Exploring Leadership at TMU

To be perfectly honest, I have not actively pursued leadership roles. The leadership roles I have assumed were the result of the encouragement of others. I am of the mindset that you bloom where you are planted, and so, I have worked diligently to achieve positive outcomes in whatever capacity I serve. It is usually others who recognize my ability to lead in those situations and encourage me to step up for designated leadership roles. When I do decide to step up, it is never without reservation of the commitment, energy and dedication it takes to do the job well. While I always look forward to learning new things and challenging myself, what really drives me towards leadership is the chance to inspire Black students/faculty and to further the commitments of the university, especially commitments to equity decisions and developments. 

Representation matters in academic leadership. Too often, Black voices are missing where decisions are made in academia, both in the classroom and in the boardroom. Having Blacks included among a diverse group of leaders in education is powerful to me. Their presence serves as encouragement, motivation and inspiration, especially for Black students, who continually navigate racial barriers that make dreaming and aspiring challenging for many of them. I recall the young Black male student who approached me at the end of my first class of the semester to let me know that when he saw me walk to the front of the class, he realized that dropping out of the program was no longer an option for him. He said, “When I see you here, I know my dreams are possible.” So, when I hesitate to take on a leadership role because of fear of what’s to come, these words reverberate as loudly as they did on the day I watched that student cross the convocation stage. I believe the next generation of Black leaders look to us for inspiration and possibilities. 

A few years ago, I was asked to co-lead the Faculty Working Group of the Presidential Implementation Committee to Confront Anti-Black Racism (PICCABR). This role involved co-leading the accomplishment of the 2020 ABR Campus Climate Review Report faculty recommendations. This opportunity to challenge and champion anti-racism in an educational institution through innovations to better the lives of Black faculty will always be an impactful contribution for me. Working with an incredible team of people from across the university, we were able to champion innovations such as the Black Scholarship Institute and a postdoctoral program for Black scholars, the first of their kind for TMU. Being part of shaping these equity-driven innovations and priorities proved to be a significant motivation for me. 

Regardless of the type of leadership role I take on, I am motivated by the opportunity to build team relationships. Being able to nurture a strong team relationship, while working to achieve the faculty ABR recommendations, has reinforced my belief that team building is one of the most valuable legacies a leader can create. Sometimes it takes introspection for us as leaders to understand how much more we can accomplish when we commit to work through the nuances of team building. When I finished the associate director role in the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, I was pleased with our accomplishment as a team—we had successfully navigated our Periodic Program Review process, a full 4-year nursing curriculum redevelopment process, a new College of Nursing approval process, and worked through various aspects of accreditation reporting. As I reflected on the process of working through weekly meetings with a team of people from across three partnering sites, the importance of respecting voices, recognizing people for their contributions, collaborative decision-making, and simply being kind to each other, even in difficult times, were all critical to building a social and relational process.

Leadership offers the greatest opportunity to learn about ourselves--how we think, engage and respond. Every person’s experience in leadership is different. Our experiences are influenced by who we are and what we value—our values are largely influenced by our history and everyday experiences. 

Being a Black woman in academic leadership, spaces that are historically White and male-oriented, takes a different kind of commitment—a commitment to navigate people’s perceptions and interactions with a high degree of wisdom and an astute consciousness about how to take up space, respond and engage without compromising my values. In some spaces, this is heavy mind and body work. However, in spaces where equity, differences and creativity are genuinely valued, I find it easier to rise to the challenges of a role and give birth to excellence. Because leadership is influenced by context, we cannot separate our leadership from the structures in which we lead. So, alongside learning the day-to-day operations of a leadership role, and leading in complex environments, Black women leaders have the added responsibility to safeguard their well-being and their identities.

There is no prescription for good leadership; it is a continued learning process. To me, leadership is an ever-defining concept. So, I cannot say with any certainty that I am assured of my success in leadership at any particular time. Leadership is simply a measure of who I am—I lead based on who I am—with a strong commitment to values of kindness, honesty, empathy and a commitment to follow through and show up. I am never desensitized to these values. These values are my road map, even in difficult situations. So, continued reflections about my value system remind me to always ask myself, “What learning does this situation require of me?”

Critical reflections of who we are as leaders are central to our development. We value leadership qualities that reflect what we want to emulate, and how we want to see ourselves. I have always been an admirer of leaders who are unapologetic about what is right, what is ethical, and who lead with integrity regardless of the outcome. These are leaders who can make decisions, no matter how uncomfortable, in the spirit of being true to themselves. These are the leaders who have been most influential to the leadership I endeavour to emulate. Recently, I traveled to Dubai with a group of TMU leaders for an international partnership development opportunity. It was great to be a part of a process of exploration and connection with other leaders who kept the experiences of students and faculty and the ethics of decision-making central to their discussions and reflections.

The skill of putting people first, especially in political environments, is a critical aspect of good leadership. Building communal spaces for collective growth is also critical. And because collective growth depends on individual flourishing, investing in individual growth is as important as investing in group growth. Leaders who are committed to people involvement and empowerment find it difficult to adjust in spaces that don’t put people first, and they are careful to not let the busyness of a leadership role make them forget about the people they serve with.  

In academic leadership, I am always mindful that I lead with other leaders, who may have different perspectives, and who are informed by different experiences and value systems. So, in situations where goals and perspectives are not aligned, I tend to err on the side of hearing people out. It is important that leaders support other leaders. At the core of leaders’ convictions is the betterment of students and the institution. Ideas and perspectives may differ, but how do we find ways to focus on what is common in our goals? Flexibility and adaptability are important emblems of leadership regardless of where we find ourselves leading. However, I am often conscientious of not allowing flexibility to override ethical decisions. 

Leadership is dynamic and changing, providing many opportunities for new and exciting learning. While we take time to reflect on our learning, it is important to embrace the successes that opportunities in leadership bring, to stay encouraged along the way. In my current role as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Internationalization in the Faculty of Community Services (FCS), I have valued the opportunities to meet international partners, set directions for our internationalization priorities and create innovative opportunities to bring global scholars together in conversation. Supporting the development of new and innovative graduate programs have also been a highlight for me, as well as the opportunity to bring graduate students together in conversations and debates through our FCS grad conversation series. I have also enjoyed the opportunities to garner support for our international students. 

Leadership is a decision that each person should make willingly, with an open mind, and an understanding of the degree of commitment required. Leadership needs to be taken on with a purpose. The decision must be guided by a conviction to make a difference, not for a reputation.

There are leaders all around us who have unique strengths/values that can add significantly to leadership roles. It is important to undertake roles that best fit your skills/values and commitments. But first, you need to recognize your strengths as a leader, and how these can be realized and further developed in specific roles. Start by figuring out your strong suits. What is your strength? Are you the listener, the problem-solver, the one who stays calm under fire, the one who brings clarity to an issue, the keen observer or the one who speaks with passion and persuasion? Whatever makes you unique, those are the qualities that will make you a unique kind of leader, and those are the qualities you can lean into in the best and worst of times. Having said that, you don’t need to know everything about leadership, just be prepared to learn as you go.  

Because leaders grow in environments that nurture them, it is important that structures and systems are situated to support faculty members to take on leadership roles. When we create spaces that are conducive to personal growth, vision, creativity, lifelong learning and the creation of lasting impacts, people will naturally gravitate towards leadership roles. We are all responsible to build and sustain a culture of kindness and integrity to help support those who choose to lead, or who are currently leading.