Gina Wilson was awarded the 2020 Indspire Award for her leadership and lifelong work on Indigenous issues.Illustration by CHIEF LADY BIRD
Gina Wilson joined the federal government 25 years ago and has steadily risen through the ranks. Ms. Wilson has held several senior positions in various departments and is currently the deputy minister of women and gender equality and youth – and an inspiration for many Indigenous peoples in Canada. She was awarded the 2020 Indspire Award for her leadership and lifelong work on Indigenous issues.
How has your culture influenced your wellness? Has it been a big part of your success as a leader?
I grew up in a community where, at one point, we didn’t have much, but we had family, the beauty of our surroundings and leaders who focused on community development. I had two grandmothers who were very involved in raising me, so cultural teachings and values were prominent in childhood. In the years that followed, I encountered a lot of personal trauma and upheavals that also make me who I am. Trauma is experienced by many, but barriers and life challenges are amplified for Indigenous peoples. I’ve done what I could to achieve personal wellness and healing. In my 20s, I started to participate in our ceremonies and deal with the negative aspects that I was encountering. Even today, I use the medicine wheel daily and ask myself how I am feeling physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Then, I look at my schedule and how much I can give that day. Sometimes, I’ll have all kinds of speaking engagements, and I feel ready to do that. Other times, I adjust a little. As a senior public servant, I have the luxury to have a little more control of my schedule. That’s how I integrate balance professionally, personally and culturally.
Caitlin Tolley advocates for First Nations through law
What did you study and where?
I was always pretty good in school and that was my saving grace, because in some tough teenage years I really wanted to leave my house and, in so doing, the community as well. I graduated from high school at 15 and moved to Ottawa, where I attended Algonquin College before joining the University of Ottawa. I wanted to be a lawyer, but couldn’t get into law school that first year, so I joined the criminology program. I realized I didn’t want to stay in school for the next several years, so I completed a bachelor’s in social sciences from the university.
What was your first job out of university?
After wanting to leave, I now anxiously wanted to come home, and that’s the case for a lot of Indigenous graduates – giving back to their people. After doing a few summer jobs in Ottawa, I moved back to Kitigan Zibi [in Quebec]. I worked on establishing a crisis shelter in the community. I became the director of health and social services when I was 21, managing a staff of about 35 people and a million-dollar budget. Probably way over my head; it was the hardest job I ever had. Working in your own community is a challenge as in this area you have to intervene with your own family who are in child-welfare or domestic-violence situations. I have a ton of respect for front-line workers.
How did you join the federal government?
After five years of developing initiatives in my community, I moved back to Ottawa and joined the Assembly of First Nations as the child-welfare adviser. I was promoted to director of health and social services and ended up as Ovide Mercredi’s chief of staff/CEO. Ovide is brilliant. I learned a lot about communicating a message to Canadians, political relationships, how to make things happen and influencing change.
What did you learn in the process that allows you to be one of our senior government leaders?
Deputy ministers generally have had the experience of coming through the system, so you learn a lot about public service, such as developing policy, bringing ideas forward, working with ministers and different departments. If you finesse those skills over a number of years, and do it well, you rise in the ranks. It’s as simple as that.
Bringing an Indigenous voice to the government is a big part of your job. Is the Canadian government better at listening to Indigenous voices compared to 20 years ago?
It’s better. Twenty years ago would have been soon after the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Good policies came forward during both the Liberal and Conservative eras. Today, I can’t even count the initiatives that have unfolded. Yes, I do feel heard. If I want to get my point across, I can do it safely and in a way that will influence people’s views.
Business is often lecturing government to be more business-like. What can governments teach businesses?
The public service is often referred to as a “calling” – one that drives you to want to impact the quality of life in society. That exists in business as well, but perhaps not to the same extent. There’s still the bottom line that needs to be achieved, but the principle is something business can explore more and vice-versa in that we have much to learn from the private sector. I would like the public service to explore more what business does well, like systems and management, and I would love for more employees to come in and out of various workplaces. We would all be richer for it.
Is Indigenous leadership different from non-Indigenous leadership?
I probably go a little overboard to try to gain consensus, which is seen as an Indigenous trait. I had team members say, “My gosh, why doesn’t she just come down on the decision?” I don’t quite realize it, and I think it’s frustrating for some sometimes, but others love that sense of consensus-building and the opportunity to be heard. If we believe in “inclusion,” we need to ensure everyone has their say.
What is your leadership style?
I learned to always bring my whole self to work, not just my professional self. That’s the workplace that I’d love to see. Our lived experiences may be Indigenous or Caucasian, but we should bring them in and be proud of where we came from. I try to think about the human connections, and building trusting relationships is a big part of my leadership. I work a lot on supporting my deputy colleagues that are working on Indigenous issues or who are on their personal learning journeys because their success affects my family and my community.
Is there something about your world view that guides you to serving all Canadians?
I’ve definitely supported people on their learning journey. I encourage truth-telling and understanding the territory you’re on. We talk a lot about truth-telling in the public service post-George Floyd and Joyce Echaquan. Some managers are uncomfortable with the conversation and I keep reassuring them that if it is uncomfortable, it’s working. Systemic racism needs to be part of that learning journey, and seeing one another with a more human lens is important. I talk about practical things we can do to encourage reconciliation. You have to get your own house in order, which to me is the federal public service. That’s the institution that stays after governments come and go. If we get the right systems in place, around diversity, inclusion, gender-based analysis, that’s doing good public policy that reflects Canadians.
What are you most proud of in your career?
I’m super proud of my work with the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. After the negotiation, I worked on the implementation – the common experience, payments, setting up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, commemoration programs, and so on. I organized and partly drafted the official apology to former students of residential schools. Increased efforts toward reconciliation came after that, and I’m really proud of that work. It was very emotionally exhausting and many of us suffered from vicarious trauma. The actual day of the apology was the highlight of my career, and I still choke up a little thinking about it.
How can non-Indigenous people be better allies for Indigenous people?
The former president of the Public Service Commission, Patrick Borbey, has been an awesome ally through the years. What he and other colleagues tend to do is reach out when something happens, like the discovery of the mass graves of Indigenous children, knowing that would be hurtful. Daniel Watson was so kind to call me up the night before it hit the press to warn me. People can do that at all kinds of levels. You could be an ally by reaching out to someone who might be affected by something, but also by starting your learning journey.
Do you have any suggestions on resources non-Indigenous people should go to help on their learning journey?
There are many videos I can cite, but I suggest watching The Invisible Nation about the Algonquin people. The best book I ever read to understand life in the community and the life of an average First Nation woman is called Stoney Creek Woman. It’s a great read and reminds me of my grandmothers.
What would you tell Indigenous youth who might be interested in pursuing a leadership role or joining the government?
Think about our elders, who they were, and what they went through. Previous generations had the most difficult time with colonization and policies that existed. When I talk to the younger generation, they understand that they have more access to learn about our history and the unfairness of it all. My advice is to learn all they can, but to also listen to the teachings of our elders to do something positive. Our elders are the ones that will say that you need to stay balanced in yourself and your approaches, and you need to make change with that knowledge.
Karl Moore is a professor at the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University in Montreal. He is also an associate fellow at Green Templeton College at Oxford University. He was the host of a long-running video series for The Globe and Mail in which he interviewed chief executive officers and business professors from the top universities in the world. His column, Rethinking Leadership, has been published at Forbes.com since 2011. He has established a global reputation for his research and writing on leadership, and has interviewed more than 1,000 leaders, including CEOs, prime ministers and generals.
Jennifer Robinson is a resident physician at McGill University Health Centre in Montreal. She has been a consultant on health care and health policy in British Columbia and for the Assembly of First Nations. She is Algonquin and a member of the Timiskaming First Nation.
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