Kaupapa Māori Leadership and Styles of Leadership

This article draws on insights from the Māori Leadership Literature Review (Scarlatti, HTK Group, & Harcourt, 2024), commissioned by the Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence. The review provides a contemporary evidence base for understanding Māori leadership in Aotearoa — highlighting its cultural foundations, adaptability, and relevance in diverse contexts. Reflecting on this research, I explore how kaupapa Māori leadership is practised and how the leadership styles that align with its values and intent are cultivated through the Kura Poutama – Poutama IQ Ascent Series.

Kaupapa Māori leadership is grounded in whakapapa, tikanga, and collective responsibility. It unites mind, heart, and action in service of intergenerational wellbeing — recognising the responsibility to care for both present and future generations (Bean, 2018; Haar et al., 2019). Relationships extend beyond people to include whenua and wairua, with connections to past, current, and future generations forming the foundation of holistic identity and collective wellbeing (Fleming, 2018; Wikitera, 2011).

This leadership is adaptive by nature. It evolves to meet the needs of the time (Matthews, 2011), drawing on inherited traditions while responding to the demands of te ao hurihuri (the changing world). There is no single set of principles for rangatiratanga, but common values and practices consistently orient leadership toward the collective good.

Several leadership styles are evident in kaupapa Māori contexts, reflecting both cultural foundations and alignments with recognised leadership models:

• Transformational Leadership – Inspiring and motivating others to achieve extraordinary outcomes through critical thinking, problem-solving, and empathy (Hoch et al., 2016; Pfeifer & Love, 2004; Steinmann, 2020). Māori leaders have been shown to score significantly higher than non-Māori on transformational leadership dimensions (Pfeifer & Love, 2004). In kaupapa Māori contexts, this style is underpinned by values such as manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and rangatiratanga.
• Authentic and Ethical Leadership – Leading with integrity, transparency, and honesty; basing decisions on the common good; and respecting the dignity and rights of others (Hoch et al., 2016). Haar et al. (2019) note strong alignment between Māori leadership and ethical leadership, with authentic leadership resonating particularly through cultural authenticity.
• Servant Leadership – Placing the needs of the collective above self-interest, fostering an environment where others can thrive, and leading through service rather than authority (Hoch et al., 2016). Ruwhiu and Elkin (2016) highlight direct connections between servant leadership principles and Māori values such as manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, wairuatanga, and kaitiakitanga.
• Relational Leadership – Prioritising relationships as the core of leadership, fostering belonging, unity, and shared responsibility (Mehr, 2019; Friedman, 2023). In kaupapa Māori contexts, relational leadership is inseparable from the interconnectedness of people, whenua, and kaupapa, ensuring decision-making is grounded in trusted relationships.
• Intercultural Leadership – Navigating and harmonising diverse cultural perspectives to achieve shared goals (Steinmann, 2020). In Aotearoa, intercultural leadership offers a framework for bridging Māori and non-Māori worldviews, protecting cultural integrity while fostering inclusion. However, Steinmann (2020) cautions that bicultural practice can place disproportionate cultural labour on Māori, highlighting the need for genuine reciprocity and cultural competence from all leaders.

While these models share areas of alignment with kaupapa Māori leadership, none fully encapsulate its depth. Māori leadership integrates these approaches through a relational ontology grounded in whakapapa, cultural values, and collective purpose. Leaders move fluidly between styles as contexts change, maintaining authenticity, adaptability, and vision for the collective future (Katene, 2010).

Through the Kura Poutama – Poutama IQ Ascent Series, the capacities described in the literature are intentionally woven into practice in ways that are accessible to all. Each pathway draws on the cultural foundations, adaptability, and collective orientation identified in the research, translating them into practical tools, reflective frameworks, and rhythm-based processes. The aim is not to replicate cultural performance, but to embed kaupapa Māori leadership qualities as a living mechanism for embracing diverse perspectives and fostering holistic, values-aligned decision-making. In doing so, the pathways strengthen our collective ability to design and sustain universal systems, structures, services, and responses that are both effective and culturally compatible for all New Zealanders.

Reflection for Leaders

• Which of these leadership styles do you draw on most often, and how do they align with your kaupapa and the needs of those you serve?

Further Reading

Read the Māori Leadership Literature Review for a deeper exploration of Māori leadership theory and practice here.

References

Bean, D. (2018). Manurau: A conceptual framework of Māori leadership practice in the New Zealand public sector [Master’s thesis, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington]. https://doi.org/10.26686/wgtn.17134379.v1

Fleming, A. H. (2018). Nga Tāpiritanga: Secure attachments from a Māori perspective. Ata: Journal of Psychotherapy Aotearoa New Zealand, 22(1), 23–36. https://doi.org/10.9791/ajpanz.2018.03

Haar, J., Roche, M., & Brougham, D. (2019). Indigenous insights into ethical leadership: A study of Māori leaders. Journal of Business Ethics, 160(3), 621–640. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45278239

Hoch, J. E., Bommer, W. H., Dulebohn, J. H., & Wu, D. (2016). Do ethical, authentic, and servant leadership explain variance above and beyond transformational leadership? A meta-analysis. Journal of Management, 44(2), 501–529. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316665461

Katene, S. (2010). Modelling Māori leadership: What makes for good leadership? MAI Review, 2, 1–16. https://www.journal.mai.ac.nz/system/files/maireview/334-2540-1-PB.pdf

Mehr, S. E. (2019). Leadership driven by kaupapa Māori: A relational lens. Te Whānau o Waipareira. https://wairangahau.waipareira.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Elica-Mehr-Leadership-Driven-By-Kaupapa-M%C4%81ori-A-Relational-Lens.pdf

Pfeifer, D., & Love, M. (2004). Leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand: A cross-cultural study. Prism, 2(1), 1–14. https://www.prismjournal.org/uploads/1/2/5/6/125661607/v2-no1-a5.pdf

Ruwhiu, D., & Elkin, G. (2016). Converging pathways of contemporary leadership: In the footsteps of Māori and servant leadership. Leadership, 12(3), 308–323. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715015605652

Scarlatti, HTK Group, & Harcourt, N. (2024). Māori leadership literature review. Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE). https://hdl.handle.net/10652/4948

Steinmann, M. (2020). Exploration of the contribution and limits of non-Māori leadership within Māori communities: A research thesis on cross-cultural leadership and cultural intelligence [Master’s thesis, Unitec Institute of Technology]. https://hdl.handle.net/10652/4948

Wikitera, K. A. (2011). Travelling, navigating and negotiating Māori leadership challenges in the 21st century. MAI Review, 2, 2–4. https://www.journal.mai.ac.nz/maireview/article/880

Image credit: Tahere, K. (2025). Used with permission.

Author: Megan Tahere. (2025).