CCAL Learning with Leaders Program Goes Virtual with a National Audience

On May 4, 2021, the Canadian Centre for Advanced Leadership in Business organized a virtual Learning with Leaders session at AIESEC Canada’s national Youth to Business Forum. Learning with Leaders brings together an experienced senior leader and a small group of inquisitive students to learn about leadership, not only from the leader but with each other. The forum aligned with the goals of the Learning with Leaders program and provided a virtual platform for conversation and shared insight.

Alongside professionals from a wide variety of industries and geographies, youth delegates participated from across Canada in an engaging discussion about the future of work and leadership. CCAL was very pleased to be able to scale our Learning with Leaders program to fit the national scope of the partnership with AIESEC.

The virtual forum opened with Panache Ventures managing partner Patrick Lor with his fascinating keynote address. Lor began with a review of the changes to investment, employment and venture capital in a post COVID-19 world and ended with his inspirational ideas for anyone who wishes to be a leader, regardless of their background or previous track record.

At the conclusion of the keynote, the forum participants were split into twenty-five virtual break-out rooms, each led by an industry professional. With the rapid advances in digitization, artificial intelligence and globalization now accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no shortage of issues for the students and professionals to discuss. Being able to talk in a private chat was greatly appreciated by the youth delegates, who peppered the chat with positive comments throughout the event, and ended with some excellent insight as to what they learned:

My highlight was thinking about how we build a culture post-pandemic after being isolated for so long and that the events we attend right now actually help to refresh those inter-personal skills to help us later. – Youth Delegate

I really enjoyed talking to Heidi Schmid about the future of work and how we can be the best version of ourselves in and outside of interviews. One of the biggest takeaways was never be afraid to speak out. – Youth Delegate

The comments from the leaders who attended were equally positive and may inspire anyone who is interested in becoming a leader: “I always feel I get more from the students than they get from me!”, wrote Melissa From, President & CEO of JA Southern Alberta. “We had a great chat about leading staff with different personalities, the need for digital skills in a modern work world, the changes in education and the gap between education and the work world.”

The online format also demonstrated that despite the challenges of moving to a virtual world, it can provide opportunities otherwise unavailable to students. Direct contact with leaders – even through a screen – provides a uniquely human touch. Every delegate had the opportunity to ask for advice from leaders from all industries and career stages. The forum was fittingly summed up by one youth delegate:

Thank you for this session! It was so raw and real.

Interested in learning more about the Learning with Leaders program? Please reach out to us at leadership@haskayne.ucalgary.ca. Haskayne students can also sign up to receive advance notice of the Learning with Leaders program starting again in Fall 2021 through the Learning with Leaders mailing list.

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