Around 30 senior leaders from Pacific Adventist University in Papua New Guinea recently completed a groundbreaking six-month Resilient Leadership and Mental Fitness program, equipping them with practical tools to thrive personally while leading others through the growing demands and complexities of leadership.
Developed and delivered through a partnership between South Pacific Division (SPD) Leadership and the SPD Health Department, the pilot program combined face-to-face retreats, monthly group coaching webinars, practical learning experiences and guided personal reflection. Participants explored mental fitness, values-based leadership, sustainable behaviour change, wellbeing, and the vital connection between mind, body and spirit.
“At its heart, the program recognised a simple but powerful truth: leaders cannot sustainably care for others if they neglect their own wellbeing,” said SPD Leadership and Professional Development manager Dean Banks.
“Participants learned how their thoughts, emotions, behaviours and environment shape their effectiveness as leaders and gained evidence-based strategies to navigate pressure, uncertainty and change with greater resilience.”
The impact was significant: 93 per cent of participants reported that the program had a substantial influence on their leadership thinking and behaviour, while 100 per cent said they would recommend the experience to other leaders.
More importantly, participants reported meaningful changes in their everyday leadership.
One participant described the experience as transformational: “The mental fitness program gave me practical tools to better manage my mindset, respond calmly under pressure and lead with greater self-awareness. It was transforming. I’ve never experienced this type of program, especially around psychology and the impact our thought patterns have on our actions as leaders.”
Another participant shared how the learning had already influenced their team: “I have taken steps to lead change in managing my team to be more conscious of how taxed our minds can be and using techniques to manage stress on a typical day or during hectic schedules.”
Participants consistently highlighted the program’s practical nature as one of its greatest strengths. Wellness exercises, self-awareness activities, cognitive defusion practices and opportunities to immediately apply the learning helped bridge the gap between theory and everyday leadership.
“The success of this pilot reinforces an important message: we must stay well to lead well,” Mr Banks said. “With our leaders facing increasing demands, investing in mental and physical fitness is no longer optional; it’s essential. By strengthening leaders from the inside out, the SPD is helping create healthier leaders, stronger teams and more positive workplace cultures.
“With such strong participant feedback and demonstrated impact, the program is now an exciting model to share with leaders across the broader denomination.”
