In-House Leadership Development in New Zealand
Archetype Leadership + Teams designs and runs in-house leadership development for New Zealand organisations, from frontline managers to team leaders to senior leadership teams. We work with HR, L&D and People & Culture teams, and with chief executives.
From a single workshop focused on a specific capability for a group of managers, to a programme of workshops with one-to-one coaching for leaders at different levels. Everything is shaped around your organisation, your people.
Our in-house leadership development clients include Fire and Emergency New Zealand, WorkSafe, Spark, Chapman Tripp, Goodwins, PLUSMORE, Augusto, FCB New Zealand and Collab.
Why in-house leadership development works
In-house leadership development is run for leaders from one organisation, rather than an open course with people from many. That brings four benefits:
Flexibility: the content and structure are tailored to your organisation's needs, rather than following a set curriculum.
Live situations: with no outsiders in the room, leaders can work on real, current issues and talk openly about the challenges they share.
A consistent way of leading: when leaders learn the same ideas together, leadership capability and leadership culture align, and 'how we lead' becomes more consistent across the organisation.
Support for each other: leaders help each other grow, during the workshops and after them.
The research supports this. A meta-analysis of 335 leadership development studies (Lacerenza and colleagues, Journal of Applied Psychology, 2017) found that leadership training is more effective than often assumed, especially when it is designed from an analysis of the organisation's needs and gives leaders practice with feedback. In-house development is built that way: around your needs, with practice on your leaders' real situations.
Where to start: workshops, programmes and coaching
Most organisations start small. A workshop is often the first step, and some go on to a programme once they see what it does for their leaders.
Leadership workshops
A half-day to two days on one leadership skill, such as giving feedback, accountability conversations, conflict resolution or coaching your team. Workshops suit organisations that want to build a specific capability without a bigger commitment.
In-house leadership workshops →
Leadership development programmes
A series of workshops, usually about a month apart, with a one-to-one coaching session for each leader in between. The workshops build shared capability across the group, and the coaching helps each person apply it in their own role. You can start with two or three workshops and add more if it's working.
One-to-one leadership coaching
Individual coaching for leaders whose roles carry the most weight, focused on the challenges in front of them. It can stand alone or sit alongside a programme.
We have provided one-to-one executive coaching to leaders in a range of private and public organisations including Endress+Hauser, WorkSafe, Harkness Henry, RedeMont, Goodwin’s Real Estate, Loyalty NZ and BMS Risk Solutions.
Leadership development for each level
Leaders at different levels need different things, so we tailor the content and structure of a programme to fit the needs of the participants. For example …
Team leaders and new managers – moving from doing the work to leading the people who do it.
Team leader and new manager training →
Emerging leaders – the people you're preparing for their first leadership role, or who have recently started leading.
Senior leaders – leading other leaders, setting direction and leading through influence.
Senior leadership development →
Leadership teams – how your senior team works together as a team.
What we cover
Content is chosen for each group. Topics we use often include:
What leadership is, and the difference between managing and leading
Leading yourself
Leadership styles, and how your own style shows up under pressure
Trust and psychological safety
One-to-one leadership: regular, structured conversations with each team member
Coaching skills for leaders
Feedback that improves performance
Accountability conversations
Delegation
Leading former peers, and balancing doing the work with leading it
Conflict resolution
Influence without relying on authority
Leading teams, using the Five Behaviours of high-performing teams
Turning strategy into team priorities
Personal development plans developed by each leader to guide their leadership growth.
An example programme
Here, in outline, is a full programme we have proposed for a New Zealand organisation with leaders at four levels. It is abbreviated to show how the pieces fit together: each workshop has detailed content tailored to the organisation, and every programme is designed for the organisation it's for.
Discovery conversations with the chief executive, people & culture or HR lead, and each leader participating
Three to six full-day workshops for the leaders: leadership & leading yourself; leading others; and leading teams, strategy and delivery
A one-hour coaching session with each leader after each workshop to complement the group development with individual coaching
After each workshop, every leader chooses development goals and habits to work on before the next session. At the end, each leader settles on three goals and three habits and shares them with the group, so they keep each other to them.
What it costs
Every workshop and programme is quoted up front, with a full cost estimate in a proposal. The cost depends on the number of facilitation days, how much tailoring is appropriate, and whether one-to-one coaching or other tools such as DISC profiles are included.
The proposal step is where the programme is designed and allows for change to suit budget as well as needs.
How it works
Working with us usually follows four steps.
Discovery - A conversation about what you want to change or develop, who's involved and any constraints. You don't need a finished brief.
Proposal - A proposal from us setting out the recommended format, content, timing and cost. This is where things are easily changed.
Programme Design - based on what we learn in Discovery and agree with you in the proposal discussions.
Delivery - Workshops at your premises, sometimes with online sessions, or an offsite venue. Individual coaching either online or in-person.
Who runs it
Tony Gardner is a former CEO and board chair with more than 20 years of leadership experience in New Zealand, Europe, Australia and Asia, and more than a decade of facilitating and coaching leaders. He is an Accredited Partner in DISC and a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, and is based in Auckland.
Emma Holderness is a former Chief People Officer for Loyalty NZ and Connect360 and a former Royal New Zealand Air Force officer. She is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, accredited in DISC, MBTI and Team Management Systems, and is based in Wellington.
We have worked with organisations including Fire and Emergency NZ, WorkSafe, MBIE, the Reserve Bank, Kiwibank, ASB, Spark, SkyCity, MinterEllisonRuddWatts, Chapman Tripp, Fletcher Building, Waikato-Tainui and Starship.
“Tony’s work has been outstanding. He may be the best organisational development consultant I have worked with.”
— Sue Squire, GM People & Culture
Across New Zealand
We run workshops and programmes across New Zealand, including Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch, at your premises or a venue you choose. We work with private, public and not-for-profit organisations.
If you're thinking about developing your leaders, a short conversation is a good place to start.
Frequently asked questions
What is in-house leadership development?
In-house leadership development is run for leaders from one organisation rather than an open course with people from many. The content, examples and timing are tailored to that organisation, so leaders work on their real situations and build a shared leadership language.
How is in-house leadership development different from a public leadership course?
A public course mixes people from different organisations and follows a set curriculum. An in-house workshop or programme is only for your people, uses your context and can be shaped to the outcomes you want. It is usually better value per person for a group, and easier to apply back at work.
How long does a leadership development programme take?
It depends on what you choose. A workshop runs from a half-day to two days. A programme is usually a series of workshops about a month apart, with one-to-one coaching in between. You can start with two or three workshops and add more if it's working.
How much does in-house leadership development cost in New Zealand?
Archetype quotes every workshop and programme up front. The cost depends on the number of facilitation days, how much tailoring is needed, and whether coaching or DISC profiles are included. A single workshop is a modest first step; a programme across several levels is a larger investment, set out in full in the proposal.
Do we have to commit to a full programme?
No. Many organisations start with a single workshop. If it works for your leaders, you can add workshops or coaching later.
How do I choose a leadership development provider in New Zealand?
Look for a provider who asks about your organisation before proposing anything, tailors the content to your leaders, builds in practice and follow-up, and is clear about cost. Ask to speak to a client whose leaders still use what they learned.
Which leaders is in-house leadership development for?
We work with team leaders and new managers, emerging leaders, senior leaders and leadership teams. Content is tailored to each level, and programmes often include more than one level so everyone shares the same leadership language.