Creating impact through collective success

Allen Dorsey:

Hi, I'm your host, Allen Dorsey, and I work in our Nous Melbourne office. I love chatting with my really interesting colleagues about the things they're passionate about. In today's episode, I chat with our very own Chief Marketing Officer, Lauren Douge, about leadership, influence and the power of collective success. We explore why great leaders are skilled listeners, and how staying connected to your passion can help you navigate change and create real impact. So, grab your coffee and let's jump in.

We're delighted to welcome a longstanding Nouser and CMO, Lauren Douge, to the podcast. Lauren has led the marketing team for the past 11 years and has played a key role in evolving the Nous brand, culminating in what we think is our boldest value proposition to date. Along the way, she's become an expert in leading teams collaboratively and thinking deeply about what it really takes to maximise your influence. Welcome, Lauren. It's so good to have you.

Lauren Douge:

Thanks so much, Allen. It's great to be here, and thank you for that introduction.

Allen Dorsey:

It's always fun getting an introduction, I think. It makes you feel very special.

Lauren Douge:

It really does.

Allen Dorsey:

You've helped define our idea of "a bigger idea of success", and it's become a core part of how we think and work. As a leader, what does thinking big mean for you?

Lauren Douge:

Great question. It was a real privilege to work on that value proposition. One of the things I like most about it is that it's a simple line with lots of meaning. It can be interpreted and renewed for different situations. It's got depth to it.

For me, there are a couple of things in that idea of a bigger idea of success. The first is giving yourself to something that is bigger than yourself. There's a "way over me" notion in it.
In organisational psychology, where I started my career, there's a concept called flow. It's when you're completely immersed in your work. You lose track of time, forget where you are, and become deeply absorbed in what you're doing. In that moment, you're giving yourself to the craft. Then, in business, there's the idea of purpose before profit. Nous has always embodied that through positive influence. Again, it's about leading with service, generosity and a desire to improve something bigger than yourself. You see that principle in action all the time at Nous, through our clients and our colleagues. Whether it's housing affordability, sustainable development, student success and wellbeing, or health system performance, people are dedicating themselves to solving complex challenges. That's what a bigger idea of success is trying to capture.

The second part is the invitation to rethink and reimagine. When we talk about success, we're also asking people to challenge assumptions, rethink fundamentals and consider different ways of solving problems. While individuals can do that, we've found it happens most powerfully when people with different perspectives come together. For me, a bigger idea of success is both giving yourself to something bigger and inviting yourself and others to reimagine how things work.

Allen Dorsey:

I love that. That drive for something better and something bigger is such an inspiring way to approach the world.

At Nous, we're known for our flat, non-hierarchical structure. I imagine that creates an interesting environment for leadership. What have you learned about building influence in an organisation like Nous?

Lauren Douge:

It's such an important question, particularly now as we think about incorporating AI into both our client work and our internal marketing model.

I've been in this role for 11 years, so naturally I'm very invested in what we've built. But in the spirit of a bigger idea of success, there are moments when you have to hold things more lightly and be willing to rethink them. Sometimes that's uncomfortable. You think, "I put blood, sweat and tears into building that." But it's important to stay open to questioning and rebuilding when circumstances change.

In terms of influence, a flat structure creates both autonomy and community. There tends to be more agency than in more traditional hierarchical organisations. I started in organisational psychology and later moved into marketing. What's interesting is that organisational psychology often assumes leaders have a certain degree of authority. Marketing assumes the opposite. You have to earn attention, engagement and preference. Nothing is guaranteed. In a flat organisation, influence often works more like marketing than traditional leadership. People have more autonomy, so influence comes from earning commitment rather than directing it. 

There's a framework from Harvard professor Julie Battilana that I find useful. It has three parts: agitate, innovate and orchestrate. First, you agitate. You create productive dissatisfaction with the status quo and generate energy around an issue. Next, you innovate. You create something new, whether it's a strategy, service, funding model or solution. Finally, you orchestrate. You organise people, resources and effort to turn the idea into real change. The people who can do all three well tend to be highly influential, regardless of whether they're operating in a hierarchical or flat system.

Another thing I'd add is what I call relational leadership. If you're trying to influence a group, it's important to ask yourself whether you're representing only your own view or helping lead the group towards something better. That means being curious. Asking good questions. Listening carefully. Sometimes holding back your own opinion rather than sharing it immediately. Your goal becomes building understanding and coherence, creating a sense that "we've won together" and found a way forward that works for everyone. That's a skill you can practise anywhere, from your family conversations to your workplace.

Allen Dorsey:

There's so much practical wisdom in that. Listening seems central to all of it: agitating, innovating and orchestrating. As someone who thinks about questions quite a lot in this role, what makes a good question?

Lauren Douge:

I think a good question helps you deeply understand the perspective someone is bringing.

There's the idea of the "five whys" where you keep asking why until you get to the root of something. The key is not asking a single question but listening carefully enough to ask the next one, and then the next one. You're trying to understand what matters to that person. What motivates them? Why are they here? What are they really trying to achieve?

Allen Dorsey:

That's so interesting. In improv and performance, we talk about listening for presence rather than listening for your next line. That's definitely a muscle.

Lauren Douge:

Absolutely. And I think it gets easier as you gain experience and confidence in your expertise. You can relax a little more and stay present. But it's a skill worth developing from early in your career.

Allen Dorsey:

I imagine doing that helps accelerate your own development as well.

Lauren Douge:

It does.

And there's an element of service in it. If you're thinking not just about getting what you want but about helping the group succeed, that's a small but beautiful act of leadership. It's another example of a bigger idea of success in everyday moments. You're contributing something beyond simply advocating for your own perspective.

Allen Dorsey:

So it's really about moving from personal success to collective success.

Lauren Douge:

Exactly.

Allen Dorsey:

As we move into a new financial year and people take on new roles, what advice would you give aspiring leaders?

Lauren Douge:

As you progress professionally, your responsibilities grow. You build more commitments both at work and in your personal life. The demands on your time and energy increase. It can be easy to lose sight of what's most important: what you're passionate about, what gives you energy, and what gives your work meaning.

My advice is to stay connected to that. It's the source of your drive, innovation and resilience. When challenges arise, your sense of purpose helps you navigate setbacks and keep moving forward. So my first piece of advice is simple: don't lose sight of why you're doing what you're doing. The second is to keep developing your relational leadership skills. The better you become at bringing people together, the more others will look to you when opinions differ or challenges arise. Innovation often comes from combining very different perspectives. When you help bridge those perspectives, that's where the magic happens. You uncover ideas and possibilities that nobody would have found alone. That curiosity and desire to connect ideas creates energy, meaning and enjoyment in your work.

Allen Dorsey:

There's something really energising about bringing different ways of thinking together and finding those breakthrough moments.

Lauren Douge:

Exactly. Those moments make you feel alive. There's a sense of adventure in them, and that gives work a real sense of purpose and zest.

Allen Dorsey:

Speaking of adventure, one of my goals this year has been to do more reading. Do you have a book recommendation?

Lauren Douge:

I love this question because I love reading.

The book I'd recommend is The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. It's probably not my favourite book now, but at the time I read it, it had a significant influence on me. It's not exactly a light read. It's quite philosophical. But it makes an interesting point about following your creative instincts and intuition, even when that challenges convention. Interestingly, I realised it shares a similar message with one of my favourite films, Strictly Ballroom.

Allen Dorsey:

Really?

Lauren Douge:

Yes. Both are ultimately about trusting your creative instincts and staying true to yourself, even when others are telling you not to.

Allen Dorsey:

Amazing. I think the tagline writes itself: The Fountainhead and Strictly Ballroom are the same thing.

Well, thank you so much, Lauren. This has been a fascinating conversation and I've come away with some really practical ideas, and valuable reminders, about leadership and influence.

Lauren Douge:

Brilliant. Thanks so much, Allen. I really appreciate it. Go well.

Podcast Outro:

Thanks for tuning in to this week's episode.

Nous Group is an international management consultancy, and for the past 25 years we've helped public, private and not-for-profit clients deliver better outcomes for their customers, communities and society. To learn more about our work, visit www.nousgroup.com or follow us on social media.

We'll catch you next time.