Student learning support staff at Labasa Campus and Australia Awards Alumni Jiupili Simmons completed a six-month reflective leadership training with Leadership Fiji. Sponsored by the Australia Awards Alumni Fiji Network, she joined nine other AAS alumni who were on a six- month intensive training with Leadership Fiji Facilitators Ms. Sharyne Fong and Mr. William Parkinson.
The training was in three sessions from November 2022, February, and ended on 18th May 2023. Participants who completed the training had to have employers’ approvals and learn of ways to upskill their leadership styles to complement demands of the global world today and ever-changing needs in the job market. The AAS Alumni network in their bid to continue to develop alumni’s soft skills allowing them to complement their skills set allowed this opportunity with Leadership Fiji. SLS Staff Mrs. Jiupili Simmons says, that with the principles of reflective leadership shared by Ms. Fong and Mr. Parkinson it has equipped her to understand better how to work with people of different personalities, how to manage crisis, how to have “balcony moments “to fully understand how a positive work environment can unfold in an efficient, vibrant manner.
Reflecting on her learnings in the six months and aligning it to her work as student learning support staff, Ms. Simmons believes that everyone is a leader in their own right, however, been a reflective leader you understand that change, discomforts need to be handled in a way that will need encouragement, leading by example and knowing how to adjust the tempo of the driven change so that people you lead are becoming empowered, respected and great followers. “With SLS we work with students driving them to change their study habits, accept new thoughts, enhancing new skills is a measure we strive at daily. However, my shared learnings gained from the reflective leadership sessions with Leadership Fiji and fellow Australia Awards Alumni is a valuable experience. As a staff member of the university at Labasa Campus, I will wholeheartedly exercise my responsibility as a reflective leader to impact my colleagues well”, says Ms Jiupili Simmons.
A PD session is planned for Labasa Campus staff where reflective leadership values will be discussed. The Campus Director, Dr Bogitini, Deputy VC Regional Campus Dr Paunga, CFL Director Dr Chand, and Officer in Charge Labasa Campus Mr. Shah is greatly acknowledged by being supportive of such an opportunity of developing leadership skills for their staff.
