Center for Leadership
Studies

Heather Marasse is a partner with Generative Leadership Group, and has been with the company since 1997. Prior to joining GLG she spent 14 years in telecommunications. Her professional background is in marketing, organizational strategy, sales support and the implementation of change. Most of Heather’s career has been spent working with executives to determine strategies for the future of their business, and to develop the leadership skills and capabilities necessary for successful implementation. She is particularly dedicated to coaching and mentoring for leadership growth.

“I got interested in the coaching field because I thought it was missing in contemporary organizations, and in terms of taking on change, you have to be stepping out to the unknown,” Marasse says. “You have to be willing to throw yourself into the mix, which is something that’s hard to do if you haven’t received the coaching necessary to do it with confidence.”

Within the MAOL Marasse contributes by helping candidates translate possibilities into reality. Having worked with numerous executives to help them undertake significant initiatives in their business, she is known for her ability to make change happen with grace and ease. Leaders who attend MAOL must be able to take the possibilities they generate in MAOL back to their organizations and make something happen that did not previously seem possible.

“Leaders who make change happen are far more attuned or sensitive to what’s going on in the background—the action that others miss. It’s not so much about what leaders do, it’s about what they’re paying attention to,” she explains. “They’re looking at what’s going on and asking questions about how to alter that background such that different actions look possible and become obvious. They have their attention on the ever-moving horizon.”

Marasse says that the strength of the MAOL lies in thinking, constantly, of the horizon, the future, and its possibilities. Held accountable for production and results, people in business are not allowed time or space to pause and consider what is possible for the organization. As they work toward their MAOL degrees students are granted the time and the validity to focus on their organization’s essence and future, which she says produces gold for the organization and for the leaders alike.

“Leaders in this program are committed to discovering what it takes to provide greater leadership for their organization and stepping up to what that will require of them. They’re willing to come to this and take a hard look at who they need to be to cause the kind of change they see required or possible in their business and in the world,” says Marasse. “Graduates of this program are bolder, but it’s not foolish. They are courageous and they are able to go back to their organizations and make change without making wrong.”

Marasse writes articles on the art of coaching and change leadership. She has published on the art of coaching in the Canadian Public Sector Digest and is working on a second in decision-making. At present, Marasse is working with her GLG colleagues to capture the company’s coaching methodologies and techniques in written form in order to make available repeatable processes and learning materials for clients and colleagues.