2023: A Year in Leadership - Reflections and Learnings

Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher, once said, “Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters...Ah, but the one, one is a warrior.”

This last year I have been very fortunate to support so many of these "warriors".....the professional leaders charged with the future success of their organisations.

The clarity of a full year of experiences often comes only with some distance. In the thick of the daily grind, time rushes by, filled with daily challenges and tasks. As my 19th year of self employment year ends, an extended break creates that valuable opportunity to pause and reflect.

At Pivot & Pace , we've had a dynamic year, providing comprehensive support to diverse & market leading companies. Our focus has remained on helping these organisations to define, adapt, and implement their strategies in the face of ongoing market fluctuations, change and disruption. We've seen our Executive and Operational Leader Programmes thrive, catering to the evolving needs of our clients. Our commitment to enhancing governance and succession planning has been ongoing.

In terms of expansion, we've broadened our horizons to Auckland and Queenstown, not just with a presence but also in strategic alliances. These partnerships, formed with academic, professional, and commercial entities, are guided by a crucial question: “How do we appear where our future clients are?” This philosophy has streamlined our approach to building trusted relationships and facilitating high value niche services alongside like minded partners.

The year wasn't without its challenges, marked by highs and lows that are part and parcel of navigating a growing business in a competitive industry. Leadership, to me, is a never-ending journey of personal growth, a constant balance of self-awareness, decision-making, professional judgement and learning to thrive in ambiguity.

As a tradition, I like to reflect on my leadership roles – as Managing Partner, Board Chair, director, father, coach, and strategist – and to identify my key learnings. Here are my significant ones from 2023, in no particular order:

1. Competition happens at the bottom. Those leading any industry are collaborating together. This year we have focussed on continuing to build on & formalise our strong strategic partnerships. When there is trust, alignment of shared values and mutual respect, this is a game changer in terms of making an impact to clients. Strategic partnerships take time, focused effort, resources and most critically they require the exchange of genuine value & goodwill between all parties involved.
2. To have a diverse team you need to set them up to succeed. We all know the benefits of having diverse thinkers at the table (different cultures, ages, genders, experiences, education, industry expertise) but in order for them to make an impact and thrive some real consideration is needed to ensure the structures, behaviours and norms evolve to leverage this impact. Too often those who bring much needed different thinking don’t stay because they feel they don’t fit and can’t make an impact. If nothing changes, nothing changes.
3. Giving time to help others has been some of my most fulfilling work in 2023. Each year I give back to others through some unpaid work. I have coached startup entrepreneurs, emerging directors, post graduate students and others who have who have simply needed a bit of support just to help them through a tough spot. I have personally learnt a lot from these people and they have helped me to explore different thinking and to be more empathetic. The giving works both ways!
4. “The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding”. Often we gravitate to the work we know, love and get energy from by default. But innovative thinking and the exploration & development of new ideas gets parked simply because of the energy needed and the time to prioritise it. This year I have been encouraged by several mentors to take reflection, listening, curiosity and questioning to another level. This has allowed better insights and has helped me to prioritise what I should be doing for future success.
5. Real talent is exceptionally hard to find. Our business thrives on talented individuals who are all rounders - they can navigate complex client relationships and deliver strategic insights with impact. Identifying and nurturing such talent remains a key focus & challenge as we move into 2024.
6. The “sandwich” generation is tricky. 2023 was such a full one year professionally and also personally. Juggling professional demands with personal responsibilities in a year filled with significant family milestones, young children and elderly parents challenges, has been a leadership learning curve in itself.

My own key personal achievements this year include:

1. Wrote the content of a masters level ‘self leadership” paper. This is one of the papers on the University of Canterbury Online Post Graduate Diploma of Strategic Leadership and was a good challenge.?
2. Presented a University of Canterbury MBA & Executive Education Masterclass.
3. In November 0f 2023 I completed the Institute of Directors “Advanced Directors” Course in Wellington. This was an amazing leadership course alongside a cohort of very experienced directors and with input from some of New Zealand’s most prominent professional directors. I learnt a vast amount about governance, myself and how to navigate complexity and ambiguity in the board room and CEO environment.
4. Building (with help) a wooden fence around the garden. Sounds simple but over 6 days, 54 post holes (Concreted) with gates and wooden railings this was one of my most satisfying achievements of 2023.
5. Spoke as the guest speaker at my hometown civic ANZAC service. In fact undertook a number of keynotes and panel events throughout 2023.
6. Organised a joint 80th birthday party to celebrate both of my parents in November. This was a such a fun experience with 90 family and friends.
7. Attended my brothers wedding in April which was an awesome farm & family celebration.
8. Attended the 35th anniversary weekend of my Army Officer Graduating class. This was a great reconnection with good friends who undertook 12 months of leadership training together in a challenging environment.

Some key measured personal metrics of 2023:

• Facilitated 47 strategic planning sessions.
• Conducted 218 one on one executive coaching sessions.
• Attended 60 board meetings as in my capacity as a director (Chairing 28 of them).
• Advised 14 Boards of Directors.
• Worked with 19 different Executive Leadership Teams.
• Consulted to 32 different organisations internationally.
• Attended 36 networking events.
• Completed 5 CEO annual appraisals and reviews.
• Led 20 customised leadership workshops.
• Travelled on 73 flights, including international.
• Completed an Oxford University Masterclass and the Advanced Directors Course.
• Took 8 weeks of annual leave to recharge.
• 17th year of marriage, 19th year of self employment.
• 3 healthy children who are all growing, exploring, learning and active.
• Contracted a clever virtual EA to support my practice.
• Read 56 books (business and biography).
• Maintained over the 12 months an average of 7 hours 37 minutes of sleep per night, 30 minutes of exercise each day, and daily average steps of 8625 (7.1km).

2023 was a busy and fulfilling year, one I look back on a think - that was hard but a lot happened! It was a year of post covid normalisation (a new normal), one of constant hustle and one that required a lot of energy.

I love what I do and the people I get to share our mission with. I want to acknowledge my business partner Greg Allnutt, MNZM for his endless hard work, laser focus and professional expertise. Complementary skills allow both of us to play to our strengths and this is definitely the leadership & implementation (Combat) multiplier that drives our business success. I also want to thank our team and our independent directors at Pivot and Pace for their hard work and the positive impact they have each day.

To our strategic partners and our valued clients. Thank you, thank you for the opportunity to work with you and to be a small part of your business and leadership success. John Spence , our strategic partner in the USA - you rock!

We have big plans and some great initiatives planned for 2024 and I look forward to starting that journey soon.....maybe after another week or two recharging.

What are your reflections of 2023? What did you learn? What did you achieve?