Sir Robert Menzies, Australia’s longest serving Prime Minister, embodied many of the leadership qualities that remain important today. Integrity, purpose, strong values, a regard for all Australians and pride in our nation was the strong core from which he devoted his life to service.

Like all leaders, Sir Robert Menzies experienced success and failure, his many notable achievements were punctuated by moments of uncertainty and discouragement. One of the key attributes of great leaders in how they face adversity. Sir Robert Menzies used these setbacks and moments of introspection to learn, grow and ultimately become a leader who inspired the nation and was respected by all, irrespective of political persuasion.

Based on the example of Sir Robert Menzies leadership, the Menzies Foundation aspires to raise the profile and importance of ‘outstanding’ leadership so as to encourage Australians to reflect on leadership, build their own leadership capability and take leadership roles in the community.

Like our namesake, we are committed to supporting leadership initiatives that grapple with issues that are germane to Australia’s future. In our areas of focus, we identify leadership challenges, seek new knowledge, support innovation, and build collaborations for impact and scale.

Building on Sir Robert Menzies legacy, and In accordance with our catalytic model of philanthropy, we aspire to build platforms that model the importance of a purpose-led orientation, are entrepreneurial and adaptive, undaunted by complexity and focused on a more thoughtful, deeper interrogation of what it means to be a leader in the world today.