“Talent is everywhere; opportunity is not.”

“Talent is everywhere; opportunity is not.”

Attending the conference? Here’s what you need to know: • 3 ways to maximize your experience at The ONE • Meet CPA Léonidas Assogba at The ONE • Panel: The role of CPAs in mergers and acquisitions

Talent is everywhere; opportunity is not. Leadership has an extraordinary ability to help close that distance. Creating equitable pathways does not mean lowering standards. It means ensuring that talent is not overlooked because opportunity, access, or visibility has not been equally distributed. CPA Canada: If every attendee left your session at The ONE and made one change in the way they lead, what would you hope that change would be? STK: I would hope they would see the person before the position, the humanity before the numbers and the possibility before the limitation. Every workplace is filled with people carrying responsibilities, ambitions, pressures, families, setbacks and dreams that may never appear on a spreadsheet. We may not always be able to remove what someone is carrying, but we can choose not to make it heavier. Sometimes one thoughtful decision, one conversation or one person who genuinely sees another human being can change the trajectory of a career — or even a life. That is the kind of everyday leadership I hope people carry with them. CPA Canada: As you look ahead, what are the key areas you’re focused on right now, what are you hoping to accomplish? STK: I’m increasingly focused on the intersection of human-centered leadership, economic opportunity, women and girls and the responsibility we share to build stronger communities and institutions. Through my leadership and humanitarian work, I want to continue bringing people across sectors together, with the objective and hope that together we turn shared purpose into measurable action. I’m particularly committed to expanding opportunities for all, advancing education and leadership, and encouraging leaders to think differently about the legacy of their influence. Ultimately, I hope to contribute to a world in which more people have the opportunity not simply to survive their circumstances, but to discover what they can become. For me, that is what leadership is ultimately about: using whatever influence, access or opportunity we have to leave more possibility behind for others. MEET KEITA AT THE ONE Join Solange Tuyishime Keita’s keynote session, Human-centered leadership: Resilience, purpose and legacy, on Oct. 6 at The ONE in Quebec City.