Carleton Leader Philosophy, Principles & Impact

Carleton Leader Philosophy

Carleton Leader recognizes that leadership exists throughout the university, at all levels, in all areas. Leadership is about influence and impact. It is about individual self-awareness, engaging others in the pursuit of excellence and fostering a collective sense of Carleton University’s vision and mission while recognizing the diverse ways in which people may contribute to a positive future for the university. Our leaders are in the classroom, and in the research labs. You can find them at the front counter or in the back office. They are on the sidelines, and the front lines, at the leading edge of discovery and the excellence of service. Some are at the beginning of their career while others are well along. Carleton leaders work for the greater good and are open to new ideas. They deal with reality; they share practices and resources; they influence and promote change; they focus on strengths; and they create sustainable and healthy work environments. They emphasize the “we” not “me”. They inspire and develop a sense of “us” that infuses Carleton with positive energy.

Carleton leaders influence their colleagues by focusing on individual and organizational opportunities; by exploring possibilities; by appreciating the power of the student experience and faculty/staff achievement within and beyond the Carleton community. Carleton Leader is premised on the view that we do best when we collaborate. The Carleton Leader builds on this strength by developing a shared sense of leadership through a community of collaborative leaders across the institution. Carleton Leader engages leaders and emerging leaders from Carleton’s academic and professional services groups in an interactive and reflective process. This design approach and the core philosophy of collaborative leadership practices is creating a community of leaders who will make a significant contribution to our organizational success – championing and advancing creative and innovative ways to achieve Carleton’s vision, mission, and aspirations.

Carleton Leader Principles

The core principle of the Carleton Leader learning design is to cycle participants through a reflective learning process that moves from ME to WE to US such that we develop a community of leaders who think about the broader impact of their leadership. This impact can be seen to have benefits for the individual, benefits to the teams, departments, and groups we work within, and benefits to the university and beyond.

Carleton Leader Impact

At the individual level:

Recognize your own leadership potential, the impact that you have and might aspire to have on others and the environment at the university
Differentiate between various types and methods of leadership across campus and beyond
Explore how service, research, and teaching contribute to leadership at the university

At the collegial level:

Build stronger relationships and connections with supportive colleagues across the university
Strengthen the success of collaborative projects by building bridges across units
Generate collective ideas that open creative and innovative pathways to address challenges

At the university level:

Establish a community of engaged academic and professional staff who feel equipped to lead
Enhance the collegial governance and leadership capability for the entire university to face our internal and external challenges
Provoke a deeper understanding of leadership in a higher education context

At the community level:

Distinguish your contributions as leaders in higher education
Identify the changing nature of our environment in higher education
Recognize leadership strength in connecting outside our institution