What Saving Country Kids Teaches Us About True Community and Business Growth

What if the strongest driver of business growth isn’t strategy, scale or systems, but community? This week, in my conversation with Clare Pearson, CEO of Little Wings Ltd, I was reminded that connection, contribution and shared purpose are the foundation of resilience and long-term success. Clare’s story offers a powerful perspective on how community care not only changes lives but also strengthens workplaces, teams and industries.

LITTLE WINGS, BIG IMPACT

Clare’s childhood in a close-knit regional town taught her that community is not a project, it is a responsibility. Watching her nurse mum and teacher dad quietly go the extra mile showed her that people flourish when they feel supported, seen and understood. Those early lessons now sit at the heart of her leadership: people first, always. And in a world where workplaces now span four generations, that emotional intelligence is no longer optional. It’s the difference between connection and disconnection, between retention and burnout.

Those same lessons are also lived out every day at Little Wings. On the surface, it looks like a transport service helping seriously ill children reach city hospitals from regional areas. In reality, it is Clare’s people-first leadership in action: a service designed to support the whole ecosystem around each child – parents, siblings, workplaces, schools and local services – so no one has to carry the load alone.

Every flight to critical care keeps more than a medical appointment. It helps mothers remain in essential regional roles, allows families to keep functioning and supports local businesses and services that rely on them. With a small fleet of aircraft and dedicated volunteers on the ground and in the air, Little Wings is a living example of how community-centred leadership scales into community-wide impact – protecting children’s futures while keeping regional communities strong.

LEADING WITH HUMANITY AT WORK

Clare is candid about the evolution of her leadership. Early in her CEO career she equated professionalism with holding it all together and keeping emotion out of sight. Over time, she realised that honest vulnerability, clear boundaries and being openly human are the behaviours that actually create trust.​

In practice, that looks like encouraging time off when someone is not in the right headspace, celebrating small wins often and staying visible and accessible as a leader. When there is tight alignment between values and everyday behaviour, teams feel safe to do the same – and community inside the business becomes a lived experience, instead of a catchy slogan.​

TURNING COMMUNITY INTO BUSINESS GROWTH

Many leaders genuinely want to embed community connection, but it often fades because it is treated as an “extra” on top of already full plates. Clare’s experience points to a more sustainable approach: weave community into the rhythm of work, rather than bolting it on. When people feel part of something bigger, they bring more heart, energy and creativity back into their roles – and that is where real business growth starts.​

Here are a few practical ways to make that happen:

1. Share your own contributions. If you donate, mentor or volunteer, let your team know – not to boast, but to normalise the behaviour. Positive actions are contagious when people can see them.

2. Make community an ongoing conversation. Keep community front‑of‑mind in team meetings, internal newsletters and informal updates so it becomes part of how decisions are made, not an annual campaign.

3. Partner meaningfully with charities. Choose organisations whose purpose aligns with your own, and ask for impact stories, data and occasional workplace sessions so your team can see the difference they are making.​

4. Offer hands‑on ways to help. Corporate volunteering days, skills-based support or site visits give your people a tangible connection to the cause and often spark fresh ideas and engagement.

5. Celebrate every contribution. Not everyone can give money, but many can give time, skills, or networks. Acknowledging every effort keeps momentum alive.

When community is woven into culture in these small, consistent ways, it stops being a side project and becomes a powerful engine for both impact and business performance.

Want to learn more about Little Wings?

• Website: https://www.littlewings.org.au

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlewingsaustralia

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleWingsAustralia

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2704774

• Threads of Hope book: https://projectfutures.com/threads-of-hope-book​

If Clare’s experience has prompted you to rethink how community shapes your own leadership, culture and growth, stay connected with these conversations on leadership, service and people‑centred workplaces. Subscribe to the podcast and catch the full conversation here: https://youtu.be/sGXyzKCmGMg