Actively managing your personal brand is critical if you want to significantly impact the areas of your life important to you.
What you say and do influences how people perceive you, so take note that your personal branding will determine how successfully you’ll be able to make an impact in life.
Craig Foster is a former Australian captain of the Socceroos, broadcaster, adjunct professor, author, and human rights activist.
In 2019, the Australian Financial Review recognised Craig as a true Australian leader and the Sydney Morning Herald as one of the people that defined 2019.
He was the recipient of the 2020 New South Wales Government Humanitarian Award for his work with sport and human rights, an Australian Human Rights Commission medal finalist, was awarded the 2020 Australian Muslim Council Abyssinian medal, and was a finalist for the New South Wales 2021 Australian of the Year.
In 2021, Craig became a member of the Order of Australia.
He also worked with the Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke and Foreign Minister Maurice Payne, as well as trusted members of the Australian Parliament.
Craig used his sporting and political connections to secure the safety of many Afghans.
Craig was recognised as an Australian Father of the Year in September 2022 for his human rights and humanitarian work that impacts kids from many different cultural backgrounds and, aside from his three amazing biological children, for his support of 15 young Afghan girls, who refer to him as their Australian dad, after being evacuated from Cabal in September 2021, and in October 2022, for distinguished service to immigration by the Migration Institute of Australia.
Today, Craig is an advisor on athlete activism for some of Australia's most prominent sports people and an adjunct professor of sport and social responsibility at Torrens University in Australia, where he has developed an online course called Sport for Good, which teaches athletes and sports practitioners how to utilise sport for social justice and progressive issues around the world.
Craig Foster's Insights About His Brand
Craig didn’t view himself as a brand per se, but he recognised the power of public perception and the social and political capital that accompanied it, and he intends to leverage this power to benefit the causes he supports.
According to him, he had never planned to promote himself to the public as a particular person. Instead, he aspires to live by a set of principles and let the public see him in the light of his actions, discourse, and advocacy work.
Craig's passion for social justice had always been a part of him. Even as a young child, he felt strongly against injustice.
His passion continued to develop as he grew older, particularly during his teenage years, when he often served as captain of sports teams.
In this leadership position, he prioritised standing up for those less powerful and needing assistance.
As he progressed in his professional career, first as a soccer player and then in Socceroo, Craig became involved in various social justice areas, including homelessness, domestic violence, gender equality, and First Nations rights.
Although his involvement was often through football, his dedication to these causes remained constant.
As Craig has grown older, he has become more skilled, educated, and capable of bringing these issues to light.
When asked about his opinion on whether social justice referred to any particular areas or if it was a broad perspective, Craig explained that injustice per se always offended him.
He mentioned that while he came from a background of very average means, his father was a hard worker who had to give up a lot to raise three sons in a country area.
He never lacked anything, and all doors were open to him as he progressed through his young sporting career.
He recognised that he was in the cultural and racial majority, spoke the language, and looked the same as everyone else.
He understood how to interact with people, and no one ever looked at him askance or thought his religion was a problem.
All forms of injustice offend Craig, and it's just a question of time, energy, and the area where he feels it would be most impactful.
How Others Perceive Craig
Craig didn't really spend too much time thinking about how others perceived him.
He mentioned, "And one of the reasons is because I think when it comes to fighting injustices, it can be dangerous to focus too much on what the public is going to think about what I say or whether I want to embed myself in this issue because quite often, injustice accompanies marginalisation and demonisation and externalisation."
Craig used the example of the refugee situation and how someone may hesitate to help because it could affect their brand.
He valued the importance of reputation or personal brand, as it can influence people's willingness to listen or follow in one's footsteps.
But he stressed that it's a delicate balance, and he's prepared to fight against injustices regardless of how it might affect his personal brand or reputation.
The Importance of Craig’s Reputation
Craig, a person known for fighting for causes related to fairness, equality, and humanity, explained that he has always been prepared to fight for what he believes in, even if it affects his reputation.
At 53, he has developed a reputation that many people find important because of the causes he fought for, even if some disagreed with them.
He said, "The most important thing in my view, sitting here now in my middle age if you're talking to young people, is authenticity, purpose, and courage. They are much more important than trying to curate what you see as your reputation or your brand."
Craig believed that his reputation would become secondary if he took actions consistent with injustice.
While he understood that some people might prioritise reputation, like in a corporate environment, it's straightforward for him - he fights for causes where people are being harmed. He didn’t care whether it enhanced or damaged his reputation.
Craig has developed a course called "Sport for Good" for Torrens University.
It aims to educate athletes and sports administrators about social justice and human rights frameworks, and it provides them with tools for campaigning and using their platforms to speak out.
He believed it was important for young Australians to have this kind of education, as he never had it when he was young.
Craig advised the young generation to act based on appropriate values, principles, and purposes, which will ultimately build their reputation.
He cited his own experience as a refugee advocate in Australia, where being an advocate carried social and political risks, as an example of the risk one must be prepared to take when fighting for certain causes.
But he believed that taking that step is necessary if one is acting on an underlying fundamental basis of helping others based on basic human rights.
Over time, if one continued to be consistent in working towards human rights and social justice, one would eventually develop a reputation as someone courageous enough to take on these challenges.
Craig believed that climate action was a good example of this. Twenty years ago, advocating for climate action and acknowledging anthropomorphic climate change were not widely accepted in Australia, and people who did so were often seen as loony activists.
But today, such actions command deep respect because they are seen as fighting for a worthy cause—a liveable planet for everyone.
Craig believed that social change was necessary to challenge society, and he felt it was important to tell a country or the world when they were wrong.
Craig also recognised that his experience in the media had given him a unique set of skills that allowed him to navigate difficult conversations and bring the majority of people along with him on important issues.
He understood how to craft effective narratives and messages and felt others could also develop these skills.
For Craig, leadership is about many things, but ultimately it's about trust.
People want to join causes with others they trust and who do things for the right reasons.
To be an effective leader, one must genuinely care for others and their well-being. When a team knows their leader cares about them, they will respect the hierarchy and follow that leader.
But when a leader has a hierarchical title but doesn't care about the people under them, they are not seen as authentic leaders, and people won't join them on their journey.
Often, those with titles aren't the real leaders, despite what their job description may say.
Craig believed one could not be too far ahead of the group to be a leader.
Instead, they must bring as many people as possible on the journey with them. This means working with the group based on their current capabilities, even if the leader has knowledge that is five years ahead.
The leader should be far enough ahead to make the group comfortable but not so far that they feel left behind.
True leadership is about distributing authority and power among the people.
He saw himself as a guide, not an owner, of social movements and believed that the people owned these movements.
Craig knew he needed all the answers and experts to contribute and shape the steps of the movement.
He also recognised the importance of distributed ownership in any social movement, which is critical to effective leadership.
Craig invited the most brilliant people to join the movement and shape it with their expertise.
The movement is about the group coming together to achieve something good for society, families, or someone.
This approach is Craig's best form of leadership because it empowers people and allows them to contribute their skills and knowledge towards a common goal.
He encouraged everyone to enjoy the journey and to do incredible things along the way.
The Origin of Craig’s Values
When asked where Craig discovered his values, he shared how he grew up in a loving family in a community-minded Lismore, New South Wales environment.
He was surrounded by values of equality and helping each other out.
Whenever someone needed something, families would provide it, and the community would come together to complete tasks such as building a new tennis facility.
Craig was drawn to teamwork and equality, and while sport is largely about personal ambition, he preferred achieving goals within a team environment.
He didn't think he would be a good individual athlete because he didn't find joy in achieving personal titles but found fulfilment in helping others.
Craig's values of sharing and helping others were instilled in him at a young age.
He has evolved to become more skilled at addressing social injustices and advocating for vulnerable groups.
He spent his time now trying to achieve with and for groups being mistreated.
For Craig, beliefs should always change and evolve as one gain more knowledge and wisdom throughout their life journey.
He's constantly aware of the gaps in his own knowledge and strives to fill them by learning about various subjects such as politics, sociology, and history.
While his values remain consistent, such as his belief in equality for all, his beliefs about how to manifest those values and their specific issues can change as he gains more understanding through education and experience.
Craig has always been open to challenging his own beliefs and expects to hold different beliefs in the future as he continues to learn and grow.
Throughout his life, his approach to understanding these issues has been consistent - he asks himself, "Who is being affected? Who doesn't have the power that I have? Where can I translate that to? Who do I need to fight for? Where is the injustice?" These questions stem from his underlying values and guide his actions.
The current time is very challenging because even the concept of truth is being challenged.
COVID and climate change have challenged scientific truths, and misinformation and disinformation are rampant.
Craig believed that the new generation of Australians and people worldwide face challenges they didn't have before.
According to Craig, "Challenging orthodoxy is incredibly important. Otherwise, you won't find injustices because governments and societies don't like to acknowledge them. So they're very often hidden."
He emphasised that in doing so, we need to rely on fundamental truths, empirical knowledge, and data rather than flawed knowledge bases or conspiracy theories.
Craig was concerned about the damage to democracy caused by conspiracy theorists perpetuating misinformation worldwide.
He acknowledged that questioning is important, but he believed it should be done based on interrogating sources and working to find accurate information.
Have Craig’s Values Ever Been Tested?
Craig reflected on how his values were often tested in his career, particularly regarding social justice issues such as refugees, climate change, and global conflicts.
He believed human rights were objective and universal, meaning advocating for them often led to highly contentious political areas.
While at SBS as a public broadcaster, Craig understood the importance of maintaining political impartiality and reporting accurately and truthfully in a nonpartisan manner.
This was fundamentally necessary to democracy, as the media is called the "fourth estate" and is meant to hold governments accountable truthfully and courageously.
Craig mentioned, "The Australian media should be equally able to hold Anthony Albanese or a Labour government accountable as they are Scott Morrison and a Liberal government, both on the foundations of accountability and truth."
Craig thought that highly partisan media was one of the biggest challenges faced in Australia.
Despite being a contractor rather than an employee, he had been part of SBS for nearly 18 years and deeply appreciated their values.
For him, advocating for refugee rights was a matter of human rights and being politically impartial.
However, he knew it was a sensitive area, and there were concerns about where to draw the line.
Craig realised that to be a true advocate for refugees; he would likely have to leave SBS, which he eventually did.
He knew he could have advocated for refugees in a limited way and still maintained his position at SBS, but he felt it would have been inauthentic.
He felt he was responsible for advocating for refugees as an Australian of some prominence and influence.
Although he was aware that leaving SBS would put his entire broadcast career at risk, he believed in the issue so strongly that he was prepared to take that risk.
Craig left SBS and subsequently changed the policy on refugee rights.
Later, he had the offer to go back to broadcasting football with a different broadcaster, Channel Nine.
He negotiated his right to advocate for any social justice issue under their social media policy, meaning they had to accept him as a social justice advocate and broadcaster, not just a broadcaster.
As a government broadcaster, SBS must maintain strict political impartiality.
Therefore, when someone like Craig advocates for human rights, which have political implications, it raises questions.
Craig's firm view, having been involved and understanding it from both sides, is that advocating for human rights is apolitical.
He said, "In fact, it's the only neutral, objective, non-political framework we have in the entire world. But Australia doesn't quite understand that yet, because we don't talk about it too much. So I didn't really expect SBS or necessarily Australian public taxpayers who are funding SBS to come to the determination."
Craig cites the recent incident with Gary Lineker, a legendary former captain of the English national football team, who is a key football broadcaster for the BBC, which is similar to SBS as a government broadcaster in the UK.
Lineker spoke about refugees, mistreatment, and the demonising language used to describe them.
Craig wrote an article in the SMHS today arguing that Lineker's actions were justified, but the BBC stood him down, claiming that his actions were politically partisan against the government.
Craig believed that he had done the same thing as Lineker and that Lineker had stood up for human rights, which every human must do, regardless of whether they work for a public broadcast, the public service, or anyone else, so he hoped to see more conversations like this in Australia.
Sportspeople’s Selection Process
According to Craig, athletes, particularly professional athletes, have codes of conduct that require them to maintain the reputation of their clubs and leagues.
He noted that legal boundaries are in place to ensure that athletes adhere to these codes, and he knew this because he was previously the chairman of a players union and was involved in the bargaining of these codes.
The public sees older, legendary athletes as one of the most trusted groups in Australia because, for Craig, this is due to their past accomplishments and the charitable work they do outside of sports.
But Craig asserted that athletes are not different from others in society and are also flawed.
As humans, he believed everyone has room for improvement and that our journey through life is about learning and becoming better individuals.
Athletes are not immune to misbehaviour related to violence, sexual abuse, or any other form of wrongdoing.
They are just like any other person in the population, except for their exceptional physical talents and abilities to excel in a particular social and professional environment.
The public often admires their skill set and characteristics, such as their resilience and ability to perform under intense pressure.
But despite their high profile and influence, athletes can be just as vulnerable to misinformation and dangerous conspiracy theories as anyone else.
Their advocacy efforts can sometimes do more harm than good without proper education and understanding of human rights and other important issues.
Those athletes with the intellect, knowledge, and application to understand broader social issues and utilise their platform for genuine good can significantly impact society.
They can bring Australia along on the journey, using the right language and sensitivity to achieve positive change. However, not all athletes possess these qualities and capabilities.
Some of us are comfortable stepping forward into the public limelight and taking risks, while others aren't, and social activists can also make a difference in different ways.
It is courageous to stand up against racism or call out companies for their impact on the planet, and every action to help others or the planet is important.
Craig encouraged everyone to strive to improve daily while recognising their flawed human nature.
Does Craig Foster Maintain His Brand and Relevance?
Craig was not concerned about maintaining his relevance and brand in the future.
He recognised that he had been privileged throughout his life, with many opportunities to succeed.
He's a strong anti-racism campaigner, drawing on skills learned in sports, such as focus, commitment, analysis, iteration, and the willingness to fail.
Craig's interested in using what he already has to make an impact, and that impact is still being determined.
If he felt strongly enough about an issue, such as something that goes against what Australia should stand for, he was willing to put everything at risk to fight for it.
His focus is on helping all people be better together. He's involved in the Republic movement because he sees it as an opportunity to bring Australia's values of equality, representation, inclusion, multiculturalism, anti-racism, and reconciliation to life.
Craig didn't know where he would end up in the next 30 years of his professional life, but he was certain that his underlying purpose and guiding principles would always remain the same
He was not worried about his relevance and would prefer to see other more skilled and brilliant people take the lead in bringing Australia along on the journey towards a better future.
He wanted to see people treated with respect and dignity, and he wanted Australia to reconcile with its history and be proud of its First Nations people.
Craig believed in a truly multicultural society, where people of all backgrounds have direct representation and the power to go to Parliament, become Prime Minister, and even be heads of state.
Craig’s Take On Mentorship
Achievement is a product of teamwork rather than individual success - this is what Craig believed in.
He has set out to achieve many things in his life, but none has been accomplished alone.
He mentioned that he could not be a "Socceroo" (a member of the Australian national soccer team) without the help of a coach or a team since soccer is a team sport.
Craig learned about equality and the value of teamwork from playing team sports as a child, and a team can only succeed if its members see themselves as equals and work together to achieve the same goal.
He felt that his biggest skill is bringing together networks of brilliant people, empowering them, and letting them do amazing things.
Craig didn't consider himself an expert in everything, nor did he seek to lead from the front, as this would not work.
He's the most visible in the social justice campaigns he leads due to his communication skills and profile, but behind the scenes are some of the most brilliant people he can bring.
He knew he could not achieve his goals alone and constantly sought out people who knew more than him to help him get where he wanted to be and bring Australia along with him.
Craig didn't consider himself special but rather someone with unique capabilities. He believed everyone has exceptional skills and something to contribute to the world.
Our goal should be to empower people and show them what they are capable of, as that is how we can make the world a better place.
Craig explained that he has no formal mentors but has always been open to learning from others by asking them about their skills and how they achieved success.
As a former elite athlete, Craig mentioned that coming out of sport can be a narrow strand of life, requiring a significant focus that can limit exposure to different areas of learning.
However, he has worked hard to understand these areas and has been willing to approach people and ask them about their skills and techniques.
He believed that being open to learning and recognising what one does not know is important when surrounding oneself with people with broader skills than oneself.
Some people are willing to share their knowledge, while others may not, but Craig remained committed to learning and seeking knowledge from others.
Final Message and Outro
I want to thank Craig Foster for sharing his insights, experiences, and advocacies with us.
Thank you for listening to this episode. Please leave a five-star review and subscribe for more episodes if you enjoyed them.
If you'd like to learn more about developing your personal brand, please visit garrybrowne.com.au to get in touch or grab a copy of Brand New Brand You.