Politics and quiet leadership
- Rose Ung
- Sep 27, 2025
- 5 min read
When we talk about quiet leadership, we immediately think about introverts across the spectrum. So, isn’t it strange to hear both politics and quiet leadership in the same sentence?
Until recently, I held the same belief. As someone who is highly introverted, I have always favored staying out of the spotlight and avoiding public speaking, especially when it involves expressing personal thoughts and opinions. Nonetheless, it's crucial to recognise that quiet leadership isn't just about the individual, particularly when your voice is essential for public dialogue and empowering those who cannot speak for themselves.
Quiet leadership is not about being invisible. It involves being deeply involved, attentive, observant, and making decisions that have lasting impact beyond the present noise. As someone from a migrant background, I hold the view that Australia's multicultural policies and public dialogue have enabled my grandparents and parents to embrace Australia as their home. This has been made possible by politicians and community leaders who champion these causes, giving a platform to minorities and those unable to speak for themselves.
There are indeed many examples of thriving communities that maintain their distinct character, contributing cultural traditions, cuisines, and customs to Australia, while evolving into something uniquely Australian. Cabramatta in NSW is a small example of this blend and transformation. These communities have grown beyond being solely one nationality or culture; they are distinctively Australian Vietnamese/Chinese/Cambodian/insert heritage.
I began with Cabramatta and its neighboring suburbs because I want to discuss Dai Le MP. On her website, she describes herself as "I’m a mother, daughter, wife, sister, and local councillor. And now, a Federal Member of Parliament for our community of Fowler. The first Australian Vietnamese of refugee background who won in Labor’s heartland as an independent."
Who is Dai Le MP (and why her story matters)
Dai Le MP is the independent federal Member for Fowler in Western Sydney and Deputy Mayor for Fairfield City Council. She won the seat in 2022 and was re-elected in 2025, running on a hyper-local platform shaped by the people who live there.
While her 2022 win became national news because she defeated Labor frontbencher (and former NSW Premier) Kristina Keneally in what had been a safe Labor seat since 1984, it is actually Le’s personal story and her impact for the quiet voices of the community, that I want to tell.
Career built on the desire to give a voice to the others
Dai Le’s personal story is one of resilience and stubborn persistence in pursuing her purpose. She was born in Saigon in 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, and like other families aligned with American and Western forces, hers fled the communist-controlled country in 1975. The harrowing story of her early childhood and refugee journey is best told through ABC’s podcast First Port of Asylum https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/earshot/first-port-of-asylum/7996934?utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared
Before entering politics, she built a career as a journalist and filmmaker, working in her local community and across diverse cultures. This became a powerful training ground for listening and for telling the stories of those who could not do so themselves. Dai Le recounts this in ABC’s Creating a Nation series.
By chance, Dai Le was introduced to a journalist from the local Liverpool papers who told her about journalism and opened the door to an ethnic cadet position at the paper. She didn’t know where it would lead, but the opportunity to speak with people and tell their stories intrigued her.
Her response was, “So where do I start?" The fearless response and 'go getter' mentality is a brilliant example of grasping opportunities as they present themselves. Be eager and available to take on new opportunities and challenges as soon as they come. Within about 48 hours, she received a call from the editor for an interview and the rest was history.
Dai Le recounts: “I went from local papers and then I got to the ABC, but after two decades there, I thought, you know, when you hear some of the stories repeating themselves, you think, ‘Oh my God, things have not really changed.’”
When change is slow, you become the change
After nearly 20 years in journalism, Dai Le was frustrated by the lack of change. She found herself reporting the same types of stories. “You know, when you do a story, you think, ‘Oh my God, I can make a change here. People are going to change the way they think and people are going to change the way they behave, and society’s going to change.’ But I found that I was reporting on the same story 10 years on.”
Instead of ruminating, she took the opportunity in 2008 to become more politically active. “I had no idea what I was doing, no network, no experience, but I’d give it a go. And I did. I think I made some historic changes, created a movement in the Cabramatta area. I found that doing something you do not know and learning along the way makes the change. The shift was bigger. From that experience, I thought, ‘Oh my God, if you’re different—doing something differently, you can make a bigger impact.’"
And that’s the wonderful thing about becoming the change agent for the change you want to see: you begin to be an influencer, and the shift can become greater. Dai Le recounts, “In the last, what, 12 years, over a decade, being involved at the political level, I’ve been able to influence a lot of initiatives in our area. Advocacy and campaigning are what I’m very good at and what I love doing, because in a community with a large population of migrants and refugees, people often don’t know how to advocate and campaign. If I can help the community in that, I will continue to do so.”
Representation matters
In her first speech to Parliament, she wore an áo dài patterned with the Australian flag, sending a clear message about inclusion and representation. The SBS article titled "This dress represents our Australia': Why Dai Le wore the áo dài for her first speech" highlights how the dress symbolises a multicultural Australia that embraces everyone and represents hope, freedom, and endless opportunities.
Why this matters to The Quiet Leadership Lab
Our work is about widening the frame of what “leadership” looks like, especially for introverts, migrants, women, and anyone who’s felt underestimated in loud rooms. Dai Le’s story shows that you don’t have to choose between being grounded and being effective. You can be both. You can win trust and deliver outcomes by listening first, acting locally, and letting impact speak.
Through Dai Le MP we can learn that:
Quiet leaders build their agenda from lived realities, conversations at markets, school gates, community halls and not from pre-written talking points. Le’s campaign and constituency work reflect that stance.
Leaders treats representation as service, not branding. The áo dài moment wasn’t theatre; it was a way to carry culture into the room while centring an Australian identity rooted in contribution. Quiet leaders signal values through thoughtful choices.
Leaders shows courage without theatrics. Taking on a party stronghold required backbone, but she remained grounded and focused on streets, not spotlights. That’s the essence of quiet power.
Leaders ground their purpose and resilience to impacting change. From her refugee beginnings, a journalism career, years in local government and into federal politics, she continues to ground her work on people and place, becoming the change agent she wished to see.
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