Leadership development – developed in healthcare – LEO!
Leading an Empowered Organisation / Te Ārahi i te Whakahaere Whai Mana (LEO) is a leadership development programme designed in healthcare, for healthcare professionals, and equally relevant to anyone seeking a high-quality leadership programme across any organisation. LEO is internationally recognised and delivered in sixteen countries, with content translated into nine languages.
LEO introduces a practical leadership framework and equips participants with tools they can immediately apply when they return to their workplace. The framework acts as an aide-mémoire, supporting leaders to navigate challenges, problem-solve effectively, lead change, and build commitment within their teams. A distinctive feature of LEO is that it is typically facilitated by subject matter experts, rather than generic leadership trainers.
Teaching and learning are grounded in evidence-based research and brought to life through practical exercises, storytelling, and reflective practice. Much of the content is profession-specific and tailored to participants’ real-world contexts. The programme is delivered over an intensive three-day course, followed by a project phase and a celebration of leading change three months after completion.
While designed within a healthcare setting, the leadership principles and theory underpinning LEO are universal and applicable to individuals and organisations across all sectors.
The New Zealand Context
Te Pae Mahutonga – The Southern Cross
Te Pae Mahutonga, the Southern Cross (Crux), is a constellation visible in our night sky and symbolises both home and belonging for all who live beneath it. For the indigenous people of Aotearoa, Te Pae Mahutonga guided navigation south in search of new beginnings. It represents connection, shared direction, and coming together — values that strongly align with the intent of the LEO Aotearoa programme. For this reason, Te Pae Mahutonga was chosen as the LEO Aotearoa logo.
Te Pae Mahutonga is also the name of an influential Māori health promotion model developed by Professor Sir Mason Durie (2004). The model uses the constellation to represent six key elements of health and wellbeing: Mauriora (cultural identity), Waiora (physical environment), Toiora (healthy lifestyles), Te Oranga (participation in society), with the two pointer stars symbolising Ngā Manukura (leadership) and Te Mana Whakahaere (autonomy).
The conceptual framework and empowerment triangle introduced in the Leading an Empowered Organisation programme align closely with Professor Durie’s model, reinforcing the central role of leadership, empowerment, and collective responsibility in achieving wellbeing and positive change.
Marie Manthey and Creative Health Care Management (CHCM)
The LEO programme was designed by renowned clinical leadership expert Dr Marie Manthey, PhD (Hon), MNA, RN, FAAN, President of Creative Health Care Management (CHCM), USA. Dr Manthey was also a pioneer of Primary Nursing, a transformational model that placed the nurse–patient relationship — rather than tasks — at the centre of care delivery.
In 1979, she founded Creative Health Care Management, built on the principles of Relationship-Based Care®, a model that has influenced healthcare systems worldwide. In recognition of her extraordinary contributions to nursing and healthcare leadership, Dr Manthey was named a Living Legend of the American Academy of Nursing in 2015 — the Academy’s highest honour. In 2021, she received the Outstanding Achievement Award, the highest accolade awarded to alumni by the University of Minnesota.
Leading an Empowered Organisation was developed after Dr Manthey observed that many clinical healthcare leaders were stepping into leadership roles without the tools, training, or preparation required to succeed. First introduced in the late 1980s, LEO remains highly relevant today, with leadership principles that are timeless, practical, and universal.
Dr Manthey passed away on 12 December 2024. Her legacy continues to live on through her programmes and the ongoing work of Creative Health Care Management, Inc.
Creative Health Care Management is the sole owner of the Leading an Empowered Organisation (LEO) workshop, program, and materials. In New Zealand, the program is delivered under license from Creative Health Care Management. The program licensure is key to running the course consistently worldwide. The Master Trainer and Franchise holder for New Zealand is Rochelle Robertson, LEO Training Aotearoa.
“As a LEO programme participant in 2019, I came away inspired to share this empowering course with as many colleagues as possible. Leading an Empowered Organisation is born in healthcare for healthcare leaders, it is a transformational course that I highly recommend as do ALL those who have attended the program to date”
Rochelle Robertson, LEO Franchisee Aotearoa.
LEO will empower individuals and healthcare organisations to transform their healthcare environments and improve the consumer health experience in Aotearoa.
Our Vision