Organizations rise and fall on the quality of their leadership. It’s that simple - and that’s why I love working with the LLEAD program.

 

I became a rather reluctant manager when the head of our department left the organization unexpectedly. I agreed to lead our team temporarily until a suitable replacement could be found. Apparently, I enjoyed the opportunity more than I expected because I’ve been managing people and leading teams ever since.

 

I am a librarian by profession, but a teacher at heart. During my career, I’ve been fortunate to teach courses in the University of Guelph’s Bachelor of Commerce program, and in the School of Information Management at Dalhousie University. I have found that the best way to learn something is to try to teach it to someone else. For me, the classroom environment, whether onsite or online, offers a perfect laboratory to experiment with different techniques and approaches. Instructing thousands of students over the years taught me the importance of staying curious, asking good questions, and taking calculated risks.

 

In 2020, I transitioned to a new role at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus, and that is when I first connected with LLEAD. I joined as a guide, and I was immediately impressed by the depth of the curriculum, the passion of the guides, and the calibre of the cohort.