When Chelsea Lang, Head of HR for Sanitarium’s Supply Chain, joined the company two and a half years ago, she faced a unique challenge. Sanitarium, known for its household brands like Weet-Bix and Up & Go, was undergoing unprecedented growth after 25 years of stability. This growth led to rapid changes—new product lines, a new distribution centre, and the recruitment of over 350 new employees, including 50 new leaders.

In the midst of this transformation, Chelsea turned to The Emotional Culture Deck to guide Sanitarium’s leaders and teams through the complex changes. Her approach was simple yet powerful: harness the emotional side of leadership to drive success. Chelsea focused on helping leaders move beyond the traditional “tell, tell, tell” approach and encouraged them to ask questions, listen actively, and coach their teams with empathy.

Since then, Chelsea has integrated The ECD into Sanitarium’s leadership and culture strategy, impacting...

Leadership doesn't happen overnight. It is nurtured, honed, and continuously developed. This is the ethos behind the Whanake o te Kōpara Programme—a comprehensive leadership development programme delivered by Women in Sport Aotearoa and Shift. Designed for young women aged 19-25, the programme is more than just a series of workshops and discussions. It's an investment in the leaders of tomorrow, specifically for a group that has often been overlooked: young women, particularly those involved in sport, active recreation, and wellbeing sectors in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Why It Matters

In a world increasingly cognisant of the need for strong, well-rounded leaders, the Whanake o te Kōpara Programme plays an instrumental role. It doesn't just aim to fill a professional skills gap; it strives to fill an emotional and mental one, too. Young women emerge from the programme with newfound skills, certainly, but also with an emotional intelligence that enriches not only their...

RESETTING BOUNDARIES

How Cricket Wellington is applying the Emotional Culture Deck to its whole of cricket approach

The Deck is disarming, says Jeremy, and that’s why it is so effective. It’s a fun, easy, non-threatening way to share personal stuff, especially at times of change. And that certainly proved to be the case as the Emotional Culture Deck was introduced to individuals in core teams at Cricket Wellington, then whole teams, ground staff and more.

Walk through the Basin Reserve buildings and it’s clear that this is a game that deeply values its traditions. They’ve been playing cricket here for more than 150 years …

So the arrival of Cam as CEO was something of an oddball: a professional administrator, with a background in football, brought in by the Board to right a ship that was struggling.

It didn’t take Cam long to work out that the trouble ran deeper than just the balance sheet. People were busy but the work didn’t align back...