Leadership is like a muscle and it needs to be worked on to develop. Photo / Getty Images
Leadership is like a muscle and it needs to be worked on to develop. Photo / Getty Images
''Integrity'' and being able to ''walk the talk'' and support their team are traits Kasarra Boaza admires most in managers and leaders.
As are genuinely caring about staff and their wellbeing.
The 26-year-old who had a Bachelor of Applied Business Management with a major in accounting recently got her dreamjob and said those qualities shone through at her workplace.
She was responsible for book keeping and administration and said ''if you treat staff well, they will treat you well''.
''It's kind of like a cycle of reactions in action. You need to be able to read people so you can see if they are not themselves.
Bryce Morrison when he competed in the 2020 BOP Young Fruit Grower of the Year competition, he won in 2021. Photo / NZME
Bryce Morrison was a member of the New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc Future Leaders group and worked as a regional client relationship manager in the kiwifruit industry.
The 29-year-old said a good leader was not necessarily the person who knew the most or was best at the job but those who could bring out the best from members of their team.
''Along with this comes clear communication so everyone is on the same page.''
Morrison already led a team and believed it was important to develop skills in crisis management and problem-solving.
''As we have seen with the pandemic, we need to be agile and able to adapt to an ever-changing environment. I want to lead proactive change to problems on the horizon.
''When you have to be reactive to a situation, I do not think you get the best solution to the problem.''
There were amazing opportunities for young people in the kiwifruit sector, he said.
Abbey Grainger is working and studying to be a chartered accountant. Photo / Supplied
Abbey Grainger said her pet hate in a manager was those who worked a ''hierarchy system'' and were only interested in the bottom line.
The bubbly 22-year-old hopes to have her own business one day or be a chief financial officer and planned to lead by example.
She had just completed a Bachelor of Applied Business Management with a major in accounting at Toi Ohomai.
But Abbey is no stranger to the workforce and has held retail roles since leaving college.
Her experiences with managers have been relatively good and she liked being challenged.
''The companies were money-driven but also very people-driven. If you worked overtime you got paid for it and there were little incentives on the side. They would shout you meals and when I had surgery on my foot they made my hours more flexible.''
Now Abbey was juggling full-time work at an accountancy office while studying to become a chartered accountant through Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
''Business has always interested me. Working in a business environment I think you need to understand the financials as well as being a good people person.''
Her current workplace was highly supportive and she had a mentor, was part of a graduate programme and ongoing academic training.
''I love my job.''
Empowering the workplace and staff
"The conductor of an orchestra doesn't make a sound. They depend for their power on their ability to make other people powerful."
Authentic, imperfect, visionary, resilient, caring and motivational.
These were some of the characteristics workplaces in the Bay of Plenty are fostering to empower their leaders.
Tauranga City Council people and engagement general manager Tony Aitken. Photo / Supplied
Tauranga City Council people and engagement acting general manager Tony Aitken said it placed a great emphasis on leadership.
It was a key component in making the council a great place to work, and ensured it can deliver to community needs, he said.
''Leadership is like a muscle – it needs to be worked on to develop, to stay good at it, and to get better.''
Recruiting the right people leaders was very important.
''We need people leaders who can articulate a vision and mobilise people effectively towards achieving it – in short people who can deliver positive outcomes for the community.''
Zespri chief people officer Edith Sykes said a good leader ''is authentic and imperfect, but they are not necessarily the most senior person in the room and are not flawless''.
''For us at Zespri, the good leadership qualities we see include creating the conditions for people to thrive and bringing to bear character, capacity and capability to get the best out of people.''
In her view, outstanding leadership has run the test of time.
''However, it has become more important than ever during challenges like Covid to have leaders who are resilient and can learn and adapt to change. Leaders who can really engage and empower people through their relationships; and leaders who are inclusive, caring and compassionate.''
She said its people's leadership journey starts on their first day.
''Our leadership philosophy encourages and enables all our people to progress on their leadership journey, irrespective of the stage of their career. We have also implemented leadership development programmes which incorporate new and existing leadership thinking.''
Sykes said the conductor of an orchestra doesn't make a sound.
''They depend for their power on their ability to make other people powerful.
''This is the role of the leader – creating an environment for each team member to be their very best and achieve great things.''
Zespri had offices across many global locations including its head office in Mount Maunganui, and ''our culture and purpose are really important to us''.
Rotorua Lakes Council people and organisational development director Joe Akari. Photo / Supplied
Rotorua Lakes Council people and organisational development director Joe Akari said it looks for leadership qualities in all of its employees, not just managers.
That was to encourage good, values-based decision making that supports the organisation to achieve the direction and outcomes for the community, he said.
The council was developing its own leadership framework to improve in-house and bespoke leadership development.
Staff could attend an array of training programmes which was supplemented by on-the-job coaching and mentoring that happens across council.
