1990s
The Fall That Started It All
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Former Soviet Union (FSU) had been undergoing radical political and economic reforms as it changed from a centralized socialist economy to a democratic free market. Before reforms, the government had controlled both supply and demand. Businesses were told what to produce, how to produce it, and where to send the output. Consumers bought their allotment of goods at fixed prices. Officially, unemployment did not exist.
With the reforms initiated by presidents Gorbachev and Yeltsin beginning in the late 1980s, Soviet citizens were plunged harshly into a free market economy without the experience and skills they needed to survive. In late 1991, the Soviet Union disintegrated into a number of republics. Many state-run businesses had or were expected to become private. Price controls were abolished, causing prices to skyrocket. Economic instability was accompanied by political uncertainty as democratic leaders clashed with communist hard-liners for power.
To face the challenges of the new environment, people within the FSU required knowledge and skills previously unknown to them. Citizens interested in learning about free market enterprise could either enrol in special lectures offered by visiting professors, which were too advanced, or in management training programs offered outside their country, which were too costly. The challenge for those interested in training people in business principles in the FSU was to develop an educational program that was relevant, cost effective, and available to the average citizen.
To face the challenges of the new environment, people within the FSU required knowledge and skills previously unknown to them. Citizens interested in learning about free market enterprise could either enrol in special lectures offered by visiting professors, which were too advanced, or in management training programs offered outside their country, which were too costly. The challenge for those interested in training people in business principles in the FSU was to develop an educational program that was relevant, cost effective, and available to the average citizen.
Project U.S.S.R.
In 1991, two Western Masters of Business Administration (MBA) students and a Western Honours of Business Administration (HBA) student, Scott Hellofs, Paul Fitzgerald, and Chris Albinson respectively, initiated Project USSR (as the LEADER project was then called) to respond to the these challenges in the FSU. The students approached Professor Paul Beamish, Director of the Western Business School's Centre for International Business Studies (CIBS), for financial support and advice.
Beamish established a number of criteria for the project, in that it should provide students with opportunities which complemented the business school's existing exchange programs, be administered and run by students, and have a full-time faculty advisor. Beamish also stressed that the program be large enough to be worth the School's efforts, yet modest enough to be sustainable. Growth, if it did occur, should take place slowly.
Beamish established a number of criteria for the project, in that it should provide students with opportunities which complemented the business school's existing exchange programs, be administered and run by students, and have a full-time faculty advisor. Beamish also stressed that the program be large enough to be worth the School's efforts, yet modest enough to be sustainable. Growth, if it did occur, should take place slowly.
A Shaky Start
By late January, the students reached an agreement with a group of entrepreneurs for 20 Western students to teach 10 classes in May in Leningrad (the name of which was later changed to St. Petersburg). The site was chosen because Fitzgerald had contacts there. When the partners visited Leningrad in late February, they realized that the plan was in serious trouble. The Soviet entrepreneurs had not advertised the program, made no arrangements for classroom space or accommodations, and thought that, at most, they could use only four people in May. The partners believed that the situation would not improve, and sought out new, high-quality partners.
A Look Back With Chris Albinson
Chris Albinson
Managing Director Founders Circle Capital |
Chris Albinson is a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Founders Circle Capital investing in leading private technology companies primarily by providing liquidity to founders, employees and early investors. Chris helped grow four start-ups most recently as Chief Strategy Officer for Digital Island, and was a General Partner at JPMorgan Partners, co-heading the technology venture capital practice. Chris believes strongly in building a community to support entrepreneurs, co-founding the C100. He is also an advisor to numerous start-ups.
Chris was on the founding LEADER team in 1991, and taught in Mongolia in 1993. |
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Tell us about LEADER's early history.
So the idea for LEADER really started with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. An East German Ambassador came to Ivey to speak in the auditorium about the problems that the East would face with the transition to a market economy. These had already emerged as a result of big policy shifts like Glasnost and the like. I was sitting with the other founding members, Scott, Robert and we had approached Paul. We though, if the Germans were going to have problems 40 years out of a market economy, the Russians will have enormous problems 70 years out of the Soviet system. We started in Moscow at the Moscow State University, School of Management. What materials did you work with?
I was a Business 020 teacher for two years (now known as the Business 1220, introductory business course at Western). We started with the original Ivey framework and then stripped it down for the time that we were teaching there. I was in charge of curriculum, and we were also working to translate the materials. Can you talk a little bit more about the curriculum and how you adapted it to your students? The class consisted of a highly divergent audience. There were lots of "middle managers", which made for a compelling teaching experience. The problem was that the curriculum had to be adapted, as many of these students were already familiar with some of the concepts we were teaching. |
Where did you travel?
For the first two years, I didn't actually go anywhere. I had an established co-chair position and I was really just overseeing a lot of LEADER's operations at the time. I made sure that we were communicating with sites, developing our curriculum, and made sure that all of our materials were prepared. In 1993, I travelled to Mongolia. This is kind of "The Lost Story" with LEADER, as we didn't publicize it too much that we actually travelled to Mongolia. On a trip, I had met someone at the World Bank Group (WBG) about market development in South East Asia. Our contact had asked Chris to come to Washington to discuss what the LEADER project had been up to. Eventually one thing led to another and we were invited to bring 6 instructors to Ulan Bator. This really only turned out to be a one year gig. We were unable to continue the relationship as staff changed within the WBG. At that point in time, things were very difficult. The times were turbulent with the collapse of the USSR. For example, the Minsk team visited Vilnius to see if a potential teaching partnership could be pursued. They actually went when the Black Berets were butchering people. They burned customs posts which were claims of the Baltic republics' independence from Moscow |
What were some of the early mistakes that LEADER made?
Starting out as such a new organization, we encountered so many things. The thing is, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Choosing the right people was a struggle. It was difficult to teach with translators - something we've never done before. It was an uncomfortable environment, as these were students from such diverse backgrounds in a political context that was changing so quickly. How do we provide value to these middle managers? This was a question we'd often ask ourselves.
Back then, we'd have multiple LEADERites in a site teaching simultaneously. When we went to Moscow, the LEADERites would meet at the same bar. We'd discuss our ideas and go through the learning process.
Tell us about a student that you remember.
This is tough. Okay, there was one student. So, the Soviet industry was renowned for its efficiency. It also had perverse incentives. Often, the government would just make a decree for what was demanded. They would say, you have to make 1000 truck tires per month - regardless of whether this is how much people needed. Labour was also in disarray. There was horrific alcoholism at the time, which haffected the average life expectancy of workers. In general, managers had a limited ability to change and affect this environment.
LEADER's teaching had to change to focus on whats relevant to these managers. For example, if these students had no dollars to spend, what's the point of talking about investing in marketing? It really constrained what kind of solutions we could pursue. We had to get creative.
One woman was super bright. She started by taking waste product from Soviet factories and use Western technologies to refine and reuse it positively. There was so much waste, from those tire factories for example, that was literally just being thrown out after the collapse. She would clear $400,000 in profit in a week. She was an example of a great student as she basically came into the program and came out starting a really business. What we taught was directly relevant and applicable to what she was doing.
Starting out as such a new organization, we encountered so many things. The thing is, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Choosing the right people was a struggle. It was difficult to teach with translators - something we've never done before. It was an uncomfortable environment, as these were students from such diverse backgrounds in a political context that was changing so quickly. How do we provide value to these middle managers? This was a question we'd often ask ourselves.
Back then, we'd have multiple LEADERites in a site teaching simultaneously. When we went to Moscow, the LEADERites would meet at the same bar. We'd discuss our ideas and go through the learning process.
Tell us about a student that you remember.
This is tough. Okay, there was one student. So, the Soviet industry was renowned for its efficiency. It also had perverse incentives. Often, the government would just make a decree for what was demanded. They would say, you have to make 1000 truck tires per month - regardless of whether this is how much people needed. Labour was also in disarray. There was horrific alcoholism at the time, which haffected the average life expectancy of workers. In general, managers had a limited ability to change and affect this environment.
LEADER's teaching had to change to focus on whats relevant to these managers. For example, if these students had no dollars to spend, what's the point of talking about investing in marketing? It really constrained what kind of solutions we could pursue. We had to get creative.
One woman was super bright. She started by taking waste product from Soviet factories and use Western technologies to refine and reuse it positively. There was so much waste, from those tire factories for example, that was literally just being thrown out after the collapse. She would clear $400,000 in profit in a week. She was an example of a great student as she basically came into the program and came out starting a really business. What we taught was directly relevant and applicable to what she was doing.
The Project Unfolds
New partnerships were negotiated with three educational organizations. The Leningrad International Management Institute would sponsor four classes and three case writers. The Higher Commercial School at the State Academy of Management in Moskva (Moscow) would sponsor six classes and three case writers. The Moskva State University's Institute of Management would sponsor four case writers. Beamish believed that institutes of higher education were good potential partners because they shared certain goals, constraints, and cultures with universities such as Western.
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400+
Total students enrolled in 1991-92 |
$275
Cost per student |
3000
Inquiries to attend a workshop |
By 1992, the project would expand its partnerships to include Minsk, Belarus and Vilnius, Lithuania. Throughout the 1990s, the LEADER project would continue to slowly expand into countries like the Ukraine, Moldova and even Mongolia and Cuba.
A committee of Western faculty, staff, and students selected Project USSR participants. The committee sought applications from eligible students interested in volunteering their time and money (about $1,800 each at the time). At this point, students in the first year of Western's honours program in business administration (HBA) were ineligible as they would not have sufficient credibility in the USSR. Instructors were chosen on a wide variety of criteria including work experience, international exposure, ability in foreign languages, and teaching experience.
In its pilot year, 26 volunteers began case writing and teaching to 175 students. THe project generated widespread, positive reaction in many countries. It was the subject of numerous media articles involving interviews with Western participants, and generated opportunities for some participants to undertake entrepreneurial ventures or consulting in the Former Soviet Union.
A committee of Western faculty, staff, and students selected Project USSR participants. The committee sought applications from eligible students interested in volunteering their time and money (about $1,800 each at the time). At this point, students in the first year of Western's honours program in business administration (HBA) were ineligible as they would not have sufficient credibility in the USSR. Instructors were chosen on a wide variety of criteria including work experience, international exposure, ability in foreign languages, and teaching experience.
In its pilot year, 26 volunteers began case writing and teaching to 175 students. THe project generated widespread, positive reaction in many countries. It was the subject of numerous media articles involving interviews with Western participants, and generated opportunities for some participants to undertake entrepreneurial ventures or consulting in the Former Soviet Union.
Teaching Actively for a Unique Audience
The LEADER course approach was unique for Eastern Europeans. The curriculum was loosely modeled after Western's undergraduate Introduction to Business course. The course was delivered through a blend of participative lectures and discussion of case studies which encouraged students to ask questions, discuss decision-making processes, and, most importantly, make decisions in simulated real world situations. Site team members would teach classes in pairs, with each pair having to be accustomed to one another's body language, delivery style, and aptitudes.
Language was a considerable barrier for students and instructors. Each teaching team was assigned a translator who was hired by the local partner. However, the instructors did not know in advance who their translators would be. The translator, who acted as a filter between the instructors and the students, was the instructors' lifeline in the classroom. Translators needed to substitute North American business jargon with a similar counterpart in Russian, and convey the instructors' thoughts and meanings rather than just the sentences clause by clause.
The use of students as instructors had been an innovative but risky decision for the LEADER project's founders. Traditionally, teaching credentials, status, and age were essential to win the respect of students in the FSU. By contrast, the LEADER approach selected young people with little, if any, teaching experience, complemented by strong backgrounds in business and international exposure.
As The LEADER Project became popular within Eastern Europe, attention was drawn from a variety of audiences. In 1995, decommissioned army officers participated in Lutsk, Ukraine. LEADER also expanded to Minsk, Belarus and taught to students without a translator for the first time. A new, advanced finance course was developed for students at Vilnius. Throughout the program, students would gain knowledge of finance, marketing and general management - all the skills they needed to know in order to know how to run a business. The program led up to a final project, which involved completing a business plan. Students would earn a certificate of accomplishment for their successful participation in the project:
Language was a considerable barrier for students and instructors. Each teaching team was assigned a translator who was hired by the local partner. However, the instructors did not know in advance who their translators would be. The translator, who acted as a filter between the instructors and the students, was the instructors' lifeline in the classroom. Translators needed to substitute North American business jargon with a similar counterpart in Russian, and convey the instructors' thoughts and meanings rather than just the sentences clause by clause.
The use of students as instructors had been an innovative but risky decision for the LEADER project's founders. Traditionally, teaching credentials, status, and age were essential to win the respect of students in the FSU. By contrast, the LEADER approach selected young people with little, if any, teaching experience, complemented by strong backgrounds in business and international exposure.
As The LEADER Project became popular within Eastern Europe, attention was drawn from a variety of audiences. In 1995, decommissioned army officers participated in Lutsk, Ukraine. LEADER also expanded to Minsk, Belarus and taught to students without a translator for the first time. A new, advanced finance course was developed for students at Vilnius. Throughout the program, students would gain knowledge of finance, marketing and general management - all the skills they needed to know in order to know how to run a business. The program led up to a final project, which involved completing a business plan. Students would earn a certificate of accomplishment for their successful participation in the project:
A Look Back With David Wood
David Wood
Professor Ivey Business School |
David Wood is a Lecturer in Operations Management at The Ivey Business School as well as a graduate of both the HBA and MBA program. He has spent many years in industry as the Director of Sales & Marketing in the US and then VP Manufacturing before becoming President for W. C. Wood Company, a global manufacturer of home appliances. David has had extensive experience in international business, mergers and acquisitions, and currently sits on several corporate boards. He has also worked as a consultant to medium and large corporations in strategic planning and operational restructuring.
David participated in the LEADER program in 1997 and travelled to Kiev, Ukraine. |
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How different was the culture in comparison to the Canadian way of life?
I could not believe how entrepreneurial they were. Reminisce of communism stuck around long after the wall came down, which is one of the reason why I believe these people were so entrepreneurial. They completely understood how business worked: bartering, supply and demand, setting prices. So when I was teaching my classes, the skills had came as second nature to them. Typically, the common working man would hold two jobs. The first would with the government; this helped subsidize credits to pay for their car, food, etc. The latter would help pay the bills consisting of black market activity. Here transactions of goods and services were conducted in exchange for cash in something nicknamed the "shadow economy". Overall, it was a poor time for the people and companies because of the lack of government support, corruption, and an unstable financial system. What was the hardest hurdle you had to overcome while you were teaching? The students were wonderful. Everyone would always be tentatively jotting down notes and entirely involved in the course. Albeit, it was a few days in when we finally realized, half the class were paid assistants who were ordered to take notes for their executives. We didn't know what to do! We didn't want to upset these people and cause a commotion with our students. In the end, I remember we created a new separate certificate of completion, which was addressed to the executives who had their assistants sit in on the classes. |
Did you make any sort of international connections when you were abroad?
I became good friends with one of the translators, who was quick to arrange a tour at a locally owned appliance factory. Given my previous work experience in factory operations for a global manufacturer of home appliances, I was happy to oblige. When I first stepped foot in the factory, I could not believe what I saw. The factory was producing something like 300,000 units annually with over 2,000 employees. Not only were they producing half of the quantity they should be producing with twice the employees, the quality was an absolute disaster. It was clear that no one had invested a penny since the 50's or 60's. The worst part was that this was the standard in Eastern-Europe, yet no one knew any better. What they thought was just a small problem, was going to take a lot more time and effort than I could provide. Can you tell me about a story about you and the other LEADERites? I will never forget the train rides through the city. Out of nowhere, large men who were accompanied with these small children would come onto the train and disperse themselves amongst the riders. The children, not older than the age of 7 maybe 8, would pull at your clothes, ask for money and even look to pickpocket travelers. The Russian Mafia and organized crime was very much a real thing going around. It was not only a different time, but it was a completely different culture. We had some scary moments where we were glad we were Canadian. |
What's one piece of advice you could give to a new LEADERite?
The biggest piece of advice I can give a future LEADERite would be to be as flexible as possible. I would start a day with my teaching plan, and at times would have to throw it right out the window within 5 minutes. Business in the developed world was just so different.
I still remember the class asking me, "How much cash should businesses keep on hand, and how much do they keep in the Bank?" The class laughed. It was then I discovered that "Bank" in Ukraine was short for "Bankruptcy", because so often Banks would go under and steal their money. Money was either kept in their business, or, under mattresses and in floorboards.
Overall, I learned more from the students than they did from me. I was just 21 years old and I was teaching business professionals! The LEADER Project was by far my greatest HBA experience.
A New Identity, A Bigger Mission
With the Russian economy transforming into a free market system, LEADER looked to broaden its scope and identify new opportunities abroad to create impact. With a new mission to instill an entrepreneurial culture around the world, and give communities the tools they need to create self-sustaining businesses, LEADER rebrands itself into "Leading Education and Development in Emerging Regions" - a brand that still persists today.
2000s
Establishing LEADER's Vision
As the LEADER project matured, clear guidelines and processes needed to be put in place to ensure the project's long-term success. In this period, LEADER focused on developing its Vision and Mission statmenets to communicate the project's key messages going forward. In 2003, the LEADER team created its first draft of the statements, which are presented below:
Vision |
Mission |
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LEADER envisions a world in which all regions have the tools, skills and abilities to participate in a free-market economy.
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Using case method instruction, LEADER aims to give students, entrepreneurs and managers in emerging regions practical decision making skills. LEADER also strives to create cross-cultural understanding and provide participants and LEADERites with opportunities to learn from each other.
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Building On Grassroots Support
Near the 2000s, significant changes took place within the structure of the Canadian government's policy, which affected funding programs for the LEADER project. The team quickly decided that future funding would have to come from the private sector, partners, current members, and alumni. An endowment fund was established which allowed alumni to contribute to the project. In subsequent years, LEADERites were expected to fund part of their trip through local fundraising initiatives. LEADER held a few events throughout the year to contribute to the project's fundraising.
The LEADER project celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a dinner held in the Lithaunian Community Hall in Bloor West Village in Toronto. The dinner brought LEADER alumni from the past ten years together with current participants. Memories and stories were recounted, and all had a good time. Mr. Mykhail Lyssenko, Minister Councillor of the Russian Embassy in Ottawa, was the keynote speaker. In his speech, Mr. Lyssenko commented on the state of Canadian-Russian business relations, and commended LEADER on the impact it had in its first 10 years of existence. He urged past and present LEADER participants to build on the ties established by the Project in order to further Canada-Russia business relations.
The LEADER project celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a dinner held in the Lithaunian Community Hall in Bloor West Village in Toronto. The dinner brought LEADER alumni from the past ten years together with current participants. Memories and stories were recounted, and all had a good time. Mr. Mykhail Lyssenko, Minister Councillor of the Russian Embassy in Ottawa, was the keynote speaker. In his speech, Mr. Lyssenko commented on the state of Canadian-Russian business relations, and commended LEADER on the impact it had in its first 10 years of existence. He urged past and present LEADER participants to build on the ties established by the Project in order to further Canada-Russia business relations.
A New Focus on Entrepreneurship
The contents of the LEADER teaching program shifted to a focus on entrepreneurship. The course still taught business fundamentals through the case method, but now over the course of only two weeks. Through a key partnership with the Pierre L. Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship at Ivey, LEADER's curriculum was bolstered to provide maximum value for students. The new focus on entrepreneurship has enabled LEADER to meet the current needs of the developing economies in which it taught. It also allowed the project to expand its audience to local, young entrepreneurs in the classroom, in addition to traditional university students.
Buenos Dias, LEADERites
In 2002, LEADER began to explore sites beyond Eastern Europe where it could make an impact. This led to a successful pilot project in Cuba. LEADER sent participants to three sites in Holguin, Las Tunas, and Bayamo. In 2003, the success of the Cuban pilot project led to a full expansion in all three sites, with new sites being explored. In 2004, however, operations in Cuba were postponed due to operational risk issues. LEADER would not expand beyond Eastern Europe until the 2010s.
Further Expansion in Europe
Despite closing down operations in Cuba, LEADER continued to expand into Europe with new sites in Moldova and Belarus. With its new entrepreneurial program, LEADER also added a new site near Togliatti, Russia. At this site, LEADER taught a one-week intensive couse to current and potential entrepreneurs who totaled 45 students. In 2004, LEADER also added a site in Irkutsk, Russia.
A Changing Student Composition
In 2006, the Ivey Business School changed its MBA program to take place over one year instead of the traditional two years. This meant that MBA students were less able to transition LEADER across graduating years and were unable to participate in LEADER over successive years. LEADER's Advisory Board began to play a bigger role in guiding LEADER's strategic direction. The Advisory Board consisted of past LEADER participants and people with strong experience in the host regions. As a result of these changes, LEADER’s student composition broadened to include HBAs and other degree programs at Ivey. By 2008, HBAs made up more than 50% of LEADER's participant base.
A Look Back With Darwin Smith
Darwin Smith
Principal The Boston Consulting Group |
Darwin Smith graduated from the MBA program at Ivey and is one of the founding members of the BCG Calgary office. He focuses his practice on energy and industrial goods clients helping them with corporate strategy, corporate development, marketing and sales, and operational excellence. He is a P. Eng in Alberta and has a mix of engineering, operational management, and consulting experience.
Darwin participated in the LEADER program in 2004 and travelled to Nizhny Tagil, Russia. |
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What was the most memorable teaching moment?
Gavin was my partner and we were teaching in the English speaking class but there really was not one guy that spoke English extremely well. The make up the class was very interesting. There were various ages and backgrounds. What was a really interesting commonality was the lack of exposure to the rest of the world. The Internet was not as prevalent back then; it would be interesting to see how this has changed. Perhaps because of this, business principles were different, very different. For example Lululemon pants for $70 was very strange concept to them; it didn't make sense. Who was an interesting individual that you met during the program? The host was the most memorable, she spoke English well and you can actually have a well sustained conversation. She showed great hospitability and hearing about her story, day to day life was interesting and what her aspirations were beyond just hosting us. Tell us about an unforgettable cultural experience that you were not expecting. What stuck out was that almost everyone person you met had a "Russian Soul."" The Russian Soul is a short hand for some sort of cultural outlook that was stoic... This outlook did affect a lot of the entrepreneurship especially given that we were in the middle of the nowhere so it was even more difficult. There more many successful entrepreneurs but they tend to be more pessimistic or perhaps realistic? There was always this sense of self-demoting. |
Are there any skills that you gained through LEADER that you still use today?
The whole act of getting up and doing a case and facilitating a conversation is something I still do all the time and doing it through LEADERS definitely helped me develop those skills more. Using "International English" language is also a very important skill that you learn to pick up. We often carried on long sessions and used complicated language. In Russia everybody had a certain proficiency but they would lose it if you used too much slang and they wouldn't understand. Are you still entrepreneurial today? And if so how do you keep an entrepreneurial spirit while working in a corporate environment? For sure, being at a pretty small office that is entrepreneurial it is very apparent. When I was in Bangkok I met the head of a company that was growing at double digits, something that is rare to see for big corporations in North America, but his ambition didn't stop there. He wanted to triple the size of his company in 12 years. We don't have that level of ambition in Canada. We often don't think BIG enough and daring enough. Perhaps it's because in corporate Canada and US there are more shareholders and quarterly reports with objects that needs to be met. However for the start-ups in North America, as a mentor our role is often to try to quantify and fact base things. However the most successful entrepreneurs do not always operate like that. They have ambitious goals and plans and you, as a mentor, need to foster those ideas and encourage that dream. |
2010 - Present
Celebrating 20 Years
LEADER's 20th anniversary, which took place in 2011, was a very special event. It was the first year that the annual Alumni Event for the project took place at the Steam Whistle Brewery in Toronto. A record 200 people were in attendance. A total of $15,000 in revenue was collected between the LEADER project and its event partner, Ivey's China Teaching Project. This was an unprecedented fundraising achievement that set high standards for future years. More importantly, the event signified a culmination of numerous years by various initiatives in raising awareness and creating opportunities for Ivey students to create impact abroad.
Three New Sites, Three New Continents
In 2012, LEADER ventured beyond its legacy Eastern European sites for the first time. Through an Ivey faculty, Ariff Kachra, a partnership was developed with Jain University in Bangalore, India. A pilot project was launched in Haiti through a partnership with ETRE Ayisyen. Four LEADERites travelled to Port-Au-Prince during the winter months to teach a basic entrepreneurship course to a selected group of 40 Haitians. Lastly, a partnership with Youth Challenge International allowed LEADER to enter Africa for the first time through a pilot project at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. These new sites on three new continents extended the global impact LEADER was making, and furthered its mission to Lead Education in Developing and Emerging Regions.
Setting New Standards For Media
During this period, the Media and Technology committee evaluated LEADER's online presence and developed a strategy for better community engagement. Discussions were held with the Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the Ivey Business School, and the LEADER Advisory Board, to better understand the implications of and process to online integration with the school. Numerous social media developments took place. LEADER consolidated its Facebook presence through both a Facebook Group for Project members and alumni, and a page to feature ongoing developments. In addition, the LEADER blog was created, with each site team posting their experiences abroad. In 2013, a new website was developed to enable better content management, increased visibility, and brand recognition.
In the 2010s, LEADER set a new precedent for content generation. Site teams were actively engaged in each of their individual locations to capture their work, their participants, and the culture of their site. This culminated in photo, blog, and video campaigns that were collected through LEADER's various communication channels.
In the 2010s, LEADER set a new precedent for content generation. Site teams were actively engaged in each of their individual locations to capture their work, their participants, and the culture of their site. This culminated in photo, blog, and video campaigns that were collected through LEADER's various communication channels.
Continuous Improvement
As the LEADER project matured, Executive Directors throughout the years took numerous steps to make the initiative more efficient and effective. Steps were taken to improve the project's logistical planning, curriculum and course management, and cost effectiveness. The goal was to make the LEADER project was accessible, and impactful as possible, both for LEADERites and students abroad.
LEADER's strategic partnership with Aeroplan expanded in a revolutionary way. One Aeroplan employee travelled to Macedonia as part of the teaching team, in exchange for an expanded partnership commitment. This resulted in substantial support for LEADER, which enabled more LEADERites to travel abroad at a lower cost. It also set a new precedent for how partners interacted with LEADER. For the first time, a partner was able to see the impact LEADER was making on the ground in a tangible way.
The curriculum team took a number of steps to make significant improvements to LEADER's syllabus. The team created several mini-cases, interactive activities, and advanced material based on feedback from prior years. New and improved teaching notes and teaching plans allowed for efficient curriculum delivery across all 10 sites.
Efforts to increase fundraising results and engagement were undertaken throughout the 2010s. With the Alumni Event being held exclusively at the Steam Whistle brewery, LEADER now raises approximately $5,000 annually, an unprecedented amount for the project. In addition, several initiatives were taken to remove costs from flight booking, VISA applications, and printing. As LEADER identifies new issues and takes steps to resolve them, further cost efficiencies will be realized. A leaner LEADER will enable more participants to travel abroad and give communities the tools they need to generate local entrepreneurial impact.
LEADER's strategic partnership with Aeroplan expanded in a revolutionary way. One Aeroplan employee travelled to Macedonia as part of the teaching team, in exchange for an expanded partnership commitment. This resulted in substantial support for LEADER, which enabled more LEADERites to travel abroad at a lower cost. It also set a new precedent for how partners interacted with LEADER. For the first time, a partner was able to see the impact LEADER was making on the ground in a tangible way.
The curriculum team took a number of steps to make significant improvements to LEADER's syllabus. The team created several mini-cases, interactive activities, and advanced material based on feedback from prior years. New and improved teaching notes and teaching plans allowed for efficient curriculum delivery across all 10 sites.
Efforts to increase fundraising results and engagement were undertaken throughout the 2010s. With the Alumni Event being held exclusively at the Steam Whistle brewery, LEADER now raises approximately $5,000 annually, an unprecedented amount for the project. In addition, several initiatives were taken to remove costs from flight booking, VISA applications, and printing. As LEADER identifies new issues and takes steps to resolve them, further cost efficiencies will be realized. A leaner LEADER will enable more participants to travel abroad and give communities the tools they need to generate local entrepreneurial impact.
A Look Back With Mark Gilbert
Mark Gilbert
Commercial Account Manager Bank of Montreal |
Mark Gilbert was a graduated from the Ivey Business School's MBA program and currently works with the Bank of Montreal (BMO) as a Commercial Account Manager. In 2012, Mark co-chaired the LEADER project along with three others. He was responsible for the project's expansion into Tanzinia, Haiti, and India. Mark was featured as a Future Leader in Ivey's inTouch magazine for his efforts.
Mark participated in the LEADER program in 2012 and travelled to Bangalore, India. |
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As Executive Director, you were responsible for a lot with the LEADER project. What were some significant changes in your year?
This marked a year of significant change: we launched 3 new sites outside of our historical core of Eastern European locations by building partnerships in Haiti, India and Tanzania. This expansionary year helped change the direction of the Leader Project through a renewed focus on working with entrepreneurs. To reinforce our entrepreneurial focus, after much debate the Executive Directors and Advisory Board made the tough decision to drop one legacy site (I can't recall what the name was! It was a Russian site!). The teaching team conveyed our tough message in person during the final days of the project delivery. What is something you wish you could go back and tell yourself before you went away with LEADER? I think many people will give an answer about how they wished they were more prepared, whether it be for the culture, climate, food, for teaching or for coaching. However, my advice to all future LEADER Project participants is that there is only so much you can prepare for; one of the best parts of the experience is being overwhelmed with such a different environment, being thrown curve balls every day, and learning to adapt and adjust! Sometimes you just have to go along for the ride! |
What would you say is the single most important thing you learned with the project?
Many people will come out of an intense MBA or HBA program with a new sense of confidence - even some swagger. However, coming out of the LEADER Project brought a whole new level of confidence, one which I don't think I would have achieved without that experience. You are really and truly thrown into an uncomfortable environment with little knowledge about the students you will be teaching, their backgrounds, and their education. You will likely begin to stress days before departing upon the realization that you've only really delivered a handful of cases or lectures - and now you're travelling to a foreign land to deliver 3 weeks' worth. The students will have high expectations of you and will expect to walk away from your program with some significant learning and coaching. You arrive at the site and are constantly challenged to perform by the students, the faculty, and by your own high standards. As the program goes on, your confidence and that of the team grows as you get to know the class and become comfortable being the centre of attention every day. You travel back to Canada afterwards and reflect, and at some point will almost surely have that "I did that" moment. Without having a job locked up after school, the LEADER experience gave me the confidence to talk to anyone at any company, always with the foundational confidence that "I did that". |
Onwards and Upwards
LEADER's future looks bright throughout this decade. In 2018, LEADER continues to expand its sites, with new teaching locations based in Nepal and Vietnam. The project continues to extend its core curriculum to more effectively teach business fundamentals in an entrepreneurial context. As time passes, look to this page for updates as LEADER continues to write its extensive history.
The LEADER History project was started in 2014 to catalogue all of LEADER's achievements throughout its 25+ year history. Over the course of a year, the team collected archived photographs, reports, media, letters, and any additional information to bring together a collage of information. As part of the History project, this page was created to summarize LEADER's history in depth.
We would like to thank all our team members, alumni, partners, and friends for their support in contributing to the pages and projects creation.
We would like to thank all our team members, alumni, partners, and friends for their support in contributing to the pages and projects creation.
