Leadership Lab

22/05/2026

It's and this week we're platforming our People of Puāwai podcast series. Next up: Crazy Middle-Class Africans!

A faithful reenactment of a family dinner - with guests Semhar Macknight & Gerald Mlambo, two of Zoe Mlambo's many ridiculous siblings. 🍽️✨

Tune in: https://www.plains.org.nz/episode/fb32fc42-0dbe-458b-87a1-e89427962c55

Big mihi to Zoe, Semhar and Gerald for letting us pull up a chair and Plains Media for the support recording our podcast!

21/05/2026

Fantastic to see our Leadership Lab colleague Cooper Sides launching their brand new initiative called "The Affirm Room" - focussed on Trans and Neurodiverse Peer Support.

"The Affirm Room is Affirming, Strengths-led Peer Support & Advocacy for Trans and Neurodivergent people. Shaped by lived experience, grounded in 17yrs of professional practice."

Or book a session with Cooper or recommend them to your colleagues at this link. https://linktr.ee/theaffirmroom

Cooper has been a part of Leadership Lab NZ for over 6 years through involvement in our Puāwai and Rourou programmes - and you can listen to some Cooper's wisdom and experience on these 3 podcasts that they have recorded as part of their Leadership Lab mahi over the years.

Gender Health Justice
https://lnkd.in/ef28HRxJ
https://lnkd.in/eXtbi--U

Conscious Catalysts
https://lnkd.in/e2vr833M

21/05/2026

🎙️ This we're platofrming the podcast episiodes created by our rangatahi in the Puāwai programme and next up we have:

Max's sick as podcast ft. Egg Academy 🥚

Max dives into Egg Academy with Kane and Juniper - a podcast with laughs, vibes, and exclusive stories no one's heard before!

This is exactly what "Taringa whakarongo! Ki te reo o ngā taiohi - Our voices matter! We deserve to be heard" sounds like in practice... rangatahi hosting their own kōrero about the things they care about.

🎧 Listen here: https://www.plains.org.nz/episode/38f4f564-ddf2-4c15-9b0e-8e318ba53bbc

20/05/2026

Fantastic article in the Christchurch Press over the weekend profiling Tammi Martin and her family "Life at the edge: The People of Waikuku Beach".

https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/360999358/life-edge-tide-people-waikuku-beach

Tammi and her husband Matt along with two sons Kiiva and Maika are thriving in the Waikuku Community just north of Christchurch and also dreamt up their surf business Surfwise which they all work in!

Tammi has also been a senior consultant with Leadership Lab for over 10 years, is currently engaged in our Leadership Incubator programme and is also a Clifton Strength coach. https://leadershiplab.co.nz/team/tammi-martin/

Super proud of all your mahi Tammi!

20/05/2026

Taringa whakarongo! Ki te reo o ngā taiohi - Our voices matter! We deserve to be heard. 🎙️

It's Youth Week, and this year's theme couldn't sit more closely with the kaupapa of our Puāwai programme.

For the past three years, rangatahi from Puāwai have recorded and published their own podcast episodes - kōrero about the things they're passionate about, their identities, their communities, their whānau, and the world around them.

For the remainder of , we'll be platforming episodes from last year's cohort. Kicking us off is Galaxie and Aaliyah with their episode 'Ngā Wāhine Toa' where they dive into their experiences of being young Māori in today's world.

Listen here: https://www.plains.org.nz/episode/2f1de0b8-0434-45f0-a233-ec13bd29e6cc

19/05/2026

Our April Panui includes a reflection from Steve Jones-Poole about his leadership journey as a participant and now co-lead of our Leadership Incubator programme: https://leadershiplab.co.nz/growing-the-leadership-in-you/

Leadership Incubator is an engaging 9-month personal development journey, which supports leaders to grow equitable and thriving communities, and to take the time to reflect deeply on their own personal leadership

Expressions of interest are now open for our 11th cohort starting in July this year!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc2RjscPbU-fhFFrA8LDlaFbl_aOV7_iYSV1N3v9jVHYDhPfA/viewform?mc_cid=8d97d2919a&mc_eid=7a004e474c

01/05/2026

Te Ara Kahurangi 2026 - expressions of interest are now open.

How might we empower leaders to create flourishing futures in a way that is uniquely 'Aotearoa' grounded in Te Ao Māori and Western approaches?

Te Ara Kahurangi is a transformational leadership journey based in Tāhuna Queenstown. It's designed for senior leaders across all sectors who feel "morally compelled about what's happening nationally and globally" and want to reimagine, recatalyse and revitalise their leadership practice - drawing on the wisdom of Māori, Pākehā and global frameworks.

A partnership between Leadership Lab and tuia, the journey is built around the four realms of Te Korekoreka - a Ngāi Tahu kawa for future-making, drawn from mātauranga Ngāi Tahu and created by Tokona te Raki.

Here's what's involved:
🌿 A 5-day residential retreat at Millbrook Resort and Taramea (21–25 September 2026)

🌿 9 months of supported personal journey - peer groups + 1:1 coaching

🌿 A celebratory showcase event in May 2027

Open to: iwi leaders, business executives, senior public sector and local government leaders, education leaders, and other senior leaders ready to step outside the everyday and reconnect with deeper purpose.

Read more and submit your EOI: https://leadershiplab.co.nz/projects/te-ara-kahurangi-2026/

Apply here: https://forms.gle/Riwbb4H7uZAVhm9H8

Any questions, get in touch with Chris Jansen at [email protected] or Darren Rewi at [email protected]

09/12/2025

03/12/2025

Last week, 60 leaders, changemakers and curious souls gathered for the Leaders for Equity Unconference.

While we have yet to fully debrief and process the day, we have heard from those attended how valuable they found it.

Some of what we heard at the end of the day:
"This is the kind of space I want this city/motu to have more of! Especially looking around this room, the diversity of people who show up embody the variety, values, and vision (VVV!) for the future we wish to build in collaboration."
"I learnt so much from others in the room who come from a different background and perspective. It is important for me to ease myself out of my echo chamber. It has encouraged me to push a little bit further."

I will...
"Design and Incorporate practices that help include people and meet the needs of those who have invisible disabilities."
"Identify the missing voices and invite them to participate."

We look forward to continuing the journey of building this network, this movement, together in 2026 and if you've not yet joined us, there will be more opportunities to do so next year. Keep an eye on our social media and the Pānui for updates.

Thank you to our partners, Christchurch City Council, for their support and collaboration in this project, especially Rose, Viviana and Danielle.

Thank you to our team whose presence on the day was critical to success - Chris, Sooze, Steve, Robbie and Fera.

More info about Leaders for Equity Network here:
https://leadershiplab.co.nz/projects/leaders-for-equity-network/

Photo credit: Peanut Productions

03/12/2025

**Puāwai Showcase 2025**

Nau mai, haere mai - join us for an inspiring evening as our Puāwai rangatahi share the culmination of their leadership journey.

Experience:
• Spoken word performances
• Photography and art displays
• Rangatahi-led podcasts sharing real stories and perspectives
• A window into the worlds of our rangatahi

Over the past few months, these young people have taken part in a strengths-based youth and leadership development programme. This showcase is their opportunity to share their mahi with whānau, friends, and our wider community.

This is a free, youth-led event - all are welcome!
Date: Wednesday 10 December
Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Location: TSB Space, Tūranga Library

What is Puāwai?
Puāwai is a youth development programme that empowers emerging leaders to embrace their identity, strengths, culture, and creativity. The Showcase is their Activator project - a chance to bring their gifts to life, share a window to their world or showcase things they're passionate about.

Facebook event here:
www.facebook.com/events/1190665279691735