Invest in Your Habits and Routines for Stronger Discipline and Leadership with Les Wikiriwhi
Tradies Who LeadShow Notes
Backing yourself to show up as a leader takes more than a title – it takes the discipline to keep showing up when no one’s making you.
Les Wikiriwhi came up through the tools and founded Stand-Up Recruitment, a Trans-Tasman company helping Kiwi tradies build a better future in Australia. He’s honest about the early struggles and the habits that keep him consistent.
In this conversation, we get into: • The discipline it takes to lead from the front • How to handle pressure and take ownership of your next move • The behaviours that build trust with the people around you • The mindset shifts that help you unlock your best self
Chapters: 0:00 Meet Les Wikiriwhi 1:53 Set A Strong Leadership Example 4:19 Accepting Leadership Responsibility 5:10 Leading Without Certainty 7:12 Supporting Kiwis to Move to Australia 8:51 Finding Your Purpose to Handle Challenges 10:46 Building Discipline and Mindset 14:02 Embracing Total Responsibility 16:37 Normalising Mistakes in the Trades 18:21 How Leaders Set the Culture 21:08 Lead Yourself First 23:19 Wrap Up
Follow Tradies Who Lead on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok for more from the Tradies Who Lead community.
Tradies Who Lead is powered by Blue Leader. If you're looking for support in building leadership skills within your team, reach out here.
Or download our free eBook: 5 Things Every Tradie Needs to Know About Leadership
If you want to connect with Les or Stand Up Recruitment, you can reach them via: Website: https://standuprecruitment.co.nz/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/les-wikiriwhi/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DApnRxdQf/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/les_wikiriwhi/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@les.wikiriwhi
More from Tradies Who Lead
Landscaping is one of the toughest physical trades going. So how do you keep a crew motivated, run the business and still get home to your family?
What happens when your mentor ends up reporting to you?
Today we're joined by Dave Willmann, a licensed electrician, trade supervisor, and owner of Willmann Electrical, who's built a reputation across electrical, industrial, and commercial work. He’s also a trusted voice for sparkies online, known for his no-nonsense tool reviews and testing breakdowns.
Whether we’re promoted from tradie to supervisor, or shifting from tradie into parent, the change demands new behaviour.
Today we're joined by Adrian Gillman, a registered carpenter and owner of Kingsford Building and Carpentry in Metro Melbourne, with over 15 years in the trade specialising in bathrooms, extensions and detailed internal fitouts.