PROFFESIONAL DEVELOPMENT ROLE MODELS AND LEADERSHIP

ROLE MODELS AND LEADERSHIP

by Gabrielle Battiste

My dad is a great leader. He cares deeply about the people with whom he works. He started out as an English teacher. He leveraged that into ever-increasing roles of responsibility and public scrutiny within governments. He was a CEO, a COO, a Deputy Minister of Economic Development, a Founding President of Nova Scotia Innovation Corporation and so much more. When things got tough, he created his own companies and became a consultant. Above all, he is the most honest person I’ve ever met and has always acted with integrity. That’s a lot to live up to.

When I was young, he was away a lot. All I really remember is the smell of cigarettes and chewing gum. It’s amazing how smells can stick with you when other memories fade. What I knew, was that dad always had important jobs. He travelled a lot. He wore suits. He made a difference. He was my hero.

When I got older, I understood that it wasn’t all sunshine and roses – corporate dinners and jets. I was able to see the toll it took on him and how much constant stress he experienced. He always seemed on edge. As a teenager, I didn’t internalize that well. It made me angry – and defensive - but that was par for the course. Despite how angry I was that dad seemed angry – he was my idol. I looked up to him as the most brilliant person I knew. He was witty, bright and knowledgeable about everything. I wanted more than anything to be like my dad – but would rather have died than admit that. I had no idea I was exactly like my dad. As a leader, you need to do and say the hard things. You need to be a voice for the people who depend on you and for the principles that demand transparency, honesty and respect for all

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot from examining my relationship with my dad – the first leader I knew – and the leadership role model that had the most impact on my personal style. I learned that no matter what is happening at work, family comes first. That is one of the most important things I learned from dad as I got older. I think all the travelling and stress helped him to prioritize family later on. I would hear him telling that to others and, as I got more involved in leadership positions, he would re-iterate that to me.

The second thing I learned is that being a leader is stressful. It’s a lonely job determining who gets fired or demoted or what resources are cut in order to realize efficiencies. At the end of the day, there’s a separation that needs to happen, no matter how much you care about the people who depend on you. If you don’t have

that separation, and you are a very caring person, you will internalize every decision and bring that stress home with you. That’s not a good thing.

I also learned integrity and honesty from dad. As a leader, you need to do and say the hard things. You need to be a voice for the people who depend on you and for the principles that demand transparency, honesty and respect for all. I learned by watching my dad struggle with the repercussions of decisions he made with integrity and honesty – when those qualities and decisions did not win any friends. I learned that, as a leader, it’s important to be an example of speaking out, standing up and doing the right thing – even when that might get you fired. I’ve been there and done that.

I’ve also had the benefit of other role models in my life – both good and bad. I’ve made many mistakes along the way as I worked through all the different messages from those different individuals. I’ve learned something from every supervisor, manager, CEO and peer. You may not even recognize how many role models you’ve had and how many lessons you’ve learned. No matter what your experience, it teaches you something valuable. And at the end of the day, I have come to the realization that I am a leader just like my dad. The good and the not so good (work-in-progress). Leadership is a learning process, and role models make a difference. My dad is still my hero – and he is still my role model. I will always be learning from the decisions he makes, and I am grateful for the lessons he’s taught me.

Gabrielle Battiste has her own law firm and a consulting firm with her husband. She is an executive, leader and serial volunteer, currently running for City Council in Edmonton’s O-day’min Ward. Gabrielle is mom to the funniest 27-year-old, cutest puppy and prettiest kitten and loves to laugh and stay silly.