Continuing the Learning Journey
Alumni are building a legacy by creating the next generation of leaders and individuals who will guide our city as it continues to evolve and grow. Alumni support the Leadership Edmonton Program and are a valuable source of information for successive participants.
Pioneer Leader Testimonials
"When I used to think about my life and my family, I wondered if I was preparing for a future we might not have. When I read the news and thought about what I could do as an individual, I was paralyzed by the scale and sheer volume of problems surrounding us. Leadership Edmonton gave me resources to think about the future and how to contribute to the solution."
Jason Openo,
Edmonton Public Library
"I now have a better understanding of progress – how it's defined and how you know if you’re headed in the right direction. Progress is about aligning yourself with a path of wisdom. That wisdom is gained through disciplined inquiry where you are constantly looking deeply and checking to see how or if things fit with the bigger picture. It's important to keep checking your underlying assumptions or you can make decisions that have short-sighted outcomes or unintended consequences. And this deep looking is self motivated; it comes from within. You have to take responsibility for your own self-cultivation and understanding of the facts.
I've also learned that disciplined inquiry and a sweep of the bigger picture and patterns are not easy. It takes effort, persistence, and time. Much more so than making decisions by gut feel or intuition but it’s a much more effective approach."
Denise Chang-Yen,
Shell Canada
Leadership Edmonton is not your typical leadership course. Too many people confuse management with leadership. In order for our community and this world to become a better place, Leadership Edmonton has developed a program that teaches leaders to address the human issues that face our global community. They teach the difference between charismatic versus good leaders and how to always think of the broad impact of your actions when making decisions.
Donna Blundell, Executive Director
Society for Safe and Caring Schools and Communities
During the first year of Leadership Edmonton's implementation, I was fortunate enough to have been invited as an individual from the (community) sector. I spent a year learning with a group of amazing colleagues from the other sectors. In the process, I was able to gain new knowledge and insight into pioneering leadership from the ((trainer)) as well as the co participants. Every day I use the skills and knowledge I learned in my work in terms of analyzing issues, generating new solutions, building inter-sectoral relationships and strengthening leadership within immigrant and refugee communities.
Yvonne Chiu, Co-Executive Director
Multicultural Health Brokers Co-op
As a Leadership Edmonton participant for the Sept 2005 - June 2006 term I can state with absolute certainty that this program is a valuable asset to our community. Participants such as myself, learn to develop a greater understanding of the true meaning of leadership and how we as individuals and a group, can help make a difference in our communities, work places, homes and beyond. The program helps to develop our ability to think clearer while understanding there is so much that can be done. All it takes is the desire to want to and recognition of our capabilities to make a change.
Steve Baker, Chief Operating Officer
TELUS World of Science, Edmonton