He might not think of himself as a traditional leader "telling people what to do", but Sebastien Barbe's leadership style got the judges of the 2023 NSW ahi: Future Leader Award category sitting up and taking notice.
When asked how he'd define good leadership, Sebastien Barbe says, “I think it means to lead by example, so I often go and sit out the front office and talk to clients. I think that reminds me why I do the work that I do. I'm always helping and trying to help out the team whenever I can as well.”
Currently Manager of the Housing Solutions Division at Link Wentworth – a role which sees him (and his team, he is quick to point out) perform many of the core functions the organisation provides to its clients – Sebastien displays the level of leadership talent that the social and affordable housing sector needs to thrive.
“I lead a team of experts who deliver comprehensive private rental assistance with quality outcomes across the northern and western suburbs of Sydney,” as he explains it.
Furthermore, Sebastien and his team are responsible for assessing all the social housing applications in New South Wales that come to Link Wentworth and allocating vacant social housing properties to eligible clients. If that wasn't enough, their duties include supporting homeless people, as well as those at risk of becoming homeless, with temporary accommodation until a more ‘permanent’ solution can be arranged.
While Sebastien says it was a great honour to be nominated – and then win – the NSW ahi: Future Leader Award, it was unexpected.
“I've been in a few different leadership roles in the last few years and spent a lot of time working on developing processes, and procedures and strategising on how to make the work that we do at Link Wentworth more meaningful to our clients. I'm a strategic thinker – I’m always looking in terms of performance improvements – so it's amazing to know that the work that I've done is recognised as cutting-edge within the industry. Being recognised on a state and Australasian level was such a great feeling."
"For me, leadership means trying to make things happen.”
Sebastien’s leadership style was born out of a collision to make a positive impact on the lives of clients with frustration at being told by others what couldn’t be done in terms of finding solutions: “For me, leadership means trying to make things happen, and so being in a leadership role, it means that I can make things happen."
“I was a bit sick of people telling me 'No, I couldn't help clients'," he expands. "I really wanted to make positive change by encouraging my team to make brave decisions and think outside the box. I wanted clients to feel better when they left our office instead of feeling worse.”
Sebastien's desire to make a positive impact extends to the welfare of his team: “As a leader, I want to simplify the work for the team rather than making things harder for them. The work that we do is already hard as it is, so my role is to try and encourage our staff to do the best they can with the resources that they have."
"I lead with my team instead of leading my team.”
“People aren’t just black and white, so you need to adjust your leadership style to the team that you manage," he further explains. "I know the strengths of my team, so I just try to push them and encourage them to make decisions. That's how it becomes a team effort rather than an individual effort. I lead with my team instead of leading my team, if that makes sense."
As well as flexibility and empowerment, Sebastien says it’s important he's seen as being supportive and approachable to those around him. “I think it's important in this industry to be a kind person,” he adds. "Obviously, we deal with people who are quite disadvantaged, and having a friendly face when they attend the office, it's sometimes all that's needed to build that connection.”
Being a visible and accessible leader is another non-negotiable for Sebastien: “As a division manager, I have a team in the north of Sydney, and I have a team in western Sydney, so every week, I spend time across those offices to make sure I'm visible, and I'm able to welcome the feedback from the team as well.”
“As a leader, we need to be on board enough to be able to take on feedback from the team, and I always encourage the team to give feedback on myself to, I guess – to grow as an individual, and grow as a leader as well.”
Sebastien says he’s been lucky to work alongside some inspiring leaders and mentors in his time at Link Wentworth, singling out former Area Manager Pablo Marques, and the organisation’s current Head of Tenancy Alison O’Neill. He credits former Head of Access and Customer Support Amanda Murray and Katie Dodd as having a profound influence on his development as a leader.
“Amanda made me understand the importance of being a humble leader,” he admits. “She was very, very big on being visible, being within the team, and supporting the team. That really resonated with me and the type of leader I wanted to be, and I want to continue to develop in that direction.”
“As a senior leader, I think you learn from your team as well,” he continues. “Katie Dodd, who's currently one of my team leaders, showed me how to be a compassionate leader just by the way she interacts with her team. I think it's fantastic.”
“I feel I have so much more to give.”
Sebastien was in no doubt that his Future Leader Award will provide him with the extra motivation to continue with his personal and professional development: “I'm already a very motivated person, but I guess it's an extra push to continue to grow in my leadership journey. I feel I have so much more to give."
“The service we provide at Link Wentworth is unique in the industry at the moment, and I've put a lot of new processes in place to improve efficiency, which I’m really proud of, and I just want to continue and build on that.’
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