An organization succeeds when its crucial stakeholders, the employees, are agile and share a vision similar to the top management. It succeeds when every person in the organization plays their role to their full potential. It succeeds when it has a pool of responsible resources who are ready to take up leadership roles as and when required. However, at times, most of them are unaware of their abilities, and it takes some expertise in helping them grow out of their comfort zones.
At Inspired Development Solutions Pty. Ltd, Dr Lynda Folan, and her team create leading-edge developmental solutions that deliver transformation for individuals, teams, and organizations. As a sought-after Leadership and Organisational Development Consultancy, the firm inspires and challenges individuals, teams, and organisations to grow, develop and flourish.
About the company
Inspired Development Solutions Pty. Ltd. is a well-established and highly respected consultancy with clients across all sectors in the Australian and Asian markets with some projects in Europe. Established in 2012, it is now a highly respected brand and has significant reach across Australia and beyond. The company focuses on providing bespoke solutions designed to align with organisational development principles that result in sustainable outcomes for organisations, teams, and individuals.
Lynda’s passion for leadership development and organisational excellence, coupled with her knowledge and experience of human behavior, has driven the organization’s success and resulted in a broad network of clients across Australia and further afield. As the Managing Director, she ensures that the organisation delivers exceptional strategies that align with the client’s requirements and produce results within the specific context.
Each organisation is unique and so are its requirement. Inspired Development Solutions offers solutions that are adapted to the client’s need. Their services include but is not limited to Organisational Development and Reviews, Cultural Optimization and culture change, Structural alignment, Leadership Development, Psychometric Assessment, and Design and Facilitation of Training.
Meet the Leader
Dr. Lynda Folan has an illustrious career spanning four countries on three continents. Born and brought up in South Africa, she completed her first degree and started her career as a Human Resources officer in Local Government. At 22, she moved to Belgium, completed her second degree, and pursued a career in organisational psychology. During her stay in the UK next, she built a highly successful career running International Human Resources and Organisational Development teams and delivering large scale cultural change programs in a range of organisations. After a successful career in the corporate world with roles in Hard Rock Café, Tesco Stores (Retail), Wyndham International (Hotels) and The Number (Telecoms), she set up her first consulting business in London. In less than a year, she built a reputation for excellence with clients from across all sectors.
In 2007 she moved to Australia. After working for a consultancy business, she reestablished her consulting company in Perth. “The drive to set up my own business came from the desire to provide excellent service and deliver innovative interventions for my clients. Over the years, I have continued to grow my business, develop my skills and extend my expertise. In early 2020, I completed my Doctor of Organisational Psychology through Murdoch University. And in November last year, I published my first book, “Leader Resilience – The new frontier of Leadership (2021)”, which is having a significant impact in Australia and is now starting to reach markets further afield.
Here are some high points of Lynda’s leadership of Inspired Development Solutions:
- Design and delivery of over 450 leadership programs across all sectors.
- Delivery of over 50 large-scale culture change programs that have had a significant positive impact on organisations.
- Executive Coaching for thousands of Leaders across the globe in all sectors.
- Published research on a highly topical issue in the leadership arena.
- The highly acclaimed book ‘Leader Resilience – The New Frontier of Leadership was successfully launched in 2021.
Staying Ahead in a Competitive and Dynamic Environment
The foundation of Lynda’s business has been built on relationships. Her strategy has been to deliver exceptional
outcomes for the organisations she works with and build strong relationships with the clients. When competing with other consulting firms, Lynda and her team know that their reputation for excellent service and contemporary approach sets them apart from other consultants. As a business, they have never had to market or sell their services due to the strength of their reputation. They constantly research new ways of doing things and develop contemporary strategies that deliver results.
Apart from competitors, Lynda has to consider the challenges that the company must face due to the dynamic industry environment. The recent COVID pandemic, for instance, has posed challenges for consultancy work. It requires a shift in focus and agility to meet the changing needs of organisations. There are three critical areas of change at the moment that are very relevant:
- Resilience has become a significant challenge for organisations and individuals across the globe.
- There is also an increasing demand for psychometric assessment and individual Executive Coaching.
- The final area showing an increased demand is comprehensive Organisational Reviews and Culture Change programs.
Inspired Development is well placed to take up these challenges. With regular research and a dedication to building skills, the organisation is always ready to support their clients to succeed.
Inspiring Young Entrepreneurs
As a successful entrepreneur, Lynda shares some wisdom for young entrepreneurs:
- Seek a wide range of guidance and advice but in the end, make your own decision.
- Get help with the things that are not your strength. You will make everyone’s life easier.
- Accept that you are your own boss, and the buck stops with you.
- Take care of your resilience and always book a time to refresh even when you have to work 18-hour days to get things done.
- Have a mentor who will challenge and support you equally.
Looking Forward
Planning in the context of VUCA is a challenging task; however, Lynda has some extension plans chalked out for the future. She is looking forward to days when one can travel freely to seek more opportunities to speak at global conferences. Inspired Solutions is developing more material for delivery online which will be necessary to keep up with digitalization. As a team, they get involved in Not-for-Profit Boards and spread their expertise to a broader range of organisations. Lynda also plans to grow the business further in 2022, with additional team members coming on board.
“My role as a consultant is incredibly varied, and I am constantly challenged to grow, develop and stay ahead of the changes in the world of psychology and business. I am fortunate that my passion in life, to support people to reach their potential, aligns with my work. For me, every day is an opportunity to build capacity in individuals, teams, and organisations and make a difference in the world of work,” concludes Lynda.
