Presentation Summary
“You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?” – Rumi
In "Dare to Dream," Professor Salehi shares a blend of personal narrative and professional journey, emphasising self-awareness as the first step towards transformation, change and innovation —whether in life, leadership, or health—starting with the courage to confront the challenges, dream, and the determination to act.
Professor Salehi begins with her personal and professional journey, born into a large traditional family in a remote village near Shiraz city (Iran), and becoming a young healthcare leader in the region. She confronted various sufferings and injustices, including war during her childhood and socio-cultural and political barriers during her leadership, which led to her eventual immigration to Australia. Despite her deep love for her homeland and its people, she embraced the opportunities and experiences that Australia offered. Throughout her life, she has undergone a radical transformation—from deep religious faith to self-discovery, Positive Connections, and belonging.
“Positive Connections” has become one of her key research projects, focusing on empowering individuals, particularly young people, to find their mission and turn it into reality through their meaningful connections with self, nature, and others. This focuses on bonding, bridging, and linking social capital for mutual support towards a bigger mission. Professor Salehi has translated her research into community actions—through “Positive Connections” she has watched young Iranian women find their voice, purpose, and freedom, and herself became a socio-political advocate for the freedom of her country. In addition, she has been an advocate for empowering young leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs in health as well as promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours at the community level. Her mission is to continue developing a movement that empowers individuals through both bottom-up and top-down approaches, shifting from a reactive, powerless approach to health and well-being towards a proactive and empowering one that adds life to years, not just years to life.
Her talk will be divided into two parts: 1) the courage to self-discovery and leading self as the foundation of discovering our mission in life, and leading others; and 2) the power to take control of our health and well-being to make a fulfilling impact from that mission.
"Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself." – Rumi
Biography
Nasim Salehi is a Professor of Healthcare Innovation at Bond University (Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine). With two decades of experience in academia and the healthcare industry, she is a leader in health promotion, healthcare management, and leadership. She advocates for holistic, integrated, and functional approaches for high quality and sustainable care. Her research has influenced policies and practices, including those of WHO. Professor Salehi's mission is to empower transformative leaders and individuals to take control of their health. She is dedicated to equipping leaders with the skills to drive meaningful change in healthcare systems while inspiring individuals to make informed, proactive decisions about their well-being. By bridging transformative leadership and personal empowerment, her work contributes to a more sustainable and forward-thinking healthcare landscape.