“This course starts with the bold promise that any participant, whatever their background, position or inclination, will come out of it being a leader and exercising leadership as their natural self-expression. And it totally delivers. For me, it opened up a whole realm of possibilities for being a leader that I wasn’t even aware of, convincing me in a deep way that I could give to a leadership situation what it required, whether I thought this was the ‘kind of person’ that I was or not. I left the course empowered, with the conviction that I could be an effective agent of change in my milieu”.
Sophie Thériault
Interim Dean
Faculty of Law (Civil Law Section), University of Ottawa
“This experience was not only transformative professionally, it also was at a deep personal level. At the time I took the course, I was preparing for my promotion to full professor and reflected on the steps required to diversify my skillset and possibly take on a more senior leadership position. Unfortunately, this period also coincided with the news of terminal illness in our family. Thanks to the ontological context in which the course took place, my leadership project came naturally. I did not work on my own professional advancement. Rather, as a caregiver, I led our young family through the devastating loss of a parent and partner. I imagined a future for our children in which life was possible, yet different from what we had originally planned for; different from what others will experience. Our family is forever changed yet empowered by the ordeal that comes with premature death. It took everything this course is about, behaving authentically and with integrity, working towards something bigger than oneself, while taking it all in, on the court. I remain accountable for this vision for as long as I remain a parent, equipped with a set of skills that will evolve and develop as we age together. As I reflect on it, both personal and professional advances were made. I think it is one of the exceptional emergent properties of this approach”.
Alexandre Poulain
Full Professor and Vice-Dean of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships
Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa
« J'ai eu la chance incroyable de participer à la formation en présentiel à Ottawa en mai 2022. Le contexte était pour moi extraordinaire, loin de mon quotidien et de mon pays et cela m'a permis de profiter pleinement de la formation en leadership transformationnel. L'équipe des formateurs est d'une grande humanité et leur attitude ouverte, exempte de tout jugement, offre un espace d'expression très précieux pour les participants. Les règles du jeu sont précises; elles m'ont guidées pour adopter la posture d'écoute indispensable pour intégrer les messages forts. Les interactions entre les participants étaient très enrichissantes aussi, avec une prise de recul bien accompagnée par l'équipe qui anime les séances. Certains moments (notamment au travers des exercices mais parfois tout simplement par la pratique de l'écoute authentique) ont été de vrais instants de révélation pour moi. Cette formation laisse des traces profondes et impacte aujourd'hui encore ma manière d'être et d'agir, en particulier dans l'exercice de mes fonctions ».
Estèle Jouison-Laffitte
Vice-présidente, Orientation et Insertion Professionnelle
Université de Bordeaux, France
« Le Leadership inclusif – est un cours particulièrement intense et surtout totalement enrichissant! Lire, voir, entendre, réfléchir et expérimenter les enseignements du cours est transformateur à coup sûr. Ce cours devrait être obligatoire pour tous !! »
Eva Ottawa
Professeure et Directrice du programme de certificat en droit autochtone
Faculté de droit (Section de droit civil), Université d’Ottawa
“This is much more than a course on leadership, it is an opportunity for professional development, introspection and personal growth. The course instructors are the perfect guides on a journey that will change you. I came into the course having had many leadership opportunities. Yet my vision of what leadership is was challenged, and expanded in many ways! This provided me with a new perspective, positively impacting how I felt and how I interacted with others. I also often use and reflect on the course material years after taking it. I have recommended this journey to close colleagues, envying them and hoping they get as much out of this experience as other participants and I did! “
André Beauchemin
Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (Interim),
University of Ottawa
« L’expérience offerte par ce cours a été profondément transformatrice pour tous les aspects de ma vie. L’approche du leadership en tant que manière d’être m’a permis de prendre conscience et d’agir sur mes attitudes et représentations limitant mon accès au leadership authentique, qu’il s’agisse de la peur de l’échec ou de celle de décevoir. En pavant la voie à une manière d’être et d’agir plus intentionnelle et libre, ce cours m’a outillé de manière durable pour exercer mon leadership de manière plus efficace, courageuse et satisfaisante ».
Sophie Thériault
Professeure titulaire et Vice-doyenne aux études
Faculté de droit (Section de droit civil), Université d’Ottawa
« Le programme de formation de l’Académie, c’est un exercice de prise de conscience, d’introspection, de découverte de soi . On est dans la réflexion qui, à terme, fait naturellement de nous un meilleur leader. Le cours nous amène à recontextualiser les choses, de sorte qu’on émerge de chaque rencontre énergisés et beaucoup plus productifs. C’est une des expériences les plus marquantes de ma vie – ça a changé ma façon d’enseigner et ma vie quotidienne. »
Terry Skolnik
Associate professor and Co-Director, uOttawa Public Law Centre
Faculty of Law (Civil Law Section), University of Ottawa
“This Transformational Leadership training had me look at what I really cared about in the world and the difference I wanted to make in my communities. The course led me to look beyond my own success in teaching, research and publishing. I saw the possibility of creating a world transformed through powerful partnerships between university and community in areas of shared passion. And I discovered that this new kind of leadership was more about listening, authenticity and the empowerment of others in taking action in areas of mutual concern”.
Rebecca Ward
Research Associate
Brock University
Private Practice Psychologist
“When I enrolled in the Inclusive Leadership intensive course, I expected to learn “textbook” leadership strategies; however, I finished the course having gained a new understanding of myself and what it means to lead with integrity. This course has helped me to identify my personal and professional strengths, reconnect with my passion for teaching and fostering relationships, and develop tools to overcome significant feelings of “imposter syndrome” in my career. Having spent the past seven months putting this course into practice, I have experienced tangible improvements in my personal and professional life. This leadership training has been transformational, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn and participate”.
Drew Taylor
Senior Specialist, Field Placement and Experiential Learning and Part-Time Professor
Faculty of Social Sciences (Criminology Department), University of Ottawa
« Le cours de Leadership inclusif est une formation qui a eu un impact transformationnel énorme sur moi. Très différent de ce qu’on connaît d’un cours traditionnel, il m’a offert des outils pour réfléchir à ma vie (personnelle et professionnelle), mais surtout des outils pour vivre ma vie en descendant « des gradins » pour sauter à pieds joints dans mon « carré de sable ». Je l’ai vécu comme une certaine libération qui devenait essentielle pour avancer vers là où je veux être. Sept mois après la fin du cours, j’en ressens encore les bienfaits et je suis enthousiaste d’expérimenter ce que la formation continue de m’apporter ».
Marie-Lyne Vachon
Gestionnaire, stages et formation pratique
Faculté des Sciences sociales (Département de criminologie), Université d'Ottawa
« Ce cours a été formateur à plusieurs niveaux, mais la prise de conscience du contrôle que j’aie sur mes actions et sur mes décisions a été des plus utiles. Cette prise de conscience a été possible parce que cette formation de leadership met l’accent sur la façon d’être et d’agir. Donc, une personne peut être extravertie ou introvertie, son leadership est défini par ses actions et non sa personnalité. Le leadership est beaucoup plus diversifié et moins stéréotypé! »
Sochetra Nget
Doyenne adjointe
Faculté de droit, Université d’Ottawa
« J’ai aimé la conception hautement interactive de ce cours et le réel ancrage de ce dernier dans ma réalité, tant professionnelle que personnelle. Le fait qu’il soit donné sur le cours de plusieurs semaines m’a permis de mieux assimiler, mais aussi prendre un meilleur recul par rapport au contenu et réflexions. Les échanges avec les autres participants ont fait toute la différence pour moi et j’ai trouvé qu’il s’agit-là d’une opportunité unique de développement professionnel donnée par une équipe bien rodée et à l’écoute de nos diverses aspirations. Je le recommanderais sans aucune hésitation à tout.e employé.e qui a à cœur de (re)prendre en mains les rênes de sa vie. Merci!”
Sophie Wauquier
Agente de développement – Carrefour communautaire
Université d’Ottawa
"This is fabulous course at so many levels. It is about leadership, of course, but it causes you to reimagine what leadership means and, more importantly, to make it part of what you do as a natural way of being (as opposed to a new knowledge set that you make note of during a course and perhaps soon forget). Leadership of this kind is relevant to managers, deans and directors; but it is also relevant to individuals who are doing their best to be good leaders just in the context of their own lives. In the decade before taking this course, I had been a leader of the first kind, and I am sure that I would have found it immensely valuable if I had taken it before trying to fulfil those roles. But at the time of taking the course I was more focused on personal projects. The course allowed me to move from projects that were bogged down by a myriad of doubts and obstacles to projects that were real and ready to be acted upon. Along the way, there was a lot of sharing with colleagues – it was a real pleasure getting to know them better in this way, and of course to benefit from their insights and suggestions. The team that runs this leadership course is nothing short of extraordinary: friendly, supportive, knowledgeable, inspirational. I am so grateful to them. I am very glad that I took this course and would take it again, and would surely benefit just as much, if differently, if I did. I recommend it strongly to others”.
Peter Oliver
Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa
Formerly Vice-Dean (French Program), Vice Dean Research and Co-Director of the Centre de droit public uOttawa Public Law Centre
"Through the exercises and reflections, this course changed my relationship with myself and revolutionized my way of being and acting in the world."
Coline Moreau
Doctoral candidate in Criminology
University of Ottawa
"This is a unique course that allowed me to learn more about myself. It has provided me with a toolkit that I can rely on to exercise leadership effectively."
Jaskeerat Heera
Student, Faculty of Law
University of Ottawa
"The course helped shift my perspective and boost my confidence. It taught me to live life with wonder, and be present in the moment. I learned to get out of my head to truly be ‘out here’ and seize opportunities with the confidence that, I came to learn, I already had within me."
Aena Poologarajah
Student, Faculty of Law
University of Ottawa
"En tant qu’ancien sergent de police, coach d’athlètes, membre du CA d’une association sportive nationale et dirigeant d’entreprise, mener des hommes et des femmes fait partie de ma vie depuis plus de 25 ans. Malgré cette expérience, je me suis surpris à revoir le leadership d’une manière éclairante, utile, efficace, entière et profonde. Avec un grand sourire, à 55 ans, ce cours m’a permis d’évoluer alors que je croyais avoir compris...."
Alfredo Muñoz
Student, Faculty of Law
University of Ottawa
"I am eternally grateful to Professors Garcia and Kuntze for delivering this course, for allowing me to rediscover motherhood with my son, revealing my love for law school, restrengthening my commitment to environmental justice, and most importantly, for redirecting me on the path of my personal journey into being. This course is worth so much more than credits. It is not a lesson plan but a practical roadmap to being that this course gifts its students. I highly recommend this course be offered to law students before beginning their 1L semester. I truly believe in its potential to transform the culture and learning of law and leadership for a more positive experience that will pay dividends to all students’ mental health and wellness."
Sundeep Virdi
Student, Faculty of Law
University of Ottawa
