By Kishann Cupid Braithwaite Employment Services Manager Department of Labour and Workforce Development, British Virgin Islands, Cohort 13 – Trendsetters (shared at the Virtual Launch of Cohort 15 of the Mid-Level Leadership Development I t is truly a pleasure and honour to be here with you today to share about the Mid-Level Leadership Development Programme and its impact on my development. Whether you are here because you acknowledged the need for leadership development due to personal and professional aspirations, or a supervisor recognised your leadership potential and nominated you for this opportunity, know that this experience will be worth your time and effort. It will not be an easy road having to juggle your personal and professional commitments, but it will be worth it! Kishann Cupid Braithwaite transformed… but transformed it was. The experience allowed me to transition from a place of anxiety and defeat to a state of confidence and assurance that I am the leader I always imagined and that I am capable of effecting change in my team and organisation using the tools provided. I, like many of you, simply wanted to be a better version of myself. I had a checklist of qualities I admired in persons in leadership roles. Those traits included: The ability to stay level-headed in When I started this journey late last year, I was very excited and grateful for the opportunity because I strongly believe that a good leader never stops learning and growing. Having a keen interest in the personal and professional development of those around me, I made the decision to transition to management five years ago. However, I quickly learned that despite my best intentions, managing people would be one of my greatest challenges. I was drowning and I needed a lifeline. To be honest, I enrolled in this Programme with limited expectation. I did not fully understand how my life would be the midst of chaos and confusion, to formulate strategic and innovative solutions, to be firm yet fair, to be proactive and not reactive, to stay resolute in the face of opposition, to effectively lead a team of various personalities, to be inclusive and not divisive in decision-making, and the list goes on. Participating in this Programme forces you to take a look at yourself by identifying and exploring your strengths and areas of improvement. The Programme provides you with an arsenal of useful tools that you can apply daily at work and other areas of your lives. Continues on next page 21
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