At the sidelines of this year’s FW Leadership Summit, we caught up with three remarkable First Nations women. They each reflected on this year’s NAIDOC Week theme ‘50 years of deadly’, sharing their hopes for the future and advice for emerging leaders. 

Here’s what they had to say. 

Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi woman, Dr Casey Sullivan, General Practitioner and Founder of Giggledocs 

‘NAIDOC: 50 years of deadly’ recognises decades of strength, resistance and the leadership of First Nations communities. Looking back at the previous 50 years, is there a moment that stands out as a significant turning point for the First Nations peoples in Australia?

Yes absolutely. It’s the shift from decisions being made about First Nations peoples to decisions being made with and increasingly by First Nations peoples. Over the past few decades, we’ve seen stronger Indigenous voices in health, education, community organisations and policy spaces. 

The real turning point has been recognising that communities themselves hold the solutions. When leadership is grounded in culture and community knowledge, the outcomes are stronger and more sustainable. 

What is a lesson you’ve learned that could help guide the next generation of Indigenous women stepping into leadership?

Leadership doesn’t mean leaving your community behind. It means bringing your community with you. Our strength comes from our connection to culture, to family, to Country and to each other. 

The next generation of Indigenous women should know that their voice, their lived experiences and their cultural knowledge are not barriers to leadership. They are exactly what leadership needs.

How has culture shaped the way you lead, and what can mainstream or Western leadership learn from Indigenous approaches?

Culture teaches us that leadership is collective, not individual. It’s about responsibility to community, listening before speaking, and making decisions that consider the long-term well-being of people and Country. 

Looking ahead to the next 50 years, what is your vision of the future for First Nations leadership in Australia, and what needs to change today to make that vision possible?

My vision is for a future where First Nations leadership is not the exception because it’s embedded across every sector, health, education, policy, business and community. For that to happen, we need to invest in our young people today. 

Wonnarua woman Rachelle Towart OAM. Founder and Managing Director of Pipeline Talent 

Looking back at the last 50 years, was there a moment that stands out as a turning point for the First Nations peoples in Australia?

The turning point for me has been that we were moving away from tokenistic consultation and towards genuine community- led partnerships. Indigenous enterprises and talent pipelines have become such powerful levers for long- lasting change, and I think kinship and reciprocity and Country are redefining what leadership looks like. 

What is a lesson you’ve learned that could help guide the next generation of Indigenous women stepping into leadership?

There are so many. But my guiding lesson is to lead with intentional relationships and courageous clarity. Start by naming values and boundaries and shared goals up front …  center storytelling and lived experiences as leadership tools, and really balance assertiveness with resilience and rational accountability.

How has culture shaped the way you lead, and what can mainstream or Western leadership learn from Indigenous approaches?

Culture is the compass that guides decisions that matter to family, to Country and to future generations. 

Looking ahead to the next 50 years. What is your vision of the future for First Nations leadership in Australia, and what needs to change today to make that vision possible?

I see a thriving ecosystem of Indigenous leadership across health and education, in business, in culture and governance. We need sovereign, sustainable economies.

Ngemba Weilwan woman Sharon Winsor. Founder,  CEO and executive chef at Indigiearth 

Looking back at the 50 years, was there a moment that stands out as a turning point for the First Nations peoples in Australia?

I don’t think there’s been any significant turning point, really. I think it’s always been a challenge, and it continues to be a challenge. What stands out the most are the courageous people that have come before me, and the women whose shoulders I proudly stand on. 

For me, personally, after coming through a lot of trauma in my life and continuing to navigate the effects of trauma, [I want to] give back in a way that is not giving up on culture. Culture didn’t give up on me when I was ready to give up on myself. 

What is a leadership lesson you’ve learned that could help guide the next generation of Indigenous women stepping into leadership?

Leadership and being an Aboriginal person come with so much responsibility – it’s cultural responsibility, it’s community, it’s everything. So, if you want to step into a leadership role, it’s not just about one thing, and it’s not just about yourself. It’s about staying true to who you are, and [looking out] for the rise of all of our people. 

How has culture shaped the way you lead, and what can mainstream or Western leadership learn from Indigenous approaches?

There is a fine line between doing business with culture and bastardising culture … Culture is not a brand, and [there are a lot of] responsibilities that come with it. 

Our people have been here for more than 60,000 years. They cared for this country, looked after Country and looked after each other … Our culture is here for everyone to embrace, and I’d love to see all of our future leaders, black, white, whoever they are, take some of our knowledge and wisdom forward with them. 

Looking ahead to the next 50 years. What is your vision of the future for First Nations leadership in Australia, and what needs to change today to make that vision possible?

I’ve always said that business is the way forward for our people. Obviously, education is a key part of that as well. But business is about economic development and independence and strength and creating generational wealth … [things that] can’t be taken away, that can’t be pulled out from underneath us. 

So, moving into the next 50 years, I’d love to see more Aboriginal business leaders out there, and the whole of Australia celebrating and acknowledging Aboriginal culture as being a part of everything. It doesn’t have to just be about NAIDOC Week or Reconciliation Week – it is just being embedded into everything because it’s the right thing to do.

Image credit: Vienna Marie Creative
Hair and make up: Jaque Di Condio and Gemma Woods