Leaders from across UCalgary learn from each other through ULead program

The latest cohort to complete UCalgary’s ULead program were joined by President and Vice-Chancellor Ed McCauley to celebrate and reflect on a year of development, collaboration and strategy on June 27. 

The ULead program is cohort-based and designed for experienced leaders who inspire excellence and engagement in the university community — it helps them enhance their leadership capacity through an interactive and unique, peer-to-peer learning experience.

ULead provides a variety of development workshops and opportunities, including informal presentations from members of UCalgary’s senior leadership team — this year’s cohort discussed coaching high performance teams with Dr. Dru Marshal, provost and vice-president (academic), and leadership with Nuvyn Peters, vice-president development and alumni engagement.

Learning to lead

Heather MacIntosh, senior manager strategic partnerships and community engagement — local and global — with the Cumming School of Medicine, was part of the ninth cohort to complete the one-year ULead program and says her experience at the two-day coaching workshop was instrumental in a very positive change in how she leads her team.

“I shifted my approach from thinking like a manager to thinking like a leader,” says MacIntosh. “As a manager, I found great satisfaction in solving problems and people came to me to help solve their problems, but as a leader I try to empower my team to become better problem solvers for themselves.”

In addition to increasing her leadership skills and tools, MacIntosh says ULead enriched her perspective.

“ULead helps with visioning and strategy, which really encouraged me to step back from an operational perspective, look at the bigger picture and better position my team for where we’re going in the future,” she says.

Networking for growth

One of the most valuable aspects of the ULead program is the way it connects leaders from all areas across UCalgary. 

Each cohort consists of 25 diverse leaders, who are selected through an application process — ULead is so effective largely because of the experience and knowledge each participant brings to the program.

“The group acted as  peer resources for each other and together we developed a very trusting and open dynamic,” says MacIntosh. “Working on the Foothills campus, I found it to be a fantastic opportunity to connect with peers."

Do ULead? Apply before June 19

Do you want to take your leadership skills to the next level? Apply before July 19 to join the ULead program in 2019/20.

Learn more about eligibility, and how to apply.