Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/318918
BIZ 'peg MAY 2014 6 | leadership winnipeg T omorrow's leaders are getting a jumpstart today with an inside introduction to the city's trailblazers. Through a 10-month program called Leadership Winnipeg, run by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and Volunteer Manitoba, participants interview community leaders and compile profi les to create a hardcover book. Program liaison Wendy Stephenson says it's open to anyone who wants to become a leader. "The defi nition of community leader can vary. It could be someone who wants to take a leadership role in their workplace or someone who wants to go into politics," she says. "It could be someone who wants to step onto a community board or someone who just wants to be a volunteer and help out." The 28 participants are eligible for credits at Red River College, the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba. One day each month, they meet for tours and activities that are usually based around themes. For example, when they examined Winnipeg as a creative city, they paid visits to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and Winnipeg Art Gallery. "Winnipeg has a rich history, so we've also talked about diversity and immigration. We've met at the Immigration Centre. Then we looked at the inner city, so we've visited Mount Carmel Clinic and the Red Rose Lodge," Stephenson says. The leaders are local movers and shakers ranging from business people and politicians to artists and folks involved in the non- profi t sector. "The idea is for the participants in our class to hear fi rst-hand what it takes to be a leader. It's also about helping them make really good connections in the community," Stephenson says. Everyone in the class writes a profi le, and then they transform the stories into a unique book, working on teams to tackle every aspect of the task. "They have to learn how to work together. We choose certain people from the class to be on the editing committee, and they make sure the style is consistent and that there's no facts that are wrong. Then the class works with a designer at Honest Agency to choose a look and feel for the book," Stephenson says. "It's really been amazing. We've done three books so far. We're working on our fourth. This is also an opportunity for them to learn time management and meeting deadlines because the book has to be ready for our last class." Those skills prove useful again when it's time to organize the book launch, which takes place in June. "They get the experience of organizing an event," she says. "They get to choose where they want it, and they have a budget that they have to work within." The books are published through Blurb.com, and copies of each year's creation can be ordered online. Prices of previous editions have ranged from $42 to $56. "We found that it is being used as a coffee table book in many offi ces because it showcases Winnipeg," Stephenson says. "It's really cool to be able to have the book out in public and being used to showcase the really neat people we have in our city." The Leadership Winnipeg program costs $1,000, and the Winnipeg Foundation has provided funds to subsidize up to half of the fee. So far, the program has proven successful, since past participants have assumed leadership roles already. "Now some of the people are sitting on the board of the Children's Museum and The Forks North Portage. One of the fellows is now volunteering at the Holy Names House of Peace. Another fellow got on the organizing committee for the International Winter Cycling Congress," Stephenson says. "We're seeing our grads moving into the community, which is great. It's all about leadership. What we're doing is providing them with the skills, the knowledge and the understanding of themselves, their community and their role in it." LEADERS' DIGEST NEXT GENERATION LEARNS BY THE BOOK by Jennifer McFee Cover story: The next book launch is set for June 18 at Niakwa Country Club. Take me to your leaders: Students visit Mountain Equipment Co-op during a recent business tour. Photo by Darcy Finley