Jo Chaffer introduces this leadership podcast episode with special guest Giselle Byrnes, Provost at Massey University / Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, New Zealand.

This podcast series is for anyone practising leadership, in whatever role or job title you occupy, who wishes to reflect on and possibly extend how you do leadership and to what end.

Advance HE Global Associate Jo Chaffer speaks to six people to understand how their different backgrounds and pathways are shaping their leadership today and asks what people can learn about themselves and their leadership. Listen to the series.

This epidose features a beautifully fierce and bold conversation! Hearing Giselle speak with absolute and unequivocal clarity and certainty about the values and beliefs that drive her in how she acts, how she wishes to be with others and for others, for the intentionality, rigour and presence she brings to her leadership. This is a leadership steeped in compassion, in respect, care and integrity. One that consciously strives to enable everyone to show up (including herself) as their full selves within the professional framing of their roles. 

Themes emerging from the interview

• Discipline and attentiveness to acting from values in every aspect of leadership from staying curious and open to career-shaping choices of where and with whom to work.
• Holding deep respect for where people are speaking from, working to walk alongside them and understand from their position.
• Commitment to driving equitable access and provision for people from all walks of life and all ages to learn as part of Massey (including staff).
• Complementing Western ways with Māori ways in all aspects – ways of knowing, ways of becoming, ways of leading – ensuring everything is mana (life force) enhancing.
• That it is possible to be both strong, clear, decisive AND compassionate, open and show some vulnerabilities. In fact, clarity IS a kindness!

Questions for reflection

• To what degree do you allow and enable yourself to fully, yet professionally, ‘show-up’ in the workplace? How conscious are you of how present or held-back you are in any given situation?
• How clearly do you understand and live your values in the workplace?
  • How much scope is there to be values-driven in your actions?
  • What do you notice as you dial up or down how present and values-driven you are in terms of the impact on those around you?

Professor Giselle Byrnesis an internationally recognised historian, with senior management experience in universities in Australia and in New Zealand, who joined Massey in January 2016. She has a Bachelor of Arts in History and English and a Master of Arts in History from the University of Waikato and a PhD in History is from the University of Auckland. She has worked for the Waitangi Tribunal, taught at Victoria University of Wellington and held academic and management roles at the University of Waikato and Charles Darwin University.
 
Professor Byrnes has been Fulbright scholar teaching New Zealand Studies at Georgetown University, Washington DC, and has served as President of the New Zealand Historical Association. She has a commitment to advancing the agenda around equity and access to higher education and is a strong advocate of the critical role played by modern universities in creating social, cultural and intellectual capital for public benefit and economic wellbeing.