The Tribal Foundation Inc. hosted the consecutive 3rd “Live2Lead” PNG 2026 Conference in partnership with John Maxwell Foundation. It took place on 23rd February and amongst the key speakers from high calibre of leadership was Ms Lynda Babao. Her speech she shared on her facebook page: Lady of a Thousand Tribes and she shares the first lesson on Leadership : Build Relationships before you need them – she spoke of Advancing PNG Women Leaders Network as an example! The other 3 lessons and the example story that goes with it, are also encouraging and motivating.
Thank you Lady of a Thousand Tribes!
I have had a very full life.
As a little girl playing on the banks of the Sepik River, with heritage from Manus, Popondetta and Woodlark Island, I never imagined that one day I would become the First Lady of Papua New Guinea — or come to know world leaders personally.
Life has a way of taking us far beyond our expectations.
Today, I want to share a few nuggets I have learned along the way — lessons that have brought value to my life, and that I hope will bring value to yours.
Over the years, I have met village councillors, mothers running market stalls, teachers in remote classrooms, business leaders, diplomats, presidents, and heads of state.
Despite the very different settings, one truth became surprisingly clear:
Leadership is not defined by the size of your office. It is defined by the size of your heart.
Whether you lead a nation, a company, a department, or a family — the same principles apply.
Today, I want to share four lessons.
1. Build Relationships Before You Need Them
Many people approach relationships transactionally.
They appear when they need help. They disappear when they don’t.
But the strongest leaders I have known invest in people long before there is a reason.
Not because they need them but because they value them.
Trust cannot be rushed.
It grows slowly and quietly over time.
And when a crisis comes, it reveals whether you have been building bridges or simply collecting business cards.
Let me tell you about a group of remarkable women — women who, through their professions, businesses, and advocacy programs, were already making a positive impact in communities throughout PNG.
They came together thinking they were simply there to share their projects. But it became so much more.
As they shared their stories, they began to recognize their own pain and challenges reflected in one another. The floodgates opened. Tears flowed freely.
They no longer felt alone in their struggles. They felt seen, understood, and safe to be authentically themselves.
Friendships were formed. Trust was built.
This was the formation of the Advancing PNG Women Leaders Network (APNGWLN).
Soon after, they began sharing knowledge and networks to strengthen one another’s work. But what truly proved the depth of their bond was when Turiza Tandago — a theatre nurse and founder of the Angore Women & Youth Development Foundation in Hela — was forced to flee with her children during a tribal fight, leaving behind her burning home, resource centres, and agriculture hub — everything she had built.
It was the support of this network — both financial and emotional — that helped her relocate first to Lae, then to Port Moresby.
Here in Port Moresby, she rebuilt her life, found employment, and educated her children — two are now engineers and one is a doctor.
This is the power of genuine relationships.
No worthwhile challenge is ever accomplished alone.
Every major initiative I was part of — whether social programs, partnerships, or national projects — succeeded because relationships already existed before they were needed.
A leader who networks only, when necessary, will always struggle. A leader who invests consistently will never stand alone.
Research shows that high-trust organizations outperform low-trust organizations by over 280% in productivity.
Relationships are not soft skills. They are leadership infrastructure.
2. Understand What Truly Matters to Others
One of the greatest mistakes leaders make is assuming people are motivated by the same things they are.
But people are not driven only by policies, instructions, or incentives.
They are driven by their underlying values.
Some want dignity.
Some want security.
Some want recognition.
Some want purpose.
Unless you listen deeply, you will lead incorrectly.
When people feel seen, they cooperate. When people feel ignored, they resist.
I learned that listening is not waiting for your turn to speak. Listening is discovering the person behind the position.
When you understand someone’s underlying motivation, you can lead them effectively.
This lesson became very real during the 2017 Boroko Rotary Club and Department of Health HPV Vaccination Pilot Project.
The Rotary Club of Boroko, with support from Rotary International, raised funds to provide free HPV vaccines — protecting 26,000 young girls in Port Moresby from cervical cancer.
On paper, it seemed simple.
Free vaccines.
26,000 lives protected.
A clear public health benefit.
You would assume that was incentive enough for everyone to come on board.
But leadership is never just about the objective. It is about people.
The Department of Health’s approval was required. However, there were underlying concerns that could have derailed the project:
• Some felt they had not been included early enough.
• There was a sense of hurt and exclusion.
• A few individuals were territorial.
• Others felt that an NGO initiative might expose their shortcomings.
The issue was not the vaccine.
The issue was recognition, ownership, and respect.
Once those underlying drivers were acknowledged, the path forward became clearer.
A phone call was made to the then Minister of Health, the late Hon. Michael Malabag.
The conversation focused on:
• The shared objective — saving 26,000 young girls.
• The importance of collaboration for national impact.
• Ensuring that the Minister and the Department received the recognition they deserved for facilitating this life-saving initiative.
When people understand that their dignity, authority, and contribution are respected, cooperation becomes much easier.
The project was a success.
Studies show employees who feel heard are 4.6 times more likely to perform their best work.
Leadership is not convincing others to care about your priorities.
Leadership is connecting your priorities to what already matters to them.
3. Be Clear About Your Own Direction
If you do not know who you are, leadership will confuse you.
You must be clear about:
Your values.
Your purpose.
Your objectives.
Because leadership brings opinions.
Many opinions.
Without internal clarity, external noise will control you.
You become shaken by criticism. Distracted by trends. Tempted by short-term approval.
But when you know your direction, you remain steady.
Among the world leaders I have met, Vladimir Putin stood out to me for one reason — direction.
I am not making a judgment about whether he is a great leader or bad leader. What struck me was certainty. His confidence did not appear loud or boastful. It seemed grounded in self-awareness. He understands his strengths. He knows his weaknesses. And he accepts that not everyone will agree with his decisions.
There was also an undeniable presence. He is not tall, yet he commands the room simply by entering it. That kind of authority does not come from height or volume. It comes from clarity.
Clarity gives courage.
You will not please everyone. But you will sleep peacefully.
Leaders with clearly defined values are three times more trusted than those who rely purely on position or personality.
Confidence does not come from title. It comes from alignment between belief and action.
4. Make It Easier for Others to Succeed
This may be the most important lesson of all.
True leadership is not rising above people. It is lifting people.
Strength is not shown by control —it is shown by empowerment.
Remove obstacles.
Share knowledge.
Open doors without needing credit.
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” — John C. Maxwell
When you help someone succeed, you multiply your impact beyond your lifetime.
Papua New Guinea Tribal Foundation, through its founder and CEO GT Bustin, operates on a core principle: empowering one another and building people. It is instilled in every team member and embedded in everything the organization does.
Tribal Foundation was never just about handing out resources. It was about removing barriers so communities could rise on their own.
When Tribal is involved in GBV or SARV cases, the focus is clear: support the system so everyone can perform their role effectively.
• Laptops are provided so court documents can be drafted efficiently.
• Accommodation is arranged so victims feel safe and do not return to their perpetrators.
• Logistics are handled carefully so no technicalities can be exploited and cases dismissed.
When obstacles are removed, justice can proceed. Accountability is served. Systems function as they were designed to.
The best leaders I have met were not remembered for what they achieved personally — but for who they developed.
Organizations that prioritize mentorship see up to 72% higher retention and significantly stronger performance.
When you create space for others to grow, you create stability for the future.
Bringing It All Together
After years of interacting with leaders at every level — from village to global — I realized something simple:
The quality of a nation will never rise above the quality of its people.
Policies matter.
Resources matter.
But people matter most.
Which brings me to this theme:
People Building is Nation Building.
When you build a person, you influence a family.
When you influence a family, you shape a community.
When you shape communities, you transform a nation.
So, build relationships before you need them.
Understand what truly matters to others.
Be clear about your direction.
And make it easier for others to succeed.
Because leadership is not measured by how many follow you —but by how many grow because of you.
If each of us commits to building ourselves and building others, we will not simply improve organizations.
We will strengthen Papua New Guinea
Thank you
