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Fabian Dattner

When it comes to leaders, there are those who inspire us to ask for change, and those who empower us to lead it. Few do both. Fabian Dattner is one of the few, but her journey as world-renowned leadership expert and world-changer doesn’t begin with a calling; it begins with a falling.

When Fabian inherited her father’s high profile fur and leather business in the 1980s, it seemed she was on track to follow in his footsteps. But a recession and a series of personal missteps and blindspots led Fabian to putting the business into bankruptcy. A daring last minute gut instinct for the market and a sense of responsibility to her employees and creditors ensured that by the time her father’s business shuttered its doors, all debts had been paid off.

But the slate — her future and sense of identity — had been wiped clean.

For Fabian, this would prove a momentous learning opportunity, one that she became resolute about sharing, and which led her on an epic journey to become one of the world’s most influential leadership activists.

Following years of research, interviews, diagnostic accreditations, three books, countless speaking engagements including the TED stage, two visionary programs that accelerate the voices and influences of women leaders and one feature film documentary, Fabian Dattner is now one of the leading global experts on enlightened leadership ethics.

As the founder and CEO of Australia’s Dattner Group, Fabian leads a diverse company that is dedicated to helping corporations, organisations and communities of all sizes better understand themselves and one another. Through deeply personal and empowering programs that examine workplace culture, leadership styles, purpose and values, with a focus on legacy, clients go on to harness the influence they have over their own lives and the world at large.

This is our decade to make a significant impact on the sustainability of our environment (in all its dimensions) and to leave a legacy for future generations.

I’m the CEO of Dattner Group, creator of the renowned leadership program for women, Compass, and Visionary Founder of Homeward Bound.

In addition to her ground-breaking work with the Dattner Group, Fabian is also the visionary and founder of Homeward Bound Projects. This extraordinary initiative has captured global attention as the largest initiative in the world to elevate the visible leadership of women with a STEMM background, specifically to address the urgent need for greater female representation in decision-making roles – all towards a sustainable future. This is a ten-month, state-of-the-art leadership program, followed by a month in Antarctica collaborating on initiatives that will make a difference to our shared futures. Since 2015, 92 countries and some 65 sciences are involved. By 2036 Homeward Bound will have supported and engaged a globally diverse leadership network of 10,000 STEMM women committed to ensuring the sustainability of our planet. 

Fabian on her own leadership transformation, when she led a ship of some 70 women in STEMM into Antarctica (from documentary The Leadership).

Fabian is also the creator of Dattner Group’s Compass, a groundbreaking program for women of all walks of life. Designed to develop participant’s leadership capabilities, influence and ability to reflect on their strengths while addressing their stories and beliefs that have held them back, the Compass pillars of listening, sharing, learning and empowering enables graduates to make long-lasting change at whatever levels they desire. 

At the heart of both Compass and Homeward Bound lies the fundamental belief that women are uniquely placed to challenge the pitfalls of traditional leadership paradigms: they are inherently legacy-minded, prefer webs of collaborative influence over orders of hierarchy, are more inclusive and are trustworthy with assets.

With a relentless passion for education and a deep understanding of what it takes to create transformational change, Fabian fearlessly challenges the status quo of leadership paradigms. Her unwavering belief in the profound impact of great leaders is well-documented and her conviction that the world is at a critical crossroads underscores the urgency for positive change.

What I Do

 

  • CEO and Founder, Dattner Group
  • Visionary Founder and Board Member, Homeward Bound
  • Author, speaker, blogger
  • Leadership expert: designer, facilitator, leadership coach and mentor of leadership teams, helping organisations design transformational cultural outcomes
  • Strategist, helping align culture – purpose and values – through deeply inclusive processes
  • Diagnostic specialist (can choose the right instruments at the right times to get the right outcomes with high quality data)
  • Understands culture and which levers to pull to get constructive outcomes
Connect with Fabian on LinkedInEngage with Fabian for public speaking or facilitation

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