When Bev Buckway made the 2,300-km trip from Whitehorse to The Banff Centre last year to attend her third Leadership Development course, she packed something heavy: a question. The city councillor left armed with an answer that would change her life. Buckway was elected Mayor of Whitehorse six months later.

“I wanted to use the course as a decision tool to run, or not,” says Buckway who had registered for Leading Teams for High Performance. By the end of the six-day program she had her decision. “I said, ‘Yes, for sure.’ I felt I was up for that challenge.”

During the program, Buckway says she received validation for some of her leadership thoughts. Her classmates also encouraged her to continue her political career and make it a full-time commitment.

Leading Teams for High Performance is a program designed for emerging to experienced leaders looking to work more effectively in a team or in a shared-leadership environment. The focus was fitting for Buckway.

“I realized that when you work with diverse groups, if you have similar goals you can get anything done.” It was a realization borne out of the unique Banff experience, Buckway explains.

At The Banff Centre she pushed her own limits creatively. “Within the first half hour I was playing in an orchestra and singing in a choir,” she recalls. “It was nothing short of a miracle, and I enjoyed it.”

She also remembers an outdoor encounter her group had with an elk, a wild animal that frequents the Banff townsite, who was protecting his space. His bluff charge added a whole new dimension to her Banff Centre experience. “Nothing is ever dull and routine in Banff,” Buckway adds.

In the classroom, Buckway says that she benefited from the guidance and experience of the faculty, as well as the practical tools introduced during the program. Also important were the connections she made with other participants, some of whom were in similar professions, all of whom were eager to participate.

With a vision in place, Buckway returned to Whitehorse and launched her campaign for Mayor.

“I firmly believe in working with people, gathering people together, having good dialogue,” she said in an interview last September with the CBC. “The mayor’s role is one of facilitation, listening to what people have to say.”

Pulling her creative Banff hat out, Buckway contacted local artist Jim Robb who designed her campaign button. “I wanted something that was different. He sketched me a picture of city hall, with a sign that read ‘Buckway for Mayor’.”

The approach worked. Buckway says the simple idea, combined with the artist’s reputation, created a buzz, and more importantly buy-in from citizens. And, she believes, it contributed to her successful campaign. Buckway was elected Mayor in October 2006.

Leadership development has been a journey for Buckway. She attended her first Banff Centre program in 1990. At the time she was the owner and operator of a barbershop, and in contrast to some of the other participants, paid her own way. The program was “empowering”. Buckway says she felt happy she could hold her own in a room full of professionals.

Buckway says that at Banff she learned that listening is one of the most critical leadership skills. “It’s important to take the time to have the conversations. Eighty per cent of concerns go away when people speak about them.”

And a lot depends on not just what you say, but how you say it, Buckway adds. That’s what people remember. “What you leave behind is your reputation.”

Published: July 2007.