With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1484213
Of course, the age-old debate asks whether people are born with leadership traits or whether leadership can be taught. "As an educator, I lean towards the notion that people can learn and develop leadership competencies," Clarke says. "Every new situation you encounter is an opportunity to act, reflect and learn." UVic recently launched a new micro-credential called Essential Soft Skills Training, which Clarke sometimes describes as the "greatest hits of people skills" because it equips learners with foundational knowledge and tools required when moving into leadership roles. "Dividing competencies into hard and soft skills can be limiting because these lines are blurring," she says. "Future leaders need educational programs that take a more integrated approach to skills development, which is why we embed both into our curriculum design." EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE One of the challenges today's workplaces is that there is little room for leaders to make mistakes or fail. People may lean on their strengths and what they know rather than risk stepping outside of their comfort zone to try something new. That's where continuing education courses can help. "The classroom is an ideal space to learn about different leadership approaches and then try them out with a group of people who aren't your co-workers," Clarke says. "Think of it as a low-stakes simulation lab. Many of our instructors are senior level professionals who have decades of experience coaching others. They know how to create a safe learning space for self-reflection and critical thinking." Another big pitfall is assuming that you can somehow avoid conflict or resistance. "Leaders can't antagonize, but they can't be people-pleasers either," Mancuso says. "And in the end, they have to understand that decisions have to be made Leadership is most important when the right path is not clear and when someone will be unhappy no matter which direction is taken." UCW students can gain these skills in-action as peer leaders, helping to ease the transition for new first-term students. They can serve in leadership positions in student clubs, and 2022- 23 students can hone their skills competing in the BC MBA Games. UCW's Master of Business Administration program is built to prepare learners for success at a global level and includes electives for students who want to dial in on a future in leadership. Change Management investigates the dynamics of change; Negotiation explores the art and science of obtaining agreements between two or more independent parties; and Leadership and Decision-Making focuses on decision-making in an organizational structure and introduces cross-cultural communication theory and the importance of image projection in the 21st century. PHOTO: UNIVERSITY CANADA WEST PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA