The time for change is here
Dr Ellen Joan Ford is bringing her trademark energy, research insight and practical advice to the Westpac Women in Business Conference in Queenstown this month, with a mission to change the working world for the better.
As a military veteran, author, TEDx speaker, researcher, leadership consultant and parent, Ford blends lived experience and academic rigour to champion workplace reform that values people as whole human beings - not just employees.
“I’m absolutely convinced that the better our leaders can be at actually valuing people as people, the more effective they will be,” she says.
“We keep getting more evidence and data about this. From a social point of view, people will have better experiences, but the data also shows businesses will be more profitable too. The more human you can be as a leader, the better the outcomes for all.”
Ford spent a decade leading soldiers in the New Zealand Defence Force, then went on to complete an MBA and PhD in leadership and wellbeing of women in the workforce. Her postdoctoral research into the experiences of working parents sparked what has become her most public-facing campaign: the #WorkSchoolHours movement.
“I kept hearing the same stories,” she says. “Parents forced out of the workforce because the juggle was unmanageable. Others working full-time and grieving the time missed with their kids. And those working part-time who were paid less - but not asked to do less.
“It pissed me off. This is like societal gaslighting. And so it was just this kind of just deep sense of ‘this is not okay’. I often say is that we live in a society where we’re expected to work as if we don’t have children, and to parent as if we don’t have jobs.”
The tipping point came during her second parental leave. “I thought, this system isn’t designed for today’s world. It was built over a hundred years ago when one person worked and one stayed home. That’s not reality anymore. I realised, I have to do something.”
Ford quit her job, launched her own leadership consultancy, gave a TEDx talk, and wrote a book titled #WorkSchoolHours. She now works with organisations across New Zealand and abroad, delivering keynote speeches and workshops focused on inclusive leadership, flexibility, and measurable performance.
She speaks about values and also builds practical models for them. Her leadership framework is based on Belonging, Autonomy and Purpose, and she will be sharing it at the Queenstown conference alongside stories and examples from her time in the military.
“There were times I tried to lead like the stereotypical hard-nosed officer. It didn’t work. When I dropped the act and led as myself, things changed.”
Ford served in Afghanistan and was part of a team that orchestrated the evacuation of 563 Afghans to New Zealand, during the fall of Kabul in 2021. Her leadership and teamwork through the crisis saw her honored with the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year – Local Hero Award in 2023.
She’s all about making leadership ideas accessible to everyone - not just people in senior roles. “Leadership is not about titles,” she says. “Everyone can lead. Whether you’re in the boardroom or on the front desk, you can influence how things are done around you.”
Though her message is aimed at women in business at this conference, her approach is deliberately inclusive.
“The phrase ‘pale, male and stale’ sometimes get used, and I am actually not okay with that. It’s really offensive, pretty alienating and just a shitty thing to say about men.
“Most of my consulting work is actually with men. There are heaps of middle aged white men who are doing really good things. This isn’t about ‘us vs them’. It’s about improving work for everyone. We all benefit from a system that recognises we’re more than our job titles.”
Ford’s appearance at the Queenstown conference is part of a growing momentum to modernise the workplace, something she believes Queenstown’s entrepreneurial business community is well placed to lead.
“There’s a real opportunity here,” she says. “We can redefine how we work. The system we have isn’t working for everyone but we have the power to change it.”
Ford’s advice for business leaders:
- Focus on outputs, not hours – “Ask what really needs to be achieved. Then give your team space to deliver it in a way that works for them.”
- Involve your people – “Don’t try to solve flexibility like an air traffic controller. Talk to your team. Let them work it out together. You’ll build more trust and better results.”
And for employees:
- “When asking for flexibility, understand your manager’s concerns and speak in terms of shared outcomes. You’re not asking for a handout. You’re proposing a better way to succeed together.”
