Alberta Chapter Update

Here Be Dragons – Bringing Your Full Intelligence Online

In a dynamic, uncertain world, our ability to learn and adapt may be our most important survival skill, Dr. Julian Norris told the CIRI Alberta general meeting in April. Dr. Norris teaches topics in leadership at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary. The title of his presentation came from cartographers who would write “here be dragons” at the edge of ancient maps of the known world.

Learning research says – GO FAST. Forget preconceptions, be engaged in the process (active learning), feel excitement and curiosity, and make it important (pretend you will have to teach what you learn). At the leading edge, people are using virtual reality, biohacking, mind-altering drugs and meditation techniques to enhance their cognitive skills.

IROs must adapt to a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous investment climate. Exponential growth in innovation (causing disruptive shifts in business, political and social landscapes) is creating incredible risks and opportunities. Oxford University’s risk assessment group says that artificial intelligence is the only threat with the potential to wipe out humanity. 

Many institutions that have sustained us (cultural, family, political, spiritual, national, etc.) were built for a different era and are increasingly obsolete. As we digitally outsource much of our lives, this raises the existential question – what does it mean to be human? Growing numbers of scared, angry people want to return to a past golden age but the genie will not fit back in the bottle.

Dr. Norris reminded us that stories shape culture. However, what stories should we believe? There is a massive amount of research being conducted into our cognitive preferences. We think we have free will but many of our decisions are influenced by outside agencies that take advantage of our beliefs and biases. For example, in Canada, is the better story being told by those who want to relegate oil and gas to the trash bin of history (Oil Sands versus Tar Sands)?

To adapt and survive, we need a different kind of leadership: not the heroic, charismatic leader who single handedly solves all problems, but leaders who foster conditions for learning, innovation and insight to sprout across organizational systems.

Dr. Norris noted that expressed humility is one of the most powerful leadership skills. It has the power to improve team learning, positively impact employee engagement and compensate for lower mental ability. Humility is the ability to see yourself accurately, appreciate others’ contributions, be open to ideas/feedback and be able to say ‘I don’t know’ and listen.

His final thought was to treat work as a spiritual practice and invest in self-awareness. Dr. Norris pointed out the greatest regret of the dying is ‘I wish I had the courage to have lived a life true to myself, rather than what others expected of me’. We are all venturing into uncharted territory – here be dragons.

Québec Chapter Update

Although investor relations is considered a strategic and necessary activity, many Canadian small-cap public companies do not have an IR professional on their team. Yet some do. In order to understand the realities facing the small-cap IRO, CIRI Québec hosted an event in April focused on that subject, featuring Mathieu Péloquin, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications at Stingray Digital Group and Vance Oliver, Director, Investor Relations at EXFO. During the discussion that ensued, larger cap IROs present were not only interested but also shared and compared their own experiences. Many topics were discussed, from analysts and the drive to get more coverage to the importance of AGMs and analyst days. Another focus was the day-to-day challenges that come with large ownership by a founder. The panel was moderated by Guy L'Espérance, Regional Vice President, Québec and Eastern Canada at AST Trust Company (Canada).