Speaking to 150 Mount Royal University students, faculty and alumni on International Women’s Day, Denise Man, head of digital and strategy vice-president at ATB, challenged the crowd to embrace four principles.
1. Train your ‘change muscle’
2. Choose continuous personal growth and learning
3. Communicate thoughtfully, clearly, authentically
4. Remember that leadership is a team sport
“Leadership is not about self, it’s about the team. It’s a team sport that requires collaboration, it requires you to focus on others and focus on something greater than yourself,” Man said.
Man added that for her, it’s important as a mother and feminist to empower her two daughters, one of whom attended the event and watched her mother deliver her first-ever keynote.
“I was really proud to watch her talk,” said Man’s daughter after the morning speech.
Man hopes to see more women leaders in the workplace and says she will do everything she can in her own workspace to encourage change by smashing the barriers that get in the way.
Hosted by MRU’s business and communications faculty, Women in Leadership during a Time of Disruption gave students, alumni, faculty and visitors the opportunity to not only hear about developing leadership capacity, but also participate in active roundtable discussions.
Organizer Elizabeth Evans, the dean of business and communications, said she would like to see more events at the university.
“One of the things I am wanting to see happen within our faculty and across MRU is to, in fact, cultivate the opportunity for students to engage in conversations around leadership,” she said.
Elizabeth Evans explains that Women’s Day focuses on many different challenges that they may face in all different kinds of environments. Video by Matt Hull
Editor: Matt Hull | mhull@cjournal.ca