Human on the Inside with Maxme’s Steve Collier
Human on the Inside. We’re big believers in the power of human skills. But don’t just take our word for it - the evidence for excellence powered by human (‘soft’) skills is everywhere! In this engaging, ever-enlightening series, we speak with industry leaders, innovators and game-changers to learn a little about their personal career journeys, and how human-led strategies, philosophies and cultures are proving a force for good in their working worlds …
Maxme: Welcome Steve, and thanks for stepping into the #SuccessIsHuman Spotlight.
You are an experienced corporate business leader with a track record of delivering strong, sustainable results, now you've turned your focus to startups. You hold a number of Board & Advisory roles including Maxme, LandNow, Propte, Incrible, and consult to others.
In 1 sentence (ok, we’ll give you 3), why and what do these roles entail?
Steve Collier: After a long time working for big corporates I was looking for an opportunity to pay it forward and help small businesses looking to challenge the status quo.
In most cases these startups are looking to digitally disrupt markets that have not moved with the times by providing more customer friendly, efficient solutions to old processes.
The founders are invariably hugely passionate about their ideas and how they are going to change the world, but maybe not so focused on good governance, regulation and proactive stakeholder management. I get to work with these clever people and help them take their great ideas and turn them into reality but not forget some of that other stuff!
M: In a career of over 40 years, predominantly in Financial Services, you’ve built broad experience across a range of disciplines including sales & distribution, credit & risk management, operations, customer service & enterprise scale transformation.
How does all this work speak to your personal purpose and what drives you as an individual?
SC: As my career progressed I became far more mindful of what I was good at and how I could leverage those strengths. My greatest strengths have not been anything technical but are actually all human skills - the way I have led teams has been at the heart of what drives me.
Caring deeply about the people that I lead and helping them bring the best of themselves to their roles, helping individuals and teams overcome obstacles and achieve results that they didn’t think were possible, creating a culture of trust and respect where not having the answer is ok and experimenting is encouraged. These are the things that drive me as an individual.
M: Tell us a little about your personal education pathway/s - what led you to where you are now? How closely do your formal qualifications match your current career?
SC: I wasn’t a great student at school and was more interested in getting into the workforce and gaining some independence.
That said, it didn’t take me long in Banking to realise I would need to study if I wanted to progress. Within a couple of years of starting at NAB, I started night school two days a week studying Banking & Finance. This study continued for around five years, and have subsequently done a range of other development activities relevant to jobs I was doing, or wanted to do.
In addition to my own studies in things like operations management, financial planning, agile project delivery and more latterly AI, I’ve also been very fortunate in the level of leadership development I have received throughout my career. All of the above combined with some amazing “thrown into the deep end” opportunities has made me a pretty well rounded generalist.
M: If you could share one piece of career advice to your 21 year old self it would be ...
SC: Be open to opportunities and don’t be afraid to have a go at something new. Whilst I worked in Banking for 40 years, I had multiple careers and wasn’t afraid to try new things. There is no such thing as a set and forget career. Iincreasingly, the skills you have developed in one role will be transferable to others.
M: Maximising the potential of individuals, communities and businesses through the power of human skills is the reason Maxme exists. Can you tell us a little about the role and / or value of human skills in the businesses you're involved with ?
SC: Whilst the businesses that I am involved with all have a strong technology focus, their success or otherwise will be driven by the people who work in them. The underlying culture of the businesses, their approach to developing platforms, how they listen to and respond to their customers etc., is all about human skills.
The world of start ups is tough for founders facing all sorts of time pressure, financial uncertainty and a lot of knockbacks. The ability to deal with these situations by developing resilience, walking in other people’s shoes, developing deep listening skills, being nimble and agile are at the core of what will help keep things moving - not the technical skills that possibly motivated them in the first place.
M: Self Awareness sets the critical foundation for all Maxme learning experiences. With that said … what’s your strongest trait / personal superpower?
SC: Emotional and/or social intelligence. My ability to genuinely connect with the people I am working with, the customer I am serving, the audience I’m presenting to, the vendor I’m negotiating with. By understanding their wants and needs from our interactions, I’m sure we all reach better outcomes.
M: And on the flip side, what’s one human / ‘soft’ skill you’ve had to really work on improving over the course of your career?
SC: Early on I used to think that as a leader I was expected to have all the answers and be the smartest person in the room. Over the years as I moved into roles where I didn’t have the experience, I learnt (often the hard way) that I couldn’t have all the answers and that I needed to get much better at asking for help. Whilst I used to think that showing my vulnerability would be a weakness, it is now another one of my super powers!
M: If you could share one piece of career advice with recent Uni graduates or candidates keen to work in the field of financial services, what would it be?
SC: Financial services is such a huge sector that offers some great opportunities. My advice is to not overthink where you start. By all means do some research and be inquisitive, but just have a crack and follow your heart more than your head - you can always move. 🙂
M: You’ve been granted approval to add one University graduate to your business, but have 100 applicants, all with outstanding academic results. How do you find your perfect candidate - what are you looking for?
SC: In the world of ChatGPT, every CV and cover letter looks impeccable, so it’s becoming harder to get a feel for your candidates.
I’m very interested in the level of preparation the candidate has done in applying for the role, and in the interview - how much do they know about the company/the role, how did they gather that information, how curious are they and what questions have they got for me?
For me, the standout candidate will be the one who is genuinely interested in the organisation and in the position - they’ll shine through.
M: In the words of John Dewey, “education is not preparation for life, education is life itself.”
What’s next on your #learning agenda?
SC: For many years I have either been a mentor or a mentee and have found both roles hugely beneficial. In the space I am working / advising in now, I have a lot to learn and am actively seeking out others who can help mentor me in the world of startups.
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