Leadership is not a destination. It’s a journey of making meaning – one that begins with knowing yourself, being grounded in values, and drawing strength from those who have come before.
Yet for many young people today, that journey is anything but straightforward. Mental health challenges are rising, access to support is uneven, and the pressures of social and economic instability weigh heavily. The currents of life have never been more complex.
In West Auckland, a new initiative is responding by putting wayfinding leadership into practice.
Guided by Chellie Spiller’s framework, 35 rangatahi and tamariki at I Love Avondale took part in a wānanga exploring the five waypoints of leadership:
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- Orientation on how to lead
- Implementing values
- Human Dynamics
- Deepening Practices
- Exploring and discovering destinations
Distilling the waypoints for the wananga, rangatahi were taken through activities to explore:
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- Who am I?
- Where am I from?
- What are my values?
- What are my aspirations? (my destination).
Through activities – from reflecting on whakapapa, to breaking down what leadership means personally, to building mini waka that expressed their values – young people were given practical tools to connect with themselves and strengthen their hauora.
Christian Curtis, Healthy Families Waitākere Systems Innovator, says the framework is rooted in indigenous wisdom: “It draws on the metaphor of the waka and the skills of Pacific navigators who voyaged across vast oceans with precision, purpose, and connection to their environment. The framework embodies the notion that leadership is not about a destination, but about making meaning of the journey itself – building resilience and strengthening hauora along the way.”
The initiative is currently being tested and overseen by Healthy Families Waitākere, informed by Te Whānau o Waipareira Tū Pakari and youth mentors from Turn Your Life Around – a youth development organisation in Tamaki Makaurau. Danny Silivelio, from Te Whānau Waipareira continues.
“Our rangatahi often face challenges in staying connected to their culture, largely due to a lack of exposure and opportunities to learn. By creating spaces where they can connect, learn, and be guided along their cultural journey, this framework helps them strengthen their sense of belonging and realise the power that comes from knowing and standing proudly in who they are.”
“I learnt how the kids related to their whakapapa and whanau from different cultures and countries. So got to know a little bit more about the children.” Tina, Kaiako with I Love Avondale.
For many participants, the wānanga created a rare chance to pause and reflect, with rangatahi sharing insights such as, “my favourite part was that learning more about wayfinding leadership, helped me learn more about how to connect with others and my culture”.
Wayfinding leadership has sustained people for generations – in times of both challenge and prosperity. In West Auckland today, it is offering rangatahi the same navigational tools: to steady themselves, read the signs around them, and chart pathways toward stronger hauora.
The initiative partners are currently exploring opportunities to embed the model. For more information please contact Christian Curtis – Christian.Curtis@sportwaitakere.nz.
