As leaders, embracing the concept of whakapapa can transform how we approach our roles:
- Vision Beyond the Immediate: How can you extend your planning and goal-setting beyond short-term targets? What actions can you take now that will benefit your team or organisation in the long run?
- Cultural Foundations: What values and practices are you instilling that have the potential to outlast your leadership tenure?
- Personal Legacy: How do you want to be remembered as a leader?Â
Before progressing to the next section take some time to answer the following questions.
- In your current role, what “trees” could you plant that might not come to fruition during your tenure?
- Would adopting a long-term, legacy-focused mindset change your day-to-day decision making? In what ways?
- What aspects of your team or organisational culture do you think have the potential to endure long into the future?
By embracing the concept of whakapapa, we begin to see our leadership roles not just as positions of authority, but as links in a chain stretching far into the future. This perspective can provide both purpose and humility, driving us to build something truly lasting.
