Priyani de Silva-Currie MNZM has spent 30 years in local and central government and the private sector, working her way up to National Leader and Technical Fellow in the infrastructure sector. She’s led three industry organisations (Multicultural NZ, Carbon and Energy Professionals and Āpōpō) and was recently elected as Vice President of the International Federation of Municipal Engineers. A keen fisherwoman and netball coach, she’s also a champion for women’s rights.

What’s on your bedside table?

Glasses, water bottle, two phones (work one in case I need to check appointments for tomorrow, plus personal phone which is alarm/source of news/social media), notebook and pen for ideas or “to dos” so that my brain can relax without have to remember everything, EarPods to listen to a calming app without disturbing my husband. Also, Energy: Get It, Guard It, Give It by Lisa O’Neill plus the emotional culture card deck from people and culture expert Denise Hartley-Wilkins and a couple more books.

Let’s focus on the books – why did you choose them?

Energy is one of the forces that drives my being. I seek people, places and things that give me positive energy, so imagine my joy when I was walking past a conference venue in Christchurch one evening and saw Lisa O’Neill preparing for her show and promoting her new book Energy. I walked in, said hi, and purchased a copy immediately. The cover alone gave me warm fuzzies and it’s a funny, insightful, gratifying read. Too good! I’m also reading Take Your Space: Successful Women Share Their Secrets by Jo Cribb and Rachel Petero. I chose this book because it supported International Women’s Day, and a fellow crusader for equity and equality, Jo Cribb. Also, Conversations with Money – A Love Story by Lynda Moore – my sister-in-law wrote this book last year following the passing of my eldest brother. It’s an insightful, personal reflection into the relationship we have with money and its role in your life and it connects me to my dearest brother in a special way.

How do these books help you in your role?

Energy is a superpower that we can bring into our lives at work and at home. Being present, enthused, focused and receptive all require positive energy. Learning how to find and harness the energy we need, and remove negative energy from our lives, is very powerful. Also, in my career I’ve had to “take my place” in organisations and with peers and colleagues. I found this read inspiring, and the techniques that these women used resonated with me.

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Who would these books helpful for?

All professionals would gain value from understanding their strengths and weaknesses – my tip is to just address them just one at a time.

What reading material you would recommend to engineers?

Read the news – I read the news every day, from a wide variety of sources to gain multiple perspectives. The best thing we can do as professionals is to remain alert, vigilant and relevant to the world around us. Our work to shape the world for future generations relies on us understanding situational context and the pulse of the people in our communities.

What book has most influenced you?

The Wisdom Seeker: Finding the Seed of Advantage in the Khmer Rouge by Pisey Leng. I was fortunate enough to listen to Pisey Leng speak at TEDRaukura. I was amazed at how this young girl who had fought for her life, watched her family die and suffered in the horrific killing fields of Cambodia, became a gentle yet powerful leader of herself and others, finding grace and gratitude.

What work-related books are on your
must-read list?

Listen: The Don Rowlands Leadership Guide by Keith Davies. Ted Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F#CK: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.

What do you read for fun?

Fiction is where I go to immerse myself in alternative reality and some other world or life. I love a good thriller or mystery these days, but also enjoy science fiction, fantasy and crime fiction.

SPEED READ

Ebook/paper copy: I love to feel the parchment.
Borrow/own: My bookshelves are overflowing.
Bookmark/turn down page: It’s sacrilege to damage a book.

This article was first published in the December 2024 issue of EG magazine.

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