Member Spotlight: Tayla Harvey

For Tayla, sport has always been about challenge, growth and finding connection in unexpected places.

Her sporting journey began with netball in primary school, before expanding to netball, cricket and soccer in high school. At just 11 years old,she first picked up a golf club, but it was not until 2020, just before COVID, that golf truly became her sport.

“I like a good challenge,” Tayla says. “Something to keep my mind busy and focused, and to keep pushing myself and achieving.”

Golf offered exactly that. It demanded patience, discipline and self belief, while also opening doors to friendships and experiences she never anticipated.

“The social and travel aspects are amazing,” she shares. “I’ve made lifelong friends with people I never would have expected to meet.”

One of Tayla’s most recent highlights came when she qualified for the Golf NSW state final at Stonecutters Ridge, a milestone that reflected years of commitment and steady growth in the game.

Learning to lead on and off the course

Despite having played golf for less than six years, Tayla has been a club captain for nearly five of them. It is a role that has reshaped how she thinks about leadership.

“Not everyone has the same goals and passions as you, even in the same sport,” she explains. “Everyone values different things.”

That perspective has helped her understand that leadership is not about making decisions for others, but about creating opportunity.

“It’s important to give the most amount of opportunity to the mostamount of people,” Tayla says, “rather than making choices for them.”

Away from sport, Tayla works in marketing and product management at a customer owned bank. After a particularly stressful period at work, she was encouraged to seek out new development opportunities,

which led her to the Empowered to Lead program. Even though she does not work directly in the sports industry, the connection felt natural. “It’s a fantastic overlay between golf and work,” she says.

Growth through reflection and connection

Tayla entered the program without clear expectations, and was surprisedby how hands on and engaging the experience was.

“I had no idea we would do so many sessions together and actually leadand discuss the conversations,” she reflects. “It was so much more fun and engaging than I thought it would be.”

One moment stood out above the rest. During the final project presentations, Tayla witnessed the depth of connection across the group.

“Seeing the emotion everyone shared, and being able to really see the change in some of the women over the course, was awesome.”

Since completing the program, Tayla has noticed a clear shift in how she shows up, particularly in challenging situations.

“When a frustrating email or situation comes up, I sit back and take a breath and ask myself how I respond in an above the line way, rather than reacting first.”

She has also embraced a stronger sense of self acceptance.

“I use my personality profiling to my advantage now, and I won’t be apologising for it any longer.”

Leading by example

The leadership lessons Tayla has taken from sport continue to shape her everyday life.

“You can’t help people if they’re not willing to help themselves,” shesays.

And for Tayla, leadership is rarely loud. “It’s not about the obvious leadership moments. It’s about walking the walk as well as talking the talk, and letting people choose to follow you rather than forcing them to.”

Her journey is a reminder that leadership can be quiet, thoughtful and deeply impactful, whether it is on the golf course, in the workplace or within a community.

This participant’s Empowered to Lead scholarship was made possible thanks to our corporate partner, Infosys.

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