FOR Peni (Ben) Tuilaselase Morrison, leadership has never been about titles or positions.
It has always been about people.
As the founder and executive director of Inspire Pacific, founder and director of Kingdom Creative Arts, and senior pastor of C3 Grow Suva, Mr Morrison has spent years investing in the lives of young people, particularly those who are vulnerable and at risk.
But despite years of leading organisations and communities, his participation in Leadership Fiji’s Executive Leadership Programme in 2025 challenged him to view leadership through a different lens.
“It was a real blessing for me to join the leadership program,” Morrison said.
“I learned quite a lot through it, and I was able to connect with a lot of leaders who are currently leading in different sectors.”
An unexpected journey
Mr Morrison admits he entered the program with few expectations.
Although he knew Leadership Fiji had made a positive impact in communities and was familiar with people connected to the organisation, he understood little about what the program offered.
“I didn’t have a lot of expectation given that I didn’t know much about Leadership Fiji,” he said.
“What I was aware of was that there were a few people I know who were somehow connected to it.
“I did know Leadership Fiji had a certain level of impact in communities, so I was looking forward to what I could learn from the program.”
What followed became one of the most enriching leadership experiences of his life.
“The experience in Leadership Fiji for me was eye-opening. It was inspiring and very enriching,” he said.
“It gave me a chance to step away from the daily routine and elevate into a leadership mindset where we could think strategically and connect with others who were thinking at that level. That was very refreshing and inspiring.”
Looking beyond the title
While the program exposed participants to strategic leadership and visits with leaders of different industries, Mr Morrison said his greatest lesson came through the relationships formed along the way.
Rather than seeing influential people only through the positions they held, he discovered the human stories behind their leadership.
“The greatest thing that I took from Leadership Fiji would be the relationships that were formed with other leaders,” he said.
“Many times, we look at leaders from an elevated perspective and think they have everything right and everything going well for them.
“But connecting with them, you get to see how real and vulnerable they are. You realise they also go through challenges on a personal level.”
Throughout the program, participants were encouraged to set aside their professional titles and simply connect as people.
“We were able to drop that façade and just be real.
“For me, that was a big takeaway — being able to hear their stories, know their challenges and see how they overcame those challenges as fathers, sons, women and mothers while carrying many leadership responsibilities.”
Those conversations, he said, strengthened friendships that continued long after the program ended.
“We started out as colleagues in the program, but now we have all become close friends.”
Thinking strategically
Alongside building relationships, Mr Morrison said the program challenged participants to develop a broader approach to solving problems.
He said one of the strongest themes throughout the course was strategic leadership.
“As far as the content of learning is concerned, I was definitely impacted by the continuous focus on strategic leadership,” he said.
“It taught me to think outside the box, to have the right perspective towards a problem and to be courageous and bold enough to do something different to solve it instead of being satisfied with the status quo.”
The program also included visits to organisations and meetings with leaders from various sectors, giving participants practical insights into leadership across Fiji.
“We visited a lot of places and met a lot of leaders in different industries, so there was a lot to take from the experience.”
Giving back together
One of the program’s most meaningful moments came when Mr Morrison’s cohort chose to support Inspire Pacific, the non-profit organisation he leads.
The organisation works with at-risk, marginalised and street-involved boys through its Tagane Mai and juvenile integration programs.
Together, members of the cohort collected clothes, food and other essential resources for the boys.
Beyond material support, they spent time sharing their personal stories and encouraging the young people.
“The cohort was also able to come in and share their stories with these boys and get them inspired. It was indeed a very enriching interaction between our cohort and the boys.”
The experience also created opportunities that extended beyond the program itself.
“We also had one of the boys connected to an apprentice program with one of our cohort members.”
For Mr Morrison, it demonstrated how leadership becomes most meaningful when it creates opportunities for others.
Preparing for opportunity
Today, Morrison strongly encourages others to embrace the opportunity if they are invited to participate in Leadership Fiji.
“I definitely encourage everyone to be part of this program if they have the opportunity.
“It’s definitely a program where you will learn a lot, meet many people and build lasting relationships that will stay with you for a lifetime.”
As someone who spends much of his time mentoring young people, Mr Morrison believes leadership begins with recognising one’s purpose.
“I encourage young people that God has a purpose for your life,” he said.
“You all have the capacity not only to succeed but also to lead someone else down the path of success and abundant life. Never doubt yourself. Believe there is a calling for you.”
It is a message reinforced by advice that has remained with him throughout his own journey.
“Someone told me that miracles happen where preparation meets opportunity,” he said.
“So always be prepared. Work hard to prepare yourself, and when opportunities come, that is where success happens.”
While the program exposed participants to strategic leadership, Mr Morrison said his greatest lesson came through the relationships formed along the way through the program. Picture: LEADERSHIP FIJI
