Come, There Is Important Work to Do, and You Are Integral

It started with trust. My good friend Darrell said I needed to be a part of a weeklong co-creation and design learning opportunity, but he didn’t have a lot of detailed information to give me. He simply trusted the people at the Peter Lougheed Leadership Institute at Banff Centre and I trusted him, so I went. I have always been fueled by curiosity and I was intrigued by the mysteriousness that seemed to shroud the initiative. The message that echoed was “come, there is important work to do, and you are integral to the work.”

Arriving in Banff added another layer to the experience. As a prairie girl through and through, I could feel electric energy vibrating through my body the entire time that I was surrounded by the mountains. The beauty of the landscape and the refreshing quality of the air set the stage perfectly for a coming together of the minds. I have always been awed by the power of the circle and that is how we began our time together. After a brief introduction (still very mysterious) we moved on to share our stories with one another. That is where the magic began to really unfold for me.

It is hard to comprehend the instant connection I felt to so many strangers all at once. I knew almost immediately that I was among genius. Our first few hours together built the foundational relationships required to move through a very intense week. By trusting in one another, we were able to trust in the process. The journey I went on with this constellation of celestial beings has me emotional still. My learning from the week does not live in my head; it is alive in my heart and soul. The fact that I was stretched and challenged and pushed way beyond my comfort zone was all a part of the design. I went there to learn tools, process, and strategies for social innovation and collaboration. We were given an incredible dose of that to be sure, but I didn’t expect to learn so much about myself and what makes me tick. The hands on activities allowed me to really experience how my leadership style is received and how it interacts with other approaches.

As soon as the five days began, it seemed it was over. Our week drew to a close with as much mystery at its conclusion as at its outset. We don’t know what the future holds for the participants of #BanffCoCreate as a collective, the path forward is uncertain and my curiosity is piqued even more over what the possibilities of collaboration might be. What is crystal clear to me is that I want to stay connected to this group. We will be as sophisticated as slime mold, “operating independently like distinct single-celled units each moving separately from its other comrades yet under the right conditions, those myriad cells will coalesce again into a single, larger organism.” Finally, I am reminded of a quote often attributed to Geoethe, “Whatever you do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it!”

The weeklong #BanffCoCreate leadership workshop was divided into two components. In the first half of the week, 20 community leaders ranging in disciplines were facilitated byKAOSPilots of Denmark to expand their own creativity and vision. Following this, the participants combined to tackle complex issues as co-creators for external social, cultural, and entrepreneurial organizations. 

Diane Roussin is a passionate community leader committed to the pursuit of pimadaziwin (the good life) for all families and children. Her in-depth knowledge of Indigenous issues and solutions flow directly from her strong sense of identity and worldview as a proud member of Skownan First Nation. She holds both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Work degrees.