Most people have felt it. The calendar fills up, the pace picks up and suddenly learning feels like something that has to be squeezed in between meetings. Leadership development often gets treated the same way. Short sessions. Quick answers. Something fast enough to keep up with the day.
At SAIT, leadership education takes a different approach. The focus is not speed, but space. Space to reflect, to practice and to notice how people show up when the pressure is real.
That idea came through clearly in a recent conversation with Jennie Gilbert and Bryce Watters, two people who spend much of their time working with leaders at different stages of their careers.
Finding leadership through experience
Jennie Gilbert did not plan a career in leadership education. She began as a teacher in the UK before moving to Canada and working in the nonprofit sector. A volunteer role in board governance introduced her to adult education. That led to instructional design work with the Calgary Stampede and eventually to facilitating leadership programs.
What started as one session a month slowly became a long-term commitment. Years later, she is still in the classroom.
“Leadership is about people,” she says. “And people skills are huge.”
Her work focuses on trust, communication, emotional awareness and self-reflection. These are not abstract ideas. They show up in everyday interactions at work, often when something feels uncomfortable or unclear.
Seeing learning from the learner’s seat
Bryce Watters arrived at leadership education from a different path. His background was in molecular biology and psychology. He worked in retail and procurement before joining SAIT in a role that focused on hiring instructors.
Then he became a learner himself.
Taking a leadership program changed how he understood education. Sitting in the classroom gave him perspective on what learners need when they are trying to grow while managing full workloads. That experience led him into product management, where he now helps shape programs based on real challenges coming from industry.
The shift was not about changing careers overnight. It was about recognizing the value of learning that feels practical and human.
Practicing before it counts
A defining feature of leadership learning at SAIT is practice. Learners are not only asked to listen or reflect, but they are also asked to try.
Programs are built around scenarios that mirror real situations such as difficult conversations, team conflict and moments where emotions run high and decisions matter. Instructors guide the process, but the learning happens through doing.
One participant returned after completing a program and told Jennie that what they learned worked. Not perfectly and not every time, but it was accessible. When a tough moment came up at work, she could recognize it and respond differently.
That feedback stayed with Jennie because it captured the goal. Leadership learning should be something people can reach for when they need it, not something they have to remember later.
Why slowing down is part of the work
Both Jennie and Bryce notice a growing pressure to learn faster. Shorter sessions. Smaller blocks. Content delivered quickly.
Then learners ask for more time.
Leadership does not respond well to being rushed. People are complex, conversations take time and growth often comes from pausing long enough to reflect on what happened and why.
Jennie sees this especially with new leaders. Many are promoted because they are good at their job and then become suddenly responsible for people. That shift can feel overwhelming if they have not had space to build confidence and self-awareness.
“One of the reasons my colleagues and I stay at SAIT and do the work we do is because of the audiences in the room. As facilitators, we meet people where they’re at, and that becomes the easiest place to build from,” Jennie says.
This perspective underscores SAIT’s approach to leadership education: creating space for learners to grow from where they are, rather than rushing them toward quick fixes.
Learning together across roles
Leadership classrooms at SAIT bring together people with very different experiences. Some are new to leadership, and others have years of responsibility behind them. That mix creates learning that goes beyond the course material.
Learners hear stories that sound familiar. They realize others are navigating similar challenges. Conversations continue outside the classroom and often last beyond the program itself.
That sense of shared experience is difficult to replicate through self-guided tools. It grows through dialogue, practice and time spent together.
Looking ahead
As work continues to change, Jennie and Bryce see leadership education becoming even more people focused. New technologies may shape how work gets done, but leadership still depends on trust, connection and thoughtful decision making.
The most meaningful moments happen when learners leave feeling more confident and more aware of how they show up for others.
That impact is quiet. It does not always come with big announcements. It shows up in conversations handled with more care, teams that feel safer speaking up and leaders who pause before reacting.
In a fast-moving workplace, learning to slow down may be one of the most practical leadership skills there is.
To learn more about leadership and professional development programs at SAIT Continuing Education, visit https://www.sait.ca/continuing-education.
