Current projects

Grow Waitaha

How do we build collaboration between over 150 schools in Greater Christchurch to rebuild and renew their learning programmes post-earthquake?

A multi-year collaboration between schools, Ministry of Education, Ngāi Tahu and consultancies to explore future focussed pedagogy including student agency, collaborative teaching, flexible learning spaces, cultural narratives, authentic curriculum and diverse partnerships.

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Strategy and vision
  • Culture change
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Team facilitation

Areas of impact

  • Equitable education
  • Thriving workplaces
  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Radical inclusion
  • Hauora and wellbeing
Read more
Grow Waitaha

Puāwai

How do we support diverse rangatahi who are potential leaders, disruptors and innovators but who have experienced discrimination because of their identity?

Puāwai is a three-month experience for approximately 40 rangatahi/young people aged 15-18 designed to connect and develop a diverse network of “potential leaders, innovators, disruptors, drivers” and help them develop real skills, knowledge.

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Team facilitation

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Hauora and wellbeing
  • Radical inclusion
  • Tranformative learning
Read more
Puāwai

Rourou

How do we amplify marginalised voices for advocacy and to provoke system change?

Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi – With your food basket and my food basket the people will be fed.

The Rourou project hosts spaces to listen to contemporary voices, to collaborate with others, and to address gnarly issues.

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Culture change
  • Strategy and vision
  • Team facilitation

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Hauora and wellbeing
  • Radical inclusion
  • Transformative learning
  • Thriving relationships
Read more
Rourou

Incubator

How do we support leaders who grow equitable and thriving communities?

Incubator is an engaging 9-month personal development journey, which supports leaders to grow equitable and thriving communities, and to take the time to reflect deeply on their own personal leadership

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Culture change
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Team facilitation

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Hauora and wellbeing
  • Radical inclusion

 

Read more
Incubator

Enhancing the Mental health system

How do we support the specialist mental health system to better meet the needs of the communities they serve?

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Culture change
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Team facilitation
  • Strategy and vision

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Hauora and wellbeing
  • Thriving relationships
Read more
Enhancing the Mental health system

Leading for equity in Aotearoa kura

How do we address bias and racism to ensure equity and inclusion for ākonga Māori and all ākonga in our Aotearoa kura?

Supporting kaiako (teachers) and tumuaki (principals) to grow competence and confidence in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, kaupapa Māori, critical consciousness and inclusion

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Culture change
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Team facilitation
  • Strategy and vision

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Hauora and wellbeing
  • Radical inclusion
  • Transformative learning
Read more
Leading for equity in Aotearoa kura

Te Whāriki

How can we intentionally grow leaders who identify with groups who have experienced discrimination because of their identity?

Te Whāriki is a twelve month internship experience based on mentoring, project experience, networking and facilitating activation initiatives. Its purpose is to “Activate the intersections of identity to lead systems change”

In 2023/24 it involved ten existing intersectional young leaders who have experienced discrimination and marginalisation. In the 2024/2025 a new 10 leaders have joined the programme and the 2023/24 Te Whāriki members have created their own ongoing Intersectionality Community of Practice

Read our latest Te Whariki impact overview

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Culture change
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Team facilitation

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Hauora and wellbeing
  • Radical inclusion
Read more
Te Whāriki

Tārai Kura

How do we ensure that all new schools built in Aotearoa and both future focussed and also honour the cultural narrative of Aotearoa where they are situated?

Tārai Kura is an alliance of five partners (CORE Education | Tātai Aho Rau, Evaluation Associates | Te Huinga Kākākura Mātauranga, Leadership Lab, Tātai Angitu | Massey University and the Ministry of Education) working together to support the school and kura build process.

In partnership with mana whenua and whānau, the Tārai Kura team supports kura in the co-creation of an inclusive, future-focused, ākonga-centred learning environment, founded on a strong vision for learning and design.

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Culture change
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Team facilitation
  • Strategy and vision

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Radical inclusion
  • Transformative learning
Read more
Tārai Kura

Leadership Lab Foundation

How can a Charitable Trust create a sustainable platform for our LinC (Leadership in Communities) projects?

“How can a Charitable Trust create a sustainable platform for our LinC (Leadership in Communities) projects?”

The Leadership Lab Foundation was set up in 2023 as a means to create a sustainable foundation on which to grow the embed the work that the LinC (Leadership in Community) Programmes have been contributing to the  Waitaha (Canterbury) region since 2015.

The current Trustees are Jenn Chowaniec, Lexie Reuben, Pete Cammock and Chris Jansen

Read more
Leadership Lab Foundation

LinC Project - Leadership in Communities

The LinC (Leadership in Communities) Project has been supporting community leaders across Canterbury for 8 years ever since the Christchurch earthquakes. It has 4 seperate but interconnected programmes; Incubator, Rourou, Puāwai and Te Whāriki

Puāwai

How do we support diverse rangatahi who are potential leaders, disruptors and innovators but who have experienced discrimination because of their identity?

Puāwai is a three-month experience for approximately 40 rangatahi/young people aged 15-18 designed to connect and develop a diverse network of “potential leaders, innovators, disruptors, drivers” and help them develop real skills, knowledge.

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Team facilitation

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Hauora and wellbeing
  • Radical inclusion
  • Tranformative learning
Read more
Puāwai

Rourou

How do we amplify marginalised voices for advocacy and to provoke system change?

Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi – With your food basket and my food basket the people will be fed.

The Rourou project hosts spaces to listen to contemporary voices, to collaborate with others, and to address gnarly issues.

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Culture change
  • Strategy and vision
  • Team facilitation

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Hauora and wellbeing
  • Radical inclusion
  • Transformative learning
  • Thriving relationships
Read more
Rourou

Incubator

How do we support leaders who grow equitable and thriving communities?

Incubator is an engaging 9-month personal development journey, which supports leaders to grow equitable and thriving communities, and to take the time to reflect deeply on their own personal leadership

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Culture change
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Team facilitation

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Hauora and wellbeing
  • Radical inclusion

 

Read more
Incubator

Te Whāriki

How can we intentionally grow leaders who identify with groups who have experienced discrimination because of their identity?

Te Whāriki is a twelve month internship experience based on mentoring, project experience, networking and facilitating activation initiatives. Its purpose is to “Activate the intersections of identity to lead systems change”

In 2023/24 it involved ten existing intersectional young leaders who have experienced discrimination and marginalisation. In the 2024/2025 a new 10 leaders have joined the programme and the 2023/24 Te Whāriki members have created their own ongoing Intersectionality Community of Practice

Read our latest Te Whariki impact overview

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Culture change
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Team facilitation

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Hauora and wellbeing
  • Radical inclusion
Read more
Te Whāriki

Past projects

Ōtautahi Collaborative leadership network

How do we enhance collective impact by collaboration between government agencies, NGO’s and communities?
Read more
Ōtautahi Collaborative leadership network

Kāhui Ako Change Management

How do we overcome the culture of competition between schools in order to create pathways for our students?
Read more
Kāhui Ako Change Management

Te Hau Toka – Wellbeing in the Central Lakes

How do we ensure that funding for wellbeing during this COVID-19 pandemic is spent on what communities really need?

A community-based co-design in Te Anau, Cromwell, Wanaka and Queenstown

Our involvement

  • Culture change
  • Strategy and vision
  • Team facilitation

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Hauora and wellbeing
  • Thriving relationships
Read more
Te Hau Toka – Wellbeing in the Central Lakes

Te Kakau – supporting local leaders

How do we support our valuable and vulnerable business and community leaders who we would be gutted to lose from the Queenstown Lakes region due to COVID-19?
Read more
Te Kakau – supporting local leaders

Connected Leaders Programme

How do we develop a collective leadership practice that supports the provision of a integrated service for people with acute mental health disorders?
Read more
Connected Leaders Programme

Unlocking Export Prosperity

How can we help New Zealand agri-foods leaders achieve higher performance by focussing on quality, environmental stewardship and a deep connection with the land?

A 5 year research project with Lincoln University’s Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit focused on unlocking export prosperity for New Zealand agri-foods enterprises.

Leadership Lab worked closely with the Lincoln University Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit between 2019 and 2022 to explore pathways to increase the profile and prosperity of New Zealand agri-foods organisations.

Our involvement

  • Strategy and vision
  • Team facilitation

Areas of impact

  • ???
  • ???
Read more
Unlocking Export Prosperity

Leaders’ Connect

How do we provide a regular accessible way for isolated educational leaders to connect and grow?

Leaders’ Connect is an interactive, relational, online space for education leaders with the following objectives:

  • Provide a safe place of connection for education leaders within NZ
  • Support leaders’ wellbeing
  • Gain fresh leadership knowledge and capacity
  • Create professional connection via an online platform
  • Provide a space for learning and sharing innovative practices and ideas

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Culture change
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Strategy and vision

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Hauora and wellbeing
  • Radical inclusion
  • Transformative learning
  • Thriving relationships
Read more
Leaders’ Connect

Leading culture change at FENZ

How do we support senior leaders in FENZ to overcome toxic cultures and build teams where each member plays to their strengths?

Supporting system wide culture change in the Canterbury, West Coast, Nelson Marlborough and South Canterbury regions. Supporting leadership teams through individual and team strength coaching as well as strategic facilitation and process mediation as needed.

Our involvement

  • Leadership development
  • Culture change
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Strategy and vision

Areas of impact

  • Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi
  • Hauora and wellbeing
  • Radical inclusion
  • Transformative learning
  • Thriving relationships

 

Read more
Leading culture change at FENZ

Leadership Lab's passion for challenging people to think differently around adapting to a changing future, and their expertise in collaboration and partnering for transformational change, is a driving force toward the provision of 21st century learning opportunities for Canterbury’s children and young people. Leadership Lab can be very proud to be a business focussed on developing new initiatives, practices, systems, and visionary thinking in teaching and learning, which in effect is changing the education landscape in greater Christchurch for the better and is setting new standards for Aotearoa.

Garry Williams, Manager Education Canterbury & Chatham Islands – Ministry of Education

Interested in kōrero,
discussion about collaborating?

areas of interest