Leaders Spring 2005 by mediaweb

A LIFE IN LEADERSHIP

Dame Silvia Cartwright On Leadership In this issue • Leadership Victoria: Our Model and Mentor P4 • Unifying New Zealand P16 • Rangatiratanga and Leadership P20

Photograph courtesy of Jane Ussher, Listener magazine.

issue 1 spring 2005

Acknowledgements We thank the following people for their generous support of Leadership New Zealand. Leadership New Zealand Trustees:

Leadership New Zealand Key Partners

• Jo Brosnahan, Chairman of Leadership New Zealand • Tony Nowell, Deputy Chairman of Leadership New Zealand and Managing Director Griffins Foods • David McGregor, Partner, Bell Gully • Reg Birchfield, Publisher, Profile Publishing • Pauline Kingi, Regional Director, Te Puni Kokiri • Mike Wardlaw, Consultant • Sean Weekes, Chief Executive, ICONZ • Michael Barnett, Chief Executive, Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce • Lindsay Corban, Managing Director, Lindsay Corban and Associates • Louise Marra, Director, Auckland, Ministry of Economic Development • Jaine Lovell-Gadd, Director Business, Auckland Regional Council • Peter Kerridge, Kerridge & Partners • Kate Cantwell, Alumni, Leadership Victoria

• Vodafone New Zealand • Accident Compensation Corporation • Raynish and Partners • ASB Trusts

Leadership New Zealand Advisory Trustees

Other people who have helped to establish The Leadership New Zealand Trust and to make the first year of the Leadership New Zealand Programme a success include:

• Tim Miles, Chief Executive, Vodafone • Russell Stanners, Managing Director, Vodafone New Zealand • Morgan Williams, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment • John Hinchcliff, Auckland City Councillor • Garry Wilson, Chief Executive, Accident Compensation Corporation • Jenni Raynish, Managing Director, Raynish and Partners • Rob Fenwick, Managing Director, Living Earth • Bob Harvey, Mayor, Waitakere City • Fran O’Sullivan, Assistant Editor, New Zealand Herald • Jenny Gill, Chief Executive, ASB Trust • Rosemary Howard, Managing Director, Telstra Corporation

Vision

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EDITORIAL TEAM

Innovation Apolitical

Reg Birchfield, Kate Cantwell,

Affordable Community focused

Dallas Fisher, Chris Fogarty,

Integrated Transformational

Peter Kerridge, Lesley Slade.

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Issue 1 spring 2005

Leadership New Zealand Supporting Partners • TelstraClear • JR McKenzie Trust • Bell Gully • ICONZ • Profile Publishing All Leadership New Zealand contributors Invited contributors and people who gave their time to be interviewed for the magazine

• The 2005 Programme Selection Panel: Jo Brosnahan, David Graham, John Hinchcliff, Carrie Hobson, Peter Kerridge, Elaine McCaw. • 2005 Programme Participant, Nick Hadley, who has designed and maintained our on-line participant forum. • Brendan Ryan, Human Resources Manager at the Counties Manukau Police, for arranging for our participants to take part in the Police ‘scope’ programme, and allowing each to ‘ride-along’ with officers for a night shift. • Brian Roche, David Dorrington and Anna Daley at PricewaterhouseCoopers, who have provided us with accounting and financial assistance. • Erin Gaffney, from the AUT School of Design for her photography assistance. • The team at Profile Publishing: Publisher: Reg Birchfield; Production Manager: Fran Marshall; Designers: Jan-Michael David and Stephanie Beagley; Copy-Editor: Gill Prentice. • Jane Ussher and the Listener for generously allowing us to use their photos of the Governor General, Dame Silvia Cartwright.

The Programme Speakers Retreat One Pat Snedden, Bob Harvey and Tim Miles Retreat Two Michael Jones, Campbell Roberts, Charmaine Pountney, Lana Hart, Vanya Kovach and Ian Hassall Retreat Three Jim Bolger, Margaret Wilson, Nick Venter, Brian Easton, Maarten Wevers and Mai Chen Retreat Four Neil Walter, Tony Nowell, Rod Oram, Ron Brownson and Campbell Smith Retreat Five Nevil Gibson, Willie Jackson, Janet Wilson, Shayne Currie and Reg Birchfield Retreat Six Pauline Kingi, Sir Paul Reeves, Mervin Singham, Carol White, Farida Sultana and Jo Brosnahan Retreat Seven John Hinchcliff, Louise Marra, Neil Porteous, Chris Morrison, Russell Stanners and Morgan Williams Hosts and Event Organisers. Particularly Jenni Raynish and her team at Raynish and Partners for hosting the opening cocktail party; Jack Hobbs at the Auckland Regional Botanic Gardens; the Cambodian Buddhist Community, for hosting us at their Temple in Papatoetoe for our April retreat; Judith Tizard for facilitating for us a guided tour of the Parliament Buildings and a session with Margaret Wilson; Bell Gully Wellington, for allowing us use of the Partners’ Lounge for our retreat in May; Garry Wilson and the wider ACC team for hosting a cocktail function in Wellington; Bishop Paterson from the Anglican Diocese for opening the Selwyn Library for our use in June; Andy Jaquet and his team at TVNZ for making it possible for us to use the TV studios as the venue for our retreat on the media, and lastly Te Puea marae in Mangere Bridge for providing us with our venue for the August retreat and the team at Vodafone for the use of their building for retreat seven.

issue 1 spring 2005

Welcome to Leaders Welcome to the first issue of Leaders, the magazine of Leadership New Zealand. Effective leadership comprises many important aspects but paramount among them is effective communication. And we want Leaders to communicate with its alumni, its hardworking supporters, sponsors and the community in general. We want to tell, in a compelling way, the story of our evolution, success and most of all, the stories of our people – the leaders in our midst, established and emerging. It seemed appropriate therefore that, in this our first edition, we should interview an outstanding leader who happens to be, in effect, the first citizen of our community – Dame Silvia Cartwright, New Zealand’s Governor General. The pages of Leaders will be filled with interviews, extracts from the outstanding presentations delivered to our course participants, the views and impressions of our young leaders, programme details, book reviews, columns and anything else we think will contribute to the

Contents The Kete Jo Brosnahan

Supporting Leaders Tim Miles

Leadership Victoria: Our Model and Mentor Kate Cantwell

Having Their Say: Thoughts From the Class of 2005 6 Dame Silvia Cartwright: On Leadership Chris Fogarty

Venues

Leadership to Unify New Zealand 16 Dr John Hinchcliff

community leadership discussion we are determined to promote. The magazine will, for instance, document the sad, successful and sustaining stories that emerge from our SkillsBank programme. In this first issue we publish extracts from presentations by Waitakere City’s irrepressible and thoughtful Mayor, Bob Harvey, and the observations of the astonishingly insightful Patrick Snedden, corporate governance expert, author and humanist. Young leaders must “be on the alert for that one crucial life determining moment which can belong to you”, says Harvey. “And when you find it, and you will, grow that moment into a vision that belongs to you. Own it like a brand and watch the critics disappear for then you will understand that this is your grand moment of epiphany.” In so saying, Bob Harvey effectively sums up the role we’d like Leadership New Zealand to play in the lives of all New Zealanders. Leaders magazine is another physical expression of the growing role Leadership New Zealand will play in promoting a comprehensive, enlightening and crucial debate about leadership at every level of our community. We hope you will enjoy reading it, taking part in the dis-

The Complexities of Leadership 18 Bob Harvey Rangatiratanga and Leadership 20 Pat Snedden Nevil Gibson Unplugged Mat Bolland

Public Sector Leadership: Building a Community Connection 24 Jo Brosnahan Lesley Slade & Dallas Fisher Exposed

Unlocking SkillsBank Kate Cantwell & Lesley Slade

Programme of Activities 2005

cussion and joining us for an exciting ride into a more equable, competently led and rewarding future. Lesley Slade

Off the Shelf 30 Politics and Vision; Pakeha and the Treaty; The Penguin History of New Zealand. Jenni Raynish: Why LNZ is Iimportant

Creating a Leadership Culture Lesley Slade 1

LEADER’S message

The Kete

ho are we New Zealanders? We live on a group of shaky islands in a remote corner of the world. We or our families before us set off on a courageous journey – by canoe, sailing ship, steamer and, more recently, by aeroplane, seeking new horizons and opportunities. Our land is beautiful and the opportunities great. We are not afraid of hard work and of taking risks. We live well, love life and adore our country. But our migrant past sits heavily. We feel remote and small: we are unsure of how good we are. We are self-critical: we feel inferior; and want to be the best. Indeed, we expect to be the best.

Jo Brosnahan: Beginning a conversation.

We are well educated; we have views. We invade the talkback waves with perspectives and criticism of our nation. We blame each other; and most often we blame the government. But we do not often take personal responsibility. The answers belong to others. We are too busy; we have families and businesses and life to get on with. We need leaders to sort it out – those people who can just do it and let us get on with living. And if they don’t do it well, we toss them out and get another set. In this environment, there are few who relish the leadership role. Leaders need support and they need community, because it is the community around them that gives them meaning and context; and community implies common values. And we need many leaders, in a world where decision making is dispersed and people are searching for involvement and meaning in whatever they do. The day of the autocratic hierarchical leader has gone. So who are our future leaders and where do they come from? How do we develop them and what is the community to which they relate? They are you and your staff and your children and your friends. The community is the group that surrounds you: your team, your organisation, your township or your nation. One or two leaders are not enough. We need thousands of leaders in every aspect of our lives. And they must talk to one another. Talking builds empathy and common values, which in turn builds community. But leaders need to move beyond talk – back to in-depth conversation. Leadership New Zealand began with a conversation between a few friends, around a dinner table: Waitakere Mayor Bob Har2

vey, Environment Commissioner Morgan Williams, Auckland lawyer David McGregor and me, the chief executive of the Auckland Regional Council. I had an idea, and we grew it. Like other New Zealanders, we care about New Zealand and its future. We want New Zealand to have a multitude of leaders in every aspect of our community. We want those leaders to talk to one another about a future for our beautiful country; and we want them to keep talking, whatever their role in the future. For leaders are always leaders. Finally, we want them to develop a sense of generosity of spirit; an understanding that we all have a responsibility to give back to the community that nurtures us. We gathered together a group of like minds and tested the proposal: we needed a leadership organisation to promote and develop leaders, to foster an in-depth understanding of the leadership issues confronting New Zealand and to develop community. I had been told of the work of Leadership Victoria, and so I travelled to Melbourne and talked with Richard Bluck, the Executive Director. The Leadership Victoria programme is based on conversations around leadership issues, involving mid-career leaders from across all sectors. Most impressively, Richard told me that of the then 400 alumni, they had lost touch with one. The power of such a community of leaders all networked together is stunning. Richard and Leadership Victoria then demonstrated the generosity of spirit that underlies true leadership and gave every assistance in our establishment. We established a not-for-profit trust and set out to find those who would believe in the vision. Tim Miles, then CEO of Vodafone NZ and now CEO of Vodafone UK, believed in us – and provided seed funding to launch Leadership New Zealand. Others followed and the funding became a crosssector partnership. The growth of Leadership New Zealand has been enabled by the generosity of many organisations and individuals. Our beginnings were small: Sarah Brosnahan with a computer in our basement. Our first Executive Director, Kate Cantwell, came from Leadership Victoria, and is now a trustee. Lesley Slade followed as CEO. Our programme was launched late last year at the AUT marae and our first 23 participants began their 10 month-long programme in March. They will speak to you in this magazine of their experiences. And ultimately, as year after year of alumni are created, Leadership New Zealand will belong to them. Soon there will be an opportunity for them to be joined by a wider forum of those who want to join the conversation. This magazine is the beginning of that wider conversation. As the strands of the kete are woven together, so are the leaders of New Zealand being woven together. This is the beginning of a nationwide conversation about leadership issues that will build leadership capacity, strengthen the bonds between the sectors and make us into a stronger nation. As the conversations continue, New Zealand’s future will become brighter. Jo Brosnahan, Chairman, Leadership New Zealand.

LEADERS

Trustee’s message

Supporting Leaders

hat makes a great leader – or at the very least, a good leader? As readers of this magazine you join me in wanting to improve our collective skills. A recent report I read, from the UK’s Chartered Institute for Professional Development, suggested that many companies are suffering from a shortage of effective leadership. This is a worldwide phenomenon and I’m sure that New Zealand could also benefit from improved leadership capability throughout our community. There is no ‘magic’ about what makes a great leader. Some people are natural leaders but certainly leadership can always be developed and improved through continual professional development. Leaders, especially those within the business world, are often assumed to know all – hence the reason for reaching the pinnacle of their profession. But most would tell you that there is always something more to learn… from any source. In my opinion leadership is about one thing – people. It is people who make things happen in any walk of life. Good leaders can motivate and inspire the people around them; great leaders also listen to the people around them, discuss, make a call and get on with it. Leadership is not about command and control or about making decisions in isolation from what’s really going on at ground level. Vodafone is a service business and differentiates itself through its people – as a result leadership is crucial to our success. Having the right leadership helps us to attract and retain top talent, and inspires people to become the best they can be. We know that leadership isn’t confined to just those at the top – there are leaders peppered throughout every organisation. Great leadership doesn’t have to involve being a manager and it might not involve looking after a physical team of people. When I worked in the IT industry there was a colleague who did not appear on any organisation chart as a ‘manager’, but this person was one of the most influential people in that business. His ability to listen, empathise, simplify and motivate others was fantastic. As a result his opinion was sought and valued by many – not least of which, by me!!! At Vodafone, we strive to develop talent throughout our business and articulate this through our ‘Passions’. Passion for our customers, for our people, for results and for the world around us. These principles are the foundations of not only what we do as a company, but also how we develop as individuals. I have been asked many times why we got involved with Leadership New Zealand. The answer is simple. Businesses like Vodafone do not operate in isolation. We are part of the community in which we live and serve. If the community flourishes we will feel the benefit of that – giving us greater opportunity. Whilst there are many excellent business courses and degrees available, there was particular magic in Leadership New Zealand providing training and learning across the whole community. Courses focus on business (as would be exSPRING 2005

Tim Miles: No magical leaders.

pected) and the real issues that impact and shape our society. This was a critical factor in our decision to support LNZ. Leadership, values and ethics must remain complementary traits that should not work in isolation. We are delighted to be involved with the Leadership NZ programme which is working to nurture and celebrate good leadership in our country. Its commitment to foster leadership across all sectors of the community should be adopted by anyone looking to succeed on a personal and professional level. Tim Miles is the Chief Executive of Vodafone UK and an Advisory Trustee of Leadership New Zealand. Tim spoke to the Leadership Programme at the Opening Retreat in March 2005.

Leadership Victoria: Our model and mentor By Kate Cantwell

o Brosnahan, now Chairman of Leadership New Zealand, searched the world for a community leadership programme that could be applied to a New Zealand community, corporate and government context. Following her Harkness Fellowship Year in 1995, Jo looked everywhere for a programme that delivered on all fronts by incorporating the broader community good into leadership enhancement. That programme, she discovered, was just across the Tasman. It was, and is, Leadership Victoria. When Jo approached Richard Bluck the Executive Director of Leadership Victoria, and his small but mightily efficient team, she was overwhelmed by his support and enthusiasm for a programme for New Zealand. After all it was only in recent times that Leadership Fiji had taken off and so too had many other community leadership programmes around Australia, mostly as a result of, and all with the support of Leadership Victoria. Leadership Victoria is also the model used for the 20 city programmes in Canada supported by the McConnell Foundation. Jo soon discovered the one fundamental difference between Leadership Victoria and the soon to be launched Leadership New Zealand initiative. The difference was money. Leadership Victoria was initiated by the Hugh Williamson Foundation which funded the Williamson Community Leadership Program back in 1990. Three decades ago, Hugh Williamson, former head of the ANZ Bank and long-time board member of Victorian welfare, arts and hospital boards, mused about who would be the future leaders and the future volunteers to sit on the boards of not-for-profit organisations. The philanthropic foundation he endowed set out to answer this question, establishing the Williamson Community Leadership Program in 1989. (Leadership Victoria website: www.leadershipvictoria.org) Leadership Victoria was, from the start, independent and apolitical and is now dependent on financial support drawn from the corporate, public and community sectors. Richard Bluck has been steering the course of community leadership in Victoria, and some would say Australia, for the lifetime of the Williamson Community Leadership Program (WCLP). His experience as the head of the Business Studies Department of Melbourne University's Institute of Education and his senior appointments in the defence forces (via the Air Force Reserves) have stood him in good stead as he worked to gain the confidence of business, community and government, as well as potential participants in this bold initiative. The Leadership Victoria Program is now in its 15th year and can lay claim to having influenced some 400 emerging leaders from as diverse backgrounds as one can imagine coming from each of government, business and the not-for-profit sectors. 4

Thanks for the help The support that Leadership Victoria provided Leadership New Zealand has been immense both in personal time from Richard, the programme director, Louise Muir-Smith, Programme Manager; Jenny Tretheway, 1998 Williamson Fellow and SkillsBank Development Manager, who nurtured SkillsBank into existence and Marilyn Collis, Relationships Manager, Richard’s right hand girl. To get Leadership New Zealand up and running for the 2005 intake of participants, Leadership Victoria provided ideas and tips galore on what not to do! This head start gave the trustees of Leadership New Zealand an opportunity to then ask the question: What will we do to best service our needs? There was never an intention to copy – we knew just how different our community leadership environment was and we wanted Leadership New Zealand to be just that – a leadership programme for New Zealand. Leadership Victoria services Melbourne and some cities within a few hours drive whilst the ultimate aim for Leadership New Zealand is to draw participants and supporters from all corners of New Zealand. This means that the programme events are held throughout the country; in year one the North Island – but that is just in year one! Leadership Victoria’s contribution to Victoria On graduation, participants commit to using their leadership and professional skills for the good of the community. The interpretation of what it means to be engaged in community is varied and the ways that this has happened over the 15 years of Leadership Victoria are equally diverse. Of course there are politicians, councillors (who are unpaid in the Australian system of local government), mayors (paid a small amount to cover entertainment etc), members of not-for-profit boards and influencers in the social welfare, arts and philanthropic sectors. The SkillsBank component of Leadership Victoria is also a part of the Leadership New Zealand mix. SkillsBank emerged from the 1995 Alumni Brainstorming session that focused on What Can We Really Do? Now SkillsBank supports over 100 non-profit organisations each year; engaging two thirds of the alumni in the process. Not-for-profit organisations are invited to apply for support in the form of volunteer assistance with a project, CEO mentoring or to seek a board member. Just to give a sense of the enormity of the movement in the past 15 years there have been over 2000 speakers at 550 Williamson Community Leadership Program (WCLP) events. Two thousand five hundred people have attended separately organised leadership lectures, 5000 have attended dinner LEADERS

Feature

events, there have been 1000 SkillsBank assignments and there are now 476 fellows, or members of the alumni. To cap of this enormous achievement some $5 million AUD worth of professional advice has been provided pro bono by Williamson Fellows – the name given to WCLP graduates. What is the programme like? In 2001 I was surrounded. My year, as with every year before and since, was loaded with people that seemed better than me; more experienced; more worldly and wise. They were successful at work, at home and importantly in their communities. Of course, they were all feeling similar angst and as the ice melted the friendships formed. It is almost four years since I graduated as a fellow of the WCLP and I can honestly say that the ties are as strong now as ever before. Certainly I don’t bump in to many of my fellow grads in Queen Street Auckland, but I know of their whereabouts, their career moves, their newborn babies and their life-changing exploits in the boardrooms of anywhere from the Women’s Circus in Footscray in Melbourne’s west to the Goldfields Railway in Victoria and, of course, way beyond! The programme was rigorous and gave me an opportunity to meet and talk with leaders from all walks of life who held a diversity of leadership styles and ideas. We discussed the ‘big issues’ confronting our community in the next decade. The backdrop was one of worldwide upheaval with the events of September 11 highlighting the need to think “Community”. We shared dinners, lunches and cheese platters, but more importantly we shared each other’s year – professionally and personally. Through a challenging agenda of over 140 speakers we were given the opportunity to go on a journey of discovery. The following piece is taken from my year’s graduation ceremony. Spoken by myself and Scott Williamson to our audience of 500 Australian leaders, they are words that came from our hearts and they still remind me of the moments I stood on stage and represented my fellow graduates of 2001! Understanding the Issues “Through a challenging agenda of over 140 speakers we were given the opportunity to go on a wonderful journey of discovery. “At the start of the year we had opinions about diverse issues in the community. By being able to delve into the reality, and hence the complexity of these issues through questioning and debate, our values, assumptions, and in some cases long-held stereotypes were challenged. This caused some of us to strengthen our opinions while others among us changed their views. “By being pushed outside our comfort zones we have developed an appreciation of the complexity of the issues facing Victoria in the first years of the 21st century. Self-awareness “Williamson prompted us to look at ourselves, to assess our values and, importantly, to think about where we stand. It has challenged us to consider how to balance the many parts of our lives. “In learning about ourselves we learnt a lot about others. The Otherness of Others “We met people in corporate settings, we met people working for the community, SPRING 2005

both country and city, we met people in arts, sports, media, governments and politics and we met people of diverse cultures and religions. “These people had an impact on us. We emerged with a strong sense of respect for the people in our community. We are united in wanting to build a strong Victoria by acknowledging the value of the many different lives lived here and respecting the differences of others.

Kate Cantwell: Thanks for the opportunity.

Fellowship “Williamson brought together a diverse group of 34 enthusiastic, motivated and inquiring individuals. “Our average age was 38; we produced five babies during the year and many more were incubating at the time of graduation. “We were fortunate to have been part of a group that bonded well, showed each other trust and respect and shared the experiences of each other’s lives. “We established a firm understanding of each other and a powerful fellowship that will live into the future. Making a Difference “Williamson showed us that individuals can make a difference and that leaders have vision, integrity, passion and the courage to effect change. “It became our responsibility to get involved in creating the society we want to live in and the society we want to pass on to all those children. “We resolved to continue our commitment to community leadership. We know that the passion, enthusiasm and determination of this group can, and will, make a difference.” What else can I say? I will never forget the opportunity to be a participant in a community leadership programme and I will be forever grateful that I had the chance to contribute to the setting up of Leadership New Zealand last year as the inaugural Executive Director. Thank you Jo, and thank you to my now fellow trustees. Kate Cantwell is Leadership Victoria Alumni 2001 and is on the Board of Leadership New Zealand.

Having Their Say Thoughts from the class of 2005 Suzanne Weld: I am a Project Manager working on strategic development and planning projects in the west of Rodney District. The District is one of the fastest growing in New Zealand. I work in cross-Council teams, which manage physical and economic growth through integrated, land-use and transportation planning, often in conjunction with external agencies. I am responsible for preparing our western, rural townships for future subdivision as well as implementing some on-the-ground urban enhancement projects. This requires the facilitation and empowering of community groups to direct the future of their communities.

I have learnt from all our speakers that their leadership flows from a heartfelt need to do things better, by influencing others and by, more often than not, leading by example. Good leaders have integrity, are well informed and are committed to the long haul. Through the incredible mix of participants I have experienced the value in harnessing diversity and engendering honest debate. The success of many initiatives and organisations depends on strong relationships, collaboration and commitment to a common purpose. From more business-focused participants and speakers I have learnt more about what drives the private sector. I have gained greater understanding of the degree to which business practice affects New Zealand’s society and environment.

Chris Fogarty: I’m Business Development Director for law firm Bell Gully working with a team of 10 who are responsible for the firm’s branding, marketing and client care. The most enjoyable aspect of the course is the interaction with a diverse range of participants. We’ve had access to some fantastic speakers who have prodded and provoked our thinking on leadership issues. But it’s hearing the views or perspectives of participants from totally different backgrounds, upbringings and occupations where you really learn the most, not only about others, but also yourself. Debating the merits of

New Zealand’s economic, cultural or social development in a room that consists of people ranging from the CFO of one of our largest organisations to an Anglican vicar, has proved more educational than any academic case study pored over in a lecture theatre ever could. Understanding the perspective of participants who are recent immigrants alongside those of tangata whenua is a unique learning opportunity. In five months I’ve learnt a lot about different leadership styles and approaches that would have taken me years to be exposed to – if at all. It’s clear Leadership New Zealand will also give you a fantastic legacy of a diverse network of views and opinions to draw upon in the future – that of course is if participants are still talking to me at the end of the course.

Vicky Taylor: As Marketing Director for Griffins Foods, I work with a team to develop and implement a marketing plan for Griffins’ iconic brands, such as Toffee Pops, Mallowpuffs, Cookie Bear and ETA. The plan includes every element of marketing from advertising, packaging design, new product development and promotions. Our objectives are to continue to grow the appeal of our brands and products to New Zealanders.  In September this year I will move to a new role, as Country Manager for The Coca Cola Company in New Zealand.

A complex web of interactions between different stakeholders is required to build and maintain a thriving country. Business, NGOs, government, religious and social groups, arts and sports need a constructive balance in their contribution to society. And the best balance is achieved when leaders of those groups have an appreciation of the community as a wider whole. This can be difficult; the amount of information available and demands on our time can seem overwhelming. Leadership New Zealand successfully introduced us to inspiring New Zealanders from a variety of backgrounds, who are making a difference for New Zealand in a number of different areas – and showed me that I can make a difference as well.

LEADERS

Interviews

Susan Milner: My role is Director - Marketing Programmes for the New Zealand Government’s Trade and Economic Development Agency; New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE). I have a team of 11 who are responsible for leveraging and implementation of events and marketing campaigns both in New Zealand and offshore to support the development of the business capability and international connections of New Zealand companies across all industry sectors and to communicate NZTE’s role and involvement.

My experiences on the course to date have opened my eyes to so many issues where I was previously either uninformed or misinformed. The speakers that we have had the wonderful privilege of engaging with and the course participants who bring so many of their own insights and experiences into our conversations have helped me change my perceptions of many things. A specific example would be my improved understanding and empathy with Maori issues, of which previously I am embarrassed to say I knew little. I have already drawn often on my experiences and insights in the leadership challenges I have faced in my own life since the course started.

Nick Hadley: After quarter of a century in the software industry in the United Kingdom, I moved to New Zealand in early 2005 to experience a semi-retired lifestyle. Within a couple of months, I began to realise that retirement was still as distant as ever. Several business opportunities had come along, and using my IT and business backgrounds, I have started helping a couple of New Zealand companies develop their growth strategies. In addition, I have helped start up a recruitment company based in Australia, and am currently working on setting up a boat-building company here in New Zealand.

While still in the United Kingdom, I saw a web article about the start of the Leadership New Zealand course during 2005, and decided to apply. This seemed an ideal opportunity to develop my leadership skills, but equally importantly to get to know my new country better. From this perspective, the course has been so valuable that I feel it should be mandatory for all new immigrants! My exposure to New Zealand culture, politics, arts and business has been beyond expectations, and opportunities for friendship and development have been presented to me. One of the challenges for busy people is finding the time to develop and think, and in this regard one of the biggest benefits that I have derived from the course has been a rediscovered ability to learn through reading.

Irene Durham: I’m Irene Durham a Director of EVOKE. I am a business coach and certified financial planner. Our flagship EVOKE Essentials is an intensive five-day business coaching programme – it’s full on and it’s fun and the results are immediate. We provide tools, strategies and concepts to allow change and growth. I also work with individuals who prefer private coaching sessions or financial planning advice. www.evoke.co.nz The programme has given me the opportunity to challenge

and be challenged in an environment that encourages deep questioning, thought, creativity and understanding on topics as diverse as ethics and the economy, politics and police. What a privilege to probe issues facing New Zealand and our future with fantastic participants and superb speakers who represent the changing face of New Zealand demographics. Taking time to enjoy concentrated thinking and dialogue rather than cursory thoughts has been a great learning experience. It enables change. I have a greater confidence, deeper understanding and insights into the perspectives of both the participants and our speakers.

Phil Riley: I work for the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) as an Area Manager. I have responsibility for seven business units across the top half of the South Island.  It is hard to imagine another programme that will provide access to the diversity of speakers available with Leadership New Zealand. Coming from a variety of backgrounds, the speakers have provided a unique insight into society along with their

own experiences and opinions of leadership. Leadership is more than theory, it is the learnings from experiences and interactions that these speakers are able to impart, to challenge your own perspectives and to share knowledge and understanding with a wider group of participants. The forum of hearing from the speakers, question time and then group discussion provides an invaluable opportunity to learn from those in leadership roles, challenge and expand on the learning and then further explore the practicable application. Go in with an open mind, be prepared to challenge and be challenged, the learning will follow.

SPRING 2005

Interviews

Che Tamahori: I am a Director of Shift – a web design company. I lead our 15-strong Auckland office and am personally involved in account management, creative strategy, technical strategy and process development.  Firstly, there are many ways to lead people. The only trait that all of our speakers have shown in common is passion for what they do. I have also learned that there are many facets to good lead-

ership, and that good leaders are in turn, multifaceted. Successful leaders often engage with society on many levels. This in turn helps them to bring a breadth of vision to their roles. I enjoy the way that we are presented with a range of tools and perspectives on leadership. I feel that I am beginning to see a path forward for myself; an approach to leadership that feels suited to who I believe myself to be.  Lastly, I am still learning to talk less, and listen more! I’ve seldom been surrounded by people with as much to contribute as this inaugural group of participants. The others’ views give me many days food for thought after each retreat.

Sarah Williams: I have the best PR job in the country working for Vodafone New Zealand. I get to look after internal/external communications for Vodafone with an amazing team and a vibrant industry to boot. Leadership takes many forms and

has many guises. The leaders we have met so far are in many cases like chalk and cheese. Same goes for my fellow LNZ participants – a diverse group of leaders each of whom brings unique attributes and ideas. The most exciting thing from me is stepping out of my own view of leadership. Opening my eyes to its different shapes and sizes has broadened my view of the world and challenged my assumptions.

Mike Davies: As General Manager of Network for Vodafone New Zealand – I am responsible for ensuring that the mobile network offers a high quality customer experience, and implementing the next generation of network services The biggest benefit from the programme is the exposure to a diverse range of people and ideas, both the views of fellow participants and the guest speakers. For me personally an initial insight was the importance of rangatiratanga in setting the future of New Zealand. Equal-

ly memorable was the debate around the changing ethnic composition and age mix, and what this means, for all New Zealanders going forward – the diversity of the group adding richness of thought. Of late the session on the media and its drivers, challenged a few assumptions, and raised questions of what will this medium will look like going forward. At a personal level, the presenters have been “top draw” with many leaving a lasting impression. Their passion for their chosen field and the ability to challenge through clear focused thought, inspires further reflection and a role model to aspire to. In summary – a powerful programme, that brings fresh topics to the table, enabling the motivated person to gain a rare insight into New Zealand and its future.

Rewi Spraggon: I am Kaiwhakahaere Maori (Maori Manager of Libraries) for Waitakere City Council. I am also a Director of Te Aratoi Ltd Event Management based in Auckland and the Bay of Plenty. I am also a Maori Consultant and adviser for Maori Television. We are a diverse bunch of people participating; we are then thrown into the deep end of a pool, which puts us all on an even par. We come from all walks of

life and hold different views and have different perspectives to the person sitting beside you. We engage, interact and debate with each other as we do with the many leaders that come forward and give us their perspective on leadership. We have an opportunity here to explore, develop and share our personal skills with a great group of people who will possibly become friends for life. I can truly say that in the last five months of this course it has opened my vision and way of thinking to yet another aspect of leadership that will benefit me personally but also benefit the many organisations and community groups that I serve.

Carlene Creighton: I’m the Business Manager for an investment property company called Brick Securities Ltd based in Auckland. There are 14 of us in the company and my role is to ensure the efficient management and growth of the business. In everyone’s busy lives of work and family, there is very little time left to

spend pondering and discussing some of the economic, political, social or cultural issues of our time. Conversations are reduced to snippets about the weather and who won the game at the weekend. For me, the most enjoyable part of the LNZ experience to date is the luxury of time dedicated to discussing and learning about some of the pressing issues of leadership in the world today. The combination of i) dedicated time, ii) a fantastic cross-section of participants from across the country and iii) an outstanding range of speakers, is a powerful recipe.

LEADERS

Interviews

Gia Nghi Phung: I work as an Ethnic Adviser at the Office of Ethnic Affairs, Department of Internal Affairs. My role is very encompassing, involving me to work with a diverse range of stakeholders including different members from the ethnic community, government officials and service providers. As an ethnic adviser I enjoy the challenge of helping ethnic communities access services and programmes in New Zealand. Making an impact on government policies that enable the better settlement of new New Zealanders is a satisfaction I take home every day from work. Being one of the inaugural participants of the Leadership New Zealand programme has radically enhanced my ap-

proach to my job and also my everyday interaction with people. In the past five months, my discoveries at Leadership New Zealand have included finding a voice to speak out about my convictions, inspired by the many different people we encounter at the programme. It is difficult to put down a simple formula on how to be a good leader because we have encountered so many interesting but varied people. Each expressing their leadership in so many ways. I have learnt that leadership is not just about being on top of the hierarchy. Everybody at every standing is a leader. To capture leadership is about finding the moral courage to address prickly situations and say things that not everyone is comfortable with, and it is also about being able to listen and learn from others. The programme has been very empowering for me.

Mat Bolland: I look after public affairs for TelstraClear, which involves managing the company’s relationship with the media, acting as company spokesperson and developing communications to key company stakeholders and customers. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to look deeply into some issues that have always been of interest, but that I’ve never had the time to pursue because of work

and family commitments. Leadership New Zealand is about joining a diverse bunch of people to look at issues, hear from experts in those areas, then discuss and reflect on them. Its real value comes over time, by helping expand your areas of interest and stimulate further reading.  It’s unlike any management course I’ve ever been on before. It’s not about tests and modules or firm conclusions – I’m still enjoying some strong debate with others on the course over issues raised in the first sessions. And that’s the point – it’s all about ongoing learning and discussion of issues that matter to New Zealand.

Tracy Moyes: I am Project Leader for the Community Relations directorate at the Auckland Regional Council. In my first reflection notes written from the first Leadership New Zealand retreat I wrote “my whole world view is going to be severely challenged and shaped this year”. Now over halfway though the programme I would definitely say that statement has been borne out. My learnings from the

year are too numerous to list but it is easy to look back and see that it is not only the exposure to speakers who are all leaders in their field that has been so valuable, but their insights into leadership issues and issues of importance to New Zealand. These learnings are taken to an entirely new dimension when course participants are able to engage in conversations with each other from the perspectives of different cultures, backgrounds, life experiences and industries. Ultimately I would say that I have learnt that there are many components that make a good leader, but it is the people connection that is key to it all.

Kristy Hill: I work at Te Puni K kiri (TPK) as a Kaiwhakarite. My role involves implementing Ministry programmes and developing and maintaining relationships with M ori communities, other agencies and organisations with a view to improving outcomes for M ori. The key learning for me (or confirmation in some cases) is how much I don’t know, particularly in areas I thought I was quite competent in. It has encouraged me to go away and confirm my facts or delve deeper into the reasons for holding the views that I hold. The course has challenged me to consider another point of view and has made me realise that I assume far too much. It has also taken me out of my comfort zone in many instances and forced me to read beyond legal and M ori publications… The course encourages us to discuss topical and contro-

versial issues in a safe and open environment which in turn generates a more in-depth understanding of those issues. Not only has it been a great opportunity to broaden understanding, but to network more extensively. To me the course is not about moulding leaders, but rather about sharing and learning experiences. The more information and perspectives you are exposed to, the better prepared you are for others to realise your leadership potential. As the course has rolled out, I have become one of the “goto” people when it comes to M ori issues because of my role in TPK… oh yea and the fact that I am M ori. This is quite funny because in real life, my knowledge of these issues is microscopic and I am literally at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to giving advice on M ori issues. In saying that, I am encouraged to see people doing their own research on this topic and I feel privileged to have contributed to that learning process albeit in some small way.

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Interviews

Leisa Sitene: I have worked for MCC for 16 years, starting as an aerobics tutor and spending 11 years in Leisure Services. The last five years have been spent in the arts firstly as a centre manager, then the arts events coordinator and just recently the Manager of Manukau Arts. The key learnings from Leadership New Zealand have been the opportunity to be exposed to a variety of people who are leaders in their own right and in their own fields and how they have become leaders. This not only includes the speakers who present to the group monthly, but also my fellow participants and the Leadership New Zealand facilitators. The main points for me have been firstly that building

relationships plays a major role in becoming an effective leader. Each presenter touched on how important relationship building is and how each of them in their own ways have done this throughout their careers and also their personal lives. Secondly is the importance of knowledge. One of the first speakers said “put yourself on the steepest learning curve, and go for it”. Even though I knew it before, the Leadership New Zealand course has really pointed out how vital knowledge is in becoming a good leader. Knowledge is the key to unlock doors. To date the course has been very thought provoking and an opportunity to take a look at where I’m heading in my career. I have enjoyed the opportunity of meeting new people and forming new friendships and learning from people, who are in both similar and very different situations than myself. Thank you for the opportunity.

Wilmason Jensen: I am the Managing Director of a series of privately owned companies with interests in event management, creative media production and management consultancy. I am also a trustee on the ASB Trusts. The key learning for me from the programme has been finding the similarities between the different leaders, regardless of which sector they represent (eg public/private/community): the focus on the future (vision), the importance of service to that vision, the importance of ‘people’, and the need to continually keep in tune with changing society.

The speakers, and panel discussions of established leaders has reiterated most importantly, the place of leaders within the context of society as a whole, and reiterates the notion New Zealand’s future leaders need to be connected to society as a whole to be successful, regardless of the sector they represent. Secondly, it has been a pleasure to meet other leaders in a personal and working context, in particular sharing experiences and challenges in this critical time of our careers. Often, as a leader, one can easily feel isolated as there is not an adequate forum to discuss issues around leadership. As a leader in business, family, and Pacific communities, I will take away from this programme importance of working ‘across’ all sectors of the community.

The Reverend Canon James White: “Hatch, match, and dispatch” is how I have flippantly described my role to others on the course. In fact, being a priest in a community is only partly about conducting ‘rites of passage,’ although that is an important part. I provide such a service, on behalf of the church, for any and all that desire it. On behalf of the Bishop of Auckland (that is why my role is called ‘Vicar,’ because I am the bishop’s ‘vicarious’) I have particular care for the life of the congregation at All Saints. This means I am preacher, teacher, event organiser, pastor, editor, janitor, coach, student, and counsellor, and … lots of things. The role is enormously varied and unpredictable. I have a good deal of freedom in the role but, because of the accessibility and responsibility, I can have considerable demands on my life.

I could rattle off a series of epigrams – ‘leaders are readers’ – or list the ten or twelve traits of a good leader, but the course, at least as I understand it, is not really content focused. We are interested in the way particular individuals work through issues, or resolve tensions, or perceive the past, present, or future. Content does come into it but, I would contend, only secondarily. The course has primarily been about meeting people. I have met some amazing people. Some of those people have spoken to us in a very open and generous fashion – giving insight into their professional and personal world. (It wouldn’t be right to publicly single any out.) Some of the people are other participants. I am constantly amazed by what they know about and have to contribute to the conversations before, during, and after the formal sessions. (But isn’t it always like that? – the people around us all the time often have the most to offer.)

LEADERS

Interviews

Glenn Hawkins: I’m a Chartered Accountant, who recently established a consultancy firm based in Rotorua. I provide advice and support to a range of businesses in industries as diverse as tourism, manufacturing, fishing, forestry, education and agriculture. I am passionate about Maori business development! We have had access to a range of high achieving, high quality individuals as guest speakers and this has been a tremendous learning opportunity. I have enjoyed the discussions within our wider group that have accompanied many of our high profile speakers.

It’s gratifying to know there are so many intelligent ‘young’ leaders in New Zealand. We have touched on so many different areas and stimulated each other through robust debate about topics as diverse as the Treaty of Waitangi to how we interact with our own communities. The group that I’m fortunate to be a participant in has added immense value to my learnings. We are an incredibly diverse range of individuals, all with our own strengths, weaknesses, personal views and prejudice leanings. I have learnt a lot about myself over the first six months of the programme. I now understand the many improvements I can make to myself so that I can provide a leading role in my own communities. It’s been an amazing journey of self-discovery!

Debbie Chin: I am Deputy Director-General Corporate and Information at the Ministry of Health. I lead a team of talented and dedicated people covering all corporate activities and three business units providing services to the health sector. The business units process over 80 million health-related payments a year, collect national health information and statistics, and provide information technology shared services. • What are the common themes of successful leadership, direct from the leaders themselves, rather than the theory: It has been fantastic to meet with and hear directly from such reputable and respected New Zealand leaders. I am very humbled that these amazing leaders have given their time to pro-

vide us with honest, free and frank perspectives on leadership. The sessions have increased my awareness of the importance of leadership to drive success and highlighted that leadership is about integrity, it’s about having a vision and knowing where you are going, it’s about timing and it’s about taking risks. • Being challenged to rethink some of my judgements and paradigms and at the same time reinforce beliefs: The conversations amongst the diverse group of participants are a huge learning experience. Listening to the many different perspectives (including those of our speakers). • Importance of “strength of community” to any society: It’s important for us to build strong communities of interest, whatever that may be. • Making new friends: Lastly, the group are an amazing and diverse group of people from all walks of life. I know I will go away from the course with many new friends and colleagues.

Lisa Howard-Smith: I am the Manager for a small NGO called WADCOSS, short for the West Auckland District Council of Social Services! We are one of five ‘COSSs’ in the Auckland region, all varying in size and service delivery. Staffing levels for the organisation are currently at 3 FTE, which means that everyone but myself works part-time – and I work very fulltime. I have learnt that leaders are not just those who have achieved public visibility and recognition. I have been humbled to have the opportunity to work with 23 outstanding leaders, also

involved in the programme, as well as having the pleasure of meeting those more recognised in their given fields. I have enjoyed exploring in depth, often through vigorous discussion, how people have achieved leadership status, and honing my own perceptions of what defines ‘good’ leadership. Perhaps because of my experience in the community sector, the concept of ‘servant leadership’ has resonated most for me. It has been a real privilege to be part of the founding intake for LNZ and I believe the true worth of the programme, both for participants and the sectors they serve, will become more apparent in the ensuing years. I look forward to a continuing association with LNZ, and a strengthening of the connections made with others.

Phil Burt: I am the Chief Financial Officer for the Accident Compensation Corporation. The programme has provided me with access to key leaders who are not ordinarily accessible. Often in

business we meet with well-known and respected people, but rarely can we interact with them in a truly open manner. Aside from the diversity of participants, the ability to dissect issues in a low risk forum has provided a wealth of understanding, far beyond that which can be gained by reading or attending public fora.

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A Leading Lady’s Take on Leadership Governor General Dame Silvia Cartwright talks to Leadership New Zealand participant Chris Fogarty about what makes a good leader, the leadership style of women and what she’d do in a coup d’état.

f national stature can be measured by the length of your driveway then Dame Silvia Cartwright really is one of the nation’s most important women. The road up to her Wellington residence travels through what is not so much a grand property as a small subdivision. When you eventually reach New Zealand’s most lavish state house there is a refreshing lack of formality. You park around the back, see yourself to the front door, are met and then taken through to a cavernous sitting room. Former New Zealand Law Society president Christine Grice once described her work colleague as being able to relate to the ordinary person while retaining her sense of dignity, of having a sense of warmth and a dry sense of humour. All those qualities appear in an hour-long interview. What doesn’t is a regurgitation of career achievement. Dame Silvia talks of the difficulties of finding a mentor at the outset of her legal career. She had, after all, never met a lawyer before she studied law. She doesn’t mention that she went on to become the first female Chief District Court Judge in 1989, moving up to the High Court bench in 1993. She praises those she worked with on the 1987 inquiry into cervical cancer treatment at Auckland’s National Women’s Hospital, but doesn’t point out that she played a central role in one of the most high profile and controversial health inquiries seen in New Zealand. She talks of her admiration of the UN Secretary-General, but not about her two terms as an expert member of the UN Committee to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women. There is throughout the interview, a measured wariness of straying into the controversial. It no doubt serves Dame Silvia well in a constitutionally delicate role and was clearly an attribute the politicians counted on when in 2000 they appointed the second successive member of the judiciary to be Governor General after Sir Michael Hardie Boys. Nevertheless, Dame Silvia seldom turns away any question that takes her on to shaky ground and never refuses to comment. Perhaps when you’ve been questioned by school children on how you would handle a coup you are pretty much ready to answer anything. Or perhaps, as Dame Silvia herself points out – “I’m never any good at hiding what I feel.” This is one leader who appears very comfortable in her own skin. Is there a particular New Zealand characteristic you think that engages our respect and encourages us to think: “I will follow that person”? There are many puritanical qualities about the New Zealand character. We greatly admire those who are hardworking or are 12

concerned for others more than for themselves. We are not a country where we admire people simply because they are famous. Quite the opposite. Are we as a nation happy to engage in a robust constructive discussion about our future? When we get the opportunity, yes. We are not very good at asking “what are our long-term goals and how are we going to reach them?” We don’t put enough time into developing that sort of thinking. Much of our public debate focuses on the here-and-now and is a great deal guided by the political discourse of the moment. We need more thinkers, more public figures to engage us and there are of course many countries which have institutes and organisations established for simply that – to engage the public in thinking about the longer term. I think we still have a Futures Trust but it’s a pretty niche organisation. No doubt a lot of this sort of thinking goes on within academic institutions but it doesn’t get out into the public very much. So we are very much trained to think about the present. You talk about needing more thinkers and public figures, but the cliché suggests we cut down the tall poppies in our society. Are people sometimes wary of coming out with ideas about discussing the future because of that? I’m not so sure that there is such a [tall poppy] syndrome. I think we accept those who are in public life for what they are. People might admire individuals like Sir Edmund Hillary because they truly deserve the word icon attached to their names, but if it’s the latest pop star, they might admire their beauty or their music and forget them five minutes later. I don’t think that is really a tall poppy syndrome. Those who complain of being chopped down might look more closely at why the criticism has arisen. Following the recent death of David Lange, his Oxford debate was repeatedly highlighted as some sort of independent endorsement of his international standing. Do we have to have overseas endorsement before we’re seen as successful? In that particular instance we really admired the quickness of his mind. It was a real ‘gotcha’ situation wasn’t it? It was one of those rare moments – and we love wit don’t we? He had a way of being extremely funny without necessarily being cruel about it and that is a real art. Sometimes he was cruel too. You have had a huge amount of community interaction at many levels. Is there a strong degree of leadership across our community organisations or do they require assistance? LEADERS

Cover Story

work over the past couple of decades is that if you volunteer or work in a charity, paid or unpaid, you are expected to be professional. The do-gooder and the kindly person are no longer good enough. Standards must be reached and complied with. That means that individuals must put more of their time into it, but in return they get professional skills.

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They always need money and they all need more people to help. But the breadth of voluntary work that is done across the country either by individuals or groups is truly astonishing. And they do it for a range of organisations. It’s often a community-based thing. They see a need within their community and go and help. It is remarkable what people do. There is a feeling that we now live in a more individualistic society and that people are more ‘me’ focused. There are definitely younger people coming through, but I don’t think in the numbers. There are a lot of social reasons for that. There’s just not the time to spare any more. Younger people particularly are involved in a wider range of activities, from education through to sports, the arts through to all sorts of interests. But, within those activities they often work hard to help and support. Older people tend to have more finely tuned skills because of life’s experiences. So you’re not worried there’s not enough people coming through into community organisations? There will never be enough people. Add to that the issue of women at work. Women used to be the volunteers. It used to be their work when their children no longer needed them. We won’t see that again and so we have to find new ways of supporting the community. If you take your own particular skills and interests and expand them and draw others in and help them within that group then you don’t actually expend as much time as if you had created a new niche for yourself. One of the big, big changes in volunteering and charitable SPRING 2005

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In the broader community, is there a leadership vacuum or an absence of leadership that concerns you? I can’t think of anything. As a country we have a strong tradition of, and commitment to, working in the community. Most people are doing something. People don’t generally let it be known that they are doing something. And I’m not just talking about our driver here who washes dishes down at the Home of Compassion Soup Kitchen. I only found out about that because he waves to half the homeless people in the streets as we drive by. I would not be able to think of a single person in this household who wasn’t doing something for the community.

Who are the leaders that have inspired you? In the early days, it was career oriented. The ones I looked up to were fine examples of the profession and tended to be people like judges, who were very courteous and gallant. Initially it was a case of modelling behaviour on people that you thought were doing it well. I did have particular judges that I admired greatly, and although I didn’t know I was going to be a judge at the time, I absorbed many of their characteristics, hopefully, when I went on the bench myself. As I moved through my career I would admire people like the medical advisers who assisted me during the National Women’s inquiry for their ability to do a brilliant technical job, while at the same time withstanding an enormous amount of criticism from within their own profession. And at the UN. There were particular people there whose ability to work hard I greatly admired, and how they could deal with problems quickly. I had, and still have, a real admiration for Kofi Annan. I hope I will be able to retain that opinion of him – he seems to me to embody all the finest of characteristics. Clearly your own leadership style has been influenced by people around you, rather than distant leadership figures. Very much so. Because in your job you absorb other people’s characteristics and thinking: “Gosh, they did that well didn’t they” and “How did they manage to achieve that?”. So I am simply an image of leaders – hopefully the best type. We also learn from our own mistakes. Have there been mistakes that you’ve felt you’ve made in your career and how have you recovered from them? Every person makes mistakes. Some are fatal, and you can’t repair them, but that doesn’t happen very often. They are more the little mistakes, like “I should have done that job sooner”. I don’t think I’ve had any fatal mistakes, but there’s still time… 13

Cover Story

Many of the Leadership New Zealand course participants have talked about the concept of servant leadership. What are your thoughts on the concept and how do you try to inspire those around you and working with you? I don’t know that I try to inspire anyone. I’m not sure this servant leadership thing quite works for me. You can be a leader who demands obedience and that’s simply a dictator. Or you can be someone who considers that everyone has an important part to play and you might have to be the spokesperson or the one who fronts up, or the one who sets the direction for the organisation. Looking back, I have had many different leadership roles. Some have just happened because I have emerged to be the one to do the job at the time. Others have been thrust upon me, and I have had to work out my own modus operandi in doing the job. That has always involved using the strengths of those who work with me. I remember someone writing a nasty piece about me which concluded that I had gotten where I was only because I had good people around me. I thought that’s the whole point isn’t it? If you can’t have good people working with you then you’re never going to be a leader because they’ll just leave you, they’ll disappear on you and they won’t want to work with you. You’ve got to have a good working atmosphere, you’ve got to have fun, you’ve got to have things to look forward to, challenges to meet together, and you’ve got to be able to delegate and trust people to do the job. And if they don’t, let them know it. What’s the hardest leadership decision you’ve had to make? Whether or not to take on a job. They’re the hardest decisions, because even if you don’t fully understand what the job entails, you know it’s going to be hard. And you know there’s going to be a lot of pressure, and maybe a lot of public notice. Sometimes it’s not been a job as a leader, but you know you’re going to be the focus of a lot of attention – might be the first woman this, or the first woman that. Those have always been the hardest decisions to make. Having made them, I just get on with it. It’s the only answer. Hard work is the key. Have you ever decided not to take on a significant role? Yes I have, but it didn’t do any good. I still ended up doing it because if people decide you’re going to do it, you end up doing it. Can I ask if Governor General was one of them? No, because I’d given up by this stage. I look back and think why would I put myself through all this anguish if I’m only going to say yes in the end, or I’m going to arrive at the door they’re pushing me inside and say “Well, go on, get on with it”. Do you think women have a different leadership style? Probably. I think that women must be, at least at this stage in our evolution, more careful about bringing other people with us. We don’t have the ability to command and expect to be obeyed. We don’t have that privilege yet. Does that make you a smarter and wiser leader in some way? I don’t know. It makes us work a lot harder. We sometimes have to be more pleasant than men. Otherwise we get accused of being shrill. Why do you think New Zealand has particularly accepted women in leadership roles? Because it’s happened, the world hasn’t ended and both men and women see that women do the same sort of job. They 14

may not do it any better, but they certainly don’t do it any worse. But first it has to happen. I don’t think that in theory it’s ever well accepted. And there have to be people in places of influence to ensure that women are encouraged into and appointed to positions of influence. I remember sitting on a panel, with some of the now women leaders, and we were being asked “Well, how did you get your job?”. And almost all of us pointed back to Geoffrey Palmer who was a strong advocate for women in law. It was a legally based group and we all said “Well, he made me do it”, or “He’s encouraged me to do it”, or “He said you’re doing really well in this lowly job and I’m going to promote you”. And it’s people like that – he’s certainly not the only one – who encourage you and give you the chance. Is being Governor General a leadership role, or is it a more ceremonial job? If the country doesn’t accept the Governor General is a leader, then certainly. There are ceremonies like the investitures where people who serve our country get medals and of course internationally where I represent New Zealand for the various ceremonies and things that I do. But if the Government didn’t think I was doing an adequate job as a leader, they wouldn’t send me. They wouldn’t risk it. What have you enjoyed most about your time as Governor General? My eyes have really been opened to the wonderful work that people do throughout our country, and certainly to the wonderful reputation that we have internationally – tolerant, hardworking, well-educated people. And I’ve enjoyed introducing school students to the role of the Governor General and where it sits in our constitution – from the littlies who ask the funny questions, right through to the senior students who are much better informed about these things than I was at their age. The other day in Tauranga I was asked “What would you do if there was a coup?” I said that it was entirely dependent on the circumstances but, of course, I would not be able to lend legitimacy to it in any way, shape or form, and so I said that if it was the sort of coup where the army was not involved, I’d call on the army to help to put it down. But by its very nature the army is likely to be involved, so it put me up the creek without a paddle. I assured them that it was highly unlikely to happen in this country. We just don’t do that sort of thing. You have been quoted advocating greater work/life balance. In the many leadership roles that you have had, have you found ways to achieve some kind of work/life balance yourself? I am preaching an ideal. But at that time I was quoted I would have been thinking of the way in which law firms in particular work their young people. I would like to get rid of the notion that to be at work is to be closer to God. People make better lawyers if they have some leisure time – especially time with their families. When big firms introduced gyms to their offices I thought it was a disaster because they’ll spend their leisure time there too, instead of going home and doing ordinary things that ground you and make you a better professional. And I think it’s very much for women to show that there is a way to be a very fine professional, but not to be at work 23 hours a day. This is an edited transcript of the interview Dame Silvia gave at Government House, on Thursday 1st September. LEADERS

TVNZ Studios: The venue for July’s retreat on The Media.

Venues

eadership New Zealand is about creating “Leadership for Life” and weaving the threads of community leadership into New Zealand. It is important therefore, that we seek out venues that reflect the diversity and the richness of our communities, and add a new dimension to our discussions throughout the retreat. As we head into our next retreat, we can reflect on the range of venues that we have been fortunate enough to use in this first year of our programme. The Temples of the Cambodian Buddhist Community in Auckland, and the Selwyn Library in the Bishops Court in Parnell provided scope for discussions on the makings of a Civil Society and the place of New Zealand on the world stage. Our discussion on Politics and Issues of

21st Century Governance were deepened by meeting with the Speaker of the House and sitting within the Debating Chamber. Similarly, the opportunity to be based at the TVNZ Studios to explore the role of the media in shaping our views, and in turn those of society was eagerly accepted. Lastly, the August Retreat on Te Puea Marae in Mangere Bridge added a valuable dimension to our conversation on Our People. Our thanks must go to all those who have generously welcomed and hosted the 2005 Programme Participants of Leadership New Zealand. You have each contributed to an ongoing journey of learning, development and exploration that has been further enhanced by the opportunity to hold our retreats at these venues.

May retreat at Bell Gully Wellington.

The Temples of the Cambodian Buddhist Community in Auckland, one of the two venues for the April retreat.

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Opening night celebrations.

Auckland’s Botanical Gardens, the other April venue.

Leadership to Unify New Zealand Dr John Hinchcliff

ur democratic nation could not tolerate a unity imposed by a totalitarian regime. But with all our cultural, social and philosophical diversity and with the range of complex issues dividing us, can we find that unity of spirit so essential for a vital and healthy society? What kind of leadership do we need to create a citizenry united in their commitment to the greater good of New Zealand? There are many gurus proffering models and methods of leadership. And there is truth in most of them. The dangerous tendency with most theories of leadership is the will to reduce to, and contain within a definition, something which is complex, dynamic and context dependent. Some theories are simply reduced to a three letter acronym – LRP (Long Range Planning), TQM (Total Quality Management), ISO 9000, ZBB (Zero Based Budgeting), and BBR (Business Process Re-engineering) for example. They have not satisfied the needs of the community because they present a technical fix for essentially complex human problems. Our Western world has successfully used technical skill to nurture significant developments in science and technology. But we are persons – not machines. We have free will and a depth of being that defies the technical fix. The leadership we need must have technical skills to ensure the processes of state function harmoniously. Responsible stewardship of our nation’s resources, the effective design and management of the structures of state and transparent budgetary processes, all require knowledgeable and efficient leadership. Leadership requires political effectiveness, such as competencies in advocacy, negotiation, networking, conflict resolution, the just allocation of scarce resources and the ability to balance difficult tensions such as between autonomy and control, creativity and accountability, risk-taking and conservative practices, and long-term vision and short-term demands. The ability to respect people at all levels is an incredibly important quality of leadership. People need to be encouraged, enabled and empowered by a supportive leadership to make their best contributions. This encourages a constructive loyalty back to the leadership. Leadership demands some basic and self-evident but difficult character traits, such as resilience – because there will be some irresponsible as well as responsible challenges; tact – because conflict situations are invariably complex; trust – because leadership of a large organisation cannot cope alone; forgiveness – because everyone including the leader makes mistakes; hope – because there will be times of despair; and a deep love for the vision and the people served – because this motivates everyone. 16

Most importantly our need is for a clear and coherent philosophical framework which inspires commitment, and which encourages people to share in the purposes and direction of the nation. The vision should project an idealistic portrayal of what our nation would be like in say ten years’ time. This should be shared in stories, myths and icons. And it should be grounded in a set of values which provide guidance in conflict situations. Such values could include: respect for people; respect for nation; respect for the whole as well as the part; respect for the past, present and future; and respect for justice, honesty and creativity. These appear as fundamental in wisdom literature throughout the ages, both religious and non-religious. But no one person has all these abilities. Strength in one area may mean weakness in another. So it is important to create a balanced team leadership providing each of the strengths and abilities required. And this team should not aim to be a comfortable machine where everything is neatly defined, carefully controlled and bureaucratically organised. It needs to understand the dynamics, the turbulence and complexities of what Bill Gates describes as our “Decade of Velocity”. It must recognise that since our knowledge is partial and fallible we cannot make perfect decisions. But with humility, open and creative minds the leadership team will explore the best possible wisdom and decide how to act. Because certainties are sometimes not possible, leaders need to embrace a never-ending process of reflection, decision and action. Engaging, creating, making mistakes and learning… and then keep going with resilience and determination. In his book History of Civilisations, Arnold Toynbee argues that a civilisation, a nation and an institution will survive only as long as there is a challenge and a willingness to respond to this challenge. The vision inspires, the challenge compels, the achievement encourages for the next challenge. But the effort of the action galvanises the people into a united community. Distinguishing between the words ‘community’ and ‘society’ can be helpful. A society provides a well-organised structure for people to exist together to pursue their own individual interests provided they do not harm others. Each individual is patch protectionist. Negotiation relies on a we-they advocacy in search for a win-win result. Formal and technical processes such as legal means and data analysis shape conflict resolutions. In a community there is a commitment to the greater good. People encourage, support and empower each other because they share in the community. Respect and trust, rather than the legal process, shape negotiations. Resolutions emerge from an affirming dialogue and are agreed upon because they service others and the wellbeing of the whole. When someLEADERS

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John Hinchcliff: Understands the importance of respecting people.

one else wins, the community approves. Victories and losses are shared with a caring respect. This represents a return to the ideals of the “public servant” – a concept which has become demeaned by the time-server and mindless bureaucrat. It connotes the highest virtues of citizenship manifesting the idealism of J.F. Kennedy’s call: “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” Recovering a commitment to such idealism will require our political leaders to engage honestly with the strategically important issues and not use them as opportunities to grandstand for political advantage. Blind party loyalty, mindless invective, crude personal attacks and posturing with political promises must end. Our leaders, instead, will uphold ethical principles that transform the society and build the good community. Economics will fit with the etymological meaning of the word. Eco meaning home and nomos meaning caring for. Thus, the caring and wholistic or family ethic will prevail even in the details of the budget. How incredibly powerful would our nation be if our leaders become powerbrokers – giving to us as much power as possible and empowering us to utilise our talents to the maximum. This need not be construed as a recipe for anarchy, nor a laissez-faire that ignores the plight of those less fortunate. We do need structures, policies and procedures to guide our activities and to affirm the potentialities of everyone. But we must accord to all people the freedom to grow our own strengths. How incredibly wonderful would our nation be if we all embraced ideals that transform our society into a valuesbased community. SPRING 2005

We need to hold the conflict between what is and what might be in creative tension. We need to continually check and challenge and enhance our hierarchies of values. We need to inject the vitality of hope into our national experience so that we can fully celebrate the banquet of life in our incredible beautiful and pleasant land. We will never succeed. But it is the journey that makes the difference. We need our artists, our poets, dreamers and visionaries to extricate us from the ordinary with dynamic new symbols. We need the managers and engineers and accountants to keep us mindful of the resource limitations and the organisational demands of both the ordinary and the extraordinary. We need the caregivers, builders, sowers and reapers. And we need our leaders and followers. We all need to trust and be entrusted. We need to respect all, acknowledging the aroha of the tangata whenua and the altruism of the humanism in all faiths with gratitude. We need to share this as we welcome all new immigrants into our home. This is a liberating philosophy requiring leaders to be engaged but not in total control, because that closes off the dynamic contributions of others. Leaders are free to be human and fail us as long as they have done their best. This is an altruistic philosophy because it empowers everyone to maximise their creativity within a values-based frame of purposeful meaning. It is an action philosophy because the leaders learn as they go, integrating and refining their wisdom with their actions. John Hinchcliff is an Auckland City Councillor and an Advisory Trustee of Leadership New Zealand. He spoke to the group in September 2005.

The Complexities of Leadership By Bob Harvey

oung men and women in the pursuit of leadership today are faced with so many distractions that it fights against the very process that leadership brings to any agenda. There is in many young New Zealanders always a lifelong ambition to succeed and do well. These ambitions can be small dreams that give real and personal satisfaction on the sports field, in business or in the raising of a family. But there are also those who seek to lead for its purest sense of ambition. Fulfilling a wish which is often deeply centred and unknown for many years by name or sense of purpose. In other words, it simply happens. Just as writers pick up a pen and write a masterpiece or a silkworm produces silk – it’s an activism of our nature. Leadership often grows with a sense of our mortality. It doesn’t arrive in one single revelation or grand moment. It emerges slowly through self improvement, the enjoyment of success or to the individual who feels most deeply engaged and happiest when his or her thoughts are accepted, received and acted on. Leadership can be unleashed through mentors and the thought processes of others such as teachers, coaches, writers or close personal friends. When leadership comes upon the individual it is a galvanising revelation that people understand you as an individual. It has nothing to do with birth or social status or coming from the best family. It supersedes all of that and instead signals that you have arrived in your place in your time. So what are the blocks to leadership in New Zealand? For a start, the social structure is not always simpatico to leadership and often means that true leadership remains hidden. It is as if an underground campaign is needed before it surfaces. But remember cicadas. They spend years underground and only days above. Leadership should not be paraded too early. It’s best glimpsed only by ourselves and never trivialised. It should not be sullied by political ambition, good looks or physical strength for it really has nothing to do with any of these. It is often mistakenly attributed in women’s magazines to height and movie star glamour. I have been reading Charles Taylor of McGill University and Alan Gewirth of the University of Chicago who argue that a serious moral force is contained in the idea of self-fulfilment and “deeply seated in our unconscious world”. It is a notion that starts with the thought that we have a lifelong mission to realise our capabilities. “It is,” they argue, “a bringing of oneself to flourishing competition, an unfolding of what is strongest or best in oneself so that it represents the successful accumulation of one’s aspiration or potential.” Gewirth wrote in his essay on self-fulfilment published in 1998 that; “the way we realise our potential 18

is through our activities, by ceaselessly striving to improve at the things we enjoy, only when we do this are we able to come closer to defining, enlarging and to obtaining our best self. These activities are the real bricks of our identities and if we didn’t fulfil these basic truths whether it be writing, poetry, cooking or even playing a sport, then we would not be fulfilling who we are and what we could be, we would cease to be who we are and become simply a copy of other people.” This is the case with many young New Zealanders. They become clones of Cruise, Pitt, Paltrow and Nicki Watson and their image style, clothes and behaviour is caught off the page or television screen. Young men dress and shave like All Blacks and women emulate the massive billboards of Auck-

Leadership emerges slowly through self improvement, the enjoyment of success or to the individual who feels most deeply engaged and happiest when his or her thoughts are accepted, received and acted on. land’s Queen and Hobson Streets. It’s dangerous stuff really and I think it is followed by marriage and relationships that haven’t a hope of growing or building. Maybe I’ve seen too many American movies where the plot reveals that the main characters are clones, like the recently released movie, The Island. I hated it but it contained a chilling reality, effectively characterising people I spend time with. Distractions of glamour, wealth and adulation are easy, heady and compelling because they are so seductive and yet so dangerous. They work against the soul and the process of growth and they play on our inadequacies and tendency for early middle age. New Zealand has, for decades, sold its young emerging leaders short, demanding that they risk social stigma if they find a sense of self-fulfilment in arousing the passions of others by their own belief in the purpose of a nation or life. Gone is the so-called leadership forged in war, hardship and economic deprivation. But if we don’t have these old formulaic ideas about how we grow, where do we find the building blocks that we need? Society still demands from us a character building process and yet there are none on offer that are, in my mind, worth considering. What are we expected to excel in when television tells us that there are better, smarter, more beautiful, more competent people found every week? It is daunting stuff to be 17 or 30 with an average résumé and retirement plans already decided. Thus our society is bland and often meaningless in lifetimes or misdirected in the pursuit of war or aggressive behaviour. LEADERS

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Bob Harvey: Time spent reading history is well spent.

Today’s young leaders must seek new agendas and new causes that supersede the norm. We now live amid peace and prosperity and the soft and easy life is geared to satisfy the unaccomplished and the lazy. To succeed in school and in a job you cannot be expected to emerge competent in your manner of leadership without bringing to your peers new ideas and new articulated codes of direction. In a world where daily decisions by young people centre on cell phones, texting and the complexities of food and fashion, these things must be seen for what they are – simply stupid distractions. Young leaders, you must be on the alert for that one crucial life determining moment which can belong to you. When you find it, and you will, grow that moment into a vision that belongs to you. Own it like a brand and watch the critics disappear, for then you will understand that this is your grand moment of epiphany. Don’t shrug it off; build it into every vein and sinew. Do I have a recommendation or an antidote for the 21st century malaise and indolent behaviour which seems to ocSPRING 2005

cupy every nook and cranny? My answer lies in reading history, in seeking the wisdom of past leaders; start with Marcus Arillius and Lenin and Marx. Don’t be put off by early communism – they meant well. And read Margarita Yourcenar and Maurice Gee. They will tell you a lot about the human condition. When I came to the leadership forum I was going to talk about my list of great writers, poets and philosophers – all with something to say and all dead by a hundred years or so. These are the greatest ammunition you can have for the years ahead, to understand the music of leadership you have to find a good orchestra and the words to sing. Believe me it works. Bob Harvey is Mayor of Waitakere City, an Advisory Trustee of Leadership New Zealand and addressed the 2005 Programme Participants in March this year. Check out his website www.waitakere.govt.nz for what he is reading.

Rangatiratanga and Leadership By Pat Snedden

would like to give you a Pakeha view on rangatiratanga and leadership. Rangatiratanga is a subject that often makes many New Zealanders uncomfortable, even irritable. It need not be so. If more of us had a reasonably simple Treaty-based understanding of the protection of rangatiratanga it would free us up to imagine how we might achieve better social and economic outcomes for all New Zealanders, not just Maori. And whether your personal or professional interests are in the commercial or social arena, this is a subject that will be in your future. Firstly let me explain the relevance of te tino rangatiratanga in the context of our founding document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi/ The Treaty of Waitangi. The Treaty has a preamble and three articles. Articles 1 (one law for all) and 3 (common rights of citizenship) are now intuitively understood by all New Zealanders. It is Article 2 that so vexes both Pakeha and Maori. It was the classic Treaty trade-off article. Maori hapu and iwi rangatira (chiefs) who signed the Treaty did so acknowledging a new legal framework (Article 1) and endorsing the citizenship rights of new migrants (Article 3). But they did so only because they were guaranteed protection of their te tino rangatiratanga (chiefly authority to exercise their trusteeship over their taonga, sacred treasures, meaning resources both material and non-material). The key word is protection. Herein lies a central dilemma for Pakeha, indeed all tauiwi. If those opposed to the Treaty deny the obligation to protect rangatiratanga, how did we manage to get here? For it was precisely by exercise of this collective rangatiratanga (on behalf of their tribal groups) that the chiefs consented to being a party to the Treaty with the British sovereign. Without explicit recognition of this rangatiratanga in return for a single legal structure (Parliament) and citizenship in common a Treaty could not have been agreed in the way that occurred. As tauiwi we have an obligation to protect rangatiratanga (Article 2), because it explicitly provided us with the corresponding right of citizenship (Article 3) of this country. Clearly a subsequent denial of this legitimacy is not what any of us want. Let me put some flesh and bone on this concept of rangatiratanga by telling you about the founding of Auckland. At its centrepiece is Ngati Whatua o Orakei, the hapu of Ngati Whatua iwi who are recognised as holding manawhenua (tribal authority within this region) in the Auckland isthmus. The re-emergence of this group after nearly 110 years of seeming absence from public affairs is one of the startling re-discoveries of Auckland in this last 30 years. It has been my fortune to be closely involved with this hapu for 20 of those 30 years. By now you will have discovered that my description discusses not the Pakeha history of this place but its tribal history. 20

• In 1840, just months after the signing of the Treaty, Apihai Te Kawau, paramount chief of Ngati Whatua invited Governor Hobson to come to Tamaki Makaurau to set up his seat of government. He offered Hobson an inducement. “Come, and I will give you 3500 acres to develop your settlement. Make this the capital and I will give you more.” The area transferred in modern day terms was Parnell, the CBD, Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, Herne Bay and some of Newmarket and Mount Eden. • In 1841 a gathering of 1000 Ngati Whatua greeted Hobson on the shores of Okahu Bay. Te Kawau addressed him. “Governor, Governor, welcome as a father to me: there is land for you … go and pick the best part of the land and place your people, at least our people upon it.” The block chosen is latter day Westmere, Pt Chevalier, Western Springs, Waterview, Avondale, Mount Albert, Titirangi, Sandringham, Mt Roskill, Three Kings, Balmoral, Kingsland, Mount Eden and Epsom. This represented the transfer of a further 13,000 acres. Why would Apihai have made such a significant gesture? The answer was an alliance. The transfer of land was in Maori terms a “tuku rangatira”, a chiefly gift with strings attached. There could be no gift without reciprocity and this ‘utu’ was the advantages to be gained from commerce, education and health and the protection of all under the law. • All this contains a certain poignant relevance for in 1868 at the Native Land Court Apihai Te Kawau was asked “Who were the people who sold Auckland to the Europeans?” The answer was “I did not sell it, I gave it to them.” On the further question of “Did not the government give you and your people money for it afterwards?” Apihai answered: “No, I have been constantly looking for payment but have not got it.” Why was Apihai in the Native Land Court? Because within five years of the invitation to Hobson to come to Auckland, Ngati Whatua had seen over 100,000 acres of its land disappear with little to show for it. By 1868 they were reduced to the 700-acre Orakei Block deemed by the court at that time to be forever inalienable, not to be sold. This was later reversed just before the first world war. While Ngati Whatua leaders were with New Zealand troops overseas the government passed a law allowing for the individualisation of title. The land was sold off and what remained then was a marae, a pa and an urupa based at Okahu Bay. • In 1951 the marae and pa were deemed an eyesore on Tamaki Drive and unsafe for habitation. The Auckland City Council evicted all residents to new State housing on the Kitemoana Street hill and razed the marae and attendant buildings to the ground. The quarter acre urupa was all that remained. LEADERS

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Thus to summarise: the once proud people of the Tamaki isthmus, at 1840 holding sway over the whole of Auckland – the people who invited and induced Hobson to Auckland to form the seat of government – were reduced in precisely 112 years to a landless few living off the state. They were without a marae on which to fulfil their customary obligations and were left with a quarter acre cemetery being the last piece of land they could tribally claim as their own. It is not surprising therefore that in 1978 when a group of Ngati Whatua led by Joe Hawke said ‘no!’ to the Muldoon government’s plan to subdivide what they genuinely believed was their legitimate estate, people everywhere began asking, “Just who are these people?” In his second claim before the Waitangi Tribunal (Wai 9) Joe Hawke and others outlined the case relating to the disposal of the Orakei Block, the land ordered by the court in 1868 to be forever inalienable. The outcome was unequivocally in their favour and Bastion Point in 1991 was finally transferred back into Ngati Whatua’s hand by Act of Parliament. The first thing Ngati Whatua did when it took back the land was to gift a huge chunk of Bastion Point back to Aucklanders. That’s right, they gave it back to all of us for our unimpeded use. The most expensive land with the best views in all of Auckland. The land where Michael Joseph Savage rests. Ngati Whatua agreed to manage this jointly with the Auckland City Council for the benefit of all the people of Tamaki Makaurau and beyond. What therefore is it that enables a people who sought for 150 years to get some form of justice that recognised their cultural destitution, to react in their moment of triumph with such generosity to those who had dispossessed them? To put it simply; the recovery of their rangatiratanga, their mana. The same rangatiratanga that is protected by Article 2 of the Treaty. In Orakei’s case the 1991 Act of Parliament has authenticated their position. And Ngati Whatua’s immediate response had been to reciprocate with their own culturally determined expression of utu (reciprocity) towards those who have acknowledged their interests. Last year after nearly a quarter of a century of work with Ngati Whatua, I hit my own leadership watershed. For me it was the events of January 2004 that forced me to take stock of the nature of my own belonging in this country. Dr Don Brash’s speech at Orewa that month fundamentally distanced him and his party from the idea of any ongoing place for the Treaty of Waitangi, once claims were settled. His critique of Maori preference touched a nerve in New Zealand, particularly with Pakeha. It was as if the time was right for a glovesoff conversation about our origins, our future and ourselves. As the talk began, especially in those early months of 2004, there was an outpouring of angst about the state of race relations in this country. For Maori, many of whom felt themselves to be the butt of this angst, this time was one of deep discomfort. When the foreshore and seabed was added to this national self-examination, there could be only one option for me. With Maori cousins on both sides of my family and thirty years of involvement with Maori communities in most parts of New Zealand, I decided I had to be in on this national discussion. I was not SPRING 2005

prepared to remain privately agitated while publicly mute. A speech I offered to my local Catholic parish community of St Benedict’s in inner-city Auckland became a public event. It provoked a series of invitations from throughout the country to speak to clubs, schools, universities and polytechnics, professional associations, church groups, hui and any number of other groups. Interviews with Carol Archie on Mana Korero on Radio New Zealand’s National Maori programme, on Linda Clark’s Nine to Noon, and on the State of the Nation TV debate increased the interest. At most of these talks I tried to frame the context thus: “One of the characteristics of this debate is that it is less a matter between bigots and liberals, than one between those who are actively trying to understand our history and those who don’t think it makes a jot of difference. “It is also about trust, challenging the trust we have as citizens in our governing processes, as much as it is about trust between tangata whenua (people of the land) and tauiwi (descendants of all non-Maori). “Critical to this is the matter of content and approach. I would encourage participants to abandon any form of slogan or attempts to malign people for their lack of knowledge. Rather we should encourage each other into a personal discovery of our own nation’s history and make this discovery relevant to how we might act today.” I found this approach gave audiences the space to express their apprehensions and their ideas for change. In the course of a year I gave over sixty talks and spoke with some 6000 people, overwhelmingly but not exclusively Pakeha. It was this interchange that focused my thinking on the pivotal point of our national debate. The starting point for this reflection had to be our own need to get to grips with the benefits of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi for ourselves and for our country. Fundamentally, we had to start talking as Pakeha New Zealanders about our claim to ownership of the right to be here. Hence when invited to write up this dialogue I titled the book: Pakeha and the Treaty — Why It’s Our Treaty Too. As you reflect on leadership let me leave you with two thoughts. Consider the quality of surprise. In my case my reflexes were trained and my base values tested from years of cross cultural experience which I never anticipated would find its outlet in such a public way as has occurred in this last year. What do you expect your experience and training will shape you for? Secondly, weigh the value of working beyond your own self-interest. In Maori terms the leadership of the collective (iwi/hapu) demands both the exercise of rights and obligations. There is no mana without manaakitanga, there is no rangatiratanga without utu. You might like to consider if this applies to your current field of endeavour. In the next year you might consider getting to understand the value of the protection of rangatiratanga for all New Zealanders so that you become comfortable with its orientation and capable, should you choose of making it realisable for the future. Pat Snedden is the author of ‘Pakeha and the Treaty: why it’s our Treaty too’ and was the inaugural speaker of the 2005 Leadership Programme.

Nevil Gibson Unplugged National Business Review Editor-in-Chief Nevil Gibson has been a champion for business since joining the publication in 1989. He talks to Leaders about the media’s role in leadership and how theory meets reality in the cut and thrust of a weekly business paper… by Mat Bolland Does the media have a leadership role, or is it simply a medium to reflect what’s happening in society? People confuse two separate issues here. The media has a definite role in forming people’s opinions. It’s still the main avenue by which many people gain information, by which they judge it, assess it and act on it to, say, vote. In that sense modern society cannot function without the media, which is why it is quite pervasive and has grown in significance. But many of us in the media think that a leadership role also gives us the right to act as the cheerleaders for particular scenarios and agendas. However, in many cases the media oversteps the mark by taking what might be called a leader position on issues rather than allowing genuine different points of view to come forward. Newspapers say they can’t be too far ahead of their readers and that they take a lot of notice of public opinion. There are strong commercial imperatives to say that you should not get too far out of touch with public opinion. Just reflecting trends and changes in society is, however, too passive. People happily tell us if they think our paper stinks. Every journalist is fair game in virtually any situation. But at the same time people generally want to trust the media. Most newspapers take notice of letters to the editor and have mechanisms for feedback. They’re pretty alive to where they can overstep the mark. At the same time they have to take unpopular positions from time to time, particularly on issues like privacy, where the right to know might override an individual’s rights. When you decide to advocate an issue, what drives that process and what are the rules when it comes to picking an issue? In its most benign form, a (media) campaign can highlight a public grievance. In the case of the Waikato pylons story for example, newspapers needed to look beyond the emotional issues to the wider interests of delivering power from, say, Huntly to Auckland. The pylons must go somewhere and we wrote several opinion pieces pointing out the dangers of nimby-ism and political procrastination. I’m not saying we’re in favour of pylons being placed all around the country, any more than we’re in favour of wind farms. Everyone’s in favour of wind farms – except where they live. Then there was the Dominion Post’s campaign for more funding for Wellington Hospital. They didn’t take into account the wider public health spending priorities for the country. They decided it was a parochial issue and pushed it as hard as they could. I think it’s going overboard when you put the parochial interest ahead of the national interest. 22

Nevil Gibson: Careful of predatory cultures.

What about leadership within your company. What do you do to make sure your people are developed? The role of an editor is to lead a team but it’s more like being an orchestra conductor. You’ve got to make sure that everyone is pulling their weight. That doesn’t mean as editor that you get the glory. One of the few ways journalists get some glory is via their byline on a story, making a difference and being recognised through (editorial) awards. You want to make sure your team is working effectively. That involves mentoring, standing back, not taking credit and pushing your best people forward. There are certain cultures, and the media is not one, where the culture becomes a bit predatory, where it is everyone for themselves and individuals are out to improve their own careers. In the media, it’s about teamwork. It’s not about individuals even though it may appear to be. Good leadership minimises rivalry while getting the best out of each person. You can destroy morale by favouring certain people over others and allowing some poppies to grow at the expense of others. LEADERS

INTERVIEW

and you’ll find few journalists who understand the complexiThe NBR is well known for taking a lead on an issue. You ties of the scientific case for and against and the implications of received a fair bit of flak for your investigations into the it. Most of them react pretty quickly to a particular line and go private life of Auckland mayoral candidate Dick Hubbard. straight to the Greens to reflect that point of view. Tell us about that and any other issue which you are proud TV3 is a classic case of a whole news channel whose covto have pursued. erage of anything to do with Greenpeace-type causes, be it The Hubbard case led to a lot of introspection on our part. whaling or environmentalism generally, is seldom balanced. There was strong public reaction to that from our readers and supporters, and not just from those who might bag us The NBR describes itself as ‘pro business’ in terms of its for a political point of view on who might be the best man political perspective. How do you respond to suggestions for the job. that it’s the mouthpiece of the ACT Party? We had to ask ourselves if we had overstepped the mark, This is a common complaint and no doubt widely believed by although no one disagreed that we had the right to investigate many people. It is very hard for us to disabuse people of it. Mr Hubbard’s business and his ability to be mayor. After all, We see ourselves as a paper that’s driven by policies that are he had no (political) track record. not related to political parties. The distinction may not be obThe most controversial aspect was our report of him atvious to people who assume that, because we advocate certain tending a church service. That touched a raw nerve and some policies or favour some sort of policy analysis which coincides people felt it was unfair. We realised there were some areas with what National or ACT want, – and religious observance might be one of them – where we probPolitical parties often adopt we are their mouthpiece. Usually it’s the other way round. ably wouldn’t go in future. policy positions as a result of us Political parties often adopt policy I notice, however, that the meinvestigating a particular issue. We positions as a result of us investidia takes a different view on the gating a particular issue. We see Destiny Church. You can criticise see that as a legitimate role. that as a legitimate role. that church and not the Anglican We are driven by policy analysis and policy advocacy. Church. Where’s the double standard here? We’re certainly against the trend, common in recent years, That said, we stand by our story. We were not seen to be of greater regulation. There might be a political party that fair so I must accept that judgement. also favours deregulation and we may present arguments More recently we’ve looked at the affairs of wealthy people from their people, but we are robust enough that we don’t and whether they are being investigated by Inland Revenue have to use a political party to put our case. We’ve got our which has targeted individuals on what we describe as fishown expert points of view. ing investigations, sending questionnaires and asking them to justify their affairs. A number of people have been burnt in previous dealings We can’t say IRD has been acting illegally, but we highwith the media. What’s your advice to people or groups that lighted the fact that this was going on and (the story) got have a story to tell, but fear they’ll get a raw deal? huge public response. We had a number of discussions with If you’ve been approached and interviewed by a reporter they the IRD and I think they’ve toned down their approach. will know less about the topic than you. Once it’s in print of course it’s very hard to undo any damage from inaccurate We have heard that many journalists bring ideological reporting. views to their jobs, meaning we have a body of writers symTake the longer view. If you are in a position where you pathetic to liberal views. Is our media representative of the are regularly in the media it pays to form some long term people it serves? relationships and take an ‘overs and unders’ approach. The That’s definitely the case, and it’s not just based on anecdotal upside is that if you have a good relationship with the media evidence either. There’s plenty of evidence here and overseas the benefits to you are enormous. You have to weigh that of journalists being too prone to following a particular cause against the one or two times when you might be on the wrong or taking a particular line. side of the argument. There is a strong secular, not to say anti-religious view, in I don’t know of any public figure who has become successthe media that anybody associated with religion is somehow ful by getting and staying offside with the media. There’s no a little stupid. Having said that, some religions don’t help win in that for anybody. Reporters must justify their story, themselves by their actions. so if you take a complaint and it’s reasonable the error should The Greens’ and environmentalists’ view dominates and so not be repeated. you press the button ‘global climate change’ or ‘global warming’ SPRING 2005

Public Sector Leadership

Building a community connection. By Jo Brosnahan

ood leadership at all levels of both central and local government influences the success of our communities. And in the public sector, the term leadership is consistently confused with power. They are not the same thing. Politicians frequently perceive that leadership by the executive diminishes their personal power. They see themselves as the leaders and executives as “public” or “civil servants”. While this is an acceptable concept if there is some understanding of servant leadership, it is usually based on a concept of hierarchy. Politicians want to retain hierarchical systems and processes that leave the final decision-making in their hands. The term “bureaucracy” reinforces this concept. The challenge, therefore, is to populate the public sector with good leaders who ensure that executive leadership complements and supports the political leadership. We also need public sector agencies to deliver required outcomes effectively and innovatively and take responsibility for their actions. Such “leadership organisations” do not rely solely on those at the top for decision making. Leadership is dispersed throughout and staff are empowered and given the capacity and the environment in which to innovate. These organisations are focused on serving their communities and their customers and they make decisions at the interface with these groups. Hierarchy and bureaucracy inhibit leadership; the challenge is to replace these with another form of interaction. This public service leadership model requires: • enlightened politicians, who understand their governance role of determining strategic direction and maintaining communication with their constituency; • executive leaders who understand the key role of implementing the strategy through leadership of the organisation; • a trusting relationship between politicians and executive leaders. I repeat, leadership and power are not the same thing. While there is usually inherent power in leadership roles, the good leader depends on leadership characteristics other than power. Introducing Leadership to the Public Sector – the Story of the Auckland Regional Council Creating a leadership environment needs more than just good leaders. And leadership rarely flourishes in a traditional public sector organisation. My eight years as chief executive of the Auckland Regional Council allowed me to both create an environment for leadership, and to evaluate the success of that environment. The legislation governing local government in New Zealand is very specific. The elected councillors are accountable to their communities and the CEO, appointed by the Council, is accountable to the elected councillors. The CEO is the sole employer of staff and therefore has a clear leadership role. When I was appointed the Council was operating essentially as three organisations. Local government reform by Central Government had basically asset stripped the Council and the 24

staff were demoralised. The Council of the day was concerned to recreate a strong organisation, with clear strategic purpose and direction and an ability to deliver outcomes. This required leadership throughout, capable of delivering upon the many and varied outcomes of the Council. As CEO, I had the support of the elected members: without that support, change would have been virtually impossible. I undertook to keep councillors fully informed as changes were implemented and we implemented a “no surprises” policy throughout the organisation. Creating the Environment for Change We first had to create an environment in which change could occur without fear. I met all staff, either individually or in groups, to talk about the planned changes and to build trust. They were told that ongoing change was inevitable, but if they were prepared to embrace change I would keep them fully informed and, where possible, would protect their jobs provided they were also prepared to change them. Within the six months, we created an environment that could handle the large scale change necessary. The challenge then was to maintain the new trust through open and honest communications. Selecting the Right Team Over the next few years, I built a team able to drive the change. The traditional threeperson management structure had to be flattened and functional silos dismantled. A key appointment was the Director of Organisational Development, an individual who would assist me to develop a leadership culture throughout the organisation. The role was filled after candidates wrote me an essay on leadership. I also wanted an extremely able technology leader and, because leadership is about sharing information, I needed a leader of strategy and communications and a leader of business and customer service. Creating the Strategic Direction Successful organisations need a clearly articulated strategic direction that all staff are familiar with and committed to. The strategy must be fully aligned to the political direction. The ARC had some strategies and plans which it had been required to prepare under its governing legislation. But the organisation as a whole was not aligned to these. So, we prepared a strategic direction, developing a clear mission and vision, which all staff embraced and understood. To be clear about outcomes, we needed to understand what success looked like. Success had to be measurable and benchmarked. And because we could not always deliver success on our own we needed to engage with the community as a whole. That, in turn, required community leadership. Focus Upon Outcomes Leadership organisations need to focus on outcomes, not activity. If individuals are clear about the ultimate goal, they can have more freedom to choose the means for getting there. This encourages innovation. Individuals need to be clear about their role in achieving outcomes and the outcomes were clearly articulated in performance contracts. Developing a Clear Set of Values A leadership organisation is underpinned by clearly defined values. The ARC had traditional values common to most public sector organisations; to be professional, community focused and so on. We LEADERS

Feature

wanted to define the values that made us truly different. It was an important exercise in underpinning the change. The value set ARC staff developed was not what you might expect from a public sector organisation. They wanted to be simple and smart, passionate and inspiring, courageous and brave, leaders and carers and fabulous and fun. These values were used extensively by staff and management to describe the common behaviours and characteristics of the organisation. Creating Leaders We needed a network of leaders throughout the organisation. Employees were led by people leaders and not individuals who were leaders in their technical field. We appointed appropriate leaders and provided ongoing leadership training and development for those in leadership roles. Leaders were regularly evaluated by their staff using the Kouzes and Posner Leadership Performance Inventory; the LPI. Individual development plans were prepared for each leader, incorporating a range of leadership development opportunities which included monthly in-house leadership sessions with all leaders, university-based programmes, mentors, and exchange programmes with other organisations both within and outside New Zealand. We also provided evaluation and training in emotional intelligence. There were ongoing leadership discussions and presentations, so everyone knew what to expect from their leaders. Focus on People, Not Jobs A leadership organisation is made up of people, not jobs. Individuals’ skills, energy and innovation are key success factors. We structured the organisation to maximise every individual’s skills and capabilities. We did away with the hierarchy to empower people to make their own decisions and achieve outcomes. We also created a remuneration system that paid people not for the job, but for the skills and expertise they brought to the position. The remuneration system we developed won a national HR award. The strength of an organisation is in its people. It is critical, therefore, to create an environment that both keeps and attracts good people and cares for them. Measuring staff satisfaction and turnover became a key performance indicator and there was a direct relationship between the two. There was also a direct relationship between the LPI score of a leader in any area and staff satisfaction. Staff turnover dropped significantly in my time at ARC, and we always had plenty of applications for positions. Sharing of Information Leadership thrives through shared information. Information is too often neglected or misspent. It is used to retain power or not available to decision makers because of inadequate systems. Modern IT systems and a good intranet enabled easy communication and information sharing at ARC. Relationships Good relationships facilitate leadership and sustainable change. Relationships, internal or external, are based upon trust. Organisations that have the trust of their customers and community can weather difficulties, providing they don’t break that trust. This in turn requires good communications and honest and ethical behaviour. Every ARC leader was expected to have a relationship strategy. Excellence in Process A public sector organisation, like any other organisation, requires excellence in process. The Malcolm Baldrige criteria for Business Excellence provides a good checklist for ensuring that the other elements of a good organisation are present. The criteria of leadership, strategy and planning, customers and community, information and analysis, human relations and process management underpin the most SPRING 2005

important aspect of all; measurable, benchmarked results. After an initial few years of change and development, we began having the ARC evaluated according to the Business Excellence criteria. We also started entering various awards, allowing our people to measure their progress and their successes against others in their field. The successes were stunning, with the Council winning major awards in virtually every field; including IT, a number of national public sector innovation awards and topping the nation in the NZ Business Excellence Awards themselves. The Awards provided an opportunity for people to celebrate success, a vital aspect of a leadership organisation. Results But awards are not what it is about. Organisations set out to achieve the outcomes for which they are responsible. The Council was successful. It began a major redevelopment of the city’s public transport system, undertook major acquisition and development of the region’s parks, provided environmental leadership and developed a major partnership with Central Government. Success is Not Always Enough Creating a leadership organisation takes time. A few short years is not enough to change a culture to the degree described. And even after a few years it can be very rapidly unravelled. Success is not always enough, and a leadership environment can only be maintained if there is political support for the model. Politicians sometimes see such an organisation as a challenge to their power and ability to make decisions. When they do, leadership organisations quickly return to a traditional bureaucracy. The recruits soon leave and the bureaucracy of the ages returns. Leadership and Community: the Challenges for the Public Sector Lasting reform in public sector organisations depends on our ability to value good leadership at political and executive levels and in the community. Voters need to know what to look for in their leaders. Able leaders must be willing to serve in public sector leadership roles. Alternatively, we face a crisis in public sector leadership. Leadership in turn requires an understanding of community. In his book On Leadership John W Gardner states: “If leadership cannot find in their constituencies any base of shared values, principled leadership becomes nearly impossible. Leaders are community builders because they have to be.” Communities provide the basis of participation and of meaning for the individual. The public sector is an intrinsic part of the community – it is there to serve the community. To do it successfully requires an empathy and understanding of those whom it serves and of the underlying values. The private and not-for-profit sectors face the same challenge – neither can exist without the other. Our challenge is to create a community of leaders who can interact and develop a common vision and direction. The future success of the public sector is dependent upon attracting good leaders to every aspect of activity, creating an environment in public sector organisations in which leaders can grow and flourish, and participating in community leadership programmes such as Leadership New Zealand to grow mutual respect and understanding between leaders of the community at large. True conversation and good relationships underpin a flourishing community. New Zealand will be an even better place to live if there is growing respect between our community sectors. 25

LNZ TEAM

A Thirst for Learning and a fistful of challenges Why Lesley Slade and Dallas Fisher found LNZ

Lesley Slade An integral part of leadership is a thirst for learning and the ability to challenge yourself, says Leadership New Zealand’s chief executive Lesley Slade. Perhaps that is why just two days after finishing her role as Director of Organisational Development with the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) she took on her new and very different role. “I can’t think of anything more exciting or personally challenging than setting up and developing this new leadership venture,” said Lesley. “It is a once in a lifetime opportunity.” In her previous role, Lesley’s key focus was building people, leadership and organisational capability and during her time with the ARC, the Council won awards for their people and leadership development programmes. All of which has equipped her well for growing an organisation focused on identifying, nurturing and enhancing the ability of New Zealand’s future leaders. Seven months into the first leadership programme, Lesley is as convinced as she was on day one, that this learning environment, where a diverse group of future leaders learn from the experiences, opinions, qualities, challenges and values of established leaders, will build the courage and reflection necessary for sustainable leadership. “If we are committed to building strong, diverse, dynamic communities we must learn to understand the issues that shape our thoughts and actions. I started my adult life by training to be a teacher, I have worked as a community worker initiating and setting up community programmes and I have held senior OD [organisational development] roles in large organisations. The older I become, the less sure I am about many things – but I remain confidently sure about one thing. People and relationships are the answer to almost every question.” 26

Dallas Fisher “The breadth of this role is incredible,” said Leadership New Zealand Programme Co-ordinator, Dallas Fisher. True, few job descriptions extend to planning the logistics of the 2005 Programme, while juggling the recruitment process of the 2006 intake and future programmes and the other arms of Leadership New Zealand, SkillsBank and the Leadership Forum. “The attraction of this role is that it is open to my interpretation and my development. The level of autonomy and independence that accompanies it allows me to turn my hand to any number of new challenges,” said Dallas. An academic grounding in post-graduate level Organisational Change and Innovation has left Dallas well equipped to handle the demands of the role. Similarly, her role as Human Resource Advisor at the Auckland Regional Council stands her in good stead to manage the 2006 recruitment process for the Leadership New Zealand Programme. “During my time at the ARC I project managed our Emerging Leaders Programme, and the Leaders’ Forum was part of my portfolio, so this role has allowed me to continue with my passion for Organisational Learning and Development. It brings with it the opportunity to listen to and interact with a wide range of high profile and interesting speakers on a national level – so it was one that had immediate appeal.” However, the decision to leave the security of a role within a large organisation and move to a not-for-profit with an employee base of just two, was not taken lightly. But seven months on, Dallas has no regrets. “We encourage the participants to see this year as the start of their lifelong leadership journey. I am in the privileged position of being able to accompany them.” LEADERS

Unlocking SkillsBank By Kate Cantwell & Lesley Slade

ike most good ideas, SkillsBank is as simple as the name suggests. Borne out of a brainstorming session with the 1995 Leadership Victoria Alumni group, and in particular one creative graduate, Greg Collette, SkillsBank was conceived as a skills register for Leadership Victoria graduates to provide pro bono professional services to the not-for-profit sector. Ten years into its life, SkillsBank Victoria has provided professional advice and services to the value of around $5 million (AUD) to the notfor-profit community. Leadership Victoria graduates are contributing to positive change in their communities, while at the same time they are further developing their own leadership capability and applying their leadership learning in a way that benefits others. Getting SkillsBank up and running is the next challenge for the team at Leadership New Zealand. At the end of this year, the first 23 participants will graduate from the leadership programme, and we have always said that this year is just the beginning of the relationship that graduates will have with Leadership New Zealand, with each other and with the community. In addition to being part of the Alumni, SkillsBank provides a further opportunity for graduates to link with community groups throughout New Zealand that need their expertise, advice and services. This is the servant leadership model in action. What can SkillsBank achieve? In Melbourne each year at least 60% of the previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graduates have committed to a project by June, with the majority completing at least one project by the end of the year. These might be Board placements, specific projects, Leadership in Schools workshops or mentoring relationships. The options are as varied as the diverse nature of the community. With over 500 Alumni, and 120 not-for-profit organisations assisted each year in Victoria, the benefits are tangible and profound. It is difficult to establish the number of people working in the not-for-profit sector in New Zealand. Many are volunteers, and therefore statistics are not readily available. We do know, however, that community and not-for-profit groups make a significant contribution to the New Zealand economy and to the quality of life for many. In its 2003 survey of not-for-profit organisations, Grant Thornton New Zealand identified three significant issues threatening the success of those groups. Difficulties relating to funding was the biggest threat, followed by governance and the role of Trustees. The third threat was compliance with regulation, including financial reporting. Leadership New Zealand graduates will bring a wealth of experience and ability to those and other areas. Their diverse sector, ethnic and geographic backgrounds will ensure that they are well matched to the community group that seeks their assistance. SPRING 2005

How will it work? Leadership Victoria has generously provided us with a guiding framework, and the 2005 programme participants will take part in a workshop this month, to begin to put some more shape around SkillsBank New Zealand. Not-for-profit groups will be invited to apply for volunteer assistance with a specific project, to solve a problem or to seek assistance to provide Board members. Leadership New Zealand will facilitate the relationships between graduates and the community, monitoring outcomes to ensure that real value is added and experienced by all involved. In June of this year, business journalist Rod Oram talked to the 2005 Programme participants of the need to invest in people so that we all increase the value of our contribution to the economic, social and environmental success of our country. SkillsBank will begin that investment in a small way, but like all successful ventures we will start with a sense of passion for whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible and a deep commitment to making a positive difference over time. 27

Leadership p New Programme of Event One

17 - 20 March 2005

March Retreat Location: Focus: Topics: Speakers:

2 Â˝ days Auckland Exploring Leadership Leadership, values, ethics and life balance Pat Snedden, Bob Harvey and Tim Miles

Event Two

7 - 8 April 2005

April Retreat Location: Focus: Topics: Speakers:

2 days Auckland Civil Society Citizenship, education, children, poverty Michael Jones, Campbell Roberts, Charmaine Pountney, Lana Hart, Vanya Kovach and Ian Hassall

Event Three 5 - 6 May 2005 May Retreat Location: Focus: Topics: Speakers:

2 days Wellington Our Vision, Our Government Issues of government and constitution, vision, change, 21st century Jim Bolger, Margaret Wilson, Nick Venter, Brian Easton, Maarten Wevers and Mai Chen

Event Four 8 - 9 June 2005 June Retreat Location: Focus: Topics: Speakers:

2 days Auckland New Zealand on the World Stage Our history, our place in the world Neil Walter, Tony Nowell, Rod Oram, Ron Brownson and Campbell Smith

Event Five

7 July 2005

July Retreat Location: Focus: Topics: Speakers:

1 day Auckland The Media The role of the media in shaping society, and in turn our views Nevil Gibson, Willie Jackson, Janet Wilson, Shayne Currie and Reg Birchfield

LEADERS

Zealand Activities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2005

Events

Event Six

12 - 14 August 2005

August Retreat Location: Focus: Topics: Speakers:

3 days A marae in the Auckland area Our People Demographics, immigration, changing populations, race relations Pauline Kingi, Sir Paul Reeves, Mervin Singham, Farida Sultana, Carol White and Jo Brosnahan

Event Seven 8 - 9 September 2005 September Retreat Location: Focus: Topics: Speakers:

2 days Auckland Our Future Economic, environmental, social, cultural sustainability Russell Stanners, Dr John Hinchcliff, Louise Marra, Chris Morrison, Neil Porteous and Dr Morgan Williams

Event Eight 13 - 14 October 2005 October Retreat Location: Focus: Topics:

2 days Wellington Our Future continued Innovation, science and technology, the Arts

Event Nine

11 - 13 November 2005

November Retreat Location: Focus: Topics:

3 days Auckland Rural and Urban New Zealand Connectivity, the network

Event Ten

7 December 2005

December Location: Focus:

1 day Auckland Graduation

SPRING 2005

Politics and Vision Continuity and Vision on Western Political Thought By Sheldon S Wolin

ondon’s recent bombings have made us think again about the state of politics and the nature – perhaps even the possibility – of civil society. One of the consequences of terrorism is, however, that the fear induced reduces our ability to think clearly and deeply about our/the situation. In this respect I found Sheldon Wolin’s book very helpful. It is clear and deep; the result of stillness that comes at the end of a great academic career. While we have been reminded that ‘leaders are readers’ this book is leading writing after much reading and careful thinking. Politics and Vision is a revised and expanded edition of a survey of political thought that Wolin wrote in 1960. In the ensuing years political theory has been full of ferment, principally because of the towering work by John Rawls, A Theory of Justice – one of the great works of the second part of last century. Wolin’s revision needed to take a host of relevant developments into account. The book is now over 750 pages long. It takes, therefore, large slices of time to read and digest. The last section of the book is surely the most compelling. The last three chapters deal with the shift from liberal democracy and a welfare society to the establishment of a single superpower. Wolin’s incisive analysis of postmodern power and democracy is masterful. This is not impoverished and confusing writing once so eloquently described by Denis Healy as picking your own nose and examining it. Even if you don’t agree with Wolin’s analysis, his writing is profoundly stimulating. Wolin’s situation is, however, firmly northeast American. He draws on European tradition but his focus is undoubtedly the global. It would be a mistake not to attend to rational voices that lived beside ground zero because the view from there changes us all. Wolin sounds the following warning: “As a hybrid power and empire, superpower challenged the idea of state whose identity was rooted in and restricted to a distinct territory. Terrorism is subsidised by conventional states, yet it is everywhere in general and nowhere in particular. While the superpower caricatures democracy, terrorism is the grotesque caricature of the revolutionary protest.” So are we facing the end of liberal democracy as we understand it? Wolin writes: “While declaring war on terrorism, he [President 30

Bush] refused to do what democratic leaders typically do in wartime. Typically a president sets about mobilising the citizenry, warning of coming sacrifices, and exhorting everyone to pull together in a common effort. In the military build up that preceded the pre-emptive war against Iraq in 2003, not only did the Bush administration not seek to unify the nation and embolden its confidence, it did the opposite. It encouraged a general climate of fear and suspicion. There were sudden yellow or orange alerts, periodic announcements about the newly uncovered terrorist cells, the arrests of shadowy figures, a singling out of aliens from the middle East for interrogation and, in many cases, deportation, the highly publicised creation of Devil’s Island at Guantanamo Bay where captives from the war in Afghanistan were relentlessly interrogated – and all of this accompanied by a sudden fascination on the part of officials with the merits of torture. A government-controlled, colour-coded climate of fear existing side by side with the officially sanctioned consumer hedonism appears paradoxical, but the reality is that a nervous subject has displaced the citizen.”

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2004 Price: $131.99 Reviewer: Jim White

Pakeha and the Treaty Why it’s our Treaty too By Patrick Snedden

guess for many New Zealanders, learning about the challenges surrounding biculturalism and the Treaty of Waitangi has been a gradual process. From earliest consciousness, I have this vision that they absorb a little at a time, to the extent that once an adult, they simply ‘know this stuff’ and cannot remember from when and where. As a new immigrant from the UK, I can clearly remember my initial exposure to the Treaty and all things Maori, to the exact hour and day. The occasion was a half-hour presentation by Pat Snedden, who was the first guest speaker at the first Leadership New Zealand retreat. This was the first time I heard the words “tino rangatiratanga”. The first time I heard about Ngati Whatua and the confrontation at Bastion Point. It felt like I’d been hit by an express train.

LEADERS

Book Reviews

How come there weren’t riots in the street? How could Pakeha justify many of their actions in the past – the actions of my ancestors, however distant? How would I ever look a Maori in the face again? How much guilt was I supposed to shoulder? Reading Pat Snedden’s recent book has now helped me to put much of this in perspective. More importantly it has helped me to be more comfortable as a recent Pakeha import. And I think this is the main theme of his book – being comfortable in one’s Pakeha skin. Covering such topics as the Seabed and Foreshore, the Claims process, and our different world views, Pakeha and the Treaty provides a well-thought perspective on these tricky areas. Clearly, Pat Snedden has had wide exposure to both sides of the argument and puts forward his case clearly and concisely. A continuing theme is the feeling that while Pakeha have much to be ashamed about in their past dealings with Maori, equally, a sense of ‘fair play’ is providing a new way forward. The book has helped me to appreciate one thing: The more the Treaty is emphasised by Maori as being the fundamental reference document of their entitlements in Aotearoa/New Zealand, the more it confirms my right, and the right of all Pakeha, to be here too. Furthermore, it demonstrates how it makes sense for Pakeha to engage in discussion surrounding the Treaty, rather than simply sidestepping the issues by thinking of the Treaty as belonging solely to Maori. I think I can now fairly accurately divide Pakeha friends and acquaintances into two camps: those who feel the weight of history and who feel they need to bear at least some responsibility, however distant, for past events. The other camp seems to have a resigned, jaded view of all things Maori and frankly don’t give a damn. I now have some further ammunition to argue my case. It seems until Maori and Pakeha stop talking ‘at’ each other, and Pakeha are comfortable enough to dig below the surface, there will always be some tensions. I felt this book cleared some of the muddy waters, and left me with a feeling of optimism about the future for New Zealand.

Publisher: Random House New Zealand Price: $27.99 Reviewer: Nick Hadley

The Penguin History of New Zealand By Michael King

ne of the recommended readings for the inaugural session of the Leadership New Zealand Programme was Michael King’s highly successful The Penguin History of New Zealand. King’s history, an accessible “short” history of New Zealand from prehistory, seemed an unusual choice for a session designed

SPRING 2005

to focus on the general concept of leadership, but as a history major student I was also intrigued by the unparalleled popularity this book received from the New Zealand public. Auckland academic historian Professor Keith Sinclair’s earlier Short History of New Zealand, first published in 1959, was groundbreaking historical literature in the New Zealand context in that it was both the first history of New Zealand which was truly accessible to the general public and included pre-European settlement history. King’s history has been hailed as the successor to Sinclair’s work and similarly groundbreaking in that it is a bicultural narrative paying more attention to the Maori perspective than any previous general New Zealand history. This is ironic praise. For many years King was criticised for his documenting of Maori history because he was Pakeha. The book sold out its first print run in just ten days. By May this year the publishers had reportedly sold more than 186,000 copies. For decades New Zealanders appeared to treat history as something that happened overseas. When I was a history student at high school – not that many years ago – British history was given equal weighting with New Zealand’s. King’s history is genuinely accessible and written with the non-historian in mind. It touches a note with New Zealanders’ sense of their own history and heritage and provides perspectives on what has defined us as a nation. As far as a reading choice for the Leadership New Zealand programme goes – central to the year is the examination of issues of importance to New Zealand and New Zealanders. Any informed debate on these issues must have an historical perspective. King suggests that it is “impossible to understand the nature of the society and country in which one lives unless one knows something of the history”. Michael King has left an indelible mark on how we see ourselves as a country, not only through this, his final work, but also his previous 32 books, written with ordinary people, not academics, in mind. Rosslyn Noonan, Chief Human Rights Commissioner, summed it up: “Michael King was an outstanding New Zealander, who leaves behind a legacy of writing that has changed the way we see ourselves.”

Publisher: Penguin Price: $29.99 Reviewer: Tracy Moyes 31

Supporter’s Message

Jenni Raynish

on why Leadership New Zealand is Important her leadership abilities to the test every hour of the day. Her A-list clientele has also given her a very clear idea of the skills required to be a leader and is a large part of the reason why she is so actively involved in Leadership New Zealand. “I’m passionate about leadership. It’s a fundamental skill that New Zealanders need to recognise and develop more. “Leaders are made, not born. People don’t innately have all the skills they need to lead. “To do nothing about that is abdication. It’s the responsibility of each community to have in place a programme that is going to allow people to learn how to lead.” Consequently, she was one of Leadership New Zealand’s first key partners and is also an advisory trustee. “Leadership New Zealand is a terrific way of creating op-

Leadership New Zealand is a terrific way of creating opportunities for people from all kinds of sectors to learn and grow as they become more able at leading.

Jenni Raynish: Leaders are made not born.

enni Raynish knows a great deal about leadership – both personally and professionally. After working in public relations in Wellington and Sydney, she founded leading communications specialists Raynish & Partners more than 15 years ago – when she was still in her 20s. Today, the company has more than 20 staff in three countries and works with a wide range of local and international corporates and public sector clients. Raynish & Partners operates in three distinct business streams – brand development, corporate communications and issues management. The diversity and size of the business, plus managing staff in Auckland, Los Angeles and London, means Raynish puts 32

portunities for people from all kinds of sectors to learn and grow as they become more able at leading. “Leaders come from a wide range of backgrounds. Truck drivers can become massively successful entrepreneurs, as well as people who went to King’s College. It’s not actually what they do in their lives, it’s more about who they are.” Raynish says to be a great leader people need a vision of what they want to achieve and a willingness to listen and take advice from the people around them. “That’s why the Leadership Forums and SkillsBank are such important components of Leadership New Zealand. Once people have graduated from the Leadership Programme, they continue to receive mentoring, training and support as their careers progress.” Raynish herself mentors many communications trainees, both in a workplace setting and via her books. She wrote publicity bible Getting Famous For Free and is also the author of a key public relations text used in Bachelor of Communications degree programmes in New Zealand and Australia. “I’ve had some exceptional mentors during my career and I’m delighted to be able to pass on what I’ve learnt to other people starting out in communications. It’s an exciting, fastmoving industry which offers fascinating, new challenges every day.” Jenni Raynish is an Advisory Trustee of Leadership New Zealand

LEADERS

chief executive’s message

Creating a Leadership Culture By Lesley Slade

hat the world is changing at a great and complex speed is no news to any of us. We have developed a work-related language that reflects our understanding of the concept. We talk of the need to be nimble, fast, flexible, open to change and resilient. But that the world is changing faster than we are, or than we are capable of comprehending with any ease is a breathtaking thought. American leadership author and consultant Margaret Wheatley asks: “How do we live and work in a world that is increasingly chaotic?” Her answer: “We are more fragmented, we move at a frantic speed spinning out into greater isolation.” But at the same time, the desire to make sense of who and how we can be together grows and becomes more challenging. There is a call for leadership to help us make sense of our world, and to help us find a strong and sustainable place in that world. And yet – how comfortable are we in New Zealand with the notion of leadership? Do we even have a common view of leadership? Author and historian Margaret Hayward has recently completed her doctoral thesis, and in it she asks, “Is there such a thing as a New Zealand style of leadership?” Her study of six New Zealand prime ministers helped her conclude that there is an emerging picture of a style to which we can relate, and with which we are comfortable. Among many of her findings and conclusions, she notes that we New Zealanders expect our leaders to be modest, strong, likeable, down to earth and open to what we have to say. We expect them to be one of us, but exceptional! Margaret Hayward also finds that there are some common characteristics among these leaders. They are: good relationship builders, have done the hard yards and proved themselves, are persistent and show commitment. I am encouraged that this exploration, and subsequent body of work attracted sufficient interest for Margaret to be interviewed at length on Radio New Zealand. Conversation around leadership, and what it means for New Zealand is limited. And for those of us who are committed to growing leadership throughout our communities, so that we can contribute to a successful, dynamic New Zealand where everyone has the opportunity to flourish – this is a conversation that should gain momentum. Our understanding of the characteristics of leaders, and the environment in which they succeed is evolving. But do we know how to identify, nurture, develop and celebrate leaders who, as well as displaying those characteristics and qualities identified by Margaret Hayward, have that deep sense of caring that builds community and demands diversity? Do we recognise those leaders who will work in partnership across SPRING 2005

defined and undefined boundaries to create a vision that pays attention to common values, and that achieves results of benefit to all? Leader-ship New Zealand grew from asking those questions, and with enormous generosity and guidance from Leadership Victoria in Melbourne, we are more than halfway through the first year of our first leadership programme. It is a privilege to accompany our 23 pioneer participants on their year preparing for a life in leadership – for leadership is bigger than any role that we will ever hold. This year – which is just a beginning – is one of learning about the issues of importance to New Zealand and New Zealanders, through a series of conversations and discussions with established leaders. Participants bring their diverse ethnic, geographic and sector perspectives to a luxurious year of in-depth inquiry. And it is luxurious.

This is a year of learning through listening, questioning, exploring and understanding different perspectives, and the richness of this opportunity is already obvious. How often do we allow ourselves the luxury of robust and rigorous conversation and reflection? How well do we really understand the values that underpin the views of people we seek to represent? This is a year of learning through listening, questioning, exploring and understanding different perspectives, and the richness of this opportunity is already obvious. Participants demonstrate a deeper and broader understanding of issues. They report that they are reading more widely, making different and better decisions, building relationships where they might otherwise have made assumptions, and importantly – becoming part of a nationwide conversation on leadership and what that can achieve. These are leaders who have made the time, and who have the courage and the commitment to have the conversations that will lead to meaningful change – for them, and for the communities that they will enrich with their deeper understanding and with their commitment to create a better world. Margaret Wheatley again: “… when a community of people discovers that they share a concern, change begins. There is no power equal to a community discovering what it cares about.” We have taken those first steps with our participants, their supporting organisations, our trustees and funding partners. We have started the journey. Lesley Slade is Chief Executive of Leadership New Zealand.

Key Partners

The ASB Trusts

Supporting Partners