Billy Weselowski - MA in Leadership (MAL)
An outstanding RRU learning tool is the critical and formal systems assessment. With this knowledge, I can now navigate the existing societal structures, from the family to the municipal, the provincial to the federal governing systems. It almost feels as though I have been admitted to an inner sanctum of organizational structures. I’ve used this new understanding to creative advantage for my company, InnerVisions Centres. That’s what leadership is all about, being able to work within a system to achieve your goals.
I have found RRU a fascinating place to learn about transformational leadership. It involves timing and the integration of a plan you have to put in place. No matter what your individual leadership style is, there is a point where you need to let go of the project you have created. This is a matter of knowing how to give up control and let the plan develop on its own merit. You learn how to select and empower others to take charge. I put technique into direct practice with my staff and it has been a satisfying and positive adventure for all of us.
The faculty are absolutely fantastic, they’re committed to my success and are very patient. I find them to be genuine in their approach that learning is a process. So what is introduced to you in September could take until December to actually take root in your knowledge.
Since graduating I have been voted Citizen of the Year by my community and awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for making a significant contribution to my fellow citizens and my community.
My background as a former inmate and recovering addict means I am often sought out to participate in discussions on solutions for addiction. I am an active participant in the 12-step philosophy and live what I pass on to others. Without question, my journey gives me a direct and outspoken delivery of my views.
For my final project at RRU, I put together a program designed to help family members and residents of our treatment centres to work in partnership. In a series of six learning sessions, family can recognize and understand addiction. This plan is now operating successfully in centres.
Dreams come true at RRU. I count many miracles in my life, among them are my wife Kim, who supported me through my studies and co-founded our treatment centres. I am also involved actively in my children’s lives, coaching my two sons on their lacrosse teams and watching over my daughter. I have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams and I count my time at RRU among those blessings.
Billy Weselowski, a graduate of RRU`s Master of Arts in Leadership (formerly MALT - MA in Leadership and Training), is co-founder of the InnerVisions treatment centres in Port Coquitlam, B.C., and a recipient of Citizen of the Year award and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal. InnerVisions, a privately owned company, is regularly recognized nationally for its groundbreaking approach to helping substance abusers overcome their addictions.
