By Dr Tanya Finnie
Leadership, Cultural Intelligence and Growth in 2025
Having just returned from a retreat in the Adelaide Hills, I feel restored, re-centred, and genuinely ready for the Festive Season. It was a Chatter Retreat – just under 50 incredible women and one very brave man, and together we filled the beautiful Mount Lofty and Sequoia spaces with high energy, deep conversations, and a sense of connection that felt rare and precious.
We were an eclectic mix: strong, independent young women at the beginning of their leadership journeys; passionate menopausal women navigating reinvention with humour and grit; and those with life experiences that could fill novels, women who have weathered storms and emerged even stronger.
The retreat was the brainchild of the creative and unstoppable Mandi Gunsberger from Nourish Travel, co-hosted with the brilliant Leigh Sales, veteran Australian journalist, broadcaster, author, and truly a national institution in public-interest storytelling. As a special treat, we even had time with Annabel Crabb prior to the retreat, whose disarming wit and socially astute commentary brought a flavour entirely her own. Her conversations normally jump from rabbit hole to rabbit hole.
The Magic of the Chatters
Chatters are an interesting breed. They can locate a missing blue bunny in Oslo Airport and reunite it with its rightful owner in Melbourne at record speed. They’re the people you want in your corner, armed with emergency pearls, kind eyes, and warm hugs. They fill your cup with zero judgement while courageously carrying their own stories, burdens, and triumphs.
Surrounded by this community, I was gifted something rare as a business owner: time. Time to step out of my day-to-day commitments and reflect. Really reflect. Reflect on my year and my space in the world. Perhaps the greatest gift was being held by a structure I didn’t have to create or lead, a rare luxury for someone used to steering the room.
A Year of Mountains
While some in my circle walked the Camino or literally climbed mountains, I took 2025 to focus on my health. For me, climbing a mountain occasionally looked like taking the dogs to the beach, and that was enough. Sometimes the most courageous thing we can do is choose rest over relentless achievement, especially for women in leadership. Of course, any attempts at “rest” in my house must first be approved by our two unofficial office managers: A very stubborn Golden Retriever, who believes shedding is a full-time job and an aging Labrador, who is getting slower by the week. If you’ve ever tried Pilates with a furry paw on your leg, you’ll understand the leadership challenge.
A brief return to South Africa for a family wedding was another grounding moment, a reminder of the roots that shaped me and the cultural threads I carry into every room I walk into.
And yet, this year was rich. Some highlights include:
✨Publishing my book From Shadows to Safari, which became a bestseller in three Amazon categories.
✨ Speaking on several podcasts and appearing in multiple media outlets.
✨ Feeling particularly chuffed to feature in The Australian Women’s Weekly in a five-page article, with Jane Fonda on the cover no less!
✨ Delivering a range of keynotes across Australia, on Cultural Intelligence, Bias-Aware Leadership, and Collaborative Team Culture, and refining our offerings to reflect the core of what modern workplaces truly need.
✨ Committing to 15 minutes a day learning artificial intelligence, which has paid off in unexpected ways.
✨An unforgettable safari in Tanzania as part of my Festival Year (yes, when your birthday ends in a zero, you absolutely deserve a year!) Standing in those vast landscapes, surrounded by wildlife, community, and deep history, was a grounding experience that fed both my soul and my cultural curiosity.
✨ Launching our refreshed website, with a much clearer path to our growing library of free resources, including the latest white paper we released this year on the “S” in ESG and why social impact must sit at the heart of organisational strategy.
✨ Seeing our magazine Cultural Times reach over one million readers and continue growing.
✨ Hosting our Diversity & Inclusion Summit again, with participants consistently praising the depth and substance, something we pride ourselves on deeply at RedHead Communications.
✨ Supporting a 16-year-old to get his L-plates and survive his first exams — equal parts character building for him and patience training for me!
✨ Working with several coaches across the year, recognising that one perspective is never enough, gave me the clarity and balance I needed to evolve as a leader and as a human.
✨ And yes, meeting Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb was a highlight. I am not usually a “fan girl,” but I’ve quoted both women for years in keynotes and workshops.
Gratitude as a Cultural Practice
My heart is full.
Not just full of achievements, but full of people, full of moments, full of learning, and full of gratitude.
I reflect often on what I’m grateful for and more importantly, why. Gratitude for me is not a passing feeling. It’s part of my cultural lens, shaped by my upbringing in apartheid-era South Africa, my German roots, and my life now in Australia. These layers influence how I lead, how I connect, and the work we do at RedHead Communications to build inclusive, culturally intelligent workplaces.
I’m also grateful for Jessica, who has now been working with me for over a year. Patiently keeping me organised, on track, and occasionally reminding the dogs to dial down the snoring during webinars.
This retreat was a reminder that belonging is as vital outside the workplace as it is within it. Community matters. Connection matters. Reflection matters. And as 2025 draws to a close, I hope you too can carve out space to acknowledge your growth, honour your load, and celebrate the people who lifted, listened, or laughed with you along the way.
If your organisation wants to step into 2026 with cultural intelligence and confidence, explore our keynotes and programs at RedHead Communications and mention this blog post for a $1000 off any new keynote or full day workshop booked in before 31 December 2025.
From my heart to yours, thank you for being part of this journey. And if no one has reminded you lately: you are enough, exactly as you are!
Wishing you a culturally rich, restful, joy-filled Festive Season.
See you in 2026, ready for whatever mountains we choose to climb.