NZIM Foundation 2011 Study Scholarship Winners

Gray Crawford

Manager of Social Services of Christchurch City Mission. Gray is a transformational leader in a field, which is all about self-belief, integrity and unwavering determination.

“My week in Sydney has been a truly life changing experience for me. While I learn’t a tremendous amount during the week, which I will now need to digest and implement slowly over time, what I will immediately focus on now is how I communicate my passion and positivity in my work environment, painting dramatic word pictures and a clear vision of the future which resonates to both heads and hearts. I need to be able to create relationships in a nanosecond and then maintain these relationships, not through networking, but as Jonar Nadar, one of the AHRI convention presenters called “netmarking”, a process whereby you make a mark for yourself which others can relate to. A leader needs to be an inspiring storyteller, a facilitator of conversations. But as a leader I also need to be conscious of how I frame what I communicate.”

Leaders Creating Passion

Rebecca Lee

Operation Team Manager, Blenheim. Works for St John, which is an emergency service organisation providing education and risk management within the community.

“The NZIM scholarship has been immeasurable to me in the knowledge I have gained from inspirational speakers and talking to like-minded people in management who share similar challenges in their line of work. One of the highlights of the trip was spending the day with Wilfred Jarvis, founder of the Four Quadrant leadership course. He was inspirational, answering many of the questions I had. This will definitely benefit my leadership growth and will also be beneficial for the staff I lead.”

Journey Into Management

Danette Olsen

Group Manager Aquaculture & Biotech with the Cawthron Institute in Nelson.  Cawthron is a unique organisation in the New Zealand science and research community and has been established since 1919.

What a privilege it was to be one of the three recipients of the NZIM Foundation Management Study Scholarship.  The week I spent in Sydney was perhaps one of the most inspirational of my life.  The scholarship provided us with a unique opportunity to further develop ourselves as leaders and managers through a range of activities designed to broaden our thinking and understanding of what it means to successfully lead groups of people. The consistent message I heard was the importance of empathy, of respectful questioning, truth and trust, and the need to develop oneself as a whole person so that you not only have the mandate to lead others, but also the ability to help those that you lead be the best that they can be.  I have learned a great deal during this though provoking week, and am looking forward to continuing this journey of discovery by putting into action some of the ideas that I have been exposed to.  Perhaps taking a few risks, and being prepared to make a few mistakes along the way.

Respectful Inquiry

National Marketing Manager of New Zealand Couriers based in Auckland- part of the Freightways Group. Robert is a member of the new Zealand Couriers Executive Team. He’s a generalist marketer and controls the marketing and systems function and runs their international business unit.

A repeated theme amongst the most leading CEO’s was a focus on “people and processes” as opposed to trying to be across individual decisions throughout their organisations.  Basically a “long game” mentality and commitment to getting the right people placed throughout their businesses, and providing them with the “tools” (processes) they need to communicate, act and create positive change. 

As a leader, when in doubt, use the “glasshouse rule”… would you be prepared to do it if “everyone was watching”...

Area Manager of the New Zealand Fire Service, Christchurch. This is a crown entity, emergency service providing education and risk management within the community.

Professor John Boudreau talked about Beyond HR: The new science of human capital.  A key aspect of his presentation was the distinction between what is ‘critical’ and what’s ‘pivotal’.  Applying this approach to an organisation’s activities via the ‘value process chain’ allows you to highlight the factor or factors which make or break your brand by shaping customer satisfaction.

The main foci of the value process chain are...

Practice Manager with MCI & Associates Dannevirke. This is a chartered accountancy firm. One of the largest in the Manawatu/Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa regions and provides tax preparation, financial and business planning and general accounting services. Annette instigated a system of sub committees responsible for establishing and monitoring best practices including communication, sponsorship and protocol standards.

One of the strongest themes I brought back is that the world is more than ever in need of strong, value-based, visionary leaders to drive a paradigm shift in the way we manage our organizations and people.  And what better evidence do we need of this than the global financial crisis.  It was mentioned at the AHRI convention that more than 90% of people in positions of power are driven by greed, fear or self-preservation.  I wonder if the financial crisis has taught some well overdue lessons?...