David Tong gave a presentation about his career path from corporate lawyer to working for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). He had planned to go to law school, do honors programs and clerkships, then work for a big law firm. However, in 2013 he quit his law job to pursue an LLM. He had already been involved in charitable causes. During a trip to Warsaw, he had a realization that led him to take a role with WWF. In his presentation, he reflected on lessons of leadership, such as focusing on people rather than yourself and having a clear vision for where you are going.

1. IT’S BEAUTIFUL,
IF YOU HAVE THE
EYES TO SEE IT
David Tong
Commonwealth Leaders Day
12 March 2018
david@davidtong.co.nz
@davidxvx

2. OVERVIEW
• Who I am
• What I do at WWF
• Balancing work and
other work
• Reflections on
leadership
© Bob Zuur / WWF-New Zealand

3. I USED TO BE A
CORPORATE LAWYER
• I had a great career plan:

4. I USED TO BE A
CORPORATE LAWYER
• I had a great career plan:
– Go to law school > stuff happens > save the
world

5. I USED TO BE A
CORPORATE LAWYER
• I had a great career plan:
– Go to law school > stuff happens > save the
world
– Go to law school > do Honours > stuff
happens > save the world

6. I USED TO BE A
CORPORATE LAWYER
• I had a great career plan:
– Go to law school > stuff happens > save the
world
– Go to law school > do Honours > stuff
happens > save the world
– Go to law school > do Honours > do a Judges’
clerkship > stuff happens > save the world

7. I USED TO BE A
CORPORATE LAWYER
• I had a great career plan:
– Go to law school > stuff happens > save the
world
– Go to law school > do Honours > stuff
happens > save the world
– Go to law school > do Honours > do a Judges’
clerkship > stuff happens > save the world
– Go to law school > do Honours > do a Judges’
clerkship > work for a big law firm > stuff
happens > save the world

8. BUT THINGS
DON’T
ALWAYS GO
TO PLAN
“Were both sides of the
climate change debate
represented?”
© Malcolm Francis

9. SO, I QUIT
• In mid 2013, I quit commercial law.
• My plan was to do a one year LLM.

10. I TOOK THE LONG WAY
ROUND
• In 2012, I was helped to create the Aotearoa Youth
Leadership Institute and the Aotearoa New
Zealand Human Rights Lawyers Association.
• Back in 2010, I co-founded P3 Foundation, New
Zealand’s youth movement to end extreme poverty.
• So when I quit commercial law, I was already involved
in the charitable sector.
• But the real detour happened in Warsaw.

26. REFLECTIONS
• Leading is about the people you lead, not
about how great you are
• You can’t lead if you don’t know where
you’re going
• If you’re a square peg, find (or make) a
square hole
• Take the hard way round

27. QUESTIONS?
SUGGESTIONS?
IDEAS?
© Bob Zuur / WWF-New Zealand
David Tong
Commonwealth Leaders Day
12 March 2018
david@davidtong.co.nz
@davidxvx