The Leadership Institute has hosted guests from all sectors of business who give their insights into what it takes to be a great leader.
Ukraine: A Leadership Exam
The idea for this film originated as a result of numerous trips by the Executive Director of the Center for Leadership of the Ukrainian Catholic University, Andrii Rozhdestvenskyi, across Ukraine after the full-scale invasion by Russia. Hearing the hundreds of stories interviewees shared, equally heroic and tragic in their everyday lives, only confirmed the long-standing notion that their society faced unprecedented challenges. The need to withstand the struggle against a much stronger enemy gave rise to leaders of a new kind – charismatic, inventive, visionary, and most importantly, sincere in professing their ideas. The filming of the movie, which took place during the summer of 2023, highlights the stories of several leaders: chaplain, historian, and “adoption enthusiast” Pastor Hennadii Mokhnenko from Mariupol, co-founder and Chair of the Supervisory Board of Enzym Group in Lviv, Olena Vovk, as well as former IT professional and graduate of the UCU Business School, now officer in the Ukrainian Defense Forces, Kostiantyn (“Max”) Krykunov. All of them represent different professions, with distinct backgrounds and outlooks on life. However, they are united by the fact that, once the established social hierarchy cracked, they not only endured but also led others. Their leadership paths were filled with challenges, fears, and doubts, but they led to results that practically no one expected. How did they manage it? Was this inner impulse innate, or did it manifest solely under the pressure of circumstances? Can we talk about a universal “recipe” for Leadership? And if so, how do we find its “ingredients”? Dive into the search with the filmmakers and discover how Ukraine undergoes its Leadership exam.
Character Leadership: Your Competitive Edge
Research from Ivey’s Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership shows that when character is elevated alongside competence in the practice of leadership, it results in better judgement, better decisions, and better outcomes. BMO Financial Group recognizes this and are thrilled to grant a $3.5 Million gift in support of new initiatives based on the Institute’s innovative work. Watch the exciting announcement that also includes a panel discussion with character practitioners Jeannine Pereira, Director of Talent Development at EY Canada and Paul Carroll, President of Pathfinder Leadership Associates who share how to make leader character your competitive edge.
Introducing Dusya Vera
The Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership is please to welcome Dusya Vera to the role of Executive Director. Dusya joins Ivey from the C.T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston where she was a Professor of Strategy for the past 20 years. Dusya’s areas of scholarship links leader character to the fields of strategic leadership, improvisation and organizational learning. Welcome Dusya!
Leadership under Fire: Developing Character
Leadership under Fire is an intensive four-day immersive course designed to deliver the insights and experience of good leadership under stressful conditions. The course is delivered in part by former members of the Canadian Armed Forces. These veterans share their leadership lessons honed on operations. The course aims to increase awareness of "leadership of self" with a specific focus on leadership character and the commitment to the role of leadership. This is a demanding and extremely rewarding course that stretches students – mentally, physically, and emotionally in a safe to learn environment.
A Conversation with The Honourable Murray Sinclair
On November 24, 2021, the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership hosted a powerful conversation between The Honourable Murray Sinclair and Anna Maria Tremonti. Their discussion focused on truth, reconciliation, racial equality and Indigenous perspectives, and their implications on leadership, business and society.
The Ivey - Thomas d’Aquino Lecture on Leadership with Harley Finkelstein
Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify discusses leadership, entrepreneurship and maintaining a dynamic and evolving corporate culture with Gerard Seijts, Executive Director of Ivey’s Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership during the 15th annual Thomas d’Aquino Lecture on Leadership.
A Conversation on Leadership and EDI with the Raptors’ John Wiggins
For the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership’s annual HBA Leadership Day, Associate Director Kimberley Young Milani discussed issues around racism, equity and social injustice with John Wiggins, Vice President, Organizational Culture and Inclusion for the Toronto Raptors at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
“Racism is our Pandemic”: A Conversation with Wes Hall
Important conversations need to be continually held in order to maintain the momentum towards eradicating discrimination, racism, and inequality —in organizations and in our communities— and thereby making a difference and change lives. Wes Hall, Executive Chairman and Founder of Kingsdale Advisors and Founder of the BlackNorth Initiative joins Jeannine Pereira, Director, Talent Development, EY Canada for a powerful discussion on the progress made as well as the ongoing challenges towards eradicating systemic anti-black racism.
Corporate Leadership in an Era of Transformation
The Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership hosts renowned historian, Dr. Laurence B. Mussio for a conversation with Darryl White, CEO, BMO Financial Group and Mona Malone, Chief Human Resources Officer and Head of People & Culture BMO Financial Group for a discussion on the changing role of executives and the corporations they lead in navigating these disruptive, transformative times.
Healthcare Under Siege: A Conversation on Leadership
The Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership hosts four esteemed healthcare leaders who share how they relied on their strength of character to navigate one of the world’s most challenging crises. The conversation was moderated by Jon Hantho, MBA ’89, President & CEO, CBI Health, and featured panellists Georgina Black, Managing Partner, Government & Public Services, Deloitte Canada; Heather Chalmers, President and CEO, GE Canada; Melissa Farrell, President, St Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton; and Dr. Verna Yiu, President and CEO, Alberta Health Services. This session was part one of three in the Institute’s webinar series, LeaderShift: Leading Amid Times of Disruptive Change. For more information: www.ivey.ca/leadership
Exploring leader character with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland
Presented by the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at the Ivey Business School, Dean Sharon Hodgson sat down with the Honourable Chrystia Freeland for an exclusive and engaging virtual fireside chat focused on leadership and leader character amid these extraordinary times. Here are highlights from their discussion.
Anna Maria Tremonti – There is a heartbeat in every story
Anna Maria Tremonti, journalist, podcaster, and 17-season host of The Current, reflects on common elements she has witnessed in effective leaders throughout her career and the humanity necessary for good journalism. Tremonti was a keynote speaker at the Ivey Leadership Summit, held on 28 February 2020 in Toronto.
Stephen Virgin – Activating character to infuse character
Stephen Virgin, Director of Character Leadership, Canada Revenue Agency, shares the CRA’s journey to embed character leadership into their organization and how it serves as a complimentary strategy to all other HR activities – performance management, talent management, and leadership development in general. Virgin was a featured panelist at the Ivey Leadership Summit, held on 28 February 2020 in Toronto.
Anna Maria Tremonti discusses three inspirational women leaders
Anna Maria Tremonti, journalist, podcaster, and 17-season host of The Current, shares the stories of three women who exemplify strength of character and good leadership: Gina Cody, engineer and business leader; Nice Nailantei Leng’ete, FGM activist; and Jennifer Doudna, co-discoverer of CRISPR-CAS9. Tremonti was a keynote speaker at the Ivey Leadership Summit, held on 28 February 2020 in Toronto.
Celebrating 10 Years of Leader Character Research, Teaching and Outreach
On 28 February 2020, the Ivey Leadership Summit was held in honour of the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership’s 10 year anniversary. In this video, Ian O. Ihnatowycz, the Institute’s founding donor; Ivey Dean Sharon Hodgson; and Institute Executive Director Gerard Seijts reflect upon the Institute’s founding and successful journey to create deep impact on the research, teaching and outreach on leader character.
Erika Cheung – Theranos is a cautionary tale
Erika Cheung, whistleblower/Executive Director, Ethics in Entrepreneurship, shares the cautionary tale of Theranos due to their profound leadership failures despite having all the ingredients for success. Cheung’s commitment to acting in service of others is what gave her the courage to speak up and speak out under daunting circumstances. Cheung was a featured panellist at the Ivey Leadership Summit, held on 28 February 2020 in Toronto.
Cheryl Pounder – Learning about your two sides
Cheryl Pounder, two-time Olympic gold medallist, discusses how good leaders commit to learning about their two sides – their character strengths and weaknesses. She also discusses the impact of humanity and humility on organizational culture, and her reliance on drive and courage to get through challenging times. Pounder was a keynote speaker at the Ivey Leadership Summit, held on 28 February 2020 in Toronto.
Ivey Leadership Summit | Anna Maria Tremonti
Anna Maria Tremonti, journalist, podcaster, and 17-season host of The Current, reflects on the humanity necessary in good journalism. Tremonti was a keynote speaker at the Ivey Leadership Summit, held Feb. 28 in Toronto.
Ivey Leadership Summit | Cheryl Pounder
Cheryl Pounder, two-time Olympic gold medallist, says leaders need to look at their two sides: What they are strong at, and what their vulnerabilities are in order to develop as good leaders. Pounder was a keynote speaker at the Ivey Leadership Summit, held Feb. 28 in Toronto.
Ivey Leadership Summit | Erika Cheung
Erika Cheung, Theranos whistleblower, highlights the importance of character in corporate environments. Cheung was one a guest panellist at the Ivey Leadership Summit, held Feb. 28 in Toronto.
Ivey Leadership Summit | Stephen Virgin
Many organizations talk about breaking down silos. But how can you make it happen? Stephen Virgin, Director of Character Leadership, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), says the important character dimension of “transcendence” is a key to success. Virgin spoke about the leader character dimensions at the Ivey Leadership Summit, held Feb. 28 in Toronto.
Ivey Leadership Summit | Dean Sharon Hodgson
One of the critical takeaways of the Ivey Leadership Summit is that all good leaders grow and develop throughout their careers, says Ivey Dean Sharon Hodgson. She added that great character development is something that Ivey is extremely passionate about in building the next generation of leaders. She spoke at the Ivey Leadership Summit, held Feb. 28 in Toronto.
Highlights from the Ivey Leadership Summit
On February 28, 2020, the Ian O. Ihnatowycz hosted the Ivey Leadership Summit in celebration of their 10th anniversary. The day featured 5 extraordinary speakers who shared their perspectives on the impact of leadership character on individuals, teams, and organizations.
Ivey Leadership Lessons: Tarana Burke, Founder of the #MeToo Movement
Tarana Burke, Founder of the #MeToo Movement, spoke to Ivey students and discussed leadership, burnout, and the courage it takes to move the needle forward on social issues. In this video, Tarana Burke shares highlights and the importance of influencing business leaders to challenge the norms and leave a positive impact.
Leading by principle
The Honourable Jane Philpott discusses the importance of integrity, courage, resilience, and finding your voice.
The Honourable Perrin Beatty, LLD ’13: Leadership Counts
The Honourable Perrin Beatty, BA '71, LLD '13, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, challenged HBA1 students to consider Canada's leadership potential in his keynote address at the annual Thomas d'Aquino Lecture on Leadership. In this interview, Beatty outlines the key messages of his remarks.
Transcendence | Pat Horgan, HBA '82
This video series captures leaders from the public, private, and not for profit sectors reflecting upon leader character and how it has helped shape and enhance their careers.
Jeremiah Brown: Leading with resilience
Olympian Jeremiah Brown spoke to Ivey HBA students about the three valuable lessons he learned about leadership: Recognition, resilience, and respect.
Collaboration | Patrick Hickey, HBA '19
This video series captures leaders from the public, private, and not for profit sectors reflecting upon leader character and how it has helped shape and enhance their careers.
Courage | Mona Malone, HBA '94
This video series captures leaders from the public, private, and not for profit sectors reflecting upon leader character and how it has helped shape and enhance their careers.
Humility | Barbara Stymiest, HBA '78, LDD '11
This video series captures leaders from the public, private, and not for profit sectors reflecting upon leader character and how it has helped shape and enhance their careers.
Temperance | Andy Chisholm, MBA '85
This video series captures leaders from the public, private, and not for profit sectors reflecting upon leader character and how it has helped shape and enhance their careers.
Humanity | Franca Gucciardi
This video series captures leaders from the public, private, and not for profit sectors reflecting upon leader character and how it has helped shape and enhance their careers.
Justice | Janet Bannister, HBA '92
This video series captures leaders from the public, private, and not for profit sectors reflecting upon leader character and how it has helped shape and enhance their careers.
Integrity | Pat Horgan, HBA '82
This video series captures leaders from the public, private, and not for profit sectors reflecting upon leader character and how it has helped shape and enhance their careers.
Goldy Hyder: The evolution of leadership in Canada
For Ivey’s MBA Leadership Day on July 23, Goldy Hyder, President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada discussed how to build a better Canada and how leadership has changed. The event was hosted by the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership.
The key to successful leadership: The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin
The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (retired), shares leadership insights at the annual Thomas d’Aquino Lecture on Leadership at the Ivey Business School.
How RBC is managing disruption – an interview with President and CEO David McKay
David McKay, MBA ’92, was appointed President and CEO of Royal Bank of Canada in 2014. He is leading the transformation at RBC as the bank seeks to remain relevant to customers. In this interview, we posed a series of questions to McKay to get his insights on being successful in an age of disruption.
Interview with Deepak Chopra on Innovation, Leadership and his Experiments with Courage
Deepak Chopra was the keynote speaker at the annual MBA Leadership Day organized by the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at the Ivey Business School on Tuesday July 24, 2018. He is the former president and CEO of Canada Post who lead the transformation of this centuries-old organization from its traditional role as a national mail service into the #1 E-commerce parcel delivery brand and recording 16 consecutive quarters of profits.
Interview with Kim Scott on Leader Character and Candour
Kim Scott was a keynote speaker at the 5th Annual Leader Character and Candour Conference organized by the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at the Ivey Business School on Tuesday February 6, 2018. She is the co-founder and CEO of Radical Candor Inc. and authored the NYT bestseller Radical Candor: How To Be a Kickass Boss without Losing your Humanity. Kim was also a member of the faculty at Apple University to teach a leadership seminar; and before that led AdSense, YouTube, and Doubleclick Online Sales and Operations at Google. She is currently is an advisor and CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter and several Silicon Valley companies.
Interview with W. Brett Wilson on Leader Character and Candour
W. Brett Wilson was a keynote speaker at the 5th Annual Leader Character and Candour Conference organized by the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at the Ivey Business School on Tuesday February 6, 2018. He is a celebrated Canadian entrepreneur, respected philanthropist, and the all-time leading dealmaker on CBC’s hit TV show Dragons’ Den. Through his primary holding company, Prairie Merchant Corporation, he has invested in the energy, sports and entertainment, agriculture, and real estate industries, but Brett believes he makes his true investments in people.
Jeff Orr | Presentation on Leadership - October 2017
At Ivey’s inaugural Executive Education Alumni Event , Jeff Orr HBA’81, shares his leadership beliefs and experiences, as well as the biggest challenge he sees emerging for leaders and leadership within the next few years.
Focus on Leadership with Dominic Barton
Dominic Barton, Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company provides Ivey’s HBA1 students with leadership advice. Barton was at Ivey to give the Thomas d’Aquino Lecture on Leadership on Oct. 17, 2017 in the BMO Financial Group Auditorium. Barton also presented the lecture in Ottawa to policymakers and business leaders on Oct. 30, 2017. The Thomas d’Aquino Lecture on Leadership was established in 2006 to salute Tom d’Aquino’s outstanding contributions to national and international business, public policy and the voluntary sector. It is supported by the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership.
Western University Spring Convocation, June 20, 2017 - Jeff Orr
In recognition of his successful career as a businessman and philanthropist, Jeff Orr, Chief Executive Officer and President, Power Financial Corporation, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa, at the Tuesday morning session of Western’s 309th Convocation. Read the whole story at Western News: http://news.westernu.ca/2017/06/orr-person-want-work-life/ Uploaded by: Communications and Public Affairs (MH)
J.J. Wettlaufer Lecture in Leadership - Developing Leadership Character
Developing Leadership Character – highlights Even though character counts as much as competencies, it’s an often overlooked aspect of leadership. It is seldom used in recruiting, selecting, promoting, or developing leaders. Professor Gerard Seijts and a panel of leaders – Jeff Fielding, City Manager/Chief Administrative Officer, City of Calgary; Sarah Raiss, Corporate Director; and Andrew Wiswell, MBA '80, Independent Director and Consultant – discuss how character can be developed, strengthened, and applied in a business setting. Seijts is Executive Director of the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership and co-author of the book Developing Leadership Character. The event was held May 5 at the Calgary Petroleum Club and was part of Global Ivey Day.
Managing your personal and organizational reputation
Jaime Watt, Executive Chairman of Navigator Ltd. participated in the Institute’s 4th Annual HBA Leader Character and Candour Conference. Watt provides leadership advice to students and discusses how leaders can rebuild their reputation in times of crisis.
Studying Leader Character
We spoke to Dr. Thomas A. Wright, Larkin Distinguished Professor in Management at Fordham University at the Leadership Institute’s 2nd Annual Leader Character Conference. Tom shares his perspectives on studying leader character - what got him interested and what important questions still need to be answered.
