Gearing for Success series

Shaun Carney: The Power of Curiosity

Close to 120 alumni and guests attended the first ‘Gearing for Success’ seminar for 2006 to hear associate editor of The Age Shaun Carney speak about the value of being curious.

Drawing on his 28 years experience as a politics journalist, he explained how curiosity has been the key to success for some politicians. He conveyed the idea that they’ve achieved greatness because they’ve been interested in others, maintained an appetite for knowledge and been open to new ideas.

Shaun encouraged the audience not to underestimate the importance of curiosity.

“People will value you if you ask them what they think – be genuinely interested in what others have to say. Take the trouble to listen.”

The breakfast seminar was the tenth in the ‘Gearing for Success’ series which has now been running for four years.

Download Shaun's audio presentation (6220 KB)

Pictures from the breakfast

Shaun Carney presenting
MC: Professor Homer Le Grand - Dean, Faculty of Arts	Shaun Carney
Breakfast guests
Breakfast guests

Register your interest for the next Gearing for Success breakfast to be held in May 2006.

About Shaun Carney

BA 1978

Shaun Carney is an associate editor of The Age newspaper, where he writes a weekly column on national politics. After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts (1978) from Monash University, he began his career at The Herald, where he was a Canberra correspondent and industrial reporter. He joined The Age in 1986 and has been chief copy editor, state editor, national affairs correspondent and contributing editor, as well as reporting from the United States and Great Britain. In 2003, he received a commendation from the Walkley Award judges for his columns. He is the author of two books, Australia In Accord (Sun, 1988) and Peter Costello – The New Liberal (Allen & Unwin, 2001). Carney has also been national affairs editor of Rolling Stone magazine and writes popular music criticism for The Age. He has served on the judging panel for the ARIA awards since 1996.