Pacific symposium set to transform leadership landscape in Aotearoa

A major Pacific leadership event is set to take place in West Auckland next month, bringing with it a bold vision of empowerment, connection, and transformation.

Five Pacific leadership firms will host the Legacy Leadership Symposium 2025, which aims to equip and strengthen leaders across all spheres of influence.

Katrina Ma’u Fatiaki, founder and one of the key speakers, says the heart of the symposium is about influencing the “leadership landscape” in the region and empowering people to lead with compassion.

“The symposium, which was birthed in Tonga, sailed from Tonga to Fiji, and now we’re coming to the shores of Aotearoa. It’s a leadership vaka that calls on its people, its nations, to make a stand for what is right.”

In its third year, Fatiaki hopes the symposium will help equip Pasifika to lead with purpose and intentionality in their daily lives.

The symposium is inspired by global leadership guru John Maxwell, and Fatiaki says that leadership does not always come with an official title.

“It's bringing our Pasifika wisdom and leadership wisdom to support each other, uplift each other, so that we can continue to lead change in the various spaces we're at,” she says.

“A lot of times people think that leadership is about being the CEO, the head of the organisation … but the definition that I always look to is John Maxwell's, that leadership is about influence.

“So you can be the cleaner, you can be the driver, it doesn't matter where you're at in your stage of life, in whatever capacity you may be in, but it's recognising that you can influence change wherever you're at.”

Tapuaki Mei Langi Consultancy is one of the firms hosting the event, with Director Katrina Ma'u Fatiaki as one of the key speakers. Photo/Supplied

The theme for this year’s three-day gathering is High Road Leadership, which focusses on prioritising people and bringing out their best qualities.

Speakers will include Romulo Nayacalevu, a governance and international relations expert, Lanieta Rauqeuqe, an economist and public policy expert, and Alfred Ngaro, a former MP for New Zealand’s National Party.

Elias Kanari, author and former President of the Global Speakers Federation, is excited to be among the speakers.

Kanari believes that every community has the potential to grow in its leadership and aims to promote societal change that leads to better outcomes for Pasifika.

Watch the full interview with Katrina Ma'u Fatiaki below.

“We want to help people understand that if they can lead themselves first, then learning how to lead is an art, not a science, and we can help them to then lead their families, lead their organisations and their communities.

“What I see is a community that has a lot of really valuable values that can be used to help expand in any unit of the community they’re working in, and what we can do is help them leverage what they already have and then extend it.”

Preparing for the event

As the Director of Tapuaki Mei Langi Consultancy, Fatiaki brings a wealth of experience in human rights and programme development.

The Legacy Leadership Symposium aims to foster Pacific leadership values. Photo/LLS

She also believes that faith can be a key element in Pacific leadership.

“As a Christian, faith is a key pillar of my everyday living… I always question myself, how am I living that out? How do I show love to others that may challenge me in the leadership space?”

Tickets for local participants are priced at NZ$450, with discounted rates available for international guests.

Fatiaki says the event is organised by volunteers who are dedicated to serving the region, and encourages aspiring leaders to see it as an investment.

Elias Kanaris is an executive coach and leadership trainer. Photo/Website

Over 100 attendees are expected from across the Pacific, including Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, Sāmoa, and Papua New Guinea.

Fatiaki invites Aotearoa-based leaders and community members to join. “A lot of our Pasifika people, we can put money to all sorts of things, but not so much on our personal growth.

“LLS is not targeting a selected group of people. It is actually targeting anyone who has a hunger to be a lead, anyone who has a hunger to continue to look at tools to reach their fullest potential,” she says. “Join the journey.”

The Legacy Leadership Symposium will be held from 25-27 June in Te Atatū. More information can be found at www.lls.nz or on the Legacy Leadership Symposium Facebook page.