CCAL Collaborates with AIESEC Canada at National Leadership Development Conference

Do strong collaboration skills give leaders a competitive advantage? How are collaboration and quality decision-making related? What are the risks of collaborating? What leadership behaviours improve collaboration?

Thanks to AIESEC Canada’s collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Advanced Leadership in Business (CCAL), these are some of the challenging questions Calgary’s business leaders discussed with nearly 250 students at the Lunch with Leaders. The session took place at AIESEC Canada’s Youth to Business Forum 2019.  

The evening began with Tool Shed Brewing Co. co-founder Graham Sherman’s keynote titled “Collaboration is the New Competition.” Besides inspiring a few good laughs, (a six-pack of People Skills, anyone?), Graham shared the incredible history of a small business with huge purpose. He and his collaborators are aiming high and wide: global recognition of Alberta’s barley. Who wouldn’t want to collaborate to reach a goal like that?

When applause for Graham finally subsided, we gave him a paper stamp with the words “Collaboration is the new competition” as a thank you for branding collaborative and purpose-driven leadership. And then the magic really began. With the stage set by an inspiring keynote, forty conversations erupted, one at each table, to grapple with how to collaborate and what collaboration looks like.   

A cross-section of Calgary’s top leaders facilitated each conversation. The forty leaders came from a diverse cross section of industries, roles and experiences – from a successful start-up fitness studio to traditional oil and gas to a charity (Calgary Foundation), from CEOs and CFOs to board chairs and government relations executives, and leaders with anywhere from 10 to 50 years of experience. As diverse as the leaders and students were, the conversation addressed a common theme: today’s successful leaders are great collaborators – by dint of thoughtfulness, skill development and hard work.

“The image of a CEO or leader used to be of someone totally in charge, somewhat oblivious to others and often conveying that he/she is creating all the results,” observes Michael J. Tims, Vice-Chairman of MATCO Investments. “We run, not walk, away from investing in companies with CEOs like that. There is far too much chance of a big mistake.”

Mr. Tims suggests that “Much better examples of leadership exist today: of curious, human and humble, but nonetheless smart, individuals in the CEO seat. This does not mean wishy-washy or indecisive. But better decisions will come from people who will listen and learn from others.”

Calgary’s leaders enjoyed the chance to have conversations with AIESEC delegates. They were impressed with the questions asked and experiences shared. Likewise, students greatly enjoyed the opportunity to meet with leaders from Calgary’s business community and share a discussion around the nuances of leadership.

“As I strive to be a leader and make a positive impact in my community, I always appreciate opportunities to ask questions and learn from well-established and respectable leaders,” says Noah Greenberg, a Business Administration major from Wilfred Laurier University. “It was inspiring to see that CCAL cares about the development of today’s youth by helping to facilitate events like Dinner with Leaders. This event is truly a unique and effective way to contribute to the development of tomorrow’s leaders, and I look forward to seeing it continue in the years to come."

Kimly Vecker, a Public Relations major from the Université du Québec à Montréal, mentions “as young people, we do not have many opportunities like this to have inclusive insights from professionals about their expectations of youth. I think this event was a real privilege for us as we received advice on how to evolve as young leaders. To me, Dinner with Leaders was really inspiring and motivating."