2026 Nuffield NZ Farming Scholarship. Apply by 17 August 2025. Read More...

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Kellogg Blog & News

Kellogg Programme Two (K54) 2025 graduate.

After six months, 19 in-person days, delivered across three phases, K54 Kellogg Programme Two 2025, have completed their individual research reports and have graduated. 

Congratulations Kellogg Programme Two 2025

Rural Leaders are pleased to share the latest reports from the graduates of Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme Two 2025 (K54).

Over the last six months the graduates have grown as people and as leaders. A large part of this growth has come from a deep dive into a research topic of interest to them and of value to the sector.

Congratulations to all of the Scholars. Anna Vaughan, Matt Scarf, Tara Dwyer, Tim Orlando-Reep, Natasha Cave, David March, Tim Waehling, Bryan Gibson, Nick Vernon, Nicky Halley, Zac Howell, Pranoy Pal, Geoff Crawford, Olivia Smith, Campbell Smith.

The reports covers such topics as: Biodiversity credit for sheep and beef farmers, news with value, genotyping the NZ sheep flock, wearables, dairy social license, data interoperability, and competition vs collaboration.

Professional Partners: PwC, Tavendales, Federated Farmers

Alumni in the Spotlight – Geoffrey Neilson, Dan Steele, Emma Crutchley, Conan Moynihan, Dan Eb and more.

Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector. 

Geoffrey Neilson

Geoffrey (Geoff) Neilson (Nuffield 1976)

Southern farmers Geoff and Ailsa Neilson are being celebrated for opening their home and the minds of scores of Welsh visitors. ODT’s Shawn McAvinue talks to Mr Neilson about his family hosting more than 100 Welsh students on their sheep and beef farm and his wife being his greatest mentor.

Take a read of this ODT article about an extraordinary couple, and a Nuffield alum who is the embodiment of the Nuffield spirit. 

Emma Crutchley, Jon Pemberton

Emma Crutchley (Kellogg 2018, Value Chain 2023), Jon Pemberton (Nuffield 2025), ‘Farm without Harm’ video.

Otago sheep and beef farmer Emma Crutchley (2018 Kellogg Scholar, 2023 Value Chain) and Jon Pemberton (2025 Nuffield Scholar) feature in a ‘farm without harm’ campaign (Safer Farms/ACC).

The campaign leads with videos sharing practical tips designed to help farmers to make small changes to the way they might do things. Ultimately, the work aims to reduce on-farm injury by suggesting a pause before you act; ACC’s familiar ‘hmmm’ ad platform.

If you haven’t seen these clips already, check out one here.

Dan Steele

Dan Steele (Nuffield 2015, Value Chain 2023)

Blue Duck Station owner Dan Steele NZ and wife Sandy recently won the tourism environment category at the New Zealand Tourism Awards.

Blue Duck Station, is a working beef and sheep farm and eco-tourism destination in Whanganui National Park.

“We’re really hoping that this becomes more mainstream, for more businesses to do more conservation work and pay their rent to NZ for looking after our natural capital,” said Dan.

Congratulations to Dan, family, and the Blue Duck Station team. Take a read of a Whanganui Chronicle article here.

Dan Eb

Dan Eb (Nuffield 2021)

In his semi-regular crafting of articles for Farmers Weekly’s ‘Eating the Elephant column, Dan asserts that Pirates were actually the pioneers of modern Human Resources and workplace culture.

“Despite working in a context of high seas thievery and murder, they built flat, high-performing organisations based on trust, transparency and teamwork that outdo many modern teams and companies.”

Dan offers a few pirate myths this idea busts and lessons it offers for us modern folk. Take a read of the article here.

Conan Moynihan, Phoebe Scherer, Reuben Carter, Dr Jordi Hoult, Daniel Judd

The following alumni featured in the latest issue of CountryWide magazine. To access the Virtual Magazine, you need to be a subscriber and be logged in to the site. 

Log in here or choose your subscription here: 12-month CountryWide Digital Only Subscription. OR purchase a copy for delivery

Conan Moynihan (Kellogg 2022), CountryWide Magazine, Page 24.
Conan ‘Force of Nature Consulting’, is helping farmers find the sweet spot between environmental and economic sustainability. Conan believes that the future of farming must remain rooted in tradition and in transformation too. 

Phoebe Scherer, Reuben Carter (HortNZ Leadership Programme 2025 and 2024 respectively)
On Page 82 and 83 an article ‘Nurturing the next generation’ offers a timely dive into the future of leadership in the horticulture sector. Horticulture New Zealand celebrates 20 years this year. 

Bay of Plenty grower and 2025 Young Grower of the Year, Phoebe Scherer and Reuben Carter, along with Kate Scott, CEO HortNZ, offer comment on leadership in the sector.

Dr. Jordi Hoult (Kellogg 2024), CountryWide Magazine, Page 80.
Jordi graduated Kellogg after presenting her research ‘Empowering the missing middle in leadership’. The report asserts that 30-50 years old farmers and rural professionals are missing from the leadership conversation.

On her research Jordi says, “Despite the wealth of experience many in this group possess, traditional leadership development pathways tend to focus on younger individuals, leaving mid-career professionals without the resources they need to continue growing.”

Daniel Judd (Kellogg 2025), CountryWide Magazine, Page 58.
Daniel’s excellent Kellogg report, ‘The soils gap: interactions between science, commerce and culture, is explored on page 58 and 59 of the magazine. Daniel’s report and the article explore the drivers behind conventional and regenerative farming practices and seeks to reduce the barriers that seperate the two approaches.

NZRLT (Rural Leaders) Leadership update.

After nearly nine years with Rural Leaders, including the last two and a half years as Chief Executive Officer, Lisa Rogers has decided the time is right to move on from her role, effective 9 January 2026.

During her time with the Trust, Lisa has made a significant and lasting contribution. She has led Rural Leaders through several major projects and periods of change, and now feels the time is right for someone new to build on this work and continue to advance the Trust.

While the Board is saddened by Lisa’s decision to move on, it fully supports her choice and is confident that her influence on Rural Leaders and rural leadership will continue well beyond her tenure with the organisation.

The Board will begin a recruitment process in the new year. Over the coming weeks, we will also work with the Rural Leaders’ team to ensure the continued delivery of our programmes.

The Board is very confident in the teams’ ability to continue to deliver to the high standard they are known for during this period of change.

If you would like to discuss this announcement further, please feel free to get in touch at Kate@landpro.co.nz

Kind regards,
Kate Scott
Board Chair, NZ Rural Leadership Trust

Alumni in the Spotlight – Clare Bradley, Jared Clarke, Kelly Heckler, Tracey Perkins, Erica van Reenen, Dr Jordi Hoult

Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector. 

Clare Bradley, Jared Clarke, Kelly Heckler, Tracey Perkins, 2026 Nuffield Scholars

The four new Nuffield Scholars received their awards in Parliament on 4 November.
From Canterbury, Otago and the Bay of Plenty, and representing industries including dairy, sheep and beef and aquaculture, they join 193 Nuffield New Zealand alumni and over 2000 international alumni.

Coverage in the news includes:

Erica van Reenen, 2012 Kellogg Scholar

Erica van Reenen featured on REX (Rural Exchange) recently. Erica is the 2025 Rural Professional of the Year and AgFirst Chair. Erica spoke about her time working in government policy at the intersection of the Clarke and Key tenures. And she spoke about the lessons she learned and her time as a Kellogg Scholar. Listen to the podcast episode here.

Dr Jordi Hoult, 2024 Kellogg Scholar

Dr Jordi Hoult, discusses drawing on her Kellogg research and experience in New Zealand’s food and fibre sector with Sarah Perriam-Lampp on the CountryWide podcast. Jordi explores how to empower mid-career professionals often overlooked in leadership. She identifies her Kellogg research “the missing middle” and highlights mentorship and flexible development as key to helping people in their 30s–50s thrive and shape the sector’s future. 

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Renée Walker joins the Rural Leaders team.

The New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (Rural Leaders) is pleased to announce the appointment of Renée Walker as Kellogg Programme Facilitator. Renée will join Kellogg Programme One 2026.

For Renée Walker, Rural Leaders’ newly appointed Kellogg Programme facilitator, leadership has always been about people – seeing them, understanding them, and helping them unlock their own potential.

A former Chief Operating Officer and senior executive with more than 20 years’ experience leading teams through transformation and culture-building, Renée has built a career defined by involvement, visibility, and genuine connection. She has led through complexity – notably during Canterbury’s post-earthquake recovery -and brings deep experience in strategy, change leadership, and executive-level coaching.

Today, Renée is the director of The Leadership Revolutionist and Thrive For Life, working across New Zealand to equip leaders – from senior executives to Year 13 students – with the confidence, mindset, and capability to lead with heart and courage. She is known for her high-energy facilitation style, practical frameworks, and ability to create space for honest reflection and meaningful change. Her facilitation work spans boardrooms, classrooms, and conference stages, including leadership programmes, culture workshops, and Extended DISC and NLP-based development experiences.

From two large North Otago farming families, Renée’s connection to the rural sector runs deep. “It’s not just the backbone of New Zealand,” Renée reflects. “It is New Zealand. The rural sector is who we are.” With generations of family farming behind her, she understands the culture, values and pressures of rural life – and the pride that goes with it.

That rural pride led to working with Alliance Group – New Zealand’s only 100% farmer-owned red meat cooperative at the time – working in a role supporting and advocating for farmers. “My family have always been Alliance shareholders and suppliers,” Renée explains. “It felt important to be part of something that represents farmers so directly.”

Renée’s leadership journey began with a childhood dream of teaching, inspired by a grandmother who taught in small rural schools. “I thought you could only change lives by being a teacher,” Renée says. “But I realised leadership can do that too, being the person who sees others and helps them grow.”

Her career has spanned marketing, communications, insurance, and government relations, including her role as Deputy Chief Executive at EQC. “I’ve never been defined by a title,” Renée insists. “I don’t claim to be the smartest or the most technical person in the room, but I get people, and that’s been my greatest strength.”

Her work now focuses on culture, capability, and future-ready leadership – areas she believes are essential in a rural sector navigating generational change. “Young people don’t want hierarchy – they want autonomy, influence, and choice. That shift can be confronting… but also incredibly exciting for the sector.”

As the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme Facilitator, Renée hopes to foster “…more diversity of voice…” in the sector. “We need different ways of thinking at the table,” Renée says. “Leadership is about helping people have an informed voice, especially as governments’ views of the rural sector can change.”

Outside work, Renée describes life as “integrated rather than balanced.” She balances time with her 13 year old son, and large extended family with community and board roles. Renée serves on the boards of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and the Riccarton Rotary Youth Trust, is a registered Marriage Celebrant, and an active supporter of several charities.

“I’m not known for relaxing…one of my key values is curiosity – I believe the more curious you are and the more you do, the more interesting and connected you become. That’s how you can really help others.”

Renée joins Kellogg Programme One 2026, which starts 27 January in Lincoln.

2026 Nuffield NZ Farming Scholars announced.

Last night (Tues 4 Nov) at Parliament, in front of Rural Leaders’ investing partners and political and industry leaders, Hon. Minister Todd McClay awarded the 2026 Nuffield Scholarships to four new leaders. 

Nuffield Farming Scholarships have been awarded to New Zealand’s Primary Industries leaders for 75 years.

With a global network of more than 2,000 alumni, 197 of these from New Zealand, Nuffield continues to help build rural leadership capability and Food and Fibre NZ’s global profile.

Last night at Parliament, in front of Rural Leaders’ investing partners and political and industry leaders, Hon. Minister Todd McClay awarded the 2026 Nuffield Scholarships to four new leaders.

The 2026 scholars represent three regions and several industries including dairy, aquaculture, and red meat.

The cohort will undertake a Rural Leaders delivered programme that offers a life-changing opportunity for travel, study of the latest agriculture innovations and an introduction to decision-makers around the world.

The new scholars were announced by Minister McClay as: Clare Bradley, a Bay of Plenty Aquaculturalist, Jared Clarke, a Canterbury Farmer, Kelly Heckler, an Otago Farmer, and Tracey Perkins, a Canterbury Farmer. They are the 194th, 195th, 196th and 197th New Zealand scholars respectively.

“Clare, Jared, Kelly and Tracey have shown they value giving back to community and industry, they display innovative approaches to their work, and they have demonstrated a track record of meeting challenges head on. 

Ultimately, they are now tasked with finding those deep insights that will create lasting benefit for New Zealand food and fibre, their industries and their communities,” said Kate Scott, Rural Leaders and Nuffield NZ Chair.

Lisa Rogers, Rural Leaders’ CEO added, “Clare, Jared, Kelly and Tracey have each exhibited the characteristics that embody a Nuffield Scholar and ambassador for NZ Food and Fibre.”

Introducing the 2026 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholars.

Clare Bradley, CEO AgriSea, Bay of Plenty
Clare Bradley is based in Paeroa with her children and husband AgriSea Chief Innovation Officer, Tane. Clare, CEO, leads a 30-strong team pioneering seaweed-based bio-stimulants, animal health supplements, and high-value hydrogels for agriculture and biotechnology. 

Clare is a leading advocate for the sustainable growth of Aotearoa’s seaweed sector. Guided by appreciation & respect for the marine environment, Clare has championed innovation that protects New Zealand’s underwater forests while creating economic, environmental, and cultural value. 

As the founding Chair of the Aotearoa New Zealand Seaweed Association, and Rere ki Uta, Rere ki tai, Clare is driving collaboration between Western science and Mātauranga Māori to build a trusted, sustainable sector. 

Under her leadership, AgriSea promotes local empowerment, zero-waste production, and circular economy principles. Known for her environmental vision, Clare continues to shape New Zealand’s emerging blue economy, turning the country’s rich marine biodiversity into a model of innovation and guardianship.

Clare’s Nuffield research is likely to explore the economic, environmental, and logistical viability of smaller, decentralised processing hubs and whether they can create local jobs, strengthen value chains, and enhance commercial resilience.

Jared Clarke, Farmer, Canterbury (John Hopkins Scholarship Award Winner)
Jared Clarke is a Canterbury dairy farmer with a strong record of performance, innovation and team development. A Lincoln University B.Ag.Sci (Hons) graduate.

From 2017 to 2022, Jared and his wife Victoria operated Two Rivers Ltd, a 50/50 sharemilking business milking 2,000 cows. In 2022, they formed an equity partnership and purchased Mount Rivers Ltd, a 1,000-cow irrigated dairy farm supplying A2 milk to Synlait. Under their leadership, the business has delivered high returns, sustainability initiatives and strong team retention. 

Jared believes that “turning sunlight into food is a noble task.” Known for his ability to ignore constraints, he enjoys helping fellow farmers where he can on performance, people and innovation. 

Off-farm, Jared’s governance work includes director of Barrhill Chertsey Ltd, a member of the Canterbury Farm Business Group, and a former member of LIC’s Shareholder Reference Group.

Interested (and passionate) about the potential for a reduced reliance on imported energy, both on-farm and at a national level, Jared’s Nuffield research is likely to be on the generation and storage of energy.

Kelly Heckler, Farmer, Community Leader, Central Otago
Kelly Heckler and her family farm Lauder Creek, a high-country sheep and beef property in the Manuherekia catchment of Central Otago.

Kelly is a values-driven leader and advocate for sustainable food and fibre production, recognised for her commitment to intergenerational resilience in New Zealand’s primary industries. 

As chairperson of Otago Water Resource Users Group, Kelly led the organisation through a major transformation, restructuring it into a formal incorporated society to improve accountability and adaptability. “Real impact doesn’t always come with grand gestures … it’s often about steady progress behind the scenes,” says Kelly.

Kelly’s leadership philosophy centres on authenticity and collaboration. Her experience navigating policy reform and community engagement has deepened her understanding of the challenges facing rural New Zealand.

Kelly aims to build a resilient, intergenerational farming business and advance innovative farm-planning solutions that support people and environment. She sees the future of agriculture as one built on integrity, communication, and shared purpose. “When we bring people together behind a common vision, we can shape a thriving, sustainable future for generations to come,” added Kelly.

Kelly is exploring research in Freshwater Management with specific focus on water allocation in overallocated catchments.

Tracey Perkins – Farmer, Sustainable Land and Water Management Advisor, Founder of AgriThrive

Tracey Perkins is a Canterbury-based dairy farmer, facilitator, and sustainable land and water management advisor who combines hands-on agricultural experience with a deep commitment to helping rural communities thrive.

Living in Darfield on a 1050-cow dairy farm with her partner Jonny and their three children, Tracey balances family life with leadership in sustainable land use and rural development.

Of Ngā Puhi and Raukawa descent, Tracey brings both cultural grounding and practical expertise to her work.

As the Founder and Lead Facilitator of AgriThrive, she is the only agricultural facilitator in New Zealand using a trauma-informed, farmer-to-farmer approach. A graduate of the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme, she has over a decade of professional experience in biosecurity and environmental sustainability.

Tracey’s achievements include forming and guiding numerous Canterbury catchment and community groups, leading successful teams, and recently serving as Campaign Manager for Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon.

She is passionate about empowering people to build resilient, solutions-focused communities. Whether through AgriThrive, local schools, or industry leadership, she champions collaboration, sustainability, and the belief that lasting change starts with people.

Tracey intends to explore “The Third Model,” an approach integrating Indigenous stewardship principles with the operational and economic realities of intensive agriculture to create a sustainable foundation for New Zealand’s future.

Congratulations to the four 2026 Nuffield scholars.

For more information about the Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarships,
go to https://ruralleaders.co.nz/nuffield

 

Fresh from their award night, our Nuffield Scholars featured in a RNZ interview, listen here:

FMG and Rural Leaders renew Strategic Partnership.

The New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (Rural Leaders) is pleased to announce the renewal of their Strategic Partnership agreement with FMG.

Rural Leaders and Strategic Partner FMG, have renewed their partnership agreement, reinforcing a shared commitment to lifting leadership capability and to building stronger rural communities.

The new agreement formalises the continued alignment of values and support for Rural Leaders’ mission to develop capable industry leaders who, in turn, strengthen the communities they represent.

As a Mutual, FMG takes a long-term view – building long-term connections with rural New Zealand and reinvesting to help build strong and prosperous rural communities. FMG sponsors over 700 local events each year, from smaller lamb and calf days right up to National Field Days, and the FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest.

The renewal of the FMG-Rural Leaders partnership, alongside a long-standing relationship with Rural Leaders’ Programme Partner Farmlands, exemplifies this focus.

”FMG has been supporting farmers and growers for over 120 years now, and we’re committed to supporting the generations to come. It is a privilege to partner with Rural Leaders and support the future of farming in New Zealand Aotearoa. No doubt, our rural leaders will continue to challenge the status quo, team up to pool resources, share knowledge and capability as they have throughout our country’s history,” said Pete Frizzell, Chief Marketing Officer, FMG.

With FMG’s support, Rural Leaders’ programmes will continue to develop confident, skilled leaders equipped to tackle the challenges and opportunities facing their communities, industries, and the Food and Fibre sector.

“The partnership’s impact is evident in the transformative growth of our programme alumni, who consistently demonstrate enhanced leadership ability, show great resilience, and are better equipped to drive change”, said Lisa Rogers, CEO, Rural Leaders.

FMG also fosters leadership development internally, with employees regularly attending the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme.

FMG has been a Strategic Partner of Rural Leaders since the Trust’s formation in 2017.

(Pictured – Pete Frizzell, Chief Marketing Officer at FMG, and Lisa Rogers, CEO Rural Leaders).

MyLead – Supporting stronger leadership in Food and Fibre.

MyLead: Supporting stronger Leadership in Food and Fibre.

A closer look at MyLead’s leadership stage outcomes and the industry stories that bring these to life.

MyLead.co.nz helps individuals at all stages of their leadership journey identify tailored development pathways to support their personal and professional growth.

MyLead marks a step toward a more coordinated and impactful approach to developing our sector’s most important asset – our people.

Research commissioned by Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence and led by Rural Leaders provides a leadership framework. The site brings this framework to life with an ecosystem of leadership programmes along with leadership outcomes by stage, supported by real industry stories.

The outcomes and stories vary depending on both the stage and industry selections users make on the site, making it a personalised experience.

What follows is an opportunity to review all of the leadership outcomes from the framework and their supporting stories.

These have been categorised, as they would be on MyLead, under the three leadership stages: leading self, leading others, leading strategy.

Leading self (team member/team leader)

Those at the Leading Self stage are focused on planning and executing tasks to achieve organisational or team objectives.

Leaders build trust

Relationships are founded on trust. It is also the oxygen that leadership breathes. How leaders behave builds or destroys trust. Without trust, suspicion, misunderstandings, failing relationships, and toxic workplaces quickly follow.

Story from the Sector

Leaders have empathy

To learn and understand others, we must demonstrate empathy. This is the ability to see and understand someone else’s perspective without judging it, or them… Demonstrating a genuine care and empathy for the team was frequently cited as a core attribute of what kaimahi (workers) in the sector wanted from their leaders.

Story from the Sector

Leaders are resilient

As a concept, resilience refers to the ability to endure and absorb the shocks of the world and recover from adversity… The good news is it is a learnable skill. For example, leaders can practice focusing on what they can control, taking charge of their thoughts, and adopting helpful habits.

Story from the Sector

Leaders are curious

Curiosity is a hunger to learn and grow further… The best leaders are not just curious about those things that directly relate to them, but they are also curious about what is happening beyond their immediate environment and how they might be able to adapt ideas from elsewhere.

Story from the Sector

Leaders understand their reputation

As leaders, we need to understand our reputation. Asking for 360-degree feedback can be very useful here (and potentially very confronting). How do other people see us? And does this reflect who we believe we are?

Story from the Sector

Leaders are in tune with their feelings

We lead people when we move them emotionally. So as leaders, we need to understand how emotions work, how they impact our thinking, affect our physical bodies, and how they spread between people.

Story from the Sector

Leaders understand their own drivers and values

As the leader, we are our first team member. So, leading ourselves is our first leadership responsibility. Knowing ourselves is a big ask, because it means exploring what it is that makes us tick—to differentiate between things that give us strength and those that cause grief.

Story from the Sector

Leading others (manager/general manager)

Those at the Leading Others stage bridge strategy and action by organising and systemising for success.

Leaders hold people to account

Leadership involves taking accountability for the behaviours and performance of the team while having the courage to share responsibility and authority with them.

Story from the Sector

Leaders delegate authority

As the leader, we are accountable for the results and wellness of our team. A leader’s accountability cannot be divided or delegated, but our authority and responsibilities can and should be… It takes courage to let go and let others act for us, knowing they may do it differently to us.

Story from the Sector

Leaders make effective decisions

Effective leadership is not a popularity contest. Leadership comes with scars. This is because a leader’s calling is to change-up (or adapt) the game rather than optimise the current game. To change with the times, the sector needs leaders with the courage of their convictions.

Story from the Sector

Leaders invest in people’s growth

As leaders we grow people, and our people grow the Food and Fibre our nation relies on. When we invest in our people, we invest in our business, not least because our people make decisions every day that have a material impact on the purpose or profit of our organisation.

Story from the Sector

Leaders deal with status and power

Leadership roles typically come with status and power which, to the unprepared, can be intoxicating. Leaders who put their own interests first, or who start thinking their elevated position equates to importance, set a rot in action that will ultimately undermine themselves and the results they seek to create.

Story from the Sector

Leaders serve something greater than themselves

Truly leading well is an act of service. Our role as the leader, is to serve the collective, not ourselves… An ethos of service works by unlocking one of leadership’s paradoxes (to lead we must serve). Leaders who serve, harness the reciprocal energy of the collective group or team.

Story from the Sector

Leaders make one-to-one connections

Leaders build a bridge between themselves and other people. To do this, leaders build trust, get alongside their people, and do more than just communicate— they connect. At its best, connecting is akin to creating a sense of family, this is the Māori value of whakawhanaungatanga.

Story from the Sector

Leaders know and understand others

As leaders, in addition to knowing ourselves we need to know others. To know others, we must seek to understand them. The things we seek to learn about ourselves (personality, thinking style, emotions, and resilience) are the same things we need to be curious about in seeking to know others.

Story from the Sector

Leading strategy (executive/director)

Those at the Leading Strategy stage focus on articulating the vision, generating value and creating competitive advantage.

Leaders energise the team

Energy is the wellspring of true leadership. When we are truly leading, the alignment of our whole self with meaningful purpose energises us and others are drawn to it. Finding what energises us and what feels true, is leadership’s X-factor. This is when the magic happens.

Story from the Sector

Leaders connect the team to an organisational purpose

People need to know that what they do matters. Leaders ensure their people understand how their task is important to the bigger picture. People simply want to know why they’re doing a task; this is what makes it meaningful.

Story from the Sector

Leaders create an environment where team members have autonomy over their timing and place of work

Flexible working practices should, as the name says, be flexible. It is unrealistic to think we can apply flexible working practices universally across an organisation. The goal is to apply them where possible. Organisations that embrace flexibility will maximise the pool of talent they can recruit from.

Story from the Sector

Leaders create an environment where team members have the autonomy to determine how best to conduct their tasks

People don’t want to be micromanaged. To give our people more autonomy, we need to focus more on the outputs we want them to achieve, and less on their inputs (methods, hours, and location required to deliver those outputs). In the end, it is as simple as giving people choice.

Story from the Sector

Leaders role model belonging

As leaders, we must create an environment where all our people feel they truly belong. This includes us. If we are brave enough to be authentic, we show our team members that it is safe for them to be authentic too.

Story from the Sector

Leaders create an environment where all team members feel safe to be their full and authentic selves

Leaders create an environment where everyone in their team can bring their whole, authentic, unique self to work and feel truly valued and included.

Story from the Sector

Generate your own leadership development pathway

Visit MyLead.co.nz

Alumni in the Spotlight – Tracy Brown, Shannon Harnett, Steve Sterne, Simon Cook, Phil Weir

Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector. 

Shannon Harnett, 2020 Nuffield Scholar

Shannon Harnett shares her recent AI learning experience exclusively with Rural Leaders.

Read Shannon’s article here.

Tracy Brown, 2020 Nuffield Scholar, 1997 Kellogg Scholar

Tracy Brown has been re-appointed unopposed as a director to the DairyNZ Board.

Read the article here.

Phil Weir, 2020 Nuffield Scholar, 2016 Kellogg Scholar

Phil Weir has an opinion piece published on Farmers Weekly about whether it’s time to consider feedlots as ‘batteries’ for the meat supply chain.

Read the article here.

Steve Sterne, 2007 Nuffield Scholar

Steve Sterne was recently honoured with NZPork’s Outstanding Contribution Award.

Read the article here.

Simon Cook, 2018 Nuffield Scholar

Simon Cook has been elected to the Horticulture New Zealand board.

Read the article here.

Shannon Harnett – Making AI work for you

Shannon is a 2020 Nuffield Scholar, Director and Co-Owner of Rural Accountants and has investments in agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture businesses. In this article Shannon shares her insights into how to make AI work well for you.

Making AI Work for You
The first time I saw ChatGPT in action was in the summer of 2023, at a friend’s house. We asked it to write a poem about accountants. It was hilarious — but underneath the humour, I realised the potential.

Very quickly, AI became my assistant. At first, it fixed grammar and spelling in emails and reports. My writing became sharper, more concise, and easier to read with far less grammar and spelling mistakes! Mark Twain once said, “If I had more time, I would have written less.”  With AI, that constraint no longer applies.

The real turning point, though, was when I used AI to turn something messy into something structured and useful. Not “robots taking over the world.” Just getting the AI to ask me questions, one by one, about a project I was working on, then pulling my answers into a clean, usable format.

That’s when it clicked: AI isn’t just a word-smithing assistant. It’s a strategic tool. Used well, it takes work off your plate, sharpens your thinking, and creates scale without the hours of refining.

It Starts with the Question
The biggest lesson? It’s not about having the right answer. It’s about asking the right question.

I now frame prompts like I’m briefing a new hire: clear role, clear context, clear task. For example, as a CEO, I don’t just type, “Help me with strategy.” That’s far too broad. Instead, I say:

“You are my Scaling Up Strategy Assistant. Ask me one question at a time. Start with People, then Strategy, then Execution, then Cash, then Risks & Opportunities. Only show me the full summary once we’ve covered all five areas.”

The result is an interactive interview where AI does the admin while I do the thinking. That’s the power of a good prompt: it forces clarity, and the output is miles better than a vague question ever delivers. And, in truth, learning to prompt AI has made me a better leader — clearer, more structured, and more intentional in what I ask of others.

Small Steps, Big Wins
You don’t need to overhaul your whole business to start. Try it on something small, try it on something creative.

Don’t know what to have for dinner? Take a photo of what’s in the fridge, upload it to AI, and it’ll generate recipes with step-by-step instructions.

It sounds trivial, but it proves the point: AI can sift through messy inputs, structure them, and give you something useful in seconds. In business, the same applies — pulling data from multiple reports, tidying client communications, or drafting meeting notes. These aren’t tasks we can’t do. They’re tasks that chew through time — and AI gives that time back.

The Power of Projects
The real magic happens when you start treating AI as a project partner. I’ve been experimenting with GPT-powered projects that run like structured workflows — guiding me step by step, capturing the right inputs, and producing a clear, consistent output.

Here’s what that looks like:

  • A marketing project where AI builds a content calendar in my brand voice.
  • A reporting project where AI pulls numbers from my files and formats them into a tidy monthly pack.
  • A strategy project where AI interviews me (or my team) and distils the answers into a one-page plan.

You define the outcome, give AI the right resources (files, data, context), set simple rules, and let it guide the process. The result is structure, quality, and momentum — without false starts or bottlenecks.

And once a project is set up, anyone in the team can run it. That means clarity and consistency, whether I’m leading it or handing it over.

AI in the Tools You Already Use
AI isn’t just in chat windows. It’s already creeping into the software you use every day.

Take Microsoft Copilot. It can scan emails and Teams chats, spot an approval request (“Can I go ahead with this?”), and track it. If three days go by without a reply, it nudges the approver and updates the requester.

That alone kills the “lost in the inbox” problem that slows teams down. But it also shines at surfacing related documents inside Microsoft 365 — I’ve saved hours finding what I need.

A New Way of Leading
Here’s the mindset shift: AI isn’t just tactical. It’s strategic.

The sticky note on my desk simply says:
“How can AI help me do this?”

Whether I’m writing a report, mapping a process, or planning strategy, I pause and ask where AI could take the load. Most of the time, it’s not about replacing me. It’s about clearing space so I can show up where it really matters — with clients, with strategy, with people.

How to Start Today
If you’re ready to dip your toe in, here’s a simple path:

  • Pick one task you repeat often (emails, stakeholder lists, client notes).
  • Write a clear prompt that sets role, context, and task.
  • Let AI break it into questions and interview you.
  • Use the output, tweak it, and save the prompt for next time.

Once you’ve got one win, build a small “AI toolkit” for yourself and your team — a set of prompts or projects that anyone can use.

Final Thought
AI won’t magically run your business or your life. But it will tidy the messy bits, speed up the slow bits, and track the bits you’d usually forget.

And when you start treating AI less like a novelty and more like a colleague — one that never gets tired of chasing approvals or formatting tables — you’ll see what I’ve seen: the power to do more, without burning yourself or your team out.

I completed the Spark-funded AI Mini MBA course, and it was one of the best investments of time I’ve made. If you get the opportunity, take it.

Shannon’s 2020 Nuffield report on Kiwifruit PVR’s ‘Getting Plant Varieties Right’ can be viewed here.