LAC LA BICHE - Leading by example was the takeaway that a Calgary leadership trainer hope will resonate and circulate with area business people who attended the recent Power Up North conference in Lac La Biche.
The 2024 Power Up North conference was held at the Portage College Lac La Biche campus from Oct. 8-10.
Jennifer Barroll, a keynote speaker, leadership trainer and workshop facilitator from Calgary who has worked with several major brands, gave a two-part presentation at the conference titled ‘Be the Leader You Want To Be,’ which was held inside of the McGrane Theatre at Portage College.
Barroll tells Lakeland This Week that the greatest responsibility people have as leaders, the most important role they are ever going to play, is being the leader of themselves.
“So, if I’m not leading myself in the direction that I want to be going in, I can’t lead anybody else in the positive direction,” she said. “I need to be leading myself first.”
Regarding how this concept applies to the business world, using an analogy Barroll explained that if she shows up to work every day in an unpleasant mood and late, then she can’t ask the team who works for her not to be behaving in the same manner.
“I need to lead myself and say OK, this is who I want to be…this is how I’m going to show up and that’s then how you lead your team,” she said.
When people set out to be the leader they want to be, Barroll continued, the shift comes from deciding who is it that they want to be first. People must also take a step from a mindset perspective and ask themselves if they are thinking, acting, and talking like the leaders they aspire to be.
She added that people have to look at how they are speaking, showing up, and see if are using their strengths and utilizing them.
Barroll also touched on values in business. Values, she said, are an individual’s moral compass.
Once people have established what their values are, she explained, they measure their daily decisions on those values and evaluate whether or not they are acting in alignment with them.
“I always tell people, have a list of five core values…these are the things that really define what matters to you…in your life…how you want to show up…what you see as important,” she explained.
