Learning Global Leadership at Harvard: A Week of Connection, Strategy, and Vision
In 2022, I had the privilege of attending the Harvard University “Leading People and Investing in Sustainable Communities” Executive Program, thanks to an invitation from AFOA Canada. Held within Harvard’s prestigious MBA faculty, this week-long program brought together 40 Indigenous leaders from across the globe — including representatives from Canada, the USA, Aotearoa (New Zealand), and just three of us from Australia.
The experience was nothing short of transformative.
For a full week, I lived and learned among some of the most forward-thinking Indigenous leaders in the world, surrounded by the rich academic culture of Harvard Business School. The program was more than theory — it was a strategic deep dive into the kind of knowledge we rarely get access to back home.
Key Takeaways:
Community Investment Strategies – Understanding how capital can be mobilised to drive long-term, community-led outcomes
Compound Interest & Financial Literacy – Tools to build intergenerational wealth in Indigenous communities
Data & Measurement – How to track what matters, and communicate impact without losing cultural context
Customer Service & Complaints Handling – We studied the world’s best service models to learn what it truly means to listen, respond, and evolve
Beyond the classroom, I had the chance to explore Boston, connect with like-minded leaders, and reflect on what global Indigenous excellence really looks like in practice. It was a week of learning, growth, and vision-building — all deeply rooted in purpose and possibility.
Where to From Here?
Harvard showed me what’s possible when Indigenous leaders are invested in, connected globally, and given the space to design our own systems of success. It affirmed the power of strategy, measurement, and leadership when culture stays at the centre.
I’ll be back one day — not just as a student, but perhaps as a global contributor to the next generation of thinking on cultural economies and sustainable leadership.
