What Leaders Say About Working With Us
What Leaders Say About Working With Us
Leadership Development That Makes a Difference
The best measure of leadership development isn’t what we say about our work.
It’s what leaders say after experiencing it.
The Australasian Leadership Institute has worked with leaders from organisations across New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific, helping them develop the confidence, self-awareness and practical skills required to lead people more effectively.
Our approach is practical, evidence-based and tailored to the people in the room.
But don’t take our word for it.
Here is what leaders who have worked with us have said.
Practical Leadership Development You Can Actually Use
Leadership theory is only valuable if leaders can apply it.
One of the most consistent themes in the feedback we receive is that participants leave with practical ideas, techniques and different ways of thinking that they can take directly back into the workplace.
“This programme provided practical tips grounded in theory that I can take straight into my work. I recommend this to anyone wanting to push themselves to improve.”
Helen Moore — Xero
“Great advice, very practical, easy to understand.”
Claire Andrews — Barnardos
“A very helpful course which provides techniques that can be applied directly to my working environment.”
Lewis Shaw
“Mark is very knowledgeable and takes the time to understand the needs of those in the workshop. He provides key insights and techniques that you can use in the workplace.”
Troy Han — NZ Netball
Our aim isn’t for participants to leave simply knowing more about leadership.
We want them to leave knowing what they’re going to do differently.
Leadership Development Tailored to the People in the Room
Every organisation is different.
Every leader is different.
That’s why we don’t believe leadership development should consist of delivering exactly the same presentation regardless of who’s sitting in front of us.
We want to understand the challenges people are actually facing and connect the development to those situations.
“The workshop was useful and relevant. The facilitator was able to adapt to the specific needs of the priorities of the team.”
Sally Rye
“Great delivery — entertaining and well explained. Good video & paper resources. I especially like the fact that the content was tailored to the participants’ requirements.”
Emma Marson — St John
“I appreciate the relevant examples and utilising the experience in the room. It was helpful that Mark was able to link the knowledge to our particular roles, showing insight into our many different organisations.”
Leia Jarvis — Barnardos
“The small classes allow for a safe sharing environment and strategy and support from peers. The content is flexible and tailored to the students’ needs on the day.”
Louisa Hawkes — Project Jonah
Leadership becomes considerably more meaningful when people can see how an idea applies to the situations they encounter every day.
Helping Leaders See Things Differently
Sometimes development isn’t about learning another leadership technique.
It’s about seeing yourself, another person or a familiar situation from a different perspective.
“This was a very eye-opening experience that I have no doubt will benefit me going forward in my career and understanding others better. I have learnt a lot about myself today but also about how to do better going forward.”
Michyla Nixon — Hayes Recruitment
“This course has a way of enabling you to view things from a different perspective and helps you grow.”
Meg Kwan — Daisies Early Childhood Education
“Amazing, relatable & perspective changing.”
Ryan Donaldson — Youthspace
“It’s very helpful to look at your own teamwork/leadership from a different perspective. I found it very empowering.”
Sarah Hepper — Barnardos
Good leadership development should occasionally make you uncomfortable.
It should challenge assumptions, reveal blind spots and make you reconsider things you’ve previously taken for granted.
Developing Confidence in Leaders
Knowing what good leadership looks like and feeling confident enough to practise it are different things.
This is particularly important for people stepping into leadership for the first time.
“As someone stepping into a first-time leadership role, Mark’s workshops have made me feel more confident as a leader with simple but effective strategies.”
Maggie Naera — Youthspace
“This workshop has really helped with my confidence with making my point known. I definitely would suggest attending this workshop, you will learn a lot.”
Caitlyn Lorigan — St John
“I feel much more confident going into my 1-on-1 meetings this week. Mark equipped me with many tools and sample questions to push my team members with fixed mindsets and how to encourage my good workers towards further greatness.”
Olivia Hansell — Crimson Education
Confidence doesn’t come from pretending you have all the answers.
It comes from understanding yourself, developing practical skills and becoming better prepared for the situations leadership puts in front of you.
Leadership Development That Challenges You
We don’t believe the role of leadership development is simply to tell experienced people that everything they’re already doing is correct.
Development should create space to question assumptions.
“Very good, be prepared to be challenged.”
Andrea Wood — Daisies
“Highly recommend for leaders to grow and develop understanding your own blind spots to make you a better leader.”
Leanna Hunt — Habitat
“This programme provided a safe space to test, reinforce and affirm sound leadership practice with like-minded professionals and an expert coach/facilitator. Mark is considerate, respectful and has rekindled my passion to lead.”
Glen Mowbray — University of Canberra
The purpose isn’t to challenge people for the sake of it.
It’s to help good leaders identify where they can become better.
Leadership Coaching
Sometimes the most valuable leadership development happens one-to-one.
Individual coaching provides leaders with a confidential environment to explore the challenges, decisions, habits and assumptions that are difficult to examine during a group programme.
One coaching client described the impact of six sessions with Mark:
“These sessions were the catalyst I never knew I needed. After one session with Mark, he had helped me identify self-sabotaging mindset habits I didn’t even know that I had, that had been inhibiting my ability to make genuine change.”
“Mark coaches with authority and expertise but also with empathy. He supported me to expose my destructive professional habits, and then supported me to make a plan to address and replace those habits.”
Adeleina Loto Meleisea
Leadership coaching isn’t about having someone else make your decisions.
It’s about having somewhere to think, challenge your assumptions, gain perspective and become more deliberate about how you lead.
Leading Without Authority
Increasingly, leadership requires people to influence colleagues, stakeholders and senior leaders who don’t report to them.
Our Leading Without Authority development helps people become more effective at influencing across organisations.
“This workshop would be helpful for anyone who would like some practical tips & tools to use when having difficult conversations, especially upwards. I would definitely recommend it to anyone trying to effect change within an organisation.”
Megan Naidu — Xero
“Very insightful & engaging day. Mark is a great communicator & made everyone feel comfortable. Great workshop for anyone looking for guidance & support.”
Paul Adolphe — NZ Steel
“Easy to understand & apply to the workplace. Mark is approachable and creates a relaxed atmosphere.”
Rachel Turner — Barnardos
“Most valuable time spent ever — do it!”
Dr Penny Warring — ACC
Understanding People and Building Better Teams
Leadership ultimately involves people.
Understanding why people behave differently, communicate differently and respond differently to the same situation can transform the way leaders approach their teams.
“Thoughtful, engaging, concrete examples that explain the science/research. Practical examples on how to improve performance.”
Penny England — Daisies
“It is incredibly useful to take the time to consider how different we are in terms of our world view and working styles and how we communicate. I will use a lot of what I have learnt here.”
Julie Corker — Amnesty International
“This workshop gave me a huge insight into the importance of psychological aspects of understanding people to be able to lead and motivate them & align their motivations/goals with yours.”
Tegan Peters — SPCA
“The course covers a wealth of situations that come up with leadership and through Mark’s guidance & knowledge things are put in perspective.”
Adrienne Dodge — Kaipara Council
Leadership Development Across Different Organisations
The leaders who have worked with the Australasian Leadership Institute come from very different environments.
Corporate organisations.
Government.
Not-for-profits.
Sport.
Education.
Community organisations.
Professional services.
And organisations throughout the Pacific.
What they have in common is that leadership involves people — and people can be complicated.
“The sessions are very applicable to both profit and non-profit organisations.”
Joey Bonnevie — Catholic Diocese of Auckland
“I thoroughly enjoyed Mark’s Introduction to Leadership Workshop. I appreciated his personable nature and relatable illustrations — there never was a dull moment. I would totally recommend to any leader, seasoned or new to their roles.”
Katie Che — Husk Creative
“Mark provided concrete, real life examples that reinforced the more complex teachings behind leadership, making it a very effective session.”
Jordan Walker — Cure Kids
What Can We Help You With?
You may be looking for leadership development for a group of managers.
You may have new managers who need help making the transition into leadership.
Your departments may need to work together more effectively.
Your leaders may need greater confidence with accountability and difficult conversations.
You may want to develop emotional intelligence or strengthen the way your leadership team works together.
Or perhaps you’re an individual leader facing a situation you’re not sure how to approach.
You don’t need to know exactly what programme or coaching you need before contacting us.
Start by telling us what’s happening.
What would you like to be different?
We’ll start there.
Talk to the Australasian Leadership Institute
Practical. Evidence-based. Personal. Tailored.
The Australasian Leadership Institute
Where Leaders Go For Advice