Elisha Ng Lam is Samoan and works for Vaka Tautua as a Mental Health Community Support worker.
Elisha’s leadership legacy
I am a daughter of the Pacific
I see the struggles of my people
I hear the call to serve
I try to help people
My leadership values are service, respect and empathy
I hope for a future where Pasifika youth will thrive
I will make my parents proud and lead by example
I am a light in someone’s darkness, giving hope to those I serve
Pasifika leadership to me means leading with your people, not being alone in leadership. Pasifika leadership looks like service to all regardless of status.
I applied for Le Tautua because I thought it was a great opportunity to grow and develop my skills as a Pasifika leader.
I wanted to take away practical tips for leadership and inspiration to lead in spaces. I can definitely say I came away with what I was hoping for. An added bonus was networking with other Pasifika people in the field.
During Le Tautua, I learned the importance of speaking up – even if it is only saying one thing in a meeting, your voice is still being heard. Another valuable thing I learned was the strengths of our Pasifika ways of leadership that are unique to our community.
Le Va, through the Le Tautua programme, has helped to inspire and grow my confidence in a space that I am still learning to be comfortable in.
I plan to incorporate the lessons I learned by remembering that service isn’t always from the front and that, most of the time, being a leader is leading from the back.
I will remember to speak up and say at least one thing in a meeting even when I am battling imposter syndrome, knowing that I can be the Pacific person in a space that lacks Pasifika representation.
As a leader, I look to my family and close ones for support. However, time alone to think and clear my head helps. This is through listening to music, going for a drive or walk, mindfulness activities and keeping a relationship with God.
If you are considering applying for Le Tautua, go for it! Your future self will thank you.
It’s definitely a programme where what you give is what you get. So apply and, if successful, go in with your most authentic self, be open minded and give things a go. When we do something we’re afraid to do, we actually gain confidence as an outcome.
