Transforming Leadership and Culture at Taranaki Regional Council

Client Overview

Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) is a key local government organisation responsible for environmental management, economic development, and infrastructure in the Taranaki region. When a new CEO, Steve Ruru, stepped into the role, he recognised the need for a cultural and leadership transformation within the council.

Having previously worked with Paradigm Shift at SDC, Steve knew that deep-rooted organisational change required more than just strategic adjustments—it required a shift in leadership mindsets, team dynamics, and workplace culture.

The Challenge

Under the previous CEO, TRC had maintained strong financial discipline but had invested minimally in leadership and cultural development. While this ensured fiscal stability, it had also led to:

• A fragmented workplace culture with ingrained silos.

• Leadership teams struggling to adopt a collaborative approach.

• A lack of structured professional development and coaching.

• Employee disengagement and resistance to change.

With a new leadership vision prioritising collaboration, innovation, and strategic foresight, TRC needed an organisation-wide reset.

The Discovery Process

Paradigm Shift was engaged to conduct an Organisational Stocktake. Over five days, the diagnostic phase involved:

• One-on-one leadership interviews with key directors and executives.

• Staff workshops with over 100 employees to understand their perspectives.

• Behavioural analysis using the Paradigm Shift Discovery Toolkit, uncovering leadership gaps, communication breakdowns, and entrenched cultural patterns.

The findings were clear: while TRC was efficient and results-driven, it lacked the cohesion, leadership development, and adaptive mindset required for long-term sustainability.

The Solution: A Two-Year Cultural Transformation

Based on the findings, Paradigm Shift developed a two-phase transformation programme, incorporating structured interventions across all organisational levels.

Phase 1: Organisational Development Reset

• Executive Leadership Team (ELT) Development – Monthly coaching sessions, strategic alignment workshops, and personalised leadership coaching to enhance adaptability and collaboration.

• Leadership Pods – Six workshops focusing on leadership identity, communication, and resilience.

• Divisional Pods – Leadership and communication training for department heads across Corporate Services, Resource Management, Environmental Quality, and Operations.

• Behavioural and Mindset Shifts – Individual development plans for leaders to improve resilience, trust-building, and accountability.

Phase 2: Embedding Change and Driving Sustainable Growth

• Creation of a Champions Team – Internal advocates who reinforced positive cultural shifts in real-time.

• Ongoing Leadership Coaching – Continued one-on-one coaching for senior leaders to embed behavioural transformation.

• Cross-functional Collaboration – Breaking down silos and fostering a shared organisational identity.

• Internal Talent Development – Encouraging internal mobility rather than external hiring, fostering leadership succession.

Implementation Challenges

Like any major transformation, TRC faced significant hurdles:

• Resistance to Change – Some employees resisted the shift, struggling with the new leadership approach.

• Staff Turnover – Many long-standing employees who were reluctant to embrace change chose to leave. While initially challenging, this allowed fresh talent to step into leadership roles aligned with the new culture.

• Adjusting to a Coaching-Based Leadership Model – The transition from an authoritative leadership style to a coaching and development approach required ongoing trust-building.

Despite these challenges, the Champion Team played a crucial role in addressing cultural friction and reinforcing the new leadership mindset.

The Impact

The transformation had a profound effect on TRC:

• Increased employee satisfaction – Noticeable improvements in engagement and morale.

• Reduction in resignations – As employees felt more aligned with the organisation's values and vision.

• Empowered leaders stepping up – Creating a self-sustaining leadership pipeline within TRC.

• Directors gaining strategic clarity – Freeing them up to focus on long-term planning rather than crisis management.

• Stronger cross-functional collaboration – Teams proactively solving organisational challenges together.

• A culture of accountability – Employees felt empowered to challenge behaviours that didn’t align with TRC’s vision.

Client Reflections

Fred McClay, Director of Resource Management:
"I thought we were a successful organisation, but the programme identified we were not and we successfully worked at addressing the issues identified and learned some valuable skills. We are a stronger, more resilient and successful organisation now. I experienced considerable personal growth from the process and wished I had done it 30 years ago! I considered the programme was so enlightening and positive, I sponsored my adult children’s participation and they learned much that they can apply in their careers."

Steve Ruru, CEO, Taranaki Regional Council:

"Rebecca delivers high energy and a value-add approach to everything she does. She has delivered outcomes which have helped our people to take ownership and evolve their leadership and personal brands in a safe and supportive environment. We have gained detailed profiles of our people leaders and a toolkit of hands-on, easy-to-implement solutions that support people development and this has put us on a strong path to realising our organisational development objectives. Rebecca’s strengths include insight, commercial acumen based on her own leadership and management experience and a practical approach. One of her key attributes is her ability to expertly navigate to the root cause of issues and convey them in a way that engenders acceptance and growth in the individual or team. She is a skilled facilitator and can think on the fly and adapt her sessions to meet the needs of the participants on the day and address the unspoken in a room whilst still delivering on the agreed outcomes. Our people leaders have grown and evolved over the past three years and Rebecca’s work has played a significant role in achieving this."

Jocelyne Allen, Taranaki Regional Council:

"By thoughtfully tailoring my story and my career development aspirations, Rebecca guided me through several energy-healing sessions, focusing on targeted areas in my body and my mind. I feel since having spent this valuable time with Rebecca, I am able to navigate situations, approach opportunities with a renewed sense of purpose and confidence. I have found Rebecca’s advice and recommendations to be more than what I could have hoped for. She is a thoughtful mentor and a fantastic guide through the macro and micro dealings within your career path. She is insightful and puts forth the effort to make her analyses personal to your values."

Looking Ahead

The transformation at TRC is ongoing. The next phase (2025) will focus on embedding cultural adaptability into every layer of the organisation by:

• Developing internal leadership coaches to sustain the change without external intervention.

• Refining processes for cultural adaptability, ensuring TRC can quickly respond to external shifts.

• Maintaining a continuous learning approach, keeping leadership development a priority.

TRC’s journey proves that cultural transformation is not a one-off project but a continuous evolution—and with the right framework, leadership buy-in, and strategic interventions, lasting change is possible.