How to Grow as a Leader: Takeaways from the Vancouver Leadership Panel
Yesterday, we hosted our Leaders Breakfast Panel: Leadership for the Future in Vancouver. It was an action-packed morning with a full crowd in attendance at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. Our speakers – Maninder Dhaliwal, Alex Read, Lisa Martin and Stephen Race – all participated in a lively discussion about leadership with some very valuable insights.
To close out the day, we asked each of our panelists to share two takeaways on how they fill their leadership tank and grow as a leader. Here are some snippets from what they said –
Lisa Martin
- To be a great leader means to be curious and to be action-oriented every day. I’m a lifelong learner and voracious reader. I need to know what’s new and happening to support the people I work with.
- Be self-aware and be curious about getting your own personal feedback. What is your form of leadership? How are you perceived by others?
Maninder Dhaliwal
- I’ve always believed in taking personal responsibility for your life. I strongly believe in education and I go back to school often. Last year when I went to Harvard Business School it was extremely inspiring and humbling to be surrounded by so many brilliant people.
- Look at six or seven people in your organization – above, below and on the same level as you. Find out what’s important to them personally and professionally. Keep an eye out on how you can help people and you will be a better leader. It pays off in a big way.
Stephen Race
- I fill my tank by easing others pains, helping them solve problems. I find seeing other people grow and develop very rewarding.
- Being a great leader = being able to have a real hard look in the mirror and be honest if you like what you see. Identify those tasks that you really enjoy and time seems to fly by while you’re doing them. Then identify those tasks which you find draining. Delegate the tasks in the latter category to someone else. There is always someone else who is better and more interested in doing those things than you.
Alex Read
- I keep fresh by embracing things that make me uncomfortable. I’ve learned some of my greatest leadership lessons from not only trying but truly embracing those uncomfortable situations.
- Operating at peak performance as a professional is similar to operating at peak performance as an athlete. You have to live in alignment with your core values physically, mentally and emotionally. Every morning I wake up early and spend 1 minute just to think positively about my day, 10 minutes stretching, 10 minutes doing light exercise and 10 minutes planning. I eat 6 meals a day and every 90 minutes I oscillate and do something different to stay fresh. I didn’t always used to work this way but its little tweaks like this that make a huge difference. You can’t be an effective leader running at 110% all day.
Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday and contributed to a fantastic event! Next stop: Winnipeg. We have a new lineup of leadership panelists all set to share their insights with local Winnipeg business leaders. Click here more information on our Winnipeg Leaders Breakfast Panel.