The Importance of Believing in Yourself to Lead Change

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Engineers who are reshaping the world (L-R): Marc-Etienne Brunet, Marianne Touchie, Amir Allana, panel moderator Mike Klassen (ILead), and Geoff Frost (photo: Alan Wu).

What does it take to lead change in the world? One thing it clearly requires is the ability to take risks and find the courage to stray from the conventional path when you are not happy. Do you believe that you are capable of doing that based on what you know about yourself?

On November 27, a panel discussion featuring four engineering graduates took place in GB202. The event, which was titled “Engineers Reshape the World,” gave attendees multiple perspectives on what it takes to lead change in the world. The panel itself featured three U of T Engineering alumni and an alumnus from McGill University, who each shared their stories about what they went through before creating big impact in the world.

Geoff Frost (EngSci 0T9 + PEY) started his story by talking about wanting to be a journalist when he left high school. He went to do Engineering Science at U of T, and along the way he found it difficult to make important decisions. After consulting with his parents and his peers, he discovered a passion in making organ transplantation more feasible through technology. This led him to become the co-founder and CTO of XOR Laboratories.

Marianne Touchie (CivE 0T9, PhD 1T4) had an interesting dilemma when it came to choosing her path. When deciding between engineering and business school, she decided to go to business school because her dream job had been to become a senior event planner. Eventually, she realized though that her work was not in alignment with her core value of sustainability. As a result she completed her PhD in Civil Engineering, founded the ‘Promise for Future Generations’ Initiative and is currently the Building Research Manager at the Toronto Atmospheric Fund.

Marc-Etienne Brunet (McGill, ECE, 2012) had the desire to positively impact the world around him. His passions lie within sustainability, energy, and education. He is the founder of the McGill Energy Project, a student initiative which works to integrate sustainability into McGill University’s energy system and curriculum. One of the messages in his talk was, “Before you can try to change the world, you need to change yourself.” This quote shows that he takes the time to be aware of his own capabilities before deciding what to do to change the world.

Amir Allana (EngSci 1T2) wanted to play a role in society to create positive change.  He chose to address issues of poverty and inequality. As a result, he worked with Engineers Without Borders Canada as a program manager working on market systems change in Uganda and Kenya. After two years, he started to realize how long it takes to create systemic change and decided to come home to work towards similar types of system change in Canada.

Overall, the panel discussion offered many inspiring lessons and interesting perspectives about what it takes to change the world. The one thing that struck me with all four panelists is their capacity for courageous decision making. Each panellist, through their stories, demonstrated that believing in themselves as well as having the ability to reflect led them down exciting and meaningful paths where they are creating impact. So what is the secret to lead change in the world? It is all about developing confidence and believing in one’s self, in order to take the risks that ultimately bring the greatest satisfaction and lead to big impact.

-Kevin Saludares