Lt. Gen (Ret) Hon. Roméo Dallaire

General Dallaire appears live from his home/studio to your screens for your next virtual conference, meeting or webinar, to bring his experienced insights into Leadership in Challenging Times, Communication Skills, Risk Management, Mental Health and more. He’ll customize to your group and engage in Q&A.

Leadership is in crisis. The stresses and strains of the pandemic have created a fragile state for leaders, and many are struggling in secret to avoid showing their vulnerability. We have reached a tipping point where we must rebuild our systems and values with empathy and reciprocity.

For this co-presentation, Dallaire & Marie-Claude Michaud will introduce their new work, combining his expertise as an on-the-ground leader and crisis management expert and her 25 years of leadership and development within the Department of National Defense. Together, they share the principles and application of a Benevolent Leadership Culture.

This approach offers practical ways to reform the human aspect of leadership, initiating a transformation of workplaces and changing the culture of our society and institutions to put people first. We continue to shift away from a “warrior culture” built on militaristic and male-dominated values, towards a more progressive practice that sees workers as more than resources, celebrates mistakes, and emphasizes the value that women bring as leaders.

Key Takeaways: 

• The right to make, express, and even celebrate mistakes. 
• End “warrior culture” mentality by seeing strength in vulnerability and transparency.
• Recognize your ego and its impact on your effectiveness as a leader.

General Romeo Dallaire—leader of the UN forces during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda—understands crisis. He understands the desire to get ahead of crises and prevent them, but he also understands that crisis is often unavoidable. He understands the demands of leadership in perilous situations, and how to get ahead of them rather than merely reacting.  And he, more than most, understands the serious potential ramifications of inadequate leadership in the new world disorder we find ourselves in, be it financial, political, corporate, or social. Calling on his years of experience as a military general, a Senator, and a humanitarian, General Dallaire will share tactics and strategies for leading a corporate team through a crisis situation; to reduce staff losses, to inspire internal and public confidence, to promote innovate team thinking, and to move beyond crisis management to Crisis Leadership.

General Romeo Dallaire led the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide during which 800,000 lives were brutally taken in less than 100 days. His courage and leadership during that mission earned him international respect and commendation which continue to this day. For more than two decades since that time, General Dallaire has been an outspoken advocate for human rights, bringing attention to situations too-often ignored, whether the atrocities of genocide, the struggle of veterans with PTSD, or the recruitment and use of child soldiers. General Dallaire shares powerful first-person stories which shed light on the human condition, the lessons to be learned and how we can be agents of change. Audiences will leave this presentation inspired by practical solutions and limitless hope.

Throughout his military career, Romeo Dallaire was lauded for his role in providing exemplary leadership during missions fraught with obstacles, most significantly as force commander of the UN mission in Rwanda during the genocide. He spearheaded critical reforms and professional development in the Canadian Forces, before going on to serve in the Senate. With the aim of encouraging pro-active leaders, Dallaire shares advice on regaining the initiative in the present while simultaneously anticipating the needs of the future; leading rather than reacting. His inspirational presentations encourage leaders to embrace new forms of communication with their team, giving them the confidence to go beyond the perception of their own abilities. Professional longevity, a competitive edge, and personal fulfillment are awaiting those who put the quality of life for themselves and their team at the forefront.

Bearing witness to the horrors of genocide, and an international community’s disregard for humanity, General Dallaire was grievously injured with post-traumatic stress disorder, resulting in his medical release from the military in 2000. Since then, he has tirelessly worked to raise awareness about mental health issues and PTSD.  Dallaire’s courage in going public about his own experience gives him undeniable credibility on the issue. This presentation will inspire audiences to break the stigma around mental health. Speaking with compassion and insight, Dallaire makes clear how the challenges around mental illness affect us all. As mental health wounds are not always visible, Dallaire speaks passionately about how much more needs to be done so that those suffering in silence can not just survive, but thrive.