Learnings – COVID Conqueror, Cohort 16, Transformational Leadership Development Programme 2021 answer to that question of developing a culture of cooperation across the agency. W hen I applied to CARICAD to be part of this leadership programme, I wrote that “I expect the programme to help rekindle my passion and enthusiasm for the job and for learning; aid in my personal growth and self-awareness; as well as equip me with the necessary tools to motivate my team to do better. This includes further development of my coaching and time management skills.” I can honestly say that my expectations have been met and more. First, my passion and enthusiasm for the job have been rekindled. I now look forward to going to work and interacting with my team members once again. I am eager to share with them what I have learnt. This has become so much easier because of the leadership tools I acquired. Article by Ms. Andrea Braham, Manager, Public Relations & Marketing, Jamaica Information Service Personal learnings The course provided a mixed bag of experiences and opportunities to learn. The EQ-i 2.0 Emotional Intelligence Assessment done in the early part of the programme opened my eyes to my many areas of vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Fortunately, it also gave me the tools on how to work on myself and turn my weakness into strength and become a better person and leader. I have learned to work on them over the months and have noticed differences in how I relate to my team members. For example, I am now more cognisant of the difference between being assertive and being aggressive and I am learning to walk the line and choose my words carefully before I speak. I am also working to control my emotions and not let them control me. When I began this leadership journey I had a totally different mindset from where I am today. I recall in one of the earlier sessions, a Tedtalk video that urged viewers to change the lens through which you view the world. My lens needed changing as I mostly saw negatives and challenges. I now choose to be more optimistic; to view each day as one filled with possibilities and to be solutions-oriented. I try to remain hopeful and resilient, despite occasional setbacks. I have been encouraging my team to do likewise. We begin our meetings now by saying what we are thankful for. Also when there is a challenging request or task, they know to come to me with suggestions and ideas of what is possible, asking how can we do this, rather than an attitude of “me can’t do this”. This has enabled members to challenge themselves and for the department to introduce new services from which we can earn. Not everyone is fully on board but we will get there. I no longer dread having the difficult conversations. In fact, I have had several in recent times, especially regarding the LSP. I used tools such as the polarity map to help make it easier. The conversations did not all end the way I wanted them to but I celebrated the wins and I learned to compromise. I also found that collaboration really is key and the When I began this journey I tended to doubt my abilities and second-guess myself quite a bit. I can honestly say that I have become more self-aware and confident as a leader due largely to the coaching sessions and empowering programmes. One of my biggest areas of growth though, is that I am more open to trying new things and new ideas. I am no longer crippled with the fear of failure. I learned to use my mistakes as an opportunity to learn and grow. And I try to become more tolerant and forgiving of others, encouraging those around me to do likewise. I learned that there are more than one right answers and two things can be true at the same time. I now find myself sharing this nugget repeatedly with my team and anyone around me. I learned the importance of actively listen to my team. The introduction of Action learning as a problem-solving and leadership development tool was useful. It was amazing to share in the experience in group session. With the probing questions from group members I was forced to reflect on some assumptions made regarding my leadership stretch project and fill in some gaps. It was also great to benefit from the diverse experiences of group members. Continues on next page I 29
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