1. Graziella Thake – Conscious Leadership &
Social Responsibility Pioneer
“Beliefs define life.”
Graziella Thake
Bio
Graziella Thake is the thirteenth transformational leader who I chose to add to this
book, Transformational Leaders. I connected with Graziella deeply – a combination of her
inspirational story and our ability to relate as powerful women. So, it seemed not only
logical, but synchronous, to add Graziella to this unique, extraordinary blend of leaders.
Graziella‟s story gave me the opportunity to look back over my own life and see how I have
woken up my desire for social contribution. This story has the power to stir people to want
to be part of humanity, stare the human race in the face – for all its bright and dark aspects
– and bring about a new awareness of the power of socially responsibility.
Raised Under a Humanitarian Influence
Graziella was introduced to being a transformational leader right off the starting
block. With parents who were diplomats, Graziella, despite being Italian-Maltese in

2. nationality, was born in Mumbai, India. Graziella‟s father was working with Gandhi and
Mother Theresa at the time while writing a book about his life‟s work. “My father shaped
my life in a significant way,” Graziella began, “Being given and dedicated to the Church
from a young age, he was a courageous man for the causes he contributed to.
Highly philanthropic in what he did and with a huge importance on social responsibility, he
said that he felt he would have a child one day that would make a huge difference in the
world… He was hugely inspirational.”
Graziella‟s father taught her during her time in India that despite living on one side
of the street, she was responsible for the other side as well – a huge influence on the
principles that Graziella embodies today. “India displays graphic detail,” explained
Graziella, “Wherever you go, you see something that is the exact opposite to where you
stand; it‟s an incredible country. My love of humanity and my affection and compassion
were nurtured here. I was drawn into thinking about others, sometimes meaning sacrifice
for a greater cause.”
Living in seven different countries by the time she was ten years old, Graziella
settled in New Zealand after her parents separated when she was six. Graziella‟s parents
both encouraged Graziella to contribute to society: “I have moved around the world and
spoken with people who are influential and who talk about the bigger picture,” said
Graziella, “In my childhood I had all kinds of opportunities to help the world, being guided
by my parents and compelled to give back in voluntary roles. By age fourteen, Graziella had
a broadened and diverse view of the world, with almost nothing shocking her after seeing so
much. “I went to a two-day stress management seminar with thirty businessmen at fourteen
after winning a ticket in a raffle! I really wondered what I was doing there,” said Graziella,
“This was a huge turning point in my life and shattered the gap between adults and I seeing
we were really all the same, same fears , same confusion, same reality; reinforcing that inside
we are like one another.” At seventeen I started doing work as the youngest person at
Lifeline counselling.”
Staring Humanity in the Face
While running a modelling school for a modelling agency at the age of eighteen,
Graziella was studying towards her Masters and graduated with a degree in Psychology
when she was 23 years old; she then accepted a role at the Department of Corrections.
Given an amazing opportunity to be one of the youngest female psychologists taken into
forensic psychology, Graziella paved the way for more young women to come into the

3. working environment of maximum security jail. “I was qualified not only with my Masters,”
Graziella explained, “But also in working with people. During my study years I was one of
the not-so-poor students as I successfully ran the modelling school for June Dally Watkins
agency right up to my graduation as well as holding down four voluntary roles working in
various counselling services. I knew that I was going to make a difference in the world and I
was dedicated to psychology as part of that pathway.”
In her first working year, Graziella was put straight into a maximum security jail
where she continued to stare humanity in the face: “My compassionate nature, world
conscious upbringing and my desire to give back was channelled into working with
offenders who had committed crimes at all levels of humanity. They had murdered and
committed horrific crimes to other people and children. My commitment in my work was to
prevent reoffending. That‟s what kept me there and focused, and I also realised after not so
long that most offenders were victims themselves and at so many levels society had failed
them.”
Graziella was fortunate in her career of working with the toughest jails, to never
encounter any of the challenges her colleagues did with the inmates, asserting this was due
to the paradigms of Ayurvedic science that she follows and her wonderful friendship with
the jail Kaumatua the Department of Corrections Maori Spiritual advisor. After leaving the
Department of Corrections in New Zealand, Graziella set up her own practice consulting
and writing programs, determined to deliver her best efforts. Graziella worked beyond New
Zealand, speaking at the University of Peace in San Diego, in India, in China and getting
involved with projects and programs of NGO‟s attached to the UN in Mexico and LA
County. What I admired so much about hearing this special, impactful part of Graziella‟s life
is that she, with the heart, determination and willingness of a woman on a mission, was able
to make a difference in such a hostile environment – as though she was being protected by a
greater order, a hidden perfection… making her extraordinary.
Stand By Me
Graziella had a number of tragedies in her life at different stages, including the death
of her father and the way he died. “My father‟s health went downhill rapidly in my early
thirties,” said Graziella, “I had fallen pregnant and was five months in and my partner and I
were separating at the same time. I was busy flying back and forth to Australia from NZ
and managing my business ICP Conscious Programs that was thriving.” The challenge
during this period of Graziella‟s life was added to by her Uncle being diagnosed with cancer

4. and becoming incredible unwell and also passing away. “Both of the strong men in my life
had started to dissolve first my uncle and then,” said Graziella, “… I was seven months
pregnant when my father took his life suddenly. The shock was unbearable.”
Graziella‟s father had been very mismanaged by the Australian health system,
despite his love for Australia. With an array of heart problems, Graziella‟s father was
admitted to hospital on a Friday. “I was going to fly over Saturday but I couldn‟t get
clearance to fly due to my veins and feet swelling during my pregnancy. He was in an
Australian hospital and because they didn‟t have enough room for him and he was
exhibiting signs of depression, they were going to commit him,” explained Graziella, “I was
arguing on the phone saying that I was a qualified psychologist and that no, he didn‟t have
clinical depression; it was because he‟d had heart attacks that he was down. When they
commit you, they strip you right down. For a man of his stature, that was torture.”
Graziella spoke to her father soon after, hearing from him, “My mind is leaving. My body is
here. I‟m not going to be here when you come.” Come Sunday, Graziella knew her father
was no longer the same person – shortly after that he took his life.
“That was one of the most unbearable and testing times in my life to lose my father,
Uncle and a partner who rejected the child I was carrying. I sat back on my heels and
thought, “what am I going to do without these people I so counted on and who supported me in my
life?“ This whole experience unveiled and forced me to access abilities I have always had and
taught me to have great faith in myself above all else. I learned the strength I had to stay
true to my pathway and keep working with my focus on the development of ICP Conscious
Programs.”
Graziella employed the strength of what she now teaches in her „7 stages of
consciousness‟ in her 7 programs. Graziella recalled back to the time that she had left the
Department of Corrections, before her pregnancy and these events that at 28, she was
diagnosed with cervical cancer around after leaving her work in the Department of
Corrections. Going through a series of treatments, Graziella was told that she couldn‟t have
children. “I went back to some of my beliefs in meditation – the work within myself,” shared
Graziella, “I became quite determined to use the power of my mind and the powers around
me to heal my body… and I did.” Today, Graziella is married to a wonderful man and has
successfully given birth to and are raising two beautiful girls and a wonderful girl and boy
from her husband‟s previous marriage with a keenness to foster children in the future–
showing her love for children and the softer side of who she is as a transformational leader.

5. FOStR’ing A Brighter Social Future through Social innovation and Social
responsibility-
Upon asking Graziella for more insight about what influence she is having on the
world today, she laughed and said, “What am I not doing today?!” – I totally understood.
Taking on such a huge responsibility, not just to yourself but to the wider world, often sees
a whole new Universe opening up – right there within your life. Leading the way by
striving first to be an awesome mother to her two daughters and great partner to her
husband, Graziella founded both ICP (Insinclife Conscious Programs) and more recently,
FOStR NZ (the Foundation for Social Responsibility in New Zealand). With a mission to
vitalize responsible exchange between business and the community, FOStR NZ has been
developed to assess the social contribution extended and practiced by numerous
organizations. With an Advisory Board and a media Advisory Board, both being made up of
amazing, socially-minded individuals who have a wealth of knowledge about social
responsibility and change, FOStR NZ, through Graziella, has established both credibility
and effectiveness.
“FOStR NZ‟s purpose is to provide a place where social responsibility can be better
understood, assessed and prioritised, and where information can be made readily available to
corporate and broader community arenas,” Graziella explained, “The overall goal of FOStR
NZ is to eliminate poverty and negative social and economic sequences for New Zealand
children and the population on a whole.” FOStR NZ was born out of a decade‟s work of
Graziella delivering her Conscious Training Programs in corporate and small business
arena‟s whilst still spending a large amount of time assisting NGO‟s and working with
developing an understanding of the broader economic picture, not just within NZ
but globally.
FOStR NZ is certainly a necessary component of New Zealand‟s link to the world –
a portal into New Zealand social responsibility, and a place to find, see, examine what
information is already out there about this crucial topic. FOStR NZ is a platform for raising
the bar on social responsibility and for multiplying the efforts of other causes who are
already doing effective world in countries globally.
“It is my hope that FOStR NZs overarching media campaign will increase the incidence
of social responsibility and increase the efficient of social responsibility mechanisms and
contribution, highlighting, illuminating and multiplying the positive stories. The desire is
for FOStR NZ to multiply the positive behaviours of contribution and compassion for fellow

6. human beings, evolving the face of the way we, as human beings, live together and co-exist
in communities,” explained Graziella, “We are interconnected as people at all levels, and
what impacts one of us – whether it‟s our community or our environment – eventually
effects us all. The contribution of individuals and businesses we hope will be inspired and
start to grow from where it is now, by bringing stories to the forefront and those that are
doing so much good out there to the forefront encouraging those that are just tipping their
toes in the water, even if only on a minor level to begin with, will be and is highly valued.”
Graziella is in the process of taking ICP Conscious Programs online to bring more
affordability to the markets that have a great need for what Graziella is offering.
ICP Global Academy trains master trainers and sells licenses to practice the programs on
one level. On another, it also has an online component and a series of tools that can be
purchased, accessed and worked with via the internet.” In over a decade of delivering the
conscious programs, Graziella has seen the programs work on seven scales and levels of
program for life, vocational leadership and health, and more. “The programs are structured
to wholly empower the client to sustain what they have learned after their program. I am
consistently propelled to look at models of delivery of the tools to increase their success.”
ICP Conscious Programs have reached both individuals and corporate environments, being
shared with organisations of all sizes and accessible to individuals too.
Graziella concluded: “My passion is to change education. If we could change education
and bring it up to speed with where we are now, we can deal with world issues. We aren‟t
equipping children with resilience – emotional technology – for the world they live in.”
Writing two books as well as working on ways to deliver her programs to India and the
USA markets, Graziella keeps on giving – on the Advisory board for SAGE Foundation and
a NZ NGO taking medical supplies into the Pacific, and the community board for Global
Dialogue Foundation. “I love people and I seem to evolve networks easily. I flatly believe
that we could have no poverty in our world if we cared about what happens to the person
next to us. I don‟t naively believe I can go out there and solve it all– it is simply about
evoking caring in the people around me for the people around them and leveraging the good
work that is already being done.”
Beliefs Define Life
My core message is: “Beliefs define life,” explained Graziella, “We need to take time to
understand the differences in beliefs and to open up non-judgment – giving us permission to
be who we are. When you look at another human being, see the things that define you as

7. well as the things that make you the same. Whenever I see a small child anywhere in the
world, I can see me in them and them in me – we are all one and it is true that perception is
nine-tenths of the law.” Graziella has a special way of looking into someone else‟s eyes and
becoming part of their journey: “You can read and sense who they are,” she said, “ It
reminds me there is a frailty about being human that again reinforces the need for a greater
education about social responsibility. It‟s time for us to nurture the core that keeps us stable
instead of becoming reactionary to life. My experience in forensic psychology taught me to
create the ground for change and empowerment for people – above everything, my life
purpose is to change and eliminate the horrible things that happen to children in our world.
That is my commitment.”
When I asked Graziella what she believes true leadership is, this is what she said:
“It‟s about living your truth. The greatest leaders in the world are those who are true to
themselves, those who were compelled. You can put three people in a room and without
them speaking a word; you can probably tell who you would follow. Leadership is very
much an essence that comes from within someone. You can feel authenticity,” she said, “A
true leader isn‟t trying to take you for a ride. Everybody is now searching for honest leaders
to influence and inspire their lives… I have chosen to do this work with corporations and
leaders to bring together resources to serve the community. At the end of the day, if we can
build a better world for adults, we can build a better world for children.”
Today, Graziella remains a devoted mother to her two children and two step-
children and is focused on practicing what she preaches while maintaining her family
relationships. A regular keynote speaker and inspired networker making a huge difference
and taking her teachings to Asia and the USA, Graziella‟s dedication to humanity through
her life education-based conscious programs, and leadership in social contribution continues
to burn brightly. My conversation with Graziella woke me up not only the powerful woman
that was telling me her story, but to the powerful woman inside me. Graziella reminded me
to go beyond age and physical appearance, environment and to just simply focus on what is
most important – being who I am destined to be. “Age, gender and race aren‟t a definition of
your character or capability. Discover and vitalise and keep your identity and be that, no
matter what.”
Like Maya Shahani, Graziella‟s name also has a special meaning that beautifully
sums up that she is – „a little blessing‟ or gift from God. I believe wholeheartedly that
Graziella is exactly that, a blessing, and as far as I have been blessed to see, our world is

8. graced with Graziella‟s presence. I welcome you today to take a walk down the streets
around where you live, and ask yourself this quality question: What can I do more of
today, to contribute to the lives of others? THIS is your key to becoming a
transformational leader.