A Franchise Changing Australia’s People and Business Development Sector (Interview with Bob McCarthy from Leadership Management Australia)

Eden Exchange discussed business with Bob McCarthy, the National Sales and Marketing Manager for Leadership Management Australia (LMA). In this interview, Bob provided some insights on LMA, discussed his own business journey and outlined how the LMA attracts licensees who grow their own businesses by developing and helping other businesses grow.

Eden Exchange
Hi Bob, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how LMA was created?

Bob McCarthy
LMA was created in 1972, when our current Chairman Grant Sexton started Leadership Management International (LMI) in Australia. In his experience, professional training events conducted by the training and development sector were typically one-day events. While the events had excellent presenters who presented valid insights and business information, at the end of the day the audience weren’t actually putting any of the ideas into practice. He believed that participants fully intended to do just that, but in actual fact very rarely did. This wasn’t because the information was irrelevant or useless, it was because there was no process to apply the information. Grant understood that attitude and behaviour change would only come through a proven development process and worked on developing and providing a solution to this challenge through LMA.

This is where the then LMI, now LMA steps in. In short, LMA helps people apply information so that new attitudes and behaviours are formed. The  change in attitude and behaviour has a measurable impact on the bottom line of an organisation. Personally, I ran Leadership Management Ireland in Cork from 2000 to 2012.  Through that experience and by attending our global conferences (we operate in 80 countries), I developed strong relationships with Grant Sexton and many others from LMA. As a result of these relationships, I accepted an offer to join LMA in Melbourne in 2012.

Eden Exchange
What is the main thing participants learn after engaging with LMA?

Bob McCarthy
Obviously every business is different but the best words to define the measurable results that are common to our clients are: Improved Productivity, how individual organisations, indeed how different sectors measure increased productivity will differ but all our clients will be able to demonstrate the positive impact LMA’s courses have had on their definition of productivity. Most people will agree that better organisational skills equals a better run business. This is a major focus of all LMA’s courses. We work closely with our clients to develop stronger communication skills – internally and externally. Additionally LMA works with our clients to help them develop higher performing teams at all levels of an organisation. These skills in turn have a significant effect on the growth of a business and when developed, do make a massive difference to the profitability and long term success of an organisation.

Eden Exchange
How does LMA improve the work ethic of its participants?

Bob McCarthy
The personal growth of each participant post their LMA course is very evident. You can see from our case studies that we have helped participants achieve a wide range of business results – they have grown their portfolios, built better relationships within their workplace and improved turnaround efficiency, giving better stability in their industry.

Eden Exchange
What is involved in being a franchisee/licensee  for LMA? What support is provided by LMA for new licensees?

Bob McCarthy
The support on offer is extensive. LMA only thrives when our licensees thrive. We have an extensive training and support package for new licensees and an ongoing professional development structure for our existing licensees. All of our new licensees are engaged in our “Fast Start” support structure, This lasts approximately ninety days. We have found that the behaviours, skills and results that a typical new licensee develops in their first ninety days are indicative of the success they will have thereafter. For this reason we work hand in hand for these first ninety days.

After this period, we have a structured support system, quarterly state meetings, annual conferences, ongoing progressive training and support as needed. This incorporates everything from preparing a large tender to us representing a licensee at a business meeting.

Eden Exchange
What is the key to success for LMA, as opposed to similar management companies?

Bob McCarthy
Our key to success is the focus on generating measurable results through people. We stand behind our business model because our process works to deliver these results. We are at the point where we can guarantee success. This is because we agree upon achievable goals for each participant beforehand and then help each participant to develop the skills , attitudes and behaviours necessary to achieve these goals.

Eden Exchange
What are some key trends operators in your sector need to be aware of ? How will LMA capitalise on these trends?

Bob McCarthy
Our sector, The Registered Training Organisation (RTO) sector has gone through some considerable change over the past five years. Much of this has been due to poor quality operators existing to capitalise on government funding. We have found that our client base now knows what doesn’t work. Our clients are more focussed than ever on using high quality and proven people development processes within their own organisations. We have enjoyed a great presence in the Australian market for forty five years and can see the great growth opportunity that exists over the next period of time.

Eden Exchange
What’s the best thing about your job, what drives you to do what you do?

Bob McCarthy
The best thing about my job is witnessing professional people who have never been business owners and operators achieve financial and work-life balance success. The great thing about this is that our licensees achieve this success through helping their clients grow their businesses.

Eden Exchange
Thank you for your time Bob

About Leadership Management Australia

For further information on LMA license opportunities please click here and submit an enquiry.

Founded by our Executive Chairman Grant Sexton in 1972, Leadership Management Australia (LMA) has been creating exceptional results through people for more than four decades.

LMA courses have already enhanced the leadership skills, team dynamics, performance, productivity and sales skills of over 130,000 people from thousands of organisations across Australia and New Zealand.