Week 8 - Dunedin Enhancing leadership course

Week 3 of being away from home. This week it was to Dunedin where I was lucky enough to participate in an Enhancing leadership programme run by Otago University.

We got to stay in the beautiful executive residence that was almost right on campus. Our course venue was just down the road, and each day we dined like Queens at the staff club. Otago University campus was beautiful with all the blossoms in bloom.

Prior to coming on this course we were asked to seek feedback from our colleagues and an senior leaders on our leadership style. This information would be used to guide us in our strengths and weaknesses in our leadership journey. We were also asked to complete a MBIT personality test, this tool would also be used to help us make connections between our personalities and our leadership styles.

I won't go into the nitty gritty of the week, but overall it was a successful challenge. As a group we worked well to support each other through the tough conversations and to also provide a bit of lightheartedness when needed.

Our facilitators Kris and Ross were excellent. They spoke with conviction and listened attentively when we asked questions after question. This course should be available for schools on a regular basis.

I found the 360 feedback very useful in that reconfirmed my strengths and identified areas for which I still have room for improvement. I entered this particular part of the week with a growth mindset which helped me use the negatives and turn them into positive ways to develop me into a more efficient and empowering leader.

My personality test results were very interesting, and I had to laugh when I got my result because it was me to a tee. Using these two tools I was able to piece together a learning journey for myself in the coming months for me to develop as an individual.

In the middle of the week we were taken on a tour of Dunedin in a Jaguar convoy. This was a fun way to break up the heaviness of the learning we were all partaking in.

I haven't put many photos from our learning as some of it was personal and I don't feel comfortable putting it out to the public. But here are some photos of the smiles - smiles generally equal filled hearts. All in all this week was fantastic. So much learning and collaboration was done and we all came home feeling fulfilled.