Gaining personal leadership insight

Bob Thibeault, Production Leader at Brose Canada Inc., discusses how The Ivey Academy's Frontline Supervisor Program provided him with the tools to learn about himself and to continue to grow as a leader.

What led you to take the Frontline Supervisor Program (FSP)?
My company asked if I would attend. The objective I was given was to evaluate the course and give feedback to determine if the course would be beneficial to send other leaders to in the future.

How did the format of the program facilitate your learning?
I liked that each day built on the previous day's theme. The homework helped to prepare for the upcoming lesson, and in turn, reinforce what we had learned. Having an interactive approach was definitely a positive; it forced everyone to pay attention and get involved. Having the opportunity to practice what we learned through role playing was a great tool to use!

What was the highlight of the program for you?
The highlight for me was the addition of actors into the role playing. Typically when you do role playing with your colleagues, the results are very watered down. By having actors prepare a character and stay within the character, it felt much more real. At the end of each session, the actors would give feedback on how you did and offer coaching points, which was great! Along with the actors, having the feedback from my classmates was really nice as well, it felt like a true practice session.

What were your biggest takeaways?
For me, the biggest takeaways were how my classmates and I grew as leaders from the experience. Through interactions with my classmates, I found out that many of them had not had been through this type of training before. To see how they responded, how they were able to improve their outlooks and gain the confidence needed to succeed in their roles leads me to believe that the format and content of the program is very effective. For me personally, the self-assessments and what they taught me about myself will be the building blocks for my own personal improvement.

Has FSP changed your approach to leadership?
Overall I would say that I won’t have a fundamental change to how I lead, but I will adjust how I feel about the situations I’m in and respond accordingly. Prior to the program, I worked hard to keep my emotions in check and hide my true feelings from my peers and subordinates. FSP has taught me that it’s actually more beneficial to not contain all of my emotions, and to not be afraid to share.

If a colleague was considering taking the program, what would you tell them?
I would tell my colleague that the training is well worth it. Even if they’ve had the opportunity to take similar training in the past, I can pretty much guarantee them that what The Ivey Academy and Fanshawe Corporate Training Solutions have put together is a far superior product, one that will better prepare them. I would also tell them to embrace the experience with an open mind, because the more they put in, the more they will get out of it.

For more information on the Frontline Leadership Program, please download the program brochure. 

About The Ivey Academy at Ivey Business School
The Ivey Academy at Ivey Business School is the home for executive Learning and Development (L&D) in Canada. It is Canada’s only full-service L&D house, blending Financial Times top-ranked university-based executive education with talent assessment, instructional design and strategy, and behaviour change sustainment. 

Rooted in Ivey Business School’s real-world leadership approach, The Ivey Academy is a place where professionals come to get better, to break old habits and establish new ones, to practice, to change, to obtain coaching and support, and to join a powerful peer network. Follow The Ivey Academy on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.