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The University of British Columbia
- a place of mind
- The University of British Columbia
- UBC Human Resources
“The task of leadership is to create an alignment of strengths, making our weaknesses irrelevant.”
- Peter Drucker
A very clear purpose of the leadership offerings supported by Organizational Development & Learning is to further a dialogue around the very meaning of leadership at UBC. What we believe about leadership has a profound influence on what we do as leaders and how we enact leadership.
For some, leadership refers only to individuals in positions of authority and even more specifically to those in charge of the organization as a whole, in this case, our senior leadership team. Some think of leadership as a phenomenon, the act of providing direction and purpose. Yet others acknowledge and focus on the capacity of an individual to act as a leader in a given moment where leadership is an act of personal courage, taking responsibility for the well-being and actions of oneself and engaging others in a process of change for the greater good.
“Leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purpose…”
- Rost, 1991
There are two key underlying assumptions with regard to the learning opportunities we offer in leadership. We differentiate between management and leadership and, therefore, we distinguish between the exercise of authority and the exercise of leadership. Leadership includes, but extends far beyond authority. Secondly, we pay attention to developing the capacity of individuals to lead in order to contribute to developing the overall leadership capacity of UBC as an organization.
A fundamental principle of our leadership programs at UBC, therefore, is that every individual has the capability and numerous opportunities over the span of a lifetime to lead, and when we are able to recognize and act upon the opportunities as they emerge we exercise leadership for those with whom we are interacting.
Successful social change requires “changes in how a broad group of people think and feel, how they act and relate to one another, how they organize themselves, and what kinds of structures and systems they create to identify and meet their needs.”
- Howard & Reinelt, 2006
Place and Promise: The UBC Plan points to the University’s vision to foster global citizenship and advance a civil and sustainable society. The kind of leadership required to bring about social change is based on a pluralist vision of collective leadership and involves tapping into the capacity and strengths of those with whom we are working. From the perspective of the leader, this may entail a fundamental shift in our consciousness of how we see the world, our understanding of relationship and in the nature of how we have typically made commitments to each other and our community as a whole.
To support multiple conversations about leadership at UBC, we offer the following learning opportunities:
This one year program is designed to prepare and provide a leadership development program for Heads and Directors in their administrative roles so as to enhance and contribute to their effectiveness and personal satisfaction in such roles. Full program details are available at http://www.aldp.ubc.ca/.
This four-day workshop, open to all members of the University community, is part of the MOST program, and offers you the opportunity to enrich your understanding of appreciative leadership practices, inquire into how your leadership is perceived by others, and reflect on who you are as a leader when you are at your very best. Discover the unique patterns, skills and talents that make you strong as a leader and recommit to your boldest leadership dreams to design a compelling path into the future. For further details and registration information, download the 2010 Appreciative Leadership Brochure (PDF).
In this extended program, open to all UBC staff and graduate students, participants explore ideas about leadership through a series of workshops and work with students to complete short-term projects in not-for-profit organizations and schools in the community. In addition to learning about leadership, part of your role in this program is to also help UBC students cultivate their own leadership and understand how their academic courses relate to real community issues. Full program details are available at http://clp.ubc.ca.
The third strategy of the Focus on People (Foster Leadership and Management Practices) highlights the importance of sound leadership and management practices as key ingredients to fulfilling a culture at UBC that is inclusive and that invites us all to become involved in a process of positive change. It is important that we start to develop a shared language and understanding of what we mean by “leadership” at UBC.
In Place and Promise: The UBC Plan , the University articulates the importance of such values as integrity, collaboration, public interest in the common good, mutual respect and equity, global concern, and the advancement and sharing of knowledge. If these values are going to achieve dominance in the future, they must be embedded in a new understanding of what leadership is to those who live, study and work at UBC. We invite you to share your stories of leadership experiences at UBC and help us start to build a narrative about what leadership looks like at UBC.
This program is open to M&P staff who have staff reporting directly to them and is designed to support them in their first year, recognizing the significant responsibility they hold for employee performance and engagement and achievement of unit goals. By participating in this program, new managers will feel supported in working towards their full potential and have a broadened understanding of their role in managing people. Because the program uses a self-directed learning model, new managers will be able to identify and develop their learning goals from a menu of resources provided to help them fulfill their roles. Full program details are available at http://www.managingatubc.ubc.ca/.
There are many workshops offered within the MOST Program that provide learning opportunities with respect to leadership. These workshops typically run from one to three days in total. The following is a partial list of those workshops that focus in a variety of ways on aspects of leadership.
Search the Course Catalog to view detailed descriptions of available leadership programs.
