Some of Central Alberta’s strongest leaders are sharing their expertise with the next wave of leaders.
On Monday, five “coaches” recruited by the Leadership Centre of Central Alberta met with five participants in the Centre’s first-ever Leadership 301 course.
Al Poole, former site leader of Nova Chemicals Corp.’s Joffre complex; Danielle Klooster, principal of Danikloo Consulting and Resource Management Innovations and a former Penhold town councillor; Ed Grose, senior consultant with HR Outlook Human Resources Consulting Group Inc.; Jim Wilson of CorQuest Inc.; and Piet Langstraat, superintendent with the Red Deer Public School District, are helping the 301 course students through a workplace-related project. Each will dedicate about 20 to 25 hours toward this mentoring, said Linda Wilson, executive director at the Leadership Centre.
“These are volunteers,” she said. “They have stepped up to give that time above and beyond their own businesses, their own commitments.”
The participants in the Leadership 301 course have been hard at it since January, when they took part in a two-day opening retreat.
By the time the program wraps up next March, they’ll have received instruction on everything from communication skills to team-building to ethics.
Each have also chosen a project to better their workplace environments, which is where Poole, Klooster, Grose, Wilson and Langstraat step in.
“The coaches will support them on that specific project over the course of the year,” explained Linda Wilson.
Established in 2000, The Leadership Centre helps develop leaders in the business, government, not-for profit and community sectors. After offering a leadership networks program for 12 years, the Centre diversified its training to include Leadership 101, 201 and 301 courses.
Leadership 101, which is designed for front-line staff; and Leadership 201, which is suitable for supervisors and managers, have been offered since 2012.
The new Leadership 301 course is geared for executive directors, owners, CEOs and top managers.
It was made possible through a partnership between the Leadership Centre of Central Alberta and City University — a private, non-profit university headquartered in Seattle, Wash., but with campuses in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria, among other cities.
Faculty from City University have helped with the new 301 course, as have local community leaders, said Wilson.
She described the importance of leadership training, explaining that as business and community leaders retire and reduce their involvement, it’s essential to have new leaders willing and able to fill the void.
In addition to the courses it offers, the Leadership Centre of Central Alberta organizes an annual Leadership Conference, with this year’s event scheduled for Sept. 21 to 22.
It will feature clinical psychologist, leadership consultant and author Henry Cloud; and former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy, who founded the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre; as well as videocast presentations by the likes of Super Bowl winning quarterback Peyton Manning and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.
The Centre will also offer a conflict resolution and negotiation workshop on April 1.
For information on these events or the Centre’s leadership courses, go online to theleadershipcentre.ca.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com