Nature of You: How the Four Elements Help Leaders Feel Seen, Heard, and Valued

Kia ora, everybody!

Welcome to Nurtured with Naketa.

I had so many ideas of what I wanted to share in this week’s Nurtured with Naketa, but I’m sticking with one called TetraMap. Today I ran a wānanga, and I heard comments like “I feel so seen,” “I get it now,” and “I’m tearing up because I feel like I’m normal.” These are not passing comments; they are significant signs and affirmations of people.

The wānanga I ran today was my Nature of You wānanga, also known as TetraMap, where we shared the different elements. For those who don’t know TetraMap, it has been around for 25 years. It is a global organisation with facilitators from Mexico, Singapore, Solomon Islands, the UK, London, the US, and more. It was birthed in what I would say is Ōtara Heights, but actually it is called Howick, by Jon and Yoshimi Brett. Their ethos was to create a model that reflects the diversity of people and the fragility of Earth. Their kaupapa is nature as a metaphor, with a strong commitment to the sustainability of our fragile planet. You can already see alignment with Te Ao Māori, Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, and Indigenous ways of being.

The four elements are earth, air, water, and fire. The model suggests that we are all four. All of us have four elements; if we do not have one, then kua mate, maybe we are not well. This differentiates TetraMap from other tools that say you are just one type. In TetraMap, you are all four, but you do have a preference. When I am facilitating, that is when I hear “I feel so seen,” “I feel so heard,” because your preference comes with behaviours and ways of communicating that align with you.

Here is a quick rundown:

Earth: Outcome-based, get the job done. “Tell me what you want done and I will get it done, but do not tell me how to do it.” Confident, likes bullet points and facts. Under pressure, may come across as blunt.

Air: “Make it make sense.” They like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. If you start at 4, that will not make their day. Sequential, logical.

Water: “Everybody on the waka.” There are beautiful whakataukī about inclusiveness, calm, and collective flow. Under pressure they can seem hesitant, but hesitant does not mean they have nothing to say.

Fire: You get a good dose of fire from me most weeks. Energetic, excitable, vision oriented, full of ideas, big gestures. Under pressure or when not engaged, can be easily distracted.

This is a small insight into the Nature of You wānanga. It is common for participants to say they feel seen, valued, normal, and like they get it now. While you are listening for your own preference, you also realise there are people in your life with high preferences in the other elements: earth, air, water, and fire.

If you are interested in the Nature of You wānanga, please email me [email protected] and I will pop the details below

Have a wonderful week.