Strategy, structure, and why play is serious business

In Part One of our chat with Lisa Kelliher, we explored the values that guide her leadership: clarity, courage, and deep care for the humans behind every role. Now, we’re pulling back the curtain on the next chapter of Be Challenged: what’s changing, what’s staying, and how Lisa plans to turn culture into capability.

 

Culture as an Operating System, Not Just a Moodboard

Lisa doesn’t do fluffy culture talk. In her words, “Be Challenged is unapologetically unique… our decisions, inclusive of hiring, are made through the lens of our values.”

That value-led decision-making is formalised in the Connection Plan – a living, breathing framework that underpins how the team grows, interacts, and evolves. Every year, the plan gets reviewed and reworked to ensure it stays aligned with their goals and people.

It includes:
● Opportunities for interaction and feedback
● Incentives and rituals that support wellbeing
● Flexibility and growth pathways
● Culture checkpoints – so it doesn’t all just exist in onboarding

It’s culture by design.

 

Graduate Development: Closing the Leadership Gap

Having spent years working with grads, and the leaders who manage them, Lisa’s uniquely positioned to call out what many organisations miss:

“Graduates emerge from programs with new ways of thinking… but many leaders haven’t had the same training. This disconnect creates frustration on both sides.”

The solution? Stop treating grads and their leaders as separate audiences. Align the language. Train both. And do it in a way that blends theory with movement, not just slides and modules.

“We know that combining theory with hands-on, kinesthetic learning isn’t just more engaging, it creates lasting reference points grads can carry into the workplace.”

It’s why Be Challenged continues to pair Learning and Development (L&D) content with experiential programs . This is a model Lisa calls the Perfect Pairing. Think real-world scenarios, movement-based learning, and metaphor-driven delivery that sticks.

 

Compliance + Creativity = Better Programs

Lisa’s worked in policy and pedagogy, so when she says structure and creativity aren’t opposites, we listen.
“Compliance provides us with anchors. Once we have a strong foundation, we can use it as a springboard to harness innovation.”

At Be Challenged, this thinking shows up in two places:

Internally, through the rollout of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS); a strategic framework designed to bring more clarity, alignment, and accountability to how the business operates day-to-day.

Externally, in how programs are designed. Think tailored learning journeys that combine structure with flexibility, blending theory with hands-on engagement.

It’s this dual commitment to rigour and energy that keeps Be Challenged unique. You’ll see it in how leadership workshops pair with experiential activities, giving teams a shared language and a shared experience.

 

Trust: The Thread That Ties It All Together

Whether it’s with her team or with clients, Lisa comes back to the same word again and again: trust.

She shares the story of a long-term client who recently returned, this time asking for help balancing empathy with accountability.

“What struck me wasn’t just the nature of the work, it was the way they spoke about our relationship. They trusted us to understand where their team was now.”

This is where Lisa shines, in the nuance. Her approach to leadership isn’t about sweeping transformations. It’s about knowing when to step back, when to push forward, and how to build trust that allows change to actually stick.

 

Where Be Challenged Is Headed

When Lisa reflects on her first year as CEO, she describes it as a time of “meaningful consolidation and courageous growth.”
It’s not about starting from scratch. It’s about getting clearer on who we are, how we work, and where we’re going next. Streamlining what needs simplifying. Strengthening what’s already strong. And making sure every decision, from programs to people, reflects the heart of the business.

Her biggest focus? Holding onto the culture that’s made Be Challenged what it is, while confidently guiding it into its next chapter.
“I want to preserve the culture that makes our organisation so powerful, while leading it boldly into its next phase.”
That’s the strategy. Be Challenged is rethinking how culture, clarity and connection show up not just in the room, but in the rhythm of how teams grow.

Lisa is leading with both care and conviction, showing that you can be grounded and ambitious, strategic and human.
“If we can stay true to who we are — while growing into who we need to become — then we’ll have succeeded.”
The work continues. But the direction feels unmistakably right.