Leaders Lab
Now in its second year, Leaders Lab—a program of the Hawai‘i Leadership Forum—has evolved into a dynamic platform for leaders to strengthen their leadership capacity in response to today’s complex challenges. Designed as annual, one-day immersive experiences for three years, each lab convenes approximately 20 participants to engage in collective learning, peer exchange, and personal growth to deepen their leadership practice in the values of kuleana, kūlana, ʻāina, and community.
In Fall 2025, Leaders Lab will expand to the neighbor islands with new county-specific labs on Kaua‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island. This next step honors the diverse strengths and needs of leaders throughout the islands and reflects the program’s commitment to cultivating place-based leadership. Applications for Neighbor Island Leaders Labs will be accepted from Monday, July 7 through 12:00 Noon HST on Friday, August 1, 2025.
In alignment with the program’s long-term vision, Leaders Lab will also launch the next component of its three-part leadership development journey. The 99 participants from the 2024 Leaders Labs will be invited to participate in the first of two annual follow-on labs within their original thematic groups. These continuation labs are designed to foster sustained connection, collective growth, and deeper alignment with community priorities over time. No additional applications will be accepted for these follow-on labs.
First Lab
Context: Stepping Back to See the Whole
Leaders Lab invites participants to step outside of their day-to-day roles and organizational structures in order to reflect on the broader systems they are part of and to explore leadership questions within this context. This space away from their organizational roles allows them to cultivate new insights, explore different approaches, and return with clarity, ready to apply what they’ve learned in their own communities and organizations, which then become living laboratories for continued growth.
Second Lab
Peer-to-Peer Learning: Pilina as Foundation
At the heart of Leaders Lab is pilina (authentic relationship) and the belief that leadership is not learned alone. Participants come together from diverse backgrounds to share experiences, challenge assumptions, and learn from one another in ways that deepen insight and build mutual respect. These peer relationships strengthen leadership practice by fostering humility, reciprocity, and collective wisdom—hallmarks of effective leadership in Hawai‘i.
Third Lab
Connection through Curriculum: Rooted and Relevant
The Leaders Lab curriculum is intentionally designed to meet participants where they are while encouraging growth in areas tied to adaptive leadership and leading change. Topics build progressively and are delivered in ways that resonate within Hawai‘i’s cultural context. The learning journey integrates personal reflection, shared dialogue, and practical application to reinforce connection to self, community, and this place we call home.
Learning Goals
The learning goals include:
Build Authentic Confidence and
Leadership Capability
Develop increased self-awareness, resilience, and leadership competence, to take initiative, influence others, and lead effectively in diverse contexts.
Enhance Systems Thinking and
Adaptive Problem-Solving
Strengthen the capacity to identify root causes, navigate complexity, and make measurable progress on adaptive and systemic challenges.
Foster Strategic Collaboration
Across Boundaries
Deepen the ability to collaborate authentically and strategically across sectors, cultures, and communities to co-create shared solutions.
Redefine and Embody
Transformational Leadership
Explore and reshape traditional assumptions about leadership, embracing a values-driven, inclusive, and service-oriented model that centers collective well-being.
Inspire Commitment to Purpose-Driven
Action in Hawai‘i
Cultivate a sustained desire and sense of responsibility to catalyze meaningful, place-based change that honors Hawai‘i’s people, culture, and ʻāina.
APPLICATIONS OPEN JULY 7
Neighbor Island Leaders Labs
Each Neighbor Island Leaders Lab will convene for their first lab on these dates in 2025. Dates for the follow-on labs in 2026 and 2027 will be determined later.
Leaders Lab on Kaua‘i
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Hale Līhuʻe
4286 Rice Street
Līhuʻe, HI 96766
Leaders Lab on Maui
Friday, November 7, 2025
Kukahiko Estate
5034 Makena Road
Wailea, HI 96753
Leaders Lab on Hawai‘i Island
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Anna Ranch Heritage Center
65-1480 Kawaihae Road
Kamuela, HI 96743
Candidacy Criteria
Candidates should have at least five years of professional experience leading and engaging others and be able to contribute to the learning process with their own perspectives. Experience in a particular role, such as CEO, executive director, or head of a division, is not required. Candidates must be committed to lead and be of service to Hawaiʻi.
Who is the ideal candidate for Leaders Lab?
The best candidates are those who will continue to serve Hawaiʻi, understand that societal change is driven by effective leadership, and are willing to experiment to increase their effectiveness. We seek professionals who have been entrepreneurial in their career and have had the experience and drive to be disrupters and transformative catalysts within organizational leadership and outside of formal roles. Successful applicants must be able to articulate their own motivations and vision for the future of Hawaiʻi and how they hope to catalyze positive change.
Neighbor Island Leaders Labs
Application Package
Application Form
This online form requests basic information such as your name, job title, organization, and email address. The application form cannot be saved so please compile all the necessary information, including your resume as a PDF document and your responses to the reflection questions, before submitting at one time.
The application link will be available on this page starting July 7, 2025.
Resume
In two to three pages, prepare a resume with your leadership and professional experiences and the items below:
- Employment History: title, dates in position, scope of responsibilities, and achievements
- Professional Affiliations: name of organization or group, dates of involvement, and description of your role or activities
- Community/Civic Involvement: name of organization or group, dates of involvement, and description of your role or activities
- Professional Development: name of institution/program, year(s) attended, credential(s) awarded
- Formal Education: name of institution, years attended, degree(s) awarded
Reflection Responses
Ma ka hana ka ʻike.
In working, one learns. (Pukui, 1983)
In 250 words or less for each prompt, please respond to the following:
- Reflecting on the idea that we learn by doing, tell us about a time when you believed you exercised leadership and what you learned from the experience.
- What is the issue you would like to affect with your leadership and how would it impact Hawaiʻi?
- What do you hope to learn in the Leaders Lab?
Neighbor Island Leaders Labs
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: June 18, 2025
When is the application deadline?
The Leaders Lab application deadline is 12:00 Noon HST on Friday, August 1, 2025.
What is the cost to participate in a Leaders Lab?
The Hawaiʻi Leadership Forum will cover the program costs for each participant.
What time does each Leaders Lab start and end?
Each Leaders Lab will begin at 8:30 am for check-in and breakfast. The formal program will start at 9:00 am and end by 4:30 pm.
What is the participant capacity of each Leaders Lab?
Each Leaders Lab will have approximately 20 participants.
When will applicants be notified about their candidacy?
Applicants will be emailed by Friday, September 5, 2025 with an update on the status of their candidacy.
Who do I contact with questions?
Please email your questions to office@hawaiileadershipforum.org.
Neighbor Island Leaders Labs
Applications will be accepted from Monday, July 7 through 12:00 Noon HST on Friday, August 1, 2025.
2025 Leaders Labs
Thematic Groups
Organized into thematic groups, these five Leaders Labs had their initial convenings in 2024. The annual follow-on labs will take place in 2025 and 2026.
Thematic Groups – Second Convening
- Educators and Academic Leaders: July 2025
- Community Organizers and Nonprofit Leaders: August 2025
- Health, Science, and Technology Leaders: September 2025
- Entrepreneurs, Business, and Labor Leaders: October 2025
- Public Officials and Government Leaders: November 2025
Contact
Get in touch
Hawai‘i Leadership Forum
700 Bishop Street, Suite 1701
Honolulu, HI 96813
808.380.3570