Patrick Hollingworth works with senior organisational leaders to help them and their businesses move through an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous landscape.
He describes himself as “a student of people and places, and the way they interact with each other under conditions of uncertainty and complexity”.
His interest is in non-linear organisational leadership and structural responses to conditions of uncertainty and complexity. His book on this concept called The Light and Fast Organisation: A New Way of Dealing with Uncertainty, is published internationally by Wiley and Sons.
In addition to helping senior leaders, he regularly speaks at conferences both in Australia (he lives in Sydney) and internationally. Patrick’s clients include multinational companies such as British retailer Marks and Spencer, American energy giant Chevron and British-Australian miner Rio Tinto, through to major Australian banks such as CBA, NAB and Westpac, communications giant Telstra, private hospital chain Ramsay Health and numerous government departments end education institutions.
After completing a Bachelor of Science with Honours in anthropology, geography and psychology, he spent more than a decade as an employee of a large multinational consultancy, working on the some of the largest and most complex infrastructure projects ever built in Australia. During this time Patrick saw the very best of what large organisations can achieve, and also the very worst.
At the same time, Patrick continued a love affair with mountaineering which had begun during his time at university.
His mountaineering has taken him to great heights—quite literally. He’s summited multiple 8000-metre peaks, including Mount Everest*. He even helped his Nepali Sherpa friends set up their own mountain-guiding business based in Kathmandu.
Over the past 15 years, he has climbed in the small light and fast alpine-style teams, and he’s climbed in large heavy and slow expedition-style teams (he’s even led a number of them himself). He’s seen the very best of what alpine style can offer, and also the very worst of what expedition style can deliver.
Patrick lives and breathes this stuff—he truly understands what its like to lead teams through extended periods of uncertainty, ambiguity and doubt.
It’s one of the reasons that Patrick continues to climb to this day—it gives him a great environment in which to further test and explore his thinking
Thank you so much for your involvement with GUSU 2014. Your presentation was outstanding and many people have commented on how much the gained from listening to you. The day was a huge success and all feedback has been super positive.
JSW Training & Community Services
Thanks for the session with the boys yesterday , nothing but positive feedback today on your discussion and the message you gave. You usually know you have hit the mark when the following morning they are still talking about it and there were lots of discussions going on between the boys today. Again thanks for your input into the day and hope to work with you again in the future.
Thiess | Gorgon Project