fbpx
Niagara College Community Employment Services 905-641-2252 ext 4670

Leader Spotlight – Kelly Lockwood

Kelly Lockwood – Associate Professor, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Department of Kinesiology, Brock  University

Dr. Kelly Lockwood is a Professor and Applied Sport Scientist in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at Brock University (2001-present). She is a graduate of the University of Toronto, holds a Master of Science degree from Lakehead University and earned a doctoral degree in Applied Sport Sciences from the University of Alberta.

Through the disciplines of Sport Biomechanics and Physiology, Kelly has over 35 years of athletic and research experience. She has worked routinely with athletes, coaches, and support staff such as administrators, athletic therapists and equipment managers to implement research outcomes. She has held technical advisory positions with community, provincial, and national level sport organizations, making critical contributions to the science of sport performance. More recently, her work has extended beyond understanding the human component in sport performance to include working with industry assisting in equipment design and engineering, and further investigating how to best harness physical and technical preparedness through sporting equipment.

Her background in applied research has fostered the development of a unique perspective on the relationship between theory and practical application and has made her a strong advocate of the link between science and practice.

Passionate about the Niagara Region, Laura, and her husband enjoy hosting friends and family as they explore all the deliciousness the area has to offer.

 


 

How do you define community leadership?

Community leadership drives culture, culture drives expectation and beliefs, expectation and belief drives behavior, and behavior grows community; so maybe community leadership is best defined as a multifaceted process as opposed to a single entity. A process that integrates a long list of attributes, including but not limited to; engagement, vision, communication, mentorship, exposing strengths and weaknesses, planning and strategizing for growth and development, critical thinking, establishing new networks while maintaining and securing existing partnerships, energizing, motivating and encouraging people to be the community they aspire to be.

 

“…so maybe community leadership is best
defined as a multifaceted process
as opposed to a single entity.”

 

Why are you personally motivated to explore community leadership?

Personally, I am motivated to refine my leadership skills, however also very keen to explore strategies to implement skills more effectively. From theory to practice; learning to navigate the barriers, envision process, and aspire to be better.

 

What, in your view, is the most significant issue/opportunity facing our community? Why? How you would go about tackling the issue?

Issues create opportunities and simulate growth. There seems to be a very well-defined generation gap between the community leaders of today and the prospective leaders of tomorrow. The gap is not limited to age, but more importantly by societal values, morals, beliefs and the evolution through generations. In order to build and grow community, leadership needs to support and respect the generation of yesterday, be present in the generation of today, and empower tomorrows leaders understanding they will not lead in the same community that they were raised. Developing a transitional plan that respects our past however moves forward in engaging youth and the adoption of youth leaders would be a place to start.

 

“In order to build and grow community,
leadership needs to support and respect
the generation of yesterday, be present
in the generation of today, and empower
tomorrows leaders understanding they
will not lead in the same community that
they were raised.

 

In your view, what’s the most important attribute of a leader?

Effective leadership incorporates a long list of attributes as defined above. To name a few that resonate with me personally; integrity, passion, and vision. That said, the longer list are also attributes of good human beings, so if I had to select the most important attribute, I might suggest that leaders need to be ‘good’ people first.

 

What individual attributes do you hope to develop or expand upon?

I am looking to not only further develop my leadership skills but also develop a deeper understanding of effective delivery.

 


 

October 18th, 2018