Patricia Naisara says a global pandemic ended up teaching her the most about leadership.
Naisara, a Westpac Fiji staff member and mother of four, was part of the Leadership Fiji 2020 cohort that began with an in-person opening retreat but was almost immediately forced online when COVID-19 restrictions took hold. The 31-member group — the first cohort in the programme’s history to transition into a virtual learning environment — met only once in person before converting its activities to Zoom amid containment zones and travel limitations.
She joined the programme during a period of career transition, seeking to “take my leadership to the next level” and to push beyond personal limits. The shift to remote delivery, she said, turned what might have been a setback into a different kind of leadership laboratory. “We had to convert to Zoom…we went through containment zones and travel restrictions,” Naisara recalled. “Leadership became less about proximity and more about intention. We wanted to help each other succeed and work together.”
That intention found concrete expression in the cohort’s group project, My Space. With movement restricted and traditional volunteering options curtailed, the group focused on education — specifically creating dedicated learning environments for children. Cohort members assembled desks and chairs themselves and delivered the furniture to communities in need, a practical answer to the question of how to make an impact when travel and gatherings were limited.
Beyond the physical contribution, Naisara says the experience reshaped how she approaches challenge. “One of the greatest things to be learned…is that outside your comfort zone is where the magic happens,” she reflected. The virtual format required members to take risks and reframe obstacles as learning opportunities — lessons she says have carried over into her work and family life.
The cohort also provided personal support for Naisara’s family. She says colleagues from Leadership Fiji became part of her journey navigating autism through an awareness programme the group organised, showing how the network extended beyond professional development into community and caregiver support. “My cohort helped me with my autism journey; they’ve been part of that journey through an awareness program,” she said.
Naisara emphasises that recognising one’s value is central to leadership, particularly for women and girls. She urges those in positions to lead to “look at yourself and understand your value and potential… it truly comes from within us,” and to lift others as they rise. “We need to acknowledge the shoulders on which we stand…support the women we grow with and prepare the young daughters who will come after us,” she added, framing leadership as collective uplift rather than individual advancement.
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