a big gamble at the time, considering he had a young family and had also recently left his secure career in education.

If it wasn’t for a meeting with his long-time friend Luke Darcy (former AFL player and now the co-founder of Aleda) over coffee, he might not have made the bold choice to quit his job. After hearing the pitch, Luke believed in his approach so strongly that he offered to buy into the business and work alongside Matt. Matt recalls the advice Luke gave him at the time: ‘You’ve got this idea that clearly, they love. So why would you just give it to them? Why don’t you take this idea and take it to a lot of different places?’

Thus, seven years ago, Aleda was born. The name is derived from the misspelling of an Old Scots word ‘alede’ meaning to guide, educate, teach, and draw out information. It’s the name of the business but it also captures Matt’s personal modus operandi. For Matt, the passion to empower leaders is all-encompassing. Since that time, he and Aleda have worked with numerous leaders across sport, education, the arts and wider industry – a conductor, an NRL coach and a TV vet among them – to put collaboration and shared learning at the heart of leadership.

Matt grew up in the township of Willunga and, at 17, was drafted to play in the AFL fulfilling a childhood dream. Unfortunately that dream was shattered when he broke his leg. ‘It pretty much ruined my career in football,’ Matt says. Of course windows close and doors open, and through that unfortunate incident, Matt discovered a deep love for education. For nearly 17 years, Matt taught in classrooms across the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Matt loved teaching but felt there was more he could do to boost learning outcomes for his students. So, he began to explore the idea of how systems could help leaders and educators to improve their practice, taking himself on a study tour around Australia to learn more. Matt soon discovered that the number one thing that raised performance in students was strong collaboration between teachers. ‘I thought, you know what, I can really help kids in my class ... and make a difference, but if I can work with 100 teachers or 100 leaders, I can have a much bigger impact, a much more positive impact, so why don’t I just do that?’ he says.

Matt views leadership not as an inherited skill but as something that can be learned, nurtured and shared. Focusing on the leader not just as an individual but as a member of a community – whether in the boardroom, the coach’s box or the classroom – Matt and his team work with leaders to expand their positive impact through collaboration rather than going it alone.

This approach has led Matt down some non-traditional pathways when it comes to leadership development. A sporting coach wouldn’t typically be observed while they work, but Aleda does just that. They visit the coach during a training session and watch them work, after which they provide insightful feedback into how they can improve their craft.

Similarly, leaders often look to learn within their own industries, but Aleda encourages cross-pollination among leaders. Their approach provides a platform for leaders to meet, share their pain points, then receive insight into what is currently working for others beyond their respective industries.

The Aleda philosophy begins in organisations but also trickles into its practitioners’ personal lives. ‘When you become a coach, you become a better listener,’ Matt says, laughing while confessing ‘it’s always harder to do it in your own house than anywhere else. I’m by no means perfect, but I try to practice what I preach.’

Staying true to his sporting roots, Matt volunteer coaches his teenagers – Harry, 16, and Eve, 14 – in their Willunga and Victor Harbor teams. He and his partner, Sarah Moore, are also passionate advocates of the Willunga community. ‘It’s beautiful when the kids can walk from the house down the main street and see people you knew growing up,’ Matt says as he recounts his love for the sporting clubs, visiting the beaches, wineries, pubs and chatting to locals at the bakery.

Writing in the depths of winter, there’s a real clouds-parting-to-revealblue-skies thing about Matt. His enthusiasm is contagious and his dedication to unearthing solutions that will nurture future students and leaders – truly honourable.