Lunch with Andrew Bishop

The latest Lunch with Leaders session welcomed Andrew Bishop, who shared reflections from almost 40 years working in science, biosecurity management and leadership.

Andrew explored the realities of leading in environments where uncertainty is the norm. He reflected on how leadership evolves over time—from a focus on science, data and technical expertise to one centred on people, judgement, risk and making decisions under pressure.

One of the session’s most memorable messages was: “Leadership is the ability to make good decisions when certainty is impossible.”

Andrew spoke about the importance of building trust, supporting your people, developing good judgement through experience, and remaining adaptable as new information emerges. He emphasised that effective leaders are guided not only by evidence, but also by strong principles, integrity and a willingness to make timely decisions even when the path forward is unclear.

The Northern Australia Biosecurity Strategy also acknowledges the ongoing support of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in delivering the Lunch with Leaders series and strengthening leadership capability across Australia’s biosecurity community.

Download Andrew’s Presentation

Andrew uses www.mindmanager.com to develop Mind Maps