The Mana Moana Experience Yearbook 2019

LEADERSHIP NZ 2019
3
A MESSAGE FROM OUR
Chief
Executive
Talofa lava, Kia orana, Mālō e lelei,
Faka’alofa lahi atu, Ni sa Bula Vinaka,
Taloha ni, Talofa, Tēnā koutou
2019 has been our year of Daring Leadership. 26 brave
Pasifika leaders from across community, private and public
sectors accepted the challenge of being on our second
Mana Moana voyage. What a year it has been, and what a
transformative experience they have had together.
Daring Leadership is about learning and unlearning – their
journey required brave work and courage to show up in a
wholehearted, authentic and vulnerable way. This way of
being in leadership is not easy — choosing courage over
comfort is not always our default. But it is necessary if we
want to be braver, more daring in our leadership, and embed
the value of courage into our lives and the worlds we walk in.
It was a blessing to have Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer, a wisdom
leader, internationally renowned scholar-activist, and kupuna
of indigenous knowledge from Hawaii to launch our 2019
experience. She reinforced how as Pasifika leaders, the truth
to daring leadership lies in simultaneity; that leadership has
always been about love, that aloha is the primal source of
our collective emergence, love given and love received ‘Aloha
aku, aloha mai’; that teaching and learning happen together
‘A’o mai, A’o aku’; that mana given, and mana received ‘Mana
mai. Mana aku’ will affirm others and heal the world; and
that collective transformation happens through individual
excellence ‘Auamo kuleana’.
Mana Moana specifically asks how do we reach back into the
ancestral realm and bring the strengths, skills and genius
of our ancestors into every day? How do we identify and
harness the superpowers we have been blessed with to meet
the seemingly intractable challenges of our time? How can
we individually and collectively, courageously change the
narratives, and influence a different way forward?
Though the Mana Moana lens, the 2019 participants explored
as a group the issues and challenges of our times to see
what impact they can and must have to serve, and shape a
different future. Congratulations and thank you for stepping
courageously into your power as a leader.
Our heartfelt thanks to Foundation North for making another
year of Mana Moana possible, and I want to acknowledge the
new funding partnerships with Creative New Zealand and JR
McKenzie Trust whose funding contributions have enabled
Pasifika leaders from the creative arts sector and around the
country to participate.
Sincere thanks to all the speakers who brought their
leadership stories and truth to the group, and to all the
organisations that graciously hosted us, malo ‘aupito.
Soifua ma ia manuia.
Sina Wendt
Chief Executive, Leadership NZ