Who should join
What it covers
- Enterprise leadership
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi
- Stakeholder dynamics
- Influence & negotiation
- Democracy & governance
- Ethical leadership
- Long-term planning & risk
- Legislative frameworks
- Finance & stewardship
The next cohort is coming soon, with sessions starting in February 2027.
Programme overview
Block 1 - Enterprise Leadership Strategy
Step up from business-unit management to enterprise leadership in local government and sharpen strategic and governance thinking.
Work out how to best partner with your CE to balance portfolio priorities with organisation-wide outcomes while reading culture, power and stakeholder dynamics.
Learn from guest speakers as you embed everyday ethics, transparency and open communication into real decisions.
Pressure-test choices through fireside Q&A with guest speakers and hands-on scenario labs.
Leave with a toolkit to apply an ethical framework to your everyday work, and a peer-coached action plan to apply between blocks.
Block Length: 3 in-person full days
Includes: Guest speakers and case studies
Key learning topics
- Democracy in local government
- Governance in local government
- Ethical leadership
Block 2 - Stakeholder Dynamics
Build practical influence and political acumen by mastering stakeholder dynamics in local government. You’ll map key groups, agencies, and private partners, identify leverage points for progress, and apply tools to your own challenges.
Together we’ll explore the neuroscience of influence, pressuretest real scenarios, and hear from keynote guests on decoding the political landscape and building strong relationships.
Through case-based workshops, Q&A, and peer check-ins, you’ll practise navigating risk, neutrality, conflicts of interest, and transparent communication — leaving with a clear action plan and targeted follow-ups for future sessions.
This block also includes a focused Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Local Government workshop — a four-hour session that builds leaders’ knowledge and confidence to explain what Te Tiriti means for their leadership role. Designed around real council contexts, it explores the practical implications of Te Tiriti in everyday decision-making.
Block Length: 2.5 in-person full days
Includes: Guest speakers and case studies
Key learning topics
- Understanding stakeholder dynamics
- Influencing & negotiation
- Political landscape
- Navigating political challenges
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi in local government
Block 3 - Long-term Planning & Risk Management
Turn strategy into delivery by linking your council’s Long-Term Plan (LTP) to measurable outcomes.
Clarify roles, decision making and governance.
Build your knowledge around risk management, key types (operational, financial, reputational, compliance), and look at risk identification.
Pressure-test with case studies and a guest-led scenario to surface risks and response plans.
Lift your legal savvy with core legislative frameworks and learn to spot red flags.
Leave with a series of tools, techniques and actions to trial and report back on for the next block course.
Block Length: 2 in-person full days
Includes: Guest speakers and case studies
Key learning topics
- Long-term planning
- Risk management
- Legislative framework
Block 4 - Finance & Mental Fitness
Anchor your leadership in financial fluency and resilience. Master core local government finance principles, budgeting, planning and funding models.
Convert insight to action with both group and individual reflections. Build your mental fitness using Te Whare Tapa Whã, while adding the neuroscience of wellbeing, motivation and resilience to your kete. Sharpen your storytelling and presence as you build skills on audience-led framing, clear purpose and a tight narrative.
Block Length: 2 in-person full days
Includes: Graduation, guest speakers and case studies
Key learning topics
- Finance in Local
Government - Mental Fitness
- Storytelling for influence
- Revisit challenging topics
- Graduation
Your facilitator and guest speakers
Dr Paul Wood
Dr Paul Wood
Dr Paul Wood overcame a troubled past marked by crime, addiction, and incarceration. After spending over a decade in some of New Zealand’s toughest prisons, he emerged with a newfound purpose. Now, he dedicates his life to helping others realise their potential through bespoke leadership and organisational development programmes, workshops and speaking engagements.
“Build your dream leadership team by empowering them to gain the skills and capabilities required to reach local government leadership excellence.”
