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Teaching Leadership

Sherri Helwig

Program Supervisor of the Arts Management & Humanities Co-op Programs at the University of Toronto Scarborough

Students come to the Arts Management program at the University of Toronto Scarborough for different reasons: some have researched the program and have chosen it as the best for them; others only know they like the arts, want to learn more about how to make a living in that area, and they happened upon something that seemed to fit; others are business students who enroll in a course thinking it will be an easy ride (and leave, often early, knowing differently). All of the truly successful students, though, exhibit at least a trace of leadership qualities at the beginning and invariably find that those qualities evolve significantly throughout their time with us. That transformation does not come from a formal “Leadership in the Arts” course, though, but instead through a minor introduction to the ideas behind leadership in the classroom and a major dose of modeling, nurturing, encouragement, mentoring, and the development of sensitivities, skill, knowledge, and opportunity for those who care to notice, take advantage, reflect and practice.

When we are reviewing applications for the program we look for leaders-in-the-making. Sometimes the leadership qualities or experiences are obvious but sometimes there is just a spark that we feel we can encourage to burn brightly. There is debate about whether leaders are born or made – many believe they are born AND made – but in any case we try to stack our deck in the program’s (and the arts community’s) favour. We never forget that we are not only preparing our students for managing in the arts but also changing the arts community in so doing.

Then, when we are planning courses and curriculum, we consider the need for strong leaders in the arts in Canada – and then we consistently concede that we can’t teach leadership. Or, more correctly, we can and do teach the ideas behind it, we share cases and stories of leaders and enumerate and investigate their qualities, we outline and discuss the differences between managing (things, ideas, money, processes) and leading (people), we impart techniques that leaders have used… but at the same time we acknowledge that this is merely teaching about leadership, and that leadership is much less, and much more, and much different, than all that. We know that people can have those attributes and use those techniques and still fail to become strong leaders. It is that subtlety, that something – not magic, but close – that is the most important piece, and this most important piece may not be teachable (as it is not even definable).

So does this mean we are failing in our education of future arts leaders? Hardly. In fact, even before graduating our students demonstrate remarkable leadership abilities – many of the student art initiatives on campus are led by Arts Management students (they have created and manage the student gallery, they lead the drama club, they write for the student press, they act on the board and as station manager of the campus radio station, and much more). This indicates that leadership is not something that can only come after years of seasoned experience but perhaps something that can be inspired or encouraged – in other words, if it can’t be taught, perhaps it can still be learned. The program teaches management skills, for example, but the learner partners those skills with experience and confidence that are fostered and supported (but not taught) within the program, and this combination leads to the development of credibility necessary for leadership. Similarly, students are asked to be reflective, not only because reflection is a good learning (and management, and leadership) practice but because it allows students to integrate and synthesize what they are learning, and, though the examination of their own experiences and potential, better understand their values and see how those fit into leadership behaviours.

After much reflection of our own, educators in this program understand that we don’t just teach management-related skills (in fact, it can be argued that skills are better learned on the job) and we don’t just somehow, magically, create leaders; we focus our efforts on developing the kind of people, the leaders, we hope to see. We strive to help our students develop into leaders who understand the “why” and not just the “how”; leaders who both understand and are passionate about art; leaders who can articulate the importance of art and mission in the face of widespread and perpetual lack of understanding; leaders who can be decisive in an ever-changing environment; leaders who are open-minded and continue to learn; leaders who appreciate the ways in which things (organizations, government, policies, disciplines, trends, issues) are interrelated and understand the sectoral and political contexts of cultural work; leaders who respect and value difference in all of its forms; leaders who understand and are responsive to the concerns of artists; and, perhaps most critically, leaders who don’t ever let go of the idea that they can change the world.

Our arts community – our world! – needs leaders like those, and they are here in this new generation of arts managers.

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