What does real leadership look like at 19?

In this episode of Baskets of Knowledge, we sit down with Mackenzie, a student at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. She is a youth advocate who is quietly reshaping what leadership, empathy, and impact truly mean.

This conversation explores people-first leadership, the power of reflection, and why real change doesn’t come from titles, it comes from showing up for others.

Mackenzie shares her lived experience working in youth advocacy within a fast-growing rural district, navigating leadership at a young age, and becoming one of only 37 people globally to receive the Zonta International Young Women in Leadership Scholarship.

We dive deep into:

Leadership driven by empathy, not ego
Youth voice, advocacy, and community change
Mental health and social media, the good, the bad, and the dangerous
Online hate, clickbait media, and resilience
Grief, loss, and continuing to show up when life is heavy
Why banning social media won’t solve the problem, conversation will
The importance of reflection and enjoying the process of becoming

This episode is for leaders, parents, educators, coaches, and anyone who believes leadership starts with humanity.

🎧 Listen now and add this conversation to your basket of knowledge.

The Inner Work of Young Leadership: The Process of Becoming Me | Mackenzie Wills