The aim of this paper is to take the teachings, experiences, learnings and knowledge gained throughout my experiences during the 2015 Haskayne wilderness retreat (retreat), and apply them to uncover the foundations required to become a leader and what is required of a responsible leader in the context of sustainability in today’s business environment. Furthermore, I will offer my opinions on the key leadership take a ways I learnt while on the retreat, and how these lessons can be operationalized and put into practice personally and professionally.
Throughout the week at the retreat I came to a realization that in order to be a leader, oneself must inherently be a leader themselves. A leader can do so in its simplest form by being completely …show more content…
These core values are shaped throughout past experiences, upbringing, education and passions. “Leaders need a repertoire of behaviors in order to apply appropriate behaviors (or at least try different techniques or approaches) in different situations” (London, M, p. 23, 2002). Through past experiences a leader has been involved in a vast number of situations where they have experienced difficulties, confusion and a general feeling of confusion. Through these experiences a leader has been able to formulate certain reactions, behaviors or solutions to these situations. For example, during our retreat we played the helium stick game with everyone. And throughout the confusion and blaming of individuals, a lesson was learnt that communication is imperative. A leader will then be able to take these experiences and draw upon them at the appropriate time to solve a difficult …show more content…
Throughout the many years of education a leader is taught how to learn, understand, cooperate, be opinionated, question things and to develop their own answers. The structure of the schooling systems allows an individual to develop all these behaviors that are essential to become a great leader. Not only will education allow them the ability to learn complex topics, but these topics will all become intertwined and bits from each class they have ever taken will shape their decisions and opinions in a way that if used correctly will help the individual become a great leader. For example, a great leader may take a class where leadership case studies are discussed and scrutinized. However, they are able to formulate a unique solution to the situation at hand by drawing up experiences when they were taking a finance class abroad and had to deal with a similar
Throughout the week at the retreat I came to a realization that in order to be a leader, oneself must inherently be a leader themselves. A leader can do so in its simplest form by being completely …show more content…
These core values are shaped throughout past experiences, upbringing, education and passions. “Leaders need a repertoire of behaviors in order to apply appropriate behaviors (or at least try different techniques or approaches) in different situations” (London, M, p. 23, 2002). Through past experiences a leader has been involved in a vast number of situations where they have experienced difficulties, confusion and a general feeling of confusion. Through these experiences a leader has been able to formulate certain reactions, behaviors or solutions to these situations. For example, during our retreat we played the helium stick game with everyone. And throughout the confusion and blaming of individuals, a lesson was learnt that communication is imperative. A leader will then be able to take these experiences and draw upon them at the appropriate time to solve a difficult …show more content…
Throughout the many years of education a leader is taught how to learn, understand, cooperate, be opinionated, question things and to develop their own answers. The structure of the schooling systems allows an individual to develop all these behaviors that are essential to become a great leader. Not only will education allow them the ability to learn complex topics, but these topics will all become intertwined and bits from each class they have ever taken will shape their decisions and opinions in a way that if used correctly will help the individual become a great leader. For example, a great leader may take a class where leadership case studies are discussed and scrutinized. However, they are able to formulate a unique solution to the situation at hand by drawing up experiences when they were taking a finance class abroad and had to deal with a similar