Scaling Deep in Ōtautahi

In May, international and local perspectives came together across the motu to wānanga on systems change and the powerful intersections between global research and local action. More than 100 systems change leaders took part in a Masterclass, wānanga and roundtable discussions. In addition, forty systems change leaders and practitioners gathered in Ōtautahi – seeking community, inspiration and practical insight. They listened, reflected, questioned, and distilled their thinking into shared wisdom.

What was it about? 

Reimagining Systems Change: Rooted in Relationships, Culture & Collective Transformation

The prevailing models of social innovation have long been fixated on scaling up and scaling out – chasing rapid expansion, competition, and measurable growth. But what if the most profound and lasting change doesn’t come from scaling wider, but from scaling deeper?

In partnership with SaSS (Systems Change Advocacy, Support and Solidarity), Te Ora Hou Ōtautahi, and The Systems Sanctuary, Leadership Lab hosted the Scaling Deep Wānanga – a gathering of systems leaders, changemakers, and community practitioners who believe that real transformation is slow, relational, and culturally grounded. Together, we explored how deep personal, organisational, and cultural shifts create the foundation for durable, systemic change.

“I loved the journey of the day…..how each section connected back to the kaupapa, that relationships, identity and tikanga are foundational in creating change. Starting with the mihi whakatau, welcoming the manuhiri to the beautiful Te Ora Hou space and Danette and Marcel sharing the stories through the colourful and meaningful images on the ceiling, followed by the kaputī to close off that process. Tatiana’s keynote followed by the open kōrero from our local team, Amy, Alice, Chris and Dan, brought the practices and strategies she talked about to life in a way that felt meaningful, authentic and relevant to our place.

Creating the space for self-reflection and meaning-making was critical to ensure that we started to think about the ‘so what?’, what are we going to do after this inspiring and challenging kōrero? I’m excited to see what comes next. The ten post-its on the wall that held the distilled collective wisdom of the group was truly inspiring and energising. This work can be lonely so it was particularly heartening to see how the group leaned into the opportunity for making connections and building community.”
Fi Deehan – Leadership Lab

“I thoroughly enjoyed facilitating the Scaling Deep Wānanga in Ōtautahi. From the outset, I intentionally wove in facilitation approaches that reflected the Scaling Deep way of engagement – practices that invite reflection, connection, and collective sensemaking. Designing this wānanga was an act of experimentation – testing the format as I went, guided by both kaupapa and instinct. What grounded me was the trust, relationships, and shared purpose in the room. That foundation allowed the space to breathe and evolve naturally.

Our wānanga created intentional pauses for individual reflection, small group kōrero, and plenary harvesting – each moment helping us surface what matters most, identify emerging questions, and distill collective wisdom.

It left me pondering: How do we create the conditions for collective healing and learning?

This wānanga was a powerful way to explore that question in real time, alongside 50 deeply committed individuals who are walking this systems change journey. It affirmed for me that scaling deep isn’t a metaphor – it’s a practice. One that requires us to slow down, show up, and stay with the complexity together.”
Erica Austin – Leadership Lab

As we wrapped up the day, facilitator Erica Austin challenged the ten small groups to distill their insights onto a single post-it note of collective wisdom. What emerged was powerful. Not only did the group articulate the opportunities in scaling deep, they also surfaced what individuals need in order to keep doing this work well.
In response, we shared a number of opportunities and pathways for continued connection and support—some hosted by Leadership Lab, and others by The Systems Sanctuary and SaSS.

To wrap up, here is one of the collective wisdom post-its:
“Scaling deep opens up the opportunity to make the time, dream together, listen to each other, think differently and manifest together.”

You can read The Art of Scaling Deep report in full here.

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Thanks heaps for your interest.