Recently I was invited back to Joey's where it all began to speak to the students.
Reflecting on my journey — from walking the same halls as these students to receiving an OAM for contributions to small business and the arts — was an incredibly humbling experience.
01 / What I actually told themNot the polished version.
There's a temptation, standing at a lectern in a school you attended, to deliver the tidy narrative. Worked hard, stayed focused, here's the medal.
That version isn't true and it isn't useful. What I tried to say instead was closer to this:
Figure 01 · Four things worth telling students
The honest version.
The path isn't linear
Nobody's career looks like the plan they had at seventeen. The useful skill isn't picking the right path — it's being able to adapt when the one you picked changes shape.
Show up consistently
Most of what I've built came from turning up to the same thing, week after week, for years. It's an unglamorous answer, and it's the true one.
Local is not small
You do not have to leave Geelong to do something that matters. Some of the most consequential work happens within a few kilometres of where you grew up.
Recognition follows work, not the reverse
An OAM is a description of something already done. Nobody sets out to earn one. You set out to do the thing, and if it's useful enough for long enough, sometimes people notice.
Standing in a hall you sat in as a student, talking to people the age you were, is a good corrective against taking yourself too seriously.— David Greenwood OAM
02 / Why these invitations matterSay yes to them.
I write a fair bit on this site about what young people in this region don't have — the spaces, the transport, the first-job pathways. There's a related and cheaper gap: seeing that someone from here did something.
Ambition is partly a function of exposure. A student who has never met anyone who built something locally has to imagine it entirely from scratch. A student who has met three has a template.
So if you've done something in this region and a school asks you to come and talk about it, go. It costs an hour. It's one of the highest-return things you can do.
Thank you to the staff, students, and community of St Joseph's College for welcoming me back. To the graduating class, may your year be filled with success, growth, and memories that last a lifetime.
Ad Alta Virtute.
03 / The speechWhat I said, more or less.
A few people have asked for it, so here it is — lightly tidied, but this is substantially what I said to the Year 12s.
The address · St Joseph’s College Geelong
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers.
To the principal, teachers, parents, and of course the Year 12s — thank you for having me here today. It’s a real honour to be back at St Joseph’s College, standing where I once sat.
When I was in Year 12, I definitely didn’t have all the answers. I probably had more questions than anything. But one thing I’ve learned since then is that leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about stepping up, being there for others, and making a difference in ways both big and small.
Over the past twenty years I’ve been lucky enough to work in the arts — a career that’s taken me from here in Australia to New York, London and across Asia. I’ve worked on some incredible shows: The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Frozen, Aladdin. I’ve seen how theatre and creativity can bring people together, tell stories that matter, and create communities where everyone feels valued.
But here’s the thing. Even in those massive productions — all the lights, the big sets, the applause — leadership always boiled down to one thing: service. Whether I was managing a huge production or working with a small community theatre group, the real leaders were the ones who brought people together, who listened, who supported their team, and who made sure everyone was able to contribute.
Travelling and working with different teams taught me a lot. In some countries I couldn’t speak the language fluently, and it didn’t matter. Leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room or having the right words — it’s about actions. It’s about being the person others can rely on.
You don’t have to travel the world to learn that. Right here at St Joseph’s, in your year group, you have the chance to lead every day. It doesn’t take a badge or a title. It takes a willingness to be the person who steps up when it counts.
A few years ago I was honoured with an Order of Australia Medal for my work in the arts and small business. That was a huge moment. But here’s the truth: the OAM didn’t make me a leader. The leadership didn’t come from the title or the award. It came from years of showing up, doing the work, supporting others, and making a difference in small ways.
Some of you will have badges this year — house captains, prefects, club leaders. Remember that the badge doesn’t define your leadership. You do. Leadership happens in the everyday moments: checking in on a mate who seems a bit off, helping out with an event, being kind when you know someone’s having a tough day. It’s not the grand gestures. It’s the small things that build trust and respect.
One of the most rewarding things I’ve done in the arts is help create spaces where people feel like they belong — where everyone’s voice matters and the whole team moves forward together. You can create that here.
So here’s my challenge: don’t wait for the badge to tell you that you’re a leader. Start now. Lead by example, not just when it’s easy, but in the small moments when it really counts. You might not realise it, but someone’s already looking up to you. Maybe a younger student nervous about fitting in. Maybe a mate going through a tough time.
And, as we say here — Ad Alta Virtute. To strive for higher virtues. Aim high, not just in your achievements, but in how you serve others, how you lead with compassion, and how you lift up the people around you. That’s what true leadership looks like. Thank you.
If you run a school or a youth program in Greater Geelong and you'd like someone to come and talk about building something locally — a business, an arts organisation, a community campaign — I'm happy to. No charge, any school, any ward. Email david@centrestage.org.au with "School visit" in the subject.
