OUR SPEAKERS

Linden Gossen 

Linden Gossen is the National Health and Safety Manager responsible for guiding the safe production of beer for three of Canada’s best craft breweries – Unibroue in Chambly, QC; Sleeman in Guelph, ON; and Okanagan Spring in Vernon, BC. Today, Sleeman Breweries is Canada’s third largest national brewery. We may have become a bigger company, but we have never lost sight of our original vision to bring Canadians better beer.

Sessions

Leadership Lessons from Jazz!

Tuesday, October 17, 2016

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm – Queenston Hall

Leadership and jazz. These terms both encompass large fields of expertise, but at their core, they have (or should have) some key things in common. Leadership is about inspiring people to achieve goals. Jazz is about improvisation and innovation. But how does that all happen and what’s the connection?

In this one hour session, I will explore some key components of jazz and how these jazz competencies can be applied to leadership. Unique to this session will be a combination of verbal and musical presentation. I will explain key concepts and then demonstrate them in real time with other musicians, helping people understand some of what goes on in a jazz “negotiation” during an improvised musical event.

In the process, the audience will be inspired to examine their own leadership styles and will be encouraged to bring a “jazz mindset” to their work world. For example, good leaders must be good listeners. Good jazz musicians must be awesome listeners. Having a jazz mindset is focusing on not just “being a good listener” but being an “open hearted listener”. Without this skill, the jazz group runs the real risk of having a “train wreck” on stage. With this skill, the leader, in jazz or business, opens up new possibilities for the team/band.

Other competencies that will be presented include:

·         The role of mistakes as an opportunity, not a setback

·         Building trust

·         Followership and its relation to leadership

·         Developing a “yes…and” stance