Editorial: A new business paradigm

There has never been greater need for leadership. In an economically sputtering post-GFC world we face some of the greatest challenges mankind has had to confront. convergence of environmental, social and economic upheaval will test the resilience of our species like no other period in our history has done.
Against this backdrop we must consider the research reported in the cover story (pages 16-21) showing an acute leadership shortage in New Zealand. Our small size and egalitarian roots – considered pluses by many of us – count against us in the leadership stakes, and the growing complexity of business requires depth and breadth of skills not found in the majority of New Zealand leaders. Adding to those concerns are the findings of governance expert Doug Matheson on the state of board performance in his article on ‘Lessons from the recession’s rubble’ in The Director on page 40.
By contrast this month we launch the 2011 Deloitte/Management magazine Top 200 Companies awards campaign which will both identify and celebrate business leaders and organisations that have reached the top of their game and provide role models for the rest of us to aspire to. The awards theme for 2011 is: Top 200 Thinking – harnessing the brain power of our leaders to activate transformation, and over the coming months we will be providing advice and insights from leading New Zealanders addressing the key issues that confront us. Visit blog.top200thinking.co.nz to join the conversation.
It’s appropriate that in this issue we include Leaders, the publication we produce for not-for-profit Leadership New Zealand. Now in its seventh year, LNZ is going long way towards addressing the leadership crisis in New Zealand, facilitating conversations about the bigger issues confronting society, and forging cross-sector and cross-community relationships amongst our emerging leaders. This is not your traditional leadership ‘training’ model and recognises that true leadership is an attitude and way of being in the world rather than any skill set. It reinforces the truth that real leadership springs from genuine passion to make the world, or some part of it, better place. This conflicts with some traditional business models that measure success by narrow band of economic indices.
Our challenge then, in the business sector, is to create and operate within new paradigm – one that considers and accommodates all the elements that contribute to healthy society. You can participate in debate about how this can be achieved on NZ Management’s Top200 blog at
blog.top200thinking.co.nz.