From Dragons’ Den to the battlefield, HBA students learned the importance that character and candour play in becoming better leaders.
Students listened, learned and practiced with the help of guest speakers, actors and Ivey faculty at the inaugural HBA Leadership Conference on January 24.
Related to this story
Special guests included Arlene Dickinson, an entrepreneur, author and venture capitalist who is known for her role on CBC’s Dragons' Den, and General (Ret.) Rick Hillier, former Chief of Defence Staff for the Canadian Forces. Dickinson revealed how she developed three critical pillars of leadership: confidence, character and candour, while Hillier discussed the importance of being candid and the impact of doing so in his leadership experience.
Key components of the day were two hands-on workshops where students gained practical experience. Ivey faculty led one workshop where students were able to observe the 11 dimensions of character in action using clips from the movie Invictus featuring the leadership story of the late Nelson Mandela. A second workshop with professional actors enabled students to practice candour in the workplace through role-playing.
Anne Coughlan, an actor from Supporting Roles, helped students practice candour at work.
Professor Mary Crossan, organizer of the conference, said it was designed for students to experience firsthand what character is, why it is so critical, and how they can develop it. They learned that character is a critical underpinning to candour. It builds on the world-class research and development Ivey is conducting in the area of leader character. Students completed the Leader Character Insight Assessment (LCIA) and received a personalized report on their self-assessment. Ivey continues to work with leading organizations, including the Institute of Corporate Directors, to advance this ground-breaking work on leader character. The aim is to ensure there is an approach to leader character in organizations that augments the predominant competency focus.
“This is just the start. I hope it will open the door to lifelong learning that will distinguish you as a leader,” she told students.
HBA student Nicole Dee said the format appealed to her.
“It was a very good way for us to experience it,” she said. “One of the things I like about Ivey is that it gets us to really experience it, rather than being passive and just listening to a lecture during class. I think this ties in neatly with how Ivey thinks about education.”
The role-playing was the highlight for HBA student Nicholas Zeeb.
“It was just an amazing experience to see these speakers and hear what their perspectives are and then to actually work it out and live it,” he said. “It’s something that you would get in the real world, but this way you get to do it in an environment where there wasn’t any consequences and actually get the experience that you need for the problems that we are probably going to be facing when we get out of here.”
We’ve captured some of the best quotes of the event:
Arlene Dickinson, entrepreneur, author and part of CBC’s Dragons' Den
On candour:
“There is a difference between candour that is mean-spirited and that which is trying to help someone. Talk to people from a place of respect and understanding of what they are going through. Candour doesn’t have to be harsh or hurtful. It needs to be direct, plain and simple.”
On confidence:
“Leadership comes from a confidence from within. It’s a journey of self-discovery. It’s about figuring out who you are and being comfortable with that.”
On authenticity:
“You need to show up the same way in business as in life. You need to be authentic.”
General (Ret.) Rick Hillier, former Chief of Defence Staff for the Canadian Forces
On priorities:
“Focus on your people and ensure they bring their minds and bodies to work each day – with that you can change the world.”
On growth:
“Be yourself. Grow, but don’t grow arrogant. Remember who you are. People who are successful worry about remaining a real person.”
On leadership:
“Spend 95 per cent of your time looking after 95 per cent of the people who make your organization successful. If you’re not, you are letting them down and they will look for inspiration somewhere else.”
General (Ret.) Rick Hillier
