By Kuʻulani Keohokalole, CEO of People Strategies Hawaiʻi
In just two months, 20 ʻŌiwi leaders from across the pae ʻāina will graduate from a brand new leadership development program launched earlier this year to help increase the representation and readiness of Native Hawaiian and Hawaiʻi-born talent in key workplace leadership roles.
The ʻŌiwi Leadership Accelerator, launched this year in partnership with Kamehameha Schools Kaiāulu and the Hawaiʻi Employers Council, began as an idea between People Strategies Hawaiʻi, the Native Hawaiian Education Council, and Carved Paths Coaching, with in-kind support from Alakaʻina Foundation.
The program targets early- to mid-career professionals who are currently working in Hawaiʻi, are Native Hawaiian or were raised here, and are committed to improving this place.
Native Hawaiian and Hawaiʻi-raised professionals are often not represented in the C-suites (executive levels) of local organizations, which commonly look outside Hawaiʻi to fill their major leadership roles. The program fills an important gap needed to identify and grow the capacity of Hawaiʻi-born leaders, while also aiming to stem the tide of Native Hawaiians and kamaʻāina leaving the state.
However, the types of knowledge, relationships, connections, nuance and the grounding that are desirable for leaders to have in Hawaiʻi only comes from Hawaiʻi. It cannot come from anywhere else, and it’s not something that can be taught. The leadership accelerator program wants to send a message to employers that our people already come with those characteristics and it’s just a matter of investing in them and boosting their confidence so that they can and will apply for those roles.
Throughout the six months since its launch in April, participants have had a myriad of learning experiences, from tying laulau together as they discussed the layers of their own identities, to creating art using ʻohe kāpala (bamboo stamps) to symbolize their personal and professional journeys, stacking pōhaku (stones) at Paepae o Heʻeia, steering the waʻa (canoe) Kānehūnāmoku, visiting ʻIolani Palace and the Hawaiʻi State Capitol to discuss conflict resolution, learning about strategic planning and facilitation through the lens of wayfinding, and more.
Peer reflection partners and 1:1 executive coaching in between monthly sessions have allowed participants to take the learnings deeper and apply them to everyday work and life situations.
Said one participant, “Being able to share experiences with other ʻŌiwi leaders gave me a sense of being a part of a bigger movement. This opportunity has provided a rare space where I feel truly secure, acknowledged for who I am, and liberated to express my authentic Native Hawaiian self.”
Participants in the pilot cohort range across sectors. Six work in for-profit companies, six in government entities, four in nonprofit organizations, two in education, and two are self-employed. Six are in earlier career positions, eight are mid-career, and four are in senior roles. The goal was to bring together diverse perspectives, ideas, and backgrounds to weave a tapestry of connections and experiences.
To date, the fledgling program has already encountered success. On average, participants have reported a 22% increase in confidence to excel in a leadership role, 36% increase in emotional intelligence/self-awareness, 62% increase in having clarity on their own leadership identity, and a 68% increase in the level of pride in their ʻŌiwi leadership.
With the pilot coming to a close, ʻŌiwi Leadership Accelerator looks to continue the program, and is currently accepting expressions of interest for its 2025 Spring Cohort.
Up to 20 participants will be accepted. Learning from participant feedback, the program will be condensed from eight months to six, and will begin earlier in the year, kicking off on Jan. 31, 2025. Participants will meet in-person once monthly for ʻāina/culture-based sessions, with executive coaching and peer reflection meetings in between.
To qualify for the program, applicants must be Native Hawaiian or kamaʻāina born and raised in Hawaiʻi, currently working in an organization serving/making impact in Hawaiʻi, and possess a desire to grow and deepen their leadership skills from an ʻŌiwi lens. Individuals can apply with organizational sponsorship or on their own and tuition payment plans are available.
For more information, go to oiwileadershipaccelerator.com.
