Institution:
University of Adelaide
Course:
Transformative Leadership Program in Adelaide & Texas
I was introduced to the ILF by a previous scholar who rates as a very good friend. He encouraged me to apply, introduced me to Geoff and supported me in the process. I was attracted to the development opportunity offered by the ILF grant as I am driven by learning and continuously expanding my repertoire of skills. After reading up on the ILF purpose I also felt it was well aligned with my passion for growing South Australian industry.
The application process was a little more involved than I expected. The initial expression of interest was super easy. Once selected for the next stage it required more attention and commitment. I actually found the process personally rewarding as I was in a conversation with myself at the time about my next career steps.
Deciding on the learning activity was tricky. I made my choice on the basis of being in an exploratory phase of my career. I wanted to grow my capacity to hold more senior and complex roles. And so I became a “TLP’er”.
The Transformative Leadership Program (TLP), offered by PACE at Adelaide University, is a remarkable experience. It facilitates personal learning through creating opportunities to experience and trial “leadership in action” (or not!). The learning empowered me with tools that I am able to use to grow me and my teams. It provided me with a growing self-awareness of the type of leader I am and the leader I aspire to be. This program for me is very much the start of that journey and I am excited to see what I can achieve as a leader in the coming years. Practically, the learning has translated into greater confidence in how I approach challenges, and I am better able to navigate barriers to change in myself and others.
One other aspect of the ILF that is important to me is having access to the ILF Scholars network. In the two years since being awarded the grant I have already drawn on this network as a source of information in areas I had limited experience in. The TLP network is unique, and I feel very lucky to have created such strong bonds with like-minded individuals – we draw on each other for being a sounding board, an accountability buddy, or out enjoying each other’s company.
The word that comes to mind to sum up my ILF experience is “privileged”. While I realise we earn our places in the program through the personal and professional attributes we offer, I find it a privilege to be given the opportunity to grow those attributes further and do so supported by such amazing networks of people.
