HRNZ member profile

Human Resources magazine caught up with Kirsten Patterson, Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand. She shares insights into her key achievements and learnings, and offers practical advice for Members.

An HRNZ member since 2001, Kirsten (KP) was a member of the HRNZ Grading Panel from 2004 to 2010 and was appointed Chartered Fellow in 2010. KP is a judge of the New Zealand HR Awards and a strong advocate and spokesperson for HRNZ.

KP is a qualified lawyer, Co-deputy Chair of the Global Network of Director Institutes, Chair of the Brian Picot Chair in Ethical Leadership advisory board and previous Chair of the Wellington Homeless Women’s Trust. With extensive governance and leadership experience, she is actively involved in community initiatives.

A strong advocate of diversity, KP was a founding member of Global Women’s ‘Champions for Change’ (a group of senior executives and directors who commit to diversity in the workplace) and Women in Sport Aotearoa (an organisation promoting women in sport). She also mentors several business leaders.

“The nickname, KP, is from my almost ten years working at the New Zealand Rugby Union. Once you made the ‘team’, you were anointed with a nickname, and mine has somehow stuck.

People are often surprised to hear that I am an introvert. When they see me in the media or on stage at conferences, they are often seeing the role and not the person. I sometimes call myself a high-functioning introvert. Too often, we judge people or measure ourselves against them when we see them standing on the summit – we forget about or don’t see the climb along the way.

When I made the finals of the school speech competition in high school, I hid in the bathroom and didn’t go on stage. Public speaking still makes me feel sick to my stomach, and when I first started on my career, I literally used to throw up beforehand. The ability to make an impact in a meeting, to be seen, to be heard, or to have a voice for others is one of the essential skills in your leadership toolbox. It can be learned. I am living proof of that.

I was only five years old the first time I was suspended from school, about three hours after I started on my very first day. Some adult in my life must have told me that you didn’t legally have to go to school until you were six (which is actually correct). So, on my first day at school, I led a student rebellion by telling all the other kids that we should go home because they couldn’t legally make us be there. Everyone believes school starts at five, and everyone sends their kids to school when they’re five. They do that because it’s the norm, what we’ve been told to do, and because everyone else does. Somehow, accepted practice has tied us into a regime that isn’t necessarily required and that doesn’t necessarily suit the needs of every child. Beware of ‘best practice’ in HR just because it’s what everyone else does – forge your own path.

I’ve really valued my involvement with HRNZ. Membership bodies can be a crucial partner for your development and connection to the industry. I still have in my office a faded quote I cut from an HRNZ magazine years ago:

“Every HR person wants to be at the table discussing strategy, but the reality is if you don’t have your operational house in order, you won’t get invited to the table in the first place.”

Some of my best leadership lessons, learnings and biggest leadership impacts have been in what others would consider the smallest roles. The unpaid ones I have done in the community, for example, as President of my local Plunket or Chair of the Wellington Homeless Women’s Trust. Don’t underestimate the leadership value in what are considered the little moments. Low profile doesn’t mean low importance. Those roles helped me develop the skills I needed to step out of my HR roles into broader management positions.

We seem to have had this picture from the 1980s that CEOs look or sound a certain way. Charismatic, inspirational, male. Thankfully, that picture is changing, and we are seeking a new leadership model, one based on authenticity and connection and diversity. We need more CEOs and directors with HR experience.

One of the stand-out speakers for me at an Institute of Directors conference a couple of years ago was UK economist, John Kay. He made a statement that really affected me:

“Too long have we been in the hands of people who see leadership as a prize and not as a responsibility.”

Most members of HRNZ live privileged lives where we are given the ultimate power in the world: the power of choice. We get to choose, within some pretty reasonable boundaries, how we spend our time and resources. Not all members of New Zealand are as lucky as us."

“Instead of focusing so much on your TO DO list, start working on your TO BE list.”

Kirsten (KP) Patterson is Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand. She was recently presented with her Distinguished Fellow accreditation by HRNZ Congratulations, KP, this was well deserved, and thank you for your ongoing support of HRNZ.