When two legacies become one, leadership defines what follows
The creation of Adelaide University represents a landmark moment for Australian higher education. Bringing together two established institutions, each with deep histories, distinct academic cultures and operating models, the new university launched as a global top 100 institution and a member of Australia’s Group of Eight. Now Australia’s largest domestic educator of students, Adelaide University combines scale with access to world-class research, partnerships and collaboration, and carries the ambition to position itself among the nation’s top 5 universities for student experience.
In the months leading up to the university opening its doors in January 2026, Adelaide University recognised that leadership – how leaders think, work together and lead their people – would be the defining factor for the merger’s success, and whether it translates into long-term performance, trust and sustained momentum.
Leading at the edge of uncertainty
While significant progress had been made on systems, structures and governance, the leadership challenge was both human and cultural in nature.
Leaders were navigating:
- The emotional reality of letting go of legacy identities while stepping into something new
- The formation of entirely new leadership teams with limited shared history
- High levels of uncertainty across roles, decision rights and ways of working
- The need to lead large, diverse teams through sustained change without losing trust, engagement or belief in the future
Adelaide University needed leaders at all levels to move beyond transition fatigue and step into their role as confident, connected change leaders – leaders who believed in the future of the new university and could actively shape the foundations of a distinctive new culture.
Aligning leaders before change cascades
Drawing on more than 20 years of experience supporting culture and leadership transformation across leading universities, Maximus designed and delivered a large-scale, portfolio-based leadership program reaching over 1,000 staff. The program focused on human-centred change management: building belief, trust and the capability required to lead sustained transformation across a newly formed institution.
The work began with the newly appointed Deputy Vice Chancellors, supporting them to build their newly formed leadership teams before cascading change through their functions. This sequencing was deliberate, recognising that leaders must first be aligned and connected if they are to lead others effectively. As newly formed leadership teams, this early work built trust, strengthening connective tissue and creating shared leadership foundations ahead of wider mobilisation.
Across all six university portfolios, Maximus delivered an experience grounded in deep change psychology and practical application. The design deliberately balanced mindset and skillset, addressing both the emotional and operational demands of transformation. For change of this scale to work sustainably, leaders needed to experience an inside-out shift, building belief and psychological readiness first, before focusing on tools, skills and execution.
Developing leaders who can hold steady through change
Maximus’ facilitation approach was intentionally designed for academic and professional audiences, combining strong conceptual frameworks with open dialogue, peer exchange and reflection. This built credibility, encouraged challenge and debate, and enabled leaders to translate insight into action within their unique disciplinary and operational contexts.
Senior leadership team immersions focused on:
- Clarifying purpose: why the team exists and what success looks like
- Building trust and connective tissue at pace
- Establishing effective ways of working, decision-making and accountability
- Creating shared narratives for leading through uncertainty
Middle leader cohorts were equipped to:
- Let go of legacy thinking and reframe their leadership role
- Understand the psychology of change and resistance
- Build practical capability to lead people through transition
- Apply real-world tools, frameworks and plans in the flow of work
Leadership ready for day one, and everything beyond
While the work continues, the impact across completed cohorts has been significant.
90–95% of leaders reported:
- Increased confidence leading teams through change
- Practical strategies they could apply immediately
- New leadership knowledge and skills relevant to their role
Across cohorts, feedback consistently highlighted the value of:
- Building trust and connection within new leadership teams
- Honest dialogue about the complexity and emotional load of change
- Practical tools grounded in psychology rather than abstract theory
- The opportunity to connect with peers facing similar challenges
Leader feedback highlighted the value of connection and shared experience at a critical moment:
“Great session. Looking forward to building on it over the coming weeks and connecting with my new colleagues.”
“It’s reassuring to connect with others and realise we’re facing the same challenges and can support each other.”
“These sessions are very useful not just for the content, but for building connections as we shape the Adelaide University culture.”
By the time Adelaide University officially opened its doors, leaders were already operating with:
- Strong belief in the future of the new institution
- Increased confidence articulating that future to others
- Practical capability to lead people through uncertainty
- A shared understanding of their role as culture builders, not just operators
Leaders entered the launch aligned, connected and equipped to lead deliberately.
Leadership as the foundation for a new institution
As the work continues, cultural integration and leadership maturity will evolve over years, not just months, and to ensure their leadership was not playing catch-up, Adelaide University entered its first chapter with a leadership community already prepared to guide people through complexity with intent, care and courage.
For Maximus, the work stands as an example of what’s possible when leadership development is treated as a strategic enabler of transformation, deliberately shaping the culture of a new institution with bold ambitions and a clear sense of the legacy it wants to build for the future.
