Russell Harrison

It has now been a few weeks since Russell retired from the Lincolns partnership. We caught up with him to see how he is settling into semi-retirement and to get some valuable career tips from someone with loads of experience.

When you decided to retire was it a big moment? 

My decision to retire from the partnership was based on many things, not just one single factor. I thought about what’s in the best interest of the firm, the other partners and the people I work with. On a personal level, I considered where I’m going, what I want to do, my partner Dee’s view and I also had to think it through financially. So, there wasn’t just one single factor that brought me to this decision. The decision took place over the best part of 6 months. I had many “big moments” until I seriously entertained I could do this.

I have been thinking about what I’d do after retirement, like everything in life you must plan for it. I haven’t thought about holidays which is what many people have asked me about. I want to make sure I’m doing something meaningful in my retirement so holidays just need to fit in. On 2 July I wrote a list of things I wanted to do around the house, it got to 3 pages. My girls have always said that within 6 months there won’t be a blade of grass left untrimmed. I think they’re right. Retirement for me is staying engaged and keeping the meaning.

That said, I’m avoiding full retirement. Some people lose their way when they retire and regret the decision. I’ve seen this happen to some of my clients and friends over the years. So, I will be working part-time with Lincolns as Audit Principal. This will be a great stepping stone to retirement and provide me with a way to stay engaged and give back to the community.

How did it feel on 1 July, your first official day of retirement?

My driving ambition was to get into reception before 8.30. This was payback for the “induction booklet” I received earlier as a “new employee”. I made sure I got into the office, presented myself at reception and asked for Jenni, as is the process for all new employees on their first day. It was very funny and it gave us a good laugh. I spent the rest of the day cleaning out my office.

But how did it feel?

I was still on an emotional high from the night before (Russell’s retirement party at Monty’s Leap), made even more so by speeches from my partners and team. I still felt very humbled the next day. I didn’t feel a disconnection, I felt like I had a job to do – move my stuff, get sorted out for my next chapter of interaction with Lincolns. Cleaning out the office was just a job and  a huge trip down memory lane.

Over 34 years in the Lincolns partnership there are guaranteed to be many career highlights. In the beginning it was only a partnership of Gary and yourself with a handful of staff. Now it’s a five-partner firm with over 40 employees.  Was it easier being a partner in the early days?

Yes, communication was easy. We worried about this with every subsequent increase in the number of partners. You have to be cleverer about communication and lift it up in importance. Too easily small things can undermine the best thing going.

Did the leadership and communication grow organically or did you seek help from others? 

We sought it a few times but primarily it grew organically. I had a mentor in Gary Dwyer who funnily was my first ever interviewer and who I later bought my share of the partnership from . You pick up your leadership style visually from peers (eg I saw different styles through boards I was on) and we did formal leadership training. Years ago we went to a training program called Inner Sense for 2 days. That was an intensive self-awareness program, not only for ourselves but being aware of the other partners. It unclogged the pipes a bit, gave us a different way at looking at the business. It was an open and intensive session with nothing left unturned. It was out there for the time and there are elements of this still in the business today. What I took away from this was care, compassion, honesty, trust, benevolence. If you really know yourself and the rest of your leadership team, you are so much better off.

How difficult is it to trust the people you work with?

Trust can be hard to give and even receive, but is so precious when it happens. It is earned not given and you’ve got to create an environment where you get a chance to trust people. This means that you’ve got to work with or interact with a person to earn trust. If you need to measure the trust, you probably haven’t given it in the first place. There are also levels of trust. Id’ rather trust someone initially and be proven wrong than not trust and be proven right. Once people have earned your trust you can get on and do the important things as a true team. In all my years at Lincolns rarely has my trust been let down by others. We couldn’t function as a partnership without absolute trust and it has been incredibly important  to be alongside people I could trust.

You’ve done a lot of work on different boards. What were they and how have you got onto them?

I was on the board of the Princess Royal Yacht Club, the Great Southern Development Commission, Albany Business Centre, Albany Finance and Albany Port Authority. I was approached for these positions, by CEOs mainly, because they thought I’d be a good fit for the organisation.

Why did you say yes?

The adventure. I have said no to some. If I’m a board member, I’m a board member for as long as I contribute, it’s about genuine care. I was on the port for 21 years. 

How do you fit this in with everything else?

At times it was hideous. The GSDC required me to also sit on the board of the Regional Development Commission which was a State board comprised of all the Regional Development Authority Chairs.. We would meet quarterly in Perth with a Minister and the agenda was often two lever arch files of new policies because every single piece of state legislation or policy had to consider regional development. There were hundreds of pages and it was very demanding on my time. The port also had some very meaty reports and often massive  agendas. You just find the time. I get up early, I have always been an early riser. Just “get into it” is my view.

Would you recommend getting onto boards for people up and coming in their business career?

Yes, this is essential if you want to advance your business advisory career. You learn how to communicate and how to act properly in a boardroom. You need to be good at harnessing ideas, putting it together and getting it going. These are skills you can only learn in a group. I joined the LIONS group when I first arrived in Albany. Did you know I became a really good donut maker? Turned out that LIONS  wasn’t for me, but you need to give things a crack. If you really want to develop your career you have to become a people person. You need to genuinely care.  You’ve got to be a good communicator and be comfortable in that role. You’ve got to get out there and get amongst it. Otherwise you will limit yourself. Lincolns is such a great training ground for this.

Thank you Russell for sharing this with us. You’ve made a massive contribution to Lincolns and the community over the decades. We will miss your energy, wisdom and leadership and we are very happy that you will still be around in the office from time to time so we can continue learning from you.