Emerging leaders: Equipping the nursery industry for tomorrow
By Jennifer McQueen
The nursery industry, like the world around it, is changing fast. Businesses face thorny challenges, from biosecurity incursions and climate impacts to politics, shifting markets and new technologies. At the same time, staff expectations are shifting. People want to learn, grow and take on responsibility. For nurseries, the question is clear: who are the leaders ready to face that future?
Why this program matters
The levy-funded Emerging Leaders Program has been designed for people starting out on their leadership journey; those who are keen to step up but also need the context and tools to do it well.
Jeanette Gellard from Innovative Influences, who co-leads the program, says it is about giving aspiring leaders the tools they need: ‘We are equipping emerging and aspiring leaders with the knowledge, perspective and skills to make good decisions in their own businesses, contribute to industry strategy and step into leadership roles across the sector.’
Jeanette says it is not a generic management course but built around the specific needs of the Australian nursery industry, ‘It is tailored across the whole supply chain, from seedling production through to retail, so participants see the bigger picture while also learning what works in their own corner of the industry.’
What the program covers
Rather than focusing on theory alone, the four-month program blends:
- Immersive learning: Principles of leadership, applied to real nursery problems like staffing peaks, planning and compliance
- Industry knowledge: Insights from experts and exposure to innovation, trends and on-ground practice
- Practical exercises: Tools and activities that can be put straight to use back in the nursery
- Peer learning: Participants learning from each other’s experiences across different business types
Who we are looking for
The program is aimed squarely at emerging leaders: younger staff, new managers or people stepping into bigger roles for the first time. That might be the next generation in a family nursery, a supervisor in a production nursery, or a promising staff member in retail.
Jeanette says the levy funding is critical, ‘Leadership programs can be expensive, and that keeps people out. With levy funding, we can make sure nurseries of any size can put forward their emerging talent. It’s an investment in people who will be part of the industry’s future.’
Looking ahead
The first group of 12–15 participants begin in November 2025, with more groups planned in the years ahead.
‘The challenges today are very different to 20 years ago,’ Jeanette says. ‘Think biosecurity incursions, weather extremes, staff turnover, customer expectations – everything is always shifting fast. Leaders need to be capable, informed and ready to respond.’
By investing now, the nursery industry is developing leaders who can adapt to a fast-moving, complex environment while keeping greenlife businesses resilient and competitive.
More information
The Emerging Leaders Program is funded by the nursery levy and developed by Innovative Influences and Susie Green Consulting.
For more information, please visit:
All images supplied by the author.
Jennifer McQueen
Director of Communications
Greenlife Industry Australia