The Blog

Last week, we spent a few days travelling the North Island with Australian colleagues. We had fabulous and robust conversations (with a few about leadership), over many meals (along with a great NZ Chard or two), from which a doozy of a question emerged surrounding authentic leadership, that is: Is authenticity alone morally neutral? Read that again. Right? My brain went into overtime and ended up right here, writing and debating, and using my most favourite word, "Hegemony"!

Almost every leader I know has, at some point, confessed to feeling like an impostor. "I don't belong here." "Who am I to be in front of all of these people?" "I'm not as capable as they think." The phrase has become so common that we rarely stop to question it. We simply accept it as part of leadership. Add to that the equally familiar advice, "fake it till you make it". I wonder, "Have we created a culture where pretending often seems more acceptable than understanding ours

When I first began exploring Principled Leadership, I wasn't looking for spirituality. I was looking for frameworks, ways to understand how leaders make ethical decisions, navigate complexity, authentically influence others, and remain authentically effective in increasingly uncertain environments. Yet the deeper I went, the more I found myself returning to the same question: Who are we when the titles fall away? Beneath the theories, competencies, and behaviours sat somethin

My beautiful friend, Tanja Harrison, died almost two years ago. Two years. It is still hard to comprehend. Tanja was the consummate leader. I often jokingly call myself a Pollyanna, but Tanja embodied something even more powerful: an unwavering optimism grounded in courage, wisdom, and action. She was one of the most genuinely positive people I have ever known. Over what was probably hundreds of sushi lunches, walks, phone calls, and during her special visit to New Zealand, I

You're in a new leadership role. One of the first items on your list to discuss may be, "What up-skilling do I need to effectively lead in this role? Am I ready"? Or, your immediate supervisor asks you, "What leadership training do you require? How can we meet your professional growth needs? Let's look around and see what's out there, do an environmental scan, and get back to me!" How often have you heard this: "We've hired YOU because of your leadership IDENTITY, who YOU are

Let me begin with a leadership reveal moment... I am truly a humanistic leader. From my inner core, the essence of my being searches for human connection in a world influenced by the neo-liberal agenda, where automan conformity is the norm. Recently, I attended an amazing three-day workshop. However, over those days, I found almost everyone was using the word "pipeline," from keynote addresses to presenters to teams working through challenging scenarios. I continually asked m

I was once called the "Bulldozer". I was surprised, maybe even horrifed but to be perfectly honest, at the time, I was also okay, as it confirmed that I had done what was intended. One of my previous roles required deep change, a targeted, directed, and well-orchestrated strategic plan. That's what we ask for from leaders, right? Sadly, I didn't look behind me to see what I had left in my wake. Having influence, being a "results-driven leader," and the pursuit of power, succe

Leadership is often portrayed as strength, certainty, and confidence. But real leadership? I believe it begins with identity. Understanding who you are and who you want to be. Aligning your core values with your leadership approach - that's the bones for great leadership! A few years back at the South Island Women’s Symposium in Twizel, I shared a deeply personal journey, one that started with a conundrum. Merriam-Webster defines conundrum as “an intricate and difficult probl

When I first explored the world of leadership coaching, I was struck by how transformative it could be; not just for individuals, but for entire organisations. In New Zealand, a country rich with history and innovation, leadership coaching is blossoming into a vital resource for those who want to lead with purpose and impact. If you’ve ever wondered how to elevate your leadership style or empower your team to thrive, you’re in the right place. Leadership coaching is more than

Leadership is often painted as a grand, sweeping act of influence and decision-making. Yet, at its heart, leadership is deeply personal and profoundly impacted by a leader's identity; their beliefs, values, and that inner guiding north star. When I reflect on what makes a leader truly exceptional, it’s not just their skills or vision but their unwavering commitment to core values. This is where principled leadership comes into play. It has become a part of me (actually a theo

Recently, I came across the obituary of a man I knew in my youth. He was someone I had always looked up to, deeply respected, and admired. In his obituary, the MacLeod clan motto was explained as a call to hold fast in times of trial: to remain stoic in pursuit, trusting that time will eventually reveal answers the present cannot yet offer. Those words stayed with me. A Journey Through Scarcity Growing up, we didn’t have much. By today’s standards, we might have been consider

The Weight of a Simple Phrase I’m not sure where I first heard the phrase stay in your lane. Maybe in a movie or tossed out casually in conversation, but it landed, and it stuck. The more I sit with it, the more it feels like one of those deceptively simple ideas that carries both weight and wisdom. There are positive and negative associations with the phrase, of course. On the surface, it can sound dismissive or limiting. But at its core, stay in your lane is about awareness

A whole lot of time has passed since I last shared my meandering thoughts on this blog. I heard someone say the other day that a blog is...

It wasn’t until I was completing my doctoral dissertation that I came to encounter a deeper understanding of the word ‘resilience’. It...

Stop and smell the roses. It may sound like a cliche, and most likely you have either heard or used this phrase many, many times, but do...

The imagery of the mountains has provided incredible inspiration over these past few days and weeks during‘lockdown’. As I write this,...

Earlier this week I found myself mesmorized looking out to the west at the storm raging over the Ben Ohau range here in Twizel. At times,...

I like things in threes. I always have and so, when thinking of the theme of this article that I wrote for our local paper, courage,...

I fervently believe that people don't just wake up in the morning and hope to hurt or tick someone off over the course of their day; that...