Leading beyond perfection
Learn more about the Master of Arts in Leadership.
Early in her HR career, Siobhan Calderbank searched for a female mentor who led like she wanted to and understood her experience.
She didn’t find one.
“When I was younger, I couldn’t find anybody who even remotely resembled me,” says Calderbank, Master of Arts in Leadership '16. “It took a really long time before I met another Black female in the HR space in a position higher than a VP to mentor me.”
Now the Vice President Talent and Performance at Element Fleet Management and an award-winning leader in talent, change management and leadership, she has built a career focused on helping others thrive in their careers. As Calderbank describes it, learning, performance and talent development are cornerstones of employee engagement and career advancement.
“That’s my wheelhouse and I absolutely love it,” she says. “Everything I learned in the MA Leadership program has come into play at some point or other – helping people see things from a systems perspective, engaging with leaders to inspire their teams, encouraging skill development from a learning perspective and looking at organizations holistically.”
Learning to lead
As Royal Roads University marks the 30th anniversary of its Master of Arts in Leadership program, alumni like Calderbank demonstrate how its approach to systems thinking and change management translates into real-world impact.
Looking to advance her work, Calderbank was drawn to Royal Roads’ leadership program because it was focused on the bigger picture of helping organizations and individuals grow. Part of that learning was understanding herself better and the confidence she gained in doing so.
“I went into the program, I would say, pretty rigid, more of a perfectionist,” she says, noting that her session leader had a very relaxed style she didn’t initially understand. “Everybody gravitated to him so much, and then I figured it out. It wasn’t about being perfect; it’s about being relatable.
“That was one of my biggest aha moments in the program. That you don’t have to be perfect because people can’t relate to perfection. When people can relate to you, you are meeting them where they are. You can help them on their leadership journey, and that is far more authentic than trying to be perfect and flawless.”
Letting go of perfect
That shifted Calderbank's whole approach to facilitating and speaking. She focused on connecting with people by talking about what they are really thinking and feeling in a situation in a way that was also anchored in her academic research and best practices to support change and growth.
“I had to learn to relax, and that was uncomfortable for me at first,” she said. “Once I started realizing that was a better way to connect with people, that totally shifted my leadership approach.”
That didn’t just change her classroom experience. It shaped her career trajectory.
Calderbank went from director to vice president-level positions, and her consulting work expanded with more invitations to do keynote speeches, contribute to publications, and work with clients directly. Her commitment to mentorship and community is rooted in her own evolution and needs as a leader, which is why she started the Butterfly Ladies. The mentoring program is her commitment to helping women and youth, especially visible minorities, reach their goals.
“I asked myself, ‘How can I help these young women who are aspiring to progress in their careers get the skills they need at no cost?’” she says. “Because that’s a barrier for many of them who want to move into leadership or management, and they just can’t afford to get that coach or take that course.”
With the confidence, network, and skills gained at Royal Roads, she describes herself as a more empathic leader who is always open to the evolution of her own practice and growth.
“If you believe in someone and you express that confidence in them, there is really no limit on where they can go,” she says. “That is my leadership philosophy – how can I help make people even better at what they are already doing great?”
Learn more about the Master of Arts in Leadership.