Winning one premiership can come down to talent, luck, or timing.
Winning multiple in a row – like the Penrith Panthers’ four straight NRL titles from 2021-2024; or the Brisbane Lions’ 2001–2003 AFL threepeat matched by Hawthorn in 2013–2015, signals something deeper at play.
What they shared was this: they engineered a proven, repeatable system, underpinned by trust, discipline, aligned purpose, and a culture that turned individual strengths into collective success.
Financial advisory firms are no different.
Today’s top performers aren’t just outgrowing or out-marketing peers; they’re out-culturing them. They’ve built high-trust, values-led environments where the right behaviours drive outcomes for clients and business.
According to Adviser Ratings’ 2025 Australian Financial Advice Landscape report, 41 per cent of firms grew revenue above 15 per cent, up from 35 per cent last year. More than half now report profit margins of 20 per cent or more.
What’s driving that lift? Supporting data from the 2024 report points to smarter systems:
• Firms embracing data analytics and integrated tech report 15 per cent higher revenue per client.
• They operate with leaner teams – around 55 per cent fewer staff – yet still achieve at least 10 per cent higher profit margins than peers.
But tech powering those results is only as effective as the culture behind it. The real differentiator is the personal accountability, process rigour and genuine behavioural alignment that make those systems work.
After working alongside high-performing advice firms across Australia, three non-negotiables stand out for building a ‘premiership-calibre’ practice:
1. Strong culture and ownership of outcomes
Culture isn’t a “nice-to-have” – it’s the glue that holds everything together. It connects daily behaviours to long-term goals, drives accountability, and keeps teams aligned under pressure. Ownership goes beyond hitting targets. It’s every team member knowing how their role impacts clients and taking responsibility end-to-end. Leading firms prioritise alignment and values alongside technical skill.
Peer collaboration accelerates this. Forums, roundtables, and benchmarking groups challenge assumptions and spark real improvements. The best firms also know advice is only as good as the values behind it – integrity, empathy, transparency, care. Backed by the right systems, values transform culture into a competitive edge – the hallmark of a premiership side.
2. Infrastructure that enables great advice
If culture is the heartbeat of a premiership team, infrastructure is its game plan. The smartest firms design systems around people, not the other way around. Technology doesn’t replace advisers – it removes friction, tightens workflows, and amplifies expertise.
Integrated well, infrastructure makes complexity repeatable. AI tools model scenarios in seconds; workflow templates and “playbooks” keep teams efficient; digital portals make client information secure and accessible – just to name a few.
This frees advisers to focus on high-value work and gave support staff space to take on more strategic roles – strengthening the talent pipeline for the future. For example, while the industry average is around 100 engaged clients per adviser, the best tech-enabled firms within the Infocus community serve two, three, even four times that – without compromising quality or compliance.
In one case, a shift to a more integrated platform cut a 10–15 minute manual task down to seconds, reducing errors and saving $1,100 annually on a $370,000 portfolio.
3. Relentless client-centricity
Successful advisory firms share one thing: a purpose beyond profit. They unite around improving clients’ lives and make that mission clear in every interaction. Anchored in purpose, the business becomes more resilient, cohesive, and attractive to both clients and talent.
That purpose shows up in the client experience. Leading firms bake continuous improvement into their DNA – using reviews, feedback loops, and testing new service models to keep advice intuitive and valuable. Infocus, for example, is piloting a new strategy and cashflow optimisation tool to better serve visually-oriented clients.
Early testing flagged colour-palette issues for clients with vision deficiencies. With that feedback closed, the tool now enhances accessibility and gives advisers richer, real-time insights.
The payoff is clear: higher retention, stronger referrals, and deeper engagement. Relentless client-centricity links culture and infrastructure into something greater than the sum of its parts – ensuring every decision serves one goal: helping clients live better, more confident financial lives.
Leading a Premiership Team in 2025/26: What it really takes
When I first started Infocus, I was driven by the ambition to grow fast – win new clients, boost revenue and rank higher. But it didn’t take long to realise that fast growth without a strong foundation wasn’t sustainable.
We paused to ask: What kind of firm do we want to be? How do we stay true to our values as we grow? That meant investing in our people and building systems that support – not just measure – great advice.
That decision to slow down and focus on trust and culture has shaped everything since.
Growth strengthened, client trust deepened, and our team became more resilient to market and regulatory shifts.
The best leaders I see in advice today know that culture, infrastructure, and client focus only thrive under the right leadership. They coach, not command – focusing on development, not just output. They model the standards they expect, knowing clients and staff alike take cues from them. And they stay people-obsessed, putting advisers, support teams, and clients at the heart of every decision.
As NBA coach Phil Jackson famously put it: “The strength of the team is each member. The strength of each member is the team.” Get your culture, systems, and client purpose working in harmony – with leadership to match – and you won’t just win this season. You’ll stay at the top of the ladder for years to come.
Darren Steinhardt is founder and managing director of InFocus Wealth Management.
