Episode 3 | Trust, Service & Stewardship with Governor Dawson
What does leadership look like when it is grounded in listening, trust and service? In Episode 3 of Still Learning, Leadership WA CEO Candy Choo and Dr Andrei Lux from Edith Cowan University’s School of Business and Law sit down with His Excellency the Honourable Chris Dawson AC APM, Governor of Western Australia, for the final episode of our first series. Drawing on more than four decades of public service, Governor Dawson reflects on the lessons he has carried across policing, emergency management and his current role as Governor. The conversation explores listening, trust, transparency and stewardship, from building relationships before they are tested to leading through uncertainty and knowingwhen influence requires restraint rather than control. Governor Dawson also speaks candidly about his historic apology to the Bindjareb Noongar people for the 1834 Pinjarra Massacre, the importance of truth-telling and learning from history, and the responsibility to strengthen trust in the institutions and communities we serve. Looking back on his time as Police Commissioner, State Emergency Coordinator and Vaccine Commander during COVID-19, he shares lessons on communication, decision-making under pressure and sustaining your own wellbeing when others are looking to you for reassurance. And, of course, we ask the question at the heart of every episode: What are you still learning? Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tspvr_pLjSo ---Content note: This episode contains discussionof the Pinjarra Massacre, historical violence against Aboriginal people, and experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic.Cultural warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander [viewers, listeners, readers] are advised that the following program may contain images and voices of people who have died. ---Article discussedAjith, M. M., Lux, A. A., Striepe, M., & Bentley, T. A. (2026). When caring depletes: The paradox of leading employee wellbeing during a prolonged crisis – evidence from the Australian resources sector. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 47(9), 114-132. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-01-2026-0060 Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: 8LYDLHEZLR3UUIEF -----------------This episode’s speakers His Excellency the Honourable Chris Dawson AC APM, Governor of Western AustraliaCandy Choo, Leadership WADr Andrei Lux, ECU School of Business and Law Follow Leadership WAWebsite | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Edith Cowan University School of Business and Law: https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/business-and-law/home Recorded at Edith Cowan University City Campus.
