Hello, I'm Shane Porter

I have always been fascinated by what makes people tick. Why do some people thrive under pressure while others fall apart like a cheap camping chair? Why do some leaders inspire people while others couldn't organise a barbecue with a packet of sausages and a box of matches? Why do some businesses grow while others spend years running flat out on a treadmill going absolutely nowhere?

My own career path has been anything but a carefully crafted master plan. I left school at seventeen and worked as a painter and decorator before finding my way into banking, accounting, information technology, business ownership, and eventually leadership coaching. Looking back, it probably makes more sense than it felt at the time.

Today, I am the co-owner of a successful multi-million dollar managed IT services company based in Melbourne. Over the past fifteen years, I have helped build teams, develop leaders, navigate change, and grow a business through good times, bad times, and the occasional "what the hell do we do now?" moments that every business owner knows only too well.

I hold a Graduate Certificate in Management and an MBA specialising in managing and leading people. While I value the research and evidence behind effective leadership, I have also learned that real life has a nasty habit of ignoring textbooks. People are wonderfully complicated, and leadership rarely fits neatly into a PowerPoint presentation.

As the founder of Porter Leadership Centre, I work directly with business owners, executives, managers, and emerging leaders to help them become better communicators, stronger leaders, and more effective human beings. I personally facilitate workshops, conduct DISC debriefs, and coach leaders one-on-one. When people work with me, they get me — not a junior consultant, not an associate, and not somebody who has only ever read about leadership in a book.

I believe most business problems are people problems wearing a different hat. Leadership isn't about titles, corner offices, or motivational posters stuck to the lunchroom wall. It is about understanding people, having difficult conversations, making good decisions, and occasionally telling somebody what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear.

Outside of work, I enjoy writing, researching human behaviour, and exploring why otherwise intelligent people continue to make spectacularly questionable decisions. Fortunately, that gives me plenty of material for both my coaching and my writing.

After all these years, I am still fascinated by people. They're confusing, frustrating, inspiring, unpredictable, and occasionally brilliant. That's what makes the whole thing interesting.

Unlike many consulting and training businesses, I remain actively involved in every aspect of the coaching and development process. I personally facilitate leadership workshops, conduct DISC debriefs, and work one-on-one with business owners, executives, and emerging leaders. This direct involvement allows me to build strong relationships with my clients, understand their unique challenges, and provide practical, tailored guidance based on both research and real-world business experience.