Summit Program
The Emerging Leaders Summit is New Zealand’s key event for the next generation of managers, directors and leaders. The program brings together inspirational speakers, the latest industry trends and insights, and hundreds of ambitious, determined professionals looking to get an edge in their career.
You’ll hear from the best in the business on how they achieved their dream roles and all of the lessons they learned along the way. You’ll walk away feeling inspired and reinvigorated, with new contacts and a game plan towards being a leader others aspire to become.
8.30 – REGISTRATION AND WELCOME COFFEE
9.00 – OPENING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR, RYAN MCGHEE
Mike Allsop is a testament to the power of resilience, perseverance, and ambitious goal-setting. From navigating the skies as an Air New Zealand 787 Captain, standing on top of the world by conquering Mount Everest, and pushing the limits of endurance with 7 marathons across 7 continents in just 7 days, Mike has continually demonstrated that with the right mindset, there’s virtually no summit too high or challenge too daunting.
As a leader, Mike’s experiences highlight the importance of setting clear goals not just for ourselves but for our teams.
In his presentation, Mike will show you how the magic happens when passion meets purpose. As an emerging leader, you’ll be shaping the future, and with the right mindset, you have the power to elevate not only your career but those of everyone you lead.
You’ll learn about:
- Understanding the power, science and psychology of goal-setting
- Differentiating between dreams, ambitions, and tangible goals
- Aligning individual and team objectives
- How setting clear goals can drive productivity and motivation, and foster a positive culture
- The role of accountability and regular check-ins
- Staying adaptable: when to pivot or adjust goals
- Building a legacy: Impacting the wider community and future leaders
- The power of perseverance and belief in yourself
Today’s working environment is ever-changing, complex and often uncertain. For emerging leaders to succeed, they must be ready to navigate these challenges by finding their leadership edge.
This starts by being willing to discard the myths of leadership so you can forge your unique leadership style. A style, which requires high levels of integrity, adaptability, courage, perseverance and empathy, and adapts and evolves to ensure your leadership remains future ready.
As a workplace expert, Michelle uniquely draws on her executive leadership experience, combined with neuroscience and human development research.
Internationally recognised, Michelle is the award-winning author of three books and is welcomed on stages globally to help inspire leaders, teams and organisations to create thriving workplaces.
Her mantra is simple: help people thrive, and progress is accelerated. Through this inspiring discussion, you’ll gain insight into:
- The myths of leadership that may be holding you back
- The criticality of consciously building your unique leadership style
- The building blocks of future ready leadership
- Why you need to adapt your leadership style to changing circumstances
- Ways to help you and your team thrive at work
10:45 – MORNING COFFEE
11:15
Embracing indigenous values: Fostering diversity, inclusion and cultural awareness in the workplace
This inspirational session, led by Dan Te Whenua Walker, is designed to provide you with the tools and insights you need to foster a workplace that promotes diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness. Not only to enhance growth and collaboration, but also to drive social responsibility and sustainable change in your organisation.
The benefits of fostering a culturally aware environment are enormous, and include enhanced team collaboration, higher employee morale and retention, better decision-making processes and understanding and mitigating unconscious bias.
Dan’s journey, steeped in Māori traditions and enriched with global experiences, offers a unique perspective on the evolving role of leaders in today’s dynamic business environment. Drawing from his deep-rooted connection to his heritage and his extensive work in fostering inclusive growth, he has continuously emphasised the importance of cultural awareness and social responsibility in leadership.
This unmissable session will equip you with the tools necessary to embrace indigenous perspectives while navigating the multifaceted challenges and opportunities of the ever-changing business landscape, in particular:
- The business case for diversity and inclusion and how to ensure you’re at the forefront
- Why cultural awareness is crucial for emerging and future leaders
- Navigating the challenges of instigating change in an organisation
- Strategies and best practices to promote and sustain diversity and inclusion
- Emphasising the importance of social responsibility in today’s business world
- Encouraging the spirit of continuous learning and adaptability
Embarking on a leadership journey is an exciting phase; it is the culmination of aspirations, hard work, and dedication. However, it is no secret that transitioning to a leadership role comes with its unique set of challenges – from proving yourself in a new capacity to navigating the myriad responsibilities that come with guiding a team. This highly practical, valuable session will show you first-hand how to address these challenges so you can harness your inner strength, cultivate your innate confidence, and become an inspiration for your teams.
Jess Stuart is a sought after speaker and author of six personal development books specialising in mindset, performance and leadership. A well-known Imposter Syndrome expert with a background in Senior Human Resources roles and a decade working in leadership development, Jess is consistently described as inspiring, articulate and relatable. This session will help you:
- Embrace the challenge: Understand the complexities and rewards of stepping into leadership
- Overcome imposter syndrome: Techniques to quiet the inner critic and embrace your leadership journey
- Recognise your value while staying open to growth and learning.
- Effectively manage not just your own workload but guide your team to success
- Avoid burnout while embracing added responsibilities
- Promote a healthy, vibrant working environment conducive to long-term success
- Understand the power of self-belief in mitigating internal and external challenges
12:45 – LUNCH BREAK
Knowing ourselves and how others experience us lies at the heart of leadership effectiveness. As an emerging leader, we must understand how our behaviours and actions influence others around us, whether this be colleagues, direct reports, our immediate manager as well as our friends and families. All of these people get to experience ‘us’ and we want to be sure that they are getting the best version of us, and the version of us that brings out the best in them.
Whether we are an emerging leader or experienced CEO, we must know when to play to our strengths, and when to reign them in. It also means knowing when and how to move into the areas that we are less comfortable with. In essence, we must know how to be versatile in our leadership behaviour, and be able to call upon multiple ‘styles’ of leadership. We must avoid allowing ourselves becoming trapped in a singular style of leadership that is shaped by our personality or preferred behaviours.
Rob Hoult has built a reputation for his ability to engage with a diverse range of leaders, teams and organisations through his leadership workshops, coaching and consulting, and in this session, he will help you develop the ability to be strategic with your self-awareness. You will discover that becoming a versatile leader is achievable when you know yourself, and know what others need from their leaders. We’ll cover:
- Your core drivers of behaviour and how others see you
- How your personality shapes your unconscious leadership style
- The fundamental needs of all humans and the role leaders play in meeting these needs
- The critical role of trust in building relationships, and the behaviours that generate trust
14:30
Brain-based leadership: Unlocking your mental fitness and building a thriving culture
Dive into the dynamic world of Brain-Based Leadership, where the power of neuroscience meets the art of thriving in leadership roles. This session is designed to build your mental muscle, resilience, and foster a thriving culture within your organisation. It’s perfect for ambitious leaders eager to harness the cutting-edge insights of Positive Intelligence (PQ) and neuroscience to support transformative growth and wellbeing.
- Introduction to Positive Intelligence (PQ): Discover the groundbreaking model of mental fitness and how it can empower you as a leader
- The Saboteur vs. The Sage: Learn to identify the triggers that activate “Saboteur” emotions and how to pivot towards the wisdom and strength of your “Sage” emotional state
- The Three Muscles of Mental Fitness: Explore the essential practices to enhance your mental resilience and agility, fostering a mindset equipped to navigate challenges with grace
- Inspired Action: Imagine the possibilities and act on them – for the benefit of your career, your team, your whānau and your organisation
- Tangible Tools: Leave with an easy to follow road map to guide you from where you are today, to reaching your full potential
15:15 – AFTERNOON TEA
Award-winning CEO Mike Bennett’s global career has enabled him to know a little about a lot. He has unusually broad experience across all organisational capabilities, enabling him to be an effective CEO for the past twenty years.
In a world that is becoming more complex and demanding for business leaders, we always need to remember that we are leading our people as well as managing our business.
Developing and leading high-performance teams does not need to be complex and demanding, but it does require the capability to blend strategy and culture to deliver results beyond the predictable.
This session, led by one of New Zealand’s most experienced and recognisable leaders, shares experiences and insights from two decades of leading diverse teams in challenging circumstances where the results were clearly beyond the predictable.