Course to enhance Leadership Skills

TWENTY-two officers of the Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) are currently undergoing a six-week Leadership Course at the Naboro Academy aimed at nurturing potential leaders for the institution.

The PCO (Principal Corrections Officer) and CCO (Chief Corrections Officer) Leadership Course is part of the Commissioner’s Intent to enhance learning and improve the leadership skills of the officers in order to have a well established and strong institution.

Also included are some Corrections Officers Class A (COA) – identified by the Commissioner of Corrections, Commander Francis Kean, and six cadet officers.

The training was opened on May 1 by the FCS Chaplain, Reverend Josefa Tikonatabua who highlighted that that the strength of an institution depends on its leaders.

“Developing and nurturing potential leaders is the most challenging assignment, because when we grow a leader we grow our institutions. The FCS cannot grow until its leaders grow within. The strength of any institutions is a direct result of the strength of its leaders. Weak leaders equal weak institutions. Strong leaders equal strong institutions. Everything rises and falls on leadership,” Rev Tikonatabua said.

He said that many organizations today fail to tap into their potential because the only reward they give their employees is a pay check.

“The relationship between employer and employee never develops beyond that point. Successful organizations take a different approach. In exchange for the work a person gives, he receives not only his pay check, but also nurturing from the people for whom he works. And nurturing has the ability to transform people’s lives.”

“Once you have identified potential leaders, you need to begin the work of building them into the leaders they can become. To do this, you need a strategy.”

Rev Tikonatabua added that nurturing has the ability to transform people’s life.

“Avoid yourself from being an island. There’s nothing can assist you as better leaders of tomorrow if we occupy on our own corner. Great leaders share themselves and what they have learned with the learners who will become tomorrow’s leaders,” he concluded.