From Intuition to Intention: My Leadership Journey

Alexie Seller is a 2025 Westpac Social Change Fellow and dedicated social change leader with a belief that every person on this planet deserves opportunity. Here, she reflects on her role as a social entrepreneur and her journey from South Asia to Arnhem Land, a vast remote area situated in the far north-eastern corner of Australia’s Northern Territory. 

 

I was inspired to apply for the Westpac Social Change Fellowship because I felt like I was at a crossroads. After 12 years in the social enterprise sector, including co-founding Pollinate Group in South Asia and now leading Impact North, which empowers remote Aboriginal entrepreneurs, I felt the need to pause and reflect deeply on my leadership journey, my purpose, and where I saw myself heading.

Navigating transitions

In a strange way, one of the proudest moments of my career so far was navigating my exit from Pollinate Group - not just for what we achieved, but for how we managed the transition. We held space for the team, ensured lasting impact for our communities, and maintained the integrity of our relationships throughout the process. It was also a remarkably empowering experience for me as a leader, to witness the courage and commitment of everyone on this journey. This experience early on has sparked my interest in how leaders move through different phases of organisational growth and change. I've witnessed many founders pushed to burnout during transitions, and I believe we need to create better support systems for these crucial moments.

 

I've come to see my role as making visions possible through building remarkable teams, while recognising that leadership has natural beginnings and endings, and not losing sight of where I am in that process at each moment. With this and my current roles in mind, my fellowship has become a journey from intuition to intention, exploring what it takes for impact to be sustained - for an individual, an organisation, and a community.

Connecting and growing

While the program provides funding, its true value lies in giving leaders the permission and space to think deeply about who we are and why we're here. One of my first actions was setting a simple goal, that has cost me nothing: having conversations with 10 people from different sectors and backgrounds. Having moved from South India to the Northern Territory five years ago, I recognised I was missing that rich cross-sectoral connection that had previously fuelled my growth. These conversations have been both expansive and deeply meaningful. I've been amazed by how these strangers have opened up to me, sharing vulnerable thoughts and offering generous insights for my journey.

 

Looking ahead, I am moving into a phase of formal training in strategy and governance, while planning a return to India and Nepal to reconnect with many of old friends and understand more deeply the evolution of impact from the organisation I grew. I’m excited to see what else became possible that I might never have imagined.

A community to lean on

What's surprised me most so far isn't the learning and growing - that's what I expected. Instead, it's finding the strength to acknowledge my own value and seeing how the weight of leadership has been affecting me. When a fellow changemaker praised my "leadership from the centre," it caught me off guard. Like many social leaders, I had been holding myself to impossible standards, always prioritising others' needs over my own. I was paying attention to symptoms but not addressing things at my core. This fellowship has given me permission to question whether I'm truly on track, to reckon with my past, and to think deeply about my future impact and my own needs in that future.

 

A lot of what I'm doing on this program feels like very hard work, and I'm not going to lie—sometimes I feel exhausted, and I feel like giving up. If I tried to do this on my own, I would have already. I'm so grateful for my fellow changemakers and the Westpac Scholars Trust team—knowing I’ve got skin in the game and a community to lean on has kept me going.

 

As someone shared during our residential, there's a "me-shaped" hole in the universe for everyone. I'm still searching for mine, but I've found peace in knowing it's out there, and I have permission to find it.

 

Are you a social change leader looking to accelerate your growth and impact?  

Apply for a Westpac Social Change Fellowship today and you could receive up to $50,000 to invest in your personal development and join network of passionate changemakers like Alexie, working to create a more inclusive and sustainable future for all Australians. 

Applications for 2026 close on Thursday 3 July at 5pm (AEST).