“I never expected to have so many tools given to me out of a single course.”

The Creative and Critical Thinking course was incredibly enlightening, opening my mind up to seeing situations in a completely different light. I am now able to analyze an issue with a set of steps designed to define the actual issue (often not at all what I THOUGHT it was!) and consider it from multiple angles, all leading towards effective and efficient solutions. This is one of the most valuable courses I have taken and the instructor was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and really invested in helping his students understand and then put into effect their new skills. We used a work issue that we pulled from our own jobs to work through the course and that has changed the way I do my job. I never expected to have so many tools given to me out of a single course.

And the instructor was entertaining while he taught, which is something rare. I learned while laughing at his examples. I would love to take another course with him, he was that good.

“My experience with McMaster Continuing Education was nothing short of excellent.”

My experience with McMaster Continuing Education was nothing short of excellent. I took a course titled, ESS 813 Personal Leadership: Building from Our Strengths led by Lesley Calvin. Lesley provides great knowledge and dialogue that makes the group of students constantly think about ourselves and about how we interact with others. The course is designed to help us grow as leaders in the professional world, but I feel that it also helped me grow as a leader in my personal world. Right from the time the class started on day one, up to the end of class on day two, Lesley held the class’s attention and not only did she teach, but she took time to stop and listen and answer every question as the class progressed along. That is a rare quality in people nowadays. I was able to take some many excellent points away from this course and incorporate them into my everyday business life and personal life.

As president of both Burlington Paving Company Limited and Ancaster Court Surfaces Incorporated, I am proud to know that I can continue to grow in a positive direction towards being a better leader. Thank you, McMaster Continuing Education, for offering this course and I hope to take more courses from you in the future.

“The students show a willingness to dig deep, be vulnerable, reflect on their strengths, identify their blind spots, and develop their leadership strengths. I am so inspired by them all.”

One constant when it comes to the pandemic is that it created a world forced to change and adapt on a monthly, weekly, and at times, even hours basis. Sometimes those changes went against our grain and some went with it. As a Learning and Development practitioner, a great change that came my way through the pandemic was the opportunity to engage with a much broader, more geographically diverse audience, without the logistics of travel.

To this end, I have an immense amount of gratitude to those awesome and exceptional Higher Education Professionals in the McMaster Continuing Education Department who welcomed me into the McMaster family as an Instructor in the Leadership Essentials Certificate. As a lifelong learner myself, and a shameless promoter of positive change and development, I am happiest and most fulfilled when I can connect with others to lead and learn together. The culture of students and professionals in McMaster Continuing Education pulls these elements together like a bow on a ribbon. The courses I instruct in the Leadership Essentials Certificate, Personal Leadership, Your Energy Currency, Conflict Resolution, and Strategic Planning have been so wonderful to create, facilitate and watch as the participants learn, apply, and grow from their newfound knowledge and expanded mindset.

The personal messaging from students, the deeply reflective assignments (some have literally brought tears to my eyes), and the interactive, authentic, and vulnerable conversations that have taken place with the cohorts, have been truly impactful for me. At times we have laughed as a group, that we had literally forgotten that we were virtual and not in person! What a joy these courses are to deliver, and what a joy these students are to engage and teach! Plus, how much do I LOVE seeing the friendly faces of repeat students!

These students, adult learners… proven professionals, show a willingness to dig deep, be vulnerable, reflect on their strengths, identify their blind spots, and develop their leadership strengths, goals, and vision, to be the best versions of themselves that they can be. I am so inspired by them all.

Thank you to the encouraging, motivational, and uber professional McMaster Continuing Education team for allowing me to serve as an instructor in the leadership essentials programming. I am truly grateful and honoured to be a part of the McMaster family.