CCAL’s Lunch with Leaders program: Lives impacted, one conversation at a time

In 2017, The Canadian Centre for Advanced Leadership in Business (CCAL) launched the Lunch with Leaders program to connect undergraduate and MBA students with an experienced business leader. Since its conception, Lunch with Leaders has grown into a notable program with over 500 student participants and engagement from over 80 renowned leaders within the Calgary community. 

During Lunch with Leaders events, a small group of six to eight students are joined by a senior leader in the context of a business lunch with conversations addressing challenges, successes and leadership lessons. The small scale of each Lunch with Leaders event has created an environment where students and leaders can engage in meaningful conversations about important topics in today’s business economy. MBA student Akio Tajiri praised his Lunch with Leaders experience with Leslie O’Donoghue, Executive Vice President of Nutrien. Akio states, “Leslie had really insightful thoughts, helped each of us personally, answered all of our questions and facilitated to encourage involvement.” 

Lunch with Leaders is a unique opportunity in which students can be open and vulnerable without the pressures of competition. Students are in an environment where their thoughts can be expressed and their voices are heard. Fourth-year student Dawn De Vera states, “in Lunch with Leaders, there is a more natural flow of discussion as opposed to other events I have attended. I didn’t feel like I needed to prove myself to anyone rather, it was a learning experience in which everyone was heard and respected.” 

Lunch with Leaders provides all students with a valuable opportunity that they will not get within the classroom. As first-year student Mai Linh Nguyen states, “My biggest motivation to join Lunch with Leaders was to have more opportunities to broaden my social network and meet senior professionals who have deep insight into business.” Creating a diverse network is an important aspect of leadership development. This program provides students with the opportunity to not only gain insight from leaders but also from their fellow peers. Mai Linh’s most memorable moment that impacted her leadership development was observing the way in which the upper-year students interacted and responded to leaders. This gave her the confidence to take on more leadership roles throughout the rest of her undergraduate degree. 

The Lunch with Leaders program allows students to change their perception and challenge the generalizations they have made about individuals in high-ranking leadership positions. Undergraduate student Dawn De Vera was initially hesitant to attend a Lunch with Leaders event, as she had perceived individuals in executive roles to be distant and reserved. However, her perception changed after attending a Lunch with Leaders event with Leona LaChance, Chief Information Officer, at Mount Royal University. Dawn states, “I used to think leaders in top positions were out-of-reach, I didn’t know how to approach them and have a conversation with them,” she continues “after the event, I realized that leaders like Leona listen and truly care about what students have to say. She [Leona] has changed by perception about what C-suite executives are like.”

Furthermore, third-year student Kimberley Soares gained a deeper understanding on what it means to be a leader after attending an event with Patrick Lor, Managing Partner at Panache Ventures. Kimberley realized that leadership can be found in seemingly small moments that, when combined over time, create big changes. She states, “not everyone is a CEO, but that doesn’t mean that a student or an entry-level employee doesn't have the potential to inspire their team during a tough time. I think its substantial to recognize that ‘ordinary’ individuals have the capacity to influence others, and for me, this is something to value, not fear.”  

CCAL will be hosting a multitude of Lunch with Leaders events throughout the Winter 2020 semester with new leaders such as Kent Brown and returning leaders like Leslie O’Donoghue and Patrick Lor. Students can develop many skills that will help shape their leadership identity from participating in the Lunch with Leaders program. As Kimberley Soares said, “a 2-hour program may be all it takes to help you branch out of your comfort zone and unleash your leadership potential.” CCAL’s hope is that students will challenge themselves to advantage of new opportunities and increase their awareness about the importance of leadership development.