Annyse Balkwill, PEng Owner/Consultant The LuminUS Group www.luminusgroup.ca annyse@luminusgroup.ca 905-599-1227

IamnotyourtypicalengineerandIamnotyourtypicalspeaker/facilitatoraboutleadership,Ihopethisispartoftheattraction.IhavecometoapointinmylifewhereIcanseehowtheassumptionsaboutleadership,aboutwhat“they”wantisholdingusbackfromsteppingintoourownindividualandauthenticleadership.Corporationshavetrainedpeopletobecome“Experts”which,Ibelieveisnowlimitingindividual’sjourneyintoleadership.Wehavemanymanagersbutveryfewleaders.TheexperiencesandskillsthatIhaveacquiredalongthispathhavebeenquitediversebut,eachholdauniquepiecethathasallowedmetounderstandandformulatethiswork.ThepathhasnotbeenastraightlineandIhavelearnedfromvariousschoolsofthoughtovertheyears.Ihavehadtheopportunitytodirectlyandindirectlystudy,practice,learnandbetaughtfromdifferentpointsofviewaboutleadership.AsateenagerIexperiencedleadershiptraininginhighschoolthroughanorganizationcalledHOBY.Thisprogram’smainintentionwastoteachstudentshowtothinkforthemselvesandnotaboutwhattothink.Thisplantedsomepowerfulseedsforfurtherteachingstogrowfrom.AfterhighschoolIstudiedchemicalandbiochemicalengineeringattheUniversityofWesternOntario.Thiswasthebeginningofmy‘hard-core’“expert”training(andforgoodreason).IgraduatedandbeganworkinginthewatertreatmentindustrywithZENONEnvironmentalInc,whichwaslateracquiredbyGEWater&ProcessTechnologies.Iworkedinthisindustryforover10years,continuedmytraininginbecomingalicencedprofessionalengineerwhilealsotrainingtobecomean“expert”workingatGEandan“expert”inthewaterindustrywithhollowfibremembranes.Iheldseveralproductmanagementleadershippositionsandwasresponsiblefora$50MMglobalproductline.Ileadteamstodesignandcreatenewproductsandleadthe

commercializationeffortofthesenewproducts.Theseleadershiproleshadmeindirectlyanddirectlyinfluencing,guidingandmentoringpeopleandteamsallovertheworld.Afterworkingforabout7yearsIbegantoreallylookatmyownbehavioursintheworkplace.HowwasIshowingupandhowdidIfeelaboutit?TakingthetimetoexaminetheanswerstothesequestionsleadtomediscoverthethoughtsthatIwashaving.Iwasthenabletoseethethoughtsthatwereholdingmeback,notfrommovingupthecorporateladderbutfromfeelingreallygreataboutwhoIwas.UltimatelyIbelievethatwhenyouareconsciousaboutyouractionsandtheimpacttheyhaveonyou,youcanreallybegintoleadyourowncareer(andlifeingeneral)insteadofreactingtoit.So,Iposethisnextquestionasaninvitationtolookathowwecanleadconsciouslyasopposedtomakingchoicesandleadingourlivesindefaultmodeoftendefinedbyour“expert”training.Howcanyouleadotherswithoutfirstknowinghowtodothis?Myreflectivethinkingquicklyleadmetoquestioningthingslikeproductivity(notjustbeingbusy),collaboration(insteadofcompetition),leadingfromthepositionyouarein(insteadofwaitingtobeinaformalleadershipposition)andultimately,whatmakesagoodleader?OnceIbeganponderingthesequestionsabeautifulmentorwalkedintomylifeandwithherIstudiedTheGenuineContact(GC)program,whichprovidedmewithasolidfacilitationfoundationandsimpleframeworkstohelporganizationsandindividualsthroughcomplexproblems.TheGCprogramtaughtmehowtocreatespacesothateveryoneinameetingsettingorduringoneononeinteractioncouldfeelsafeenoughtostepintotheirleadershipevenifonlyforamoment.Thisispowerful.IwasfortunateenoughtoputtheGCprogramintopracticeatGE.Ibeganworkingwithinternalteamsandexternalcustomers;creatingmeetingspaceswherewecouldhavemeaningfulconversation,whereeveryone’svoiceswereheard,wherecommunicationoccurredasneverbefore,wherepeoplebegantorecognizetheirvalueandworthandbelievedtheyhadsomethingtocontribute.Thisfosteredcollaboration,creativity,andinnovationallwhilebreakingdowninvisiblebarriersbetweenoneanotherandwithinthemselves.AsIcontinuedtopracticetheGCfacilitationworkglobally,Ialsopursuedmystudiesinotherareasofmylife.Personalgrowthnotonlybecameanimportantaspectofmylifebutitalsocontinuallyservesasvitalinformationforconnectingtopeopleandfacilitatingthiswork.Ibecameastudentofyogaandamnowacertifiedinstructor,Istudiedenergyhealingmodalities,andasadailypracticeIreadbooksandengageincommunities,workshopsandconversationsaboutbecomingmoreconsciousandIcontinuetopracticeeachofthesepieceseverysingleday.Itisfromthiscombinedexperience,learning,self-practiceandwitnessingtheimpactonothersthatIsharethiswithyou.Leadershipisajourneyaboutlivinglifefullyandfeelinggoodaboutit,itisnotaboutatitle.Definingwhatgoodleadershipbehavioursareandthengettingcuriousabout

whyyourbehavioursarenotaligningwithyourbeliefsishowweallstepintoourleadership.Iampassionateaboutholdingspaceforpeopletoreallystepintotheirleadership.Ibelievethisishowweguidepeopletotheirgreatestpotentialsotheymaysharetheirgreatnesswiththeworld.Frommyexperience,Iseetheblocksappearthatholdpeoplebackfromwalkingoverthebridgefrom“expert”toleader.TheseblocksareareoccurringthemethatshowupwhenIamfacilitatingmeaningful,productiveandeffectiveconversationsinorganizationsandfrombothmyformalandinformaloneononecoachingsessions.Theseblocksoftenresideinafearthatwecarrywithusinourthoughtsandsubconsciousbeliefsystems.Workingthroughthehopesandfearsofthegroupallowstheentiregrouptomoveforward.Individually,connectingandsharingthesefearsallowsthemtobemetwithkindnessandcompassioninsteadofgivingpowertothefearbasedthoughtsrestrictingourparticipation.Acknowledgingthefearalsogivestimeforyoutostaystronginyourbeliefssothatyoucanchooseconsciouslyinanysituationinsteadofsimplyreacting.Thispowerfulprocessallowsfortheentiregrouptocontinuemovingforwardinsteadofspinninginthesamespot.Ibelievethatifengineersoranyprofessionalbeginsthejourneyovertheirownbridgefrom“expert”toleadertheywillbeabletousetheirexpertiseinapowerfulwaythatcontributestothemselves,thosearoundthem,thecompanytheyworkforandsocietyasawhole.Theworldneedsthisandeachhumanneedsthis.Let’sstartthisjourneytogether.