Leading with connection

For many CEOs, the higher the climb, the lonelier it gets. But among YPO leaders across Australia and New Zealand, connection has become the antidote, transforming both how they lead and how their businesses perform. In fact, a recent study across the region reveals that organizations where leaders actively engage in external networks enjoy a five percent higher revenue growth than those that don’t.

While the figure might seem insignificant at first glance, it represents a staggering US$34.53 billion in potential annual gains for the region’s largest businesses. And it demonstrates a powerful truth – leaders need leaders.

And nowhere is that more evident than in YPO, the global community of 38,000 chief executives that has become a powerful force for leadership learning and growth. In the Australian and New Zealand region alone, YPO now has more than 1,250 members across 17 local chapters – the highest levels of participation in its history, with an increasing number of women and younger entrepreneurs joining in recent years.

For Regional Gold Chair Steve Kloss and Regional Chair Stephen Smorgon, the lessons they’ve gained from the organization have been nothing short of transformative – not just for their own leadership journeys but also for the businesses and communities they serve.

Staying true to strengths

Kloss, CEO of Pentana Solutions, has spent his career building, growing and investing in businesses. After 35 years with Pentana, he still speaks with the enthusiasm of a startup founder.

“Business has always been fascinating to me. It’s a curiosity that has so many different faces,” he shares.

“Take AI as the current flavor of the month. That opportunity becomes so exciting to a curious mind, as long as you have the flexibility and tenacity to chase it.”

Yet, he reveals his biggest leadership breakthrough was less about chasing trends and more about self-awareness.

“For too many years, I tried to be the perfect CEO,” Kloss reflects. “The great realization was, I’m not good at everything.

“That doesn’t mean I need to train and be good at everything either – that’s why we have 650 people in the company. They make up for the skills I lack. Since I realized that, the supercharge to my leadership has been out of this world.”

That clarity, he insists, has guided the way he engages with YPO.

“YPO gives me access to immersive learning experiences from around the world that I otherwise wouldn’t encounter anywhere else,” Kloss says. “From the connections I make to the diversity, it’s like a smorgasbord of opportunity to learn, whether it’s at the chapter level, regionally or internationally.”

Shifting toward servant leadership

Smorgon’s journey has followed a different arc. Beginning in advertising, later leading an agency group and now serving as Chairman of the Family Council for Escor Group, his leadership style has evolved significantly.

“Many years ago, before my journey with YPO, my philosophy was to bring people along for the journey to achieve an outcome,” he recalls. “Whereas today, it’s all about servant leadership. How do you give back, bring people along for the journey and empower them?

“It’s changed a lot, and YPO has done that for me.”

That change of mindset is reflected in how he approaches his role as Regional Chair.

“It’s not about standing on a pedestal,” he says.

“It’s about supporting members and trying to make an impact. I value what the organization has given me. You’ll hear from many YPO members that you always get back as much as you put in. I’m just paying back what I’ve been given from the organization.”

The forum advantage

At the heart of YPO’s value lies in its confidential peer-to-peer forum model, which both Kloss and Smorgon describe as one of the most powerful leadership tools available.

“For me, it’s time out to say, ‘In this area of my life, I need help. Has anyone gone through something similar?’” Smorgon explains.

“Forum is eight or nine like-minded individuals with disparate backgrounds, but all with something to offer. We don’t just cover business, though. We cover personal and family too. Forum is how we stay engaged.”

Kloss agrees that the opportunities to connect across different industries are invaluable.

“I wanted to have exposure to and experience other industries,” he says.

“I was originally attracted to YPO because of their commitment to lifelong learning in the industries where I wasn’t present. The immersive nature has been intoxicating.”

Diversity driving impact

Both leaders reveal they’re passionate about YPO’s evolving membership, particularly the greater influx of women and younger professionals across the Australia and New Zealand region.

“Our female membership numbers continue to climb,” Smorgon reveals. “It creates opportunities and the voice in the room is more balanced. Having more female members in forums keeps our conversations on point – it’s been a really beautiful, refreshing thing.”

Kloss echoes the importance of that balance.

“We needed to be greater in balance with humanity,” he says. “Equal representation, irrespective of any form of diversity, feels like balance is restored.

“In my mind, the more YPO grows in size and representation, the greater the opportunity will be.”

Leading into the future

For Kloss, his time as Regional Gold Chair has been about carrying the Australian flag onto the global stage.

“To get involved as the regional chair internationally and represent Australia, which has been my home, was something I was so passionate about,” he says. “To wave that flag while learning how to get the most out of 38,000 CEOs around the world – that became captivating to me.”

Smorgon shares that, for him, it’s about carrying that momentum forward in Australia and New Zealand.

“I urge people to be curious. I urge people not to feel like just because they’re leaders in their own environment that they need to do it all themselves,” he says.

“I feel like YPO has pushed me to grow beyond my title. It’s challenged me to lead with purpose, and to keep evolving both personally and professionally.”