Translating Passion into Purposeful Business

The Haskayne Master of Management  offer a capstone course, with a strong emphasis on ethics, as the final course in their 10-month program.  Dr. Cari Din, Teaching Scholar and Fellow with the Canadian Center for Advanced Leadership, partnered with entrepreneur and business man Jamie Clarke to deliver one of the capstone course options.  The course, called Translating Passion into Purposeful Business, was delivered in a hybrid format (following all UCalgary COVID-19 protocols) to 11 students in the classroom and four students joining online.  This capstone focused on challenging students to translate their own passions into plans for a purposeful business and life through the lens of ethical considerations for meaningful work.

Jamie Clarke talked about his own stories of converting his passion into professional success, about his failures and the lessons he learned along the way.

Dr. Cari Din reminded the students that they are the author of everything they create over the week, setting the stage for great dialogue and discussion to emerge from the students about the values and experiences they bring into their leadership.

Each of the Masters of Management capstones has a focus on ethics and a required ethics essay in order to complete the course and the program.  Students were joined by Archie Fields, III, a PhD candidate at the University of Calgary who works with CCAL Fellow, Dr. David Dick who lead a discussion on meaningful work and broke down further the ethics relating to this topic. Iain Ferguson, Managing Partner of Paragraphica and a storytelling strategist, a key member of Jamie Clarke’s team, joined the class  to talk about the importance of narrative in business – what is the narrative governing your business as well as the narrative governing your leadership.

On the final day of the capstone course, the students shared their stories, their passions, and their business ideas. The students delivered fantastic storytelling about how their business idea came to be, the topics and situations they are passionate about, and the ethical considerations of meaningful work that will inform the way they translate their passion into business.

It was noted by all in attendance that this capstone experience is one that will not be quickly forgotten.

By the time my final week in the Master’s of Management program approached, I was feeling a severe sense of burnout. Dr. Din’s approach to this capstone course, however, pulled me out of my slump and reminded me why I love learning. As I leave this program after completing this final course, I am left with a clear sense of purpose. I am left with a clear sense of who I am as a professional individual, as well as who I am in my personal life. I owe this new-found clarity to Cari, Jamie, Archie, and all those involved in this capstone course. I am so lucky to have been part of something so special, and will never forget how wonderful this week was.

Alison Ward – 2020/2021 Master of Management Candidate

The Master of Management program offered through the Haskayne School of Business is a 10-month program, providing students with non-business educational backgrounds a foundation in business.

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