The latest research and leadership insights delivered through interactive, bite-sized workshop experiences.

13 topics to choose from.

Leaders and teams are increasingly being called to manage complex and often contradictory priorities and decisions, with little control over an ever-changing leadership landscape. The ability to remain adaptive, achieve results, and care for ourselves and our teams in the process, is more important than ever before.

And we’ve heard you.

Time and budget can be a barrier to leadership development. So, we’ve designed a set of experiences that balance these priorities with delivering the latest research and leadership insights in an interactive, bite-sized format – with tailored resources that can then be applied to real-work scenarios.

Based on decades of work in this area, here are the critical topics we believe leaders need to keep front of mind for 2023. These Leadership Essentials are a set of 2-hour workshops that can be delivered in-person or virtually, to in-tact teams or cross-functional groups across your organisation. 

Each 2-hour session includes:

• The latest research related to the topic and why this topic matters to leaders

• A new model or tool to test and apply

• A space to self-assess current mindset, habits and practices

• An opportunity to share practical strategies and ways of working with other leaders

• Resources for continued learning

Leveraging Experimentation

Experimentation is the answer to the question – how do we get started when we are dealing with complex challenges? In this session we will explore complexity, experimentation and adaptability. We will use Dave Snowden’s Cynefin Framework to understand the complex domain, and work through tools drawn from Lean Manufacturing that enable a powerful combination of bold visions and iterative planning cycles.

As part of this session, you will:

• Explore when experimentation is the right tool to use

• Test-drive tools that support planning in complex domains

• Design your own safe-to-fail experiment for a real-work challenge

Strengths-Based Leadership

As leadership author Simon Sinek says: “when we focus on our strengths and lean into the strengths of others, we can make the impossible possible.” At an individual level, strengths discovery allows you to understand what motivates you to do more of what you enjoy (and thrive in) and less of what drains you or holds you back. This is a particularly helpful frame during complex times. During the session we’ll explore your top strengths and key motivational drives, and work to build or shape your Personal Development Plan goals.

As part of this session, you will:

• Get a clearer view of your individual Superpowers and Strengths 

• Gain a deeper understanding of the benefits of strengths-based leadership

• Develop a set of strengths-based focus areas to feed into your personal Development Plan

Time management and prioritisation

Time management and prioritisation are key leadership skills in our world today, and in the words of Paul J. Myer: “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort”. During this session we’ll explore the 3 key habits of highly productive people – including the power of prioritisation and setting your day up for success. We’ll equip you with a selection of tools and insights to help you take charge of your workflow in a way that best suits your style.

As part of this session, you will:

• Explore the value of prioritisation and how to make it work for you

• Gain tools for how to plan for a productive day

• Get top tips for limiting distractions and enhancing brainpower and focus

The Power of Storytelling  

Storytelling is one of the most impactful ways to shape culture and engage people. Storytelling is how the world's best leaders and visionaries earn trust - they don't just present data - they also tell great stories.  During this session we’ll explore a simple model for bringing the art of storytelling into your daily work, and we’ll unpack what makes a good story.  This is a fun and interactive session that will help bring your communications to life. 

As part of this session, you will:

• Explore the value of storytelling and how to use it in the work you do 

• Gain tools for how to create simple story structures

• Understand the elements of effective storytelling

Wellbeing and Resilience

After a tough couple of years navigating the complexity of the pandemic, Wellbeing and Resilience is at the forefront for many of us. More than ever, it is critical that we build our own self-awareness regarding our personal wellbeing and resilience – to ensure we create strategies that support us to be healthy and well.  This clinic is designed to help you understand the essential elements of personal wellbeing and is based on Sir Mason Durie’s Hauora Model – Te Whare Tapa Wha.

As part of this session, you will:

• Gain an understanding of wellbeing, stress, and resilience

• Review your own personal wellbeing

• Explore the technique of reframing and how positive mindsets support wellbeing

• Develop your own resilience action plan

Effective Feedback & Courageous Conversations

The importance of the ability to give effective feedback is easily underestimated. However, it is an essential leadership skill that helps us to understand both what is working and what needs to be improved.  Feedback is also critical for creating clarity and increasing transparency – but effective feedback can be challenging to do well.   During this session we will explore the elements of feedback and a framework for giving and receiving feedback in a mana-enhancing way. 

As part of this session, you will:

• Explore the elements of great feedback and why it is important in organisations 

• Gain tools for giving and receiving effective feedback with Manaaki

• Practice giving and receiving feedback

Coaching Mindset

A coaching mindset can be one of the most effective tools for lifting the quality of conversations, the collective outcomes achieved within teams, and the levels of satisfaction and engagement.  Coaching starts with great dialogue skills that ensure greater understanding for people, teams, customers and stakeholders.  During this session we will explore fundamental coaching skills and a framework for a coaching approach that you can apply in your work practices immediately.

As part of this session, you will:

• Explore what a coaching mindset and approach is

• Practice basic coaching skills

• Explore the GROW coaching model and how you can apply it in your work

Emotional Intelligence

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  Maya Angelou

 In today’s complex and changing world more than ever before the ability to know and manage our emotions effectively can be the key differentiator to success.  During this session, we will explore the dimensions of emotional intelligence and give you the opportunity to reflect on your strengths in this area and the areas that you would like to develop further.

As part of this session, you will:

• Explore the dimensions of emotional intelligence based on the work of Daniel Goldman

• Assess your own emotional intelligence against the Goleman Framework

• Provide time and strategies to help you improve your emotional intelligence

Psychological Safety

Psychological safety in teams is a critical condition for team success.  To create a psychologically safe workplace is to create a work environment where team members feel included and safe and are able to ask for help, to learn, challenge, contribute and collaborate.  In this session we will explore the four quadrants of psychological safety and practical steps you can take to ensure psychological safety in your teams.

As part of the session, you will:

• Explore the concept of psychological safety based on the research of Amy Edmondson

• Complete a safety assessment and your own leadership practices regarding psychological safety

• Explore daily things you can do to create safety in the work environment

Inclusive Working

In todays complex world leaders need to be able to work inclusively with diverse groups to bring diversity in thinking to the table to solve the challenges we face. During this session, we will revisit the concepts of psychological safety and take a deep dive into Inclusion safety. 

As part of the session, you will:

• Self assess your current mindset, habits and practices that support inclusive working

• Explore practical strategies to help you work more inclusively each day

Complex Collaboration

In todays non-linear world leaders are often required to lead and work cross functionally.  Complex collaboration is where a cross-functional group (this may be a mix of internal and external people) is working together in an initiative operating in unchartered waters – creating something new or changing how things are done. This may be long-running (over years) or for a short, fixed duration.  

Successful collaborative teams need to be set-up and often we invest less in the set-up of cross-functional teams, yet they are dealing with the most complex situations and relationships. 

As part of the session, you will:

• Explore the functions of high performing teams

• Explore core practices that make a big difference in the performance of collaborative teams

Polarity Management

Do you put people first or results, does quality come first or does time to deliver or cost to deliver first, it is all of these things? Leaders often struggle to balance conflicting priorities and demands.  How do you deliver and improve while navigating the complexity of the polarities we face – the opposing forces within organisations that pull at each other to keep things balanced. 

As part of the session, you will:

• Explore the nature of polarities and polarity mapping as a way of navigating tensions between positions that seem competing and conflicting

• Identify existing or upcoming situations where the polarity framing could be useful and determine how you will put it into practice