People Leader Learning Journey

Learning and practicing leadership in ways that help teams thrive.

UCalgary Continuous Learning Model

The best leaders never stop learning — and learning looks different depending on the moment. Sometimes it's a course. Sometimes it's a challenging conversation, a trusted colleague, or a resource you come back to again and again.

The UCalgary Learning Model organizes development across four areas — Work, People, Formal, and Support — with Personal Reflection & Application at the centre. Use this framework to build a well-rounded development plan that fits your role, your goals, and the way you learn best.

Explore the resources below and consider how each area can strengthen your leadership practice.

ON THE JOB

Leadership capability is developed most effectively through participation in real academic and institutional work, including stretch responsibilities, everyday professional judgements, and complex governance or operational challenges. Evidence from higher education and organizational research shows that learning is strongest when embedded in authentic practice and responsibility, supported by reflection and feedback, leading to the development of judgement, confidence, prioritization, and influence.

Learning through work is particularly effective when:

You are aiming to strengthen professional judgement and decision‑making confidence
Your academic, professional, or leadership role is evolving or expanding in scope
You are preparing for additional responsibility, such as program leadership, committee chairing, or broader institutional service
Learning needs to occur alongside continuing academic and professional responsibilities, rather than through separate or time‑intensive programs

This approach should be used with care when:

Workload is already unsustainably high
Expectations, accountabilities, or decision‑making authority are unclear or shifting
There is limited opportunity for reflection, dialogue, or feedback

Learning through work is most effective when opportunities for stretch are intentional, bounded, and supported, rather than continuous or incidental.

Practical ways to learn through your work

Light lift

Low risk, built into existing responsibilities

Own a recurring decision
Lead a meeting or agenda item
Represent the unit in cross‑functional or cross‑faculty work
Move from executing tasks to proposing options

Builds judgement and visibility with minimal workload impact.

Medium lift

Visible growth, some support helpful

Lead a small pilot or improvement effort
Take on a new stakeholder relationship
Co‑lead a project across units or disciplines
Work through uncertainty before escalating

Most effective when paired with reflection and adjustment.

High lift

Significant growth, clear boundaries needed

Acting or interim appointments
Cross‑faculty or institutional initiatives
Leading work with unclear direction or outcomes

THROUGH OTHERS

Learning through colleagues, mentors, and professional networks supports development by extending access to experience and insight, strengthening judgement and confidence without requiring direct exposure to every challenge.

When learning through others is the right choice

Learning through others is particularly effective when:

You are navigating new, ambiguous, or high‑stakes academic or institutional situations
You want to understand how to approach a challenge, not only what action to take
Professional confidence, academic leadership presence, or role identity is still developing
Decisions would benefit from perspectives beyond your immediate role, unit, or discipline

This approach should be used with care when:

Interactions lack a clear learning purpose
Time is spent connecting without reflection or follow‑through
Learning depends primarily on informal access rather than intentional engagement

Learning through others is most effective when there is clarity about the learning intent and purposeful engagement with colleagues, mentors, or networks.

Practical ways to learn through others