Interview with Laura Bogar, Acting Director at La Trobe University

Laura Bogar, the Acting Director of the Capability Partnering and Strategy team (substantively Senior Manager of Organisational Development) at La Trobe University, shares her extensive experience in leadership, performance, and strategy within the higher education sector. She delves into the critical role of managing an acting position, highlighting the need to balance a roadmap for change with navigating unexpected challenges.

Laura advocates for a leadership style characterised by extra transparency - sharing the internal decision-making process with the team to enhance empowerment and engagement, particularly among high performers. She also reflects on the early career perception of being "bossy" and how she reframed it as a strength in being confident and direct.

The conversation touches on Laura's commitment to the higher education sector, driven by its purpose of impacting the student experience and its potential to address areas of leadership immaturity. She details La Trobe's successful, methodical, and internal approach to strategic workforce planning (SWP), emphasising that working slowly and intentionally helps initiatives land better across the organisation and creates internal advocates.

She also explores the evolving demands on leaders to master both the art (empathy, psychological safety) and the science (strategic planning, discipline) of leadership. Finally, Laura discusses the current reality of AI adoption, noting the contrast between her own comfort with the technology and the fear felt across the sector, and shares her excitement for the launch of the La Trobe Leadership Academy.