This week I was lucky enough to meet with Erin Heeney, a graduate of the Masters of Sustainable Leisure Management program at VIU. Erin sat down with me to discuss her views on leadership and innovation. In her eyes, it nearly all comes down to communication, accountability and having the right people on your team. Erin discussed how communication is the backbone of leadership and clear verbal and non verbal communication one of the most important factors in building a relationship and trust with followers. In terms of accountability, Erin points out that in order to be a good leader, you must walk the talk. You must have ownership for your tea, and lead yourself first.
This week we were also fortunate enough to have Geoffry Godbey speak in our class. This is a man who most people studying tourism have referenced countless times, so meeting him and having him speak in our class was a pretty cool experience. He spoke a lot to the value of being a life long learner, and the value of communication. He suggests to read indiscriminately, read anything and everything that is available — regardless of whether it is in your field.
Not surprising communication skills appear to be a major factor in nearly every person offering on advice in leadership, or career advancement. I have always felt more comfortable in written communication. I don’t think I am a great writer — I am horrible at spelling and know my grammar could use work, but I find with verbal communication I have a very difficult time articulating my thoughts and getting the point across that I want to make. Hearing speakers like Godbey or Erin Heeney and any other speaker I have seen at events like the Vancouver Island Leadership Conference have inspired to work harder at my verbal communication. I think participating in toastmasters would be really beneficial to me, to aid in my ability to feel comfortable speaking in public.
Taya McAstocker 