Soldiers receive medals after attending course

The National National

Twenty soldiers have received medallions after attending the first Pilot Lead Course for Northern Units under the Kumul Leadership Framework for better Papua New Guinea Defence Force.
The closing of the five days course on Friday was officiated by Chief of Staff Captain (Navy) Philip Polewara who acknowledged the opportunity to have the course conducted. Despite going through difficult times with some of the activities cancelled, the course was given a nod, Polewara said. He said the PNGDF Kumul Leadership Framework was a unique leadership model adopted from the New Zealand Defence Force Leadership Framework. It takes into consideration the PNG cultural contexts and PNGDF ethos and values beginning with putting God first.
“The Kumul Leadership Framework is designed in a deliberated manner concentrating on individuals and has the potential to bail out organisations that have fallen into deep trances.”
“Surely to model and live the PNGDF ethos and values with putting God first in PNGDF must be of critical importance for all leaders in the six levels of the Kumul Leadership levels,” Polewara said.
He stated that pilot course was the second to be conducted in a year in implementing the PNGDF Kumul Leadership Framework. The first was the Lead Capability course for commanding officers and regiment sergeant majors level conducted in April in Port Moresby.
“The lead team course is a special course because the target group, the lieutenants and corporals are the bottom-level leaders who have a wider baseline. This target groups are special because they will influence their peers and subordinates at
their levels at earliest part of their careers.”
“I call this a special target group because they are the future leaders of this organisation. It is an investment for them and the organisation at large. They will realise the benefits of this course and hence must take ownership in the way they understand themselves, their roles, and build relationship with others as they grow in their leadership.”