🎧 From the Leadership Upgrade Podcast - Local Government Leaders Series
Most leaders talk about vision.
Very few ever get to see what happens when a vision becomes real — when it stops being a document, or a workshop, or a slogan on a wall, and starts reshaping the lives of people.
That’s why this episode of The Leadership Upgrade Podcast — featuring Chris Adams, former CEO of the City of Karratha — is so important.
Because Chris didn’t just lead a Council.
He helped lead a transformation — one that shifted Karratha from a transient mining town into what is now recognised as Australia’s most liveable regional community.
Listen to the episode
The Leadership Upgrade Podcast
The Power of Vision: How the City of Karratha Was Transformed Into Australia’s Most Liveable Region
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And the surprising part?
Chris started as a vision sceptic.
Like many leaders in local government, business and corporate settings, he wondered whether vision statements actually do anything. Whether they change outcomes. Whether they matter beyond the corporate plan.
Until he saw what happens when a community begins to believe in a future that doesn’t exist yet — and then walks toward it anyway.
The Moment Vision Became Real
One of the most powerful measures in Karratha’s journey was a single question in their annual community survey:
“How long do you intend to stay in the community?”
At the beginning of Chris’s tenure,
🔹 Only 12% of residents said they intended to stay.
People were living there, but they weren’t invsted there.
But as the vision took shape — as the city focused on amenity, lifestyle, belonging, and a future worth staying for — something extraordinary happened:
🔹 Over ten years, that number climbed to more than 43%.
Residents weren’t just staying longer.
They were staying because they could finally see a future for themselves.
That’s the power of vision.
- Not the document — the direction.
- Not the words — the momentum.
- Not the plan — the possibility.
Three Leadership Lessons from Karratha’s Transformation
Whether you’re leading in local government, corporate, or community settings, there are three big insights from this episode that every leader can take with them:
1. Vision is born from agitation — not comfort.
Real vision doesn’t emerge when everything is working.
It emerges when leaders and communities say:
“This isn’t good enough anymore.”
Agitation is not a threat.
It’s the birthplace of transformation.
2. Vision must live beyond the organisation.
Karratha’s vision didn’t stay inside the four walls of the council building.
Industry partners, community groups, businesses, and residents became part of it.
When people outside the organisation carry the same vision, momentum becomes exponential.
3. Vision creates a preferred future — even before evidence exists.
A powerful vision starts with a picture of a future that isn’t yet possible.
It allows leaders to move beyond the limitations of their immediate circumstances — and the rational thinking that explains why something can’t be done.
However, vision doesn’t require evidence to be real.
It requires clarity.
It requires conviction.
And it must be articulated in a way people can see themselves in it.
As Chris and I discuss, ‘vision is about creating a preferred reality before there’s evidence — and once that picture is clear, momentum begins.’
Go Deeper: Download The Vision Engine + Workbook
To help leaders take these ideas further, I’ve included two powerful tools:
A simple but transformational framework that helps leaders craft a vision rooted in purpose, clarity, and community impact.
2. The Vision Workbook
A practical companion guide with prompts, exercises, and questions to help you move from concept → clarity → action.
As Chris shared during the episode:
“it would have been handy to have The Vision Engine 10 or 15 years ago.”
— Chris Adams, Former CEO, City of Karratha
He went on to describe The Vision Engine’s eight elements as a useful checklist and reference point for organisations seeking to develop and live out their vision.
You can download both documents directly from this page.
See the Full Conversation with Chris Adams
This episode isn’t just about Karratha.
It’s about leadership. It’s about courage.
It’s about what happens when a leader chooses possibility over limitation — and invites an entire community to step into that future with them.
I hope this episode inspires you to think differently about vision — not as a corporate requirement, but as a leadership imperative that can literally reshape communities.
Because when vision becomes real, people choose to stay.
That’s when you know vision has moved from intent to impact.
Resources:
The Vision Engine & Workbook
https://leadershipupgrade.org/page/the-vision-engine-oi
The Vision Engine & Workbook
https://leadershipupgrade.org/page/the-vision-engine-oi
Chris Adams:
Watch or listen to this or other episodes:
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