I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is a fascinating story with so much meaning underlying the actual plot. I also love traveling. Put those two things together and you will land in New Zealand.

The Lord of the Rings was filmed entirely in New Zealand but the natural beauty of this country is in a category of its own. A legal category, that is. The area of Te Urewera National Park, which is where the Shire was located, has been granted by the New Zealand Congress all the rights, powers, duties, and liabilities of a legal person. This means the land is ….. a person, sort of. The New Zealand Government has created a board of trustees to speak on it’s behalf, but this board must have at least 50% Maori
people, indigenous to the land.

So you might be wondering – Why? When New Zealand was Colonized and eventually National Parks created, these Parks, and the colonization, ultimately took the land from the indigenous Maori people. For the Maori, the land is an extension of the people who historically lived on it. The importance of the land cannot be overstated as it is history, love, peace, stories, and so much more.

As a leader, how often do you consider what is most important to you? Is it the trust you have in your people? Or maybe it is the training that you provide, or the teamwork that they bring. Perhaps it is the coaching you receive, or balance of work and family. Whatever is most important needs to be protected. What are you doing to protect what is most important to you?