My classmates and I are two sessions in to this year’sLeadership Winnipeg program, and I can honestly say I am already so glad I decided to participate. Last month I learned I was a very strong “sunshine yellow” type of gal, thanks to the Insights profile and session conducted by Tom Carson. Once I read through the profile and saw words like enthusiasm, optimism, social, lifelong learning, and possibilities strung through sentences that seemed to perfectly describe me, I knew I’d stepped into something that could teach me so much more than I already know.

As the outgoing type, I often find myself searching for ways to give back to a city that’s given me so many wonderful things. The most recent wonderful thing: the opportunity to be the Communications Manager for the 2017 Canada Summer Games. Coming off such a major project, I recognize I have an incredible opportunity to put myself out there like never before, and this program is helping me do just that.

For this month’s session, an invitation to Government House from the one and only Honourable Janice Filmon, Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, to talk about leadership in the community. I was completely in awe as she spoke about the opportunities we have as young people and how important it is to stay true to yourself.

We met some truly inspiring folk last week – and that’s on top of the colleagues I get to share the room with regularly. A couple of my key takeaways:

• Paul Soubry, President and CEO, New Flyer Industries stressed we are products of our environment, and can be at our best in terms of productivity when no one cares about the credit.
• Jeff Hnatiuk, President and CEO of Sport Manitoba spoke to the opportunities and challenges of servicing numerous client groups and managing each all together in one state-of-the-art facility: the Canada Games Sport for Life Centre.
• Lynda Gunter started her own business, Frontiers North, from the ground up and reassured us though risks do not feel good at first, it’s OK to take them.
• Marie Bouchard spoke about leading from the middle, which tends to be less celebrated as a true leadership style, but yet is essential for many different types of people.
• Gregg Hanson’s grassroots efforts with the Bear Clan came through as some of his most inspiring work. He reminded us we can all contribute on so many levels, and to work from the ground up as a team can often turn over the most success.
• Liz Marr, of Greystone, encouraged us all to get involved, to be socially responsible and to join a community we feel we can make a difference in, to truly connect to the things and people around us.

It’s important to me to get behind our city and the thousands of amazing things we come together to create. To tap into that pulse often just scratches the surface, and after spending some quality time with such a neat group, I cannot wait to see what the full program has in store for us.
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Feeling thankful and excited, about it all. ​

Leadership Winnipeg is grateful for the support of our Vision Partners