Our Chat with New DiSocSci Graduate and MA Global Leadership Alumni, Dr. Gary Hayes

We asked Gary a few questions about his academic journey from his MA to his Doctorate.

What are some key takeaways from your thesis that would be helpful for other leaders?

When asking others to join your learning journey through research, it’s important to nurture and maintain relationships with respect and reciprocity throughout the process. How you choose to design and manage your research process can affect the quality of the knowledge generated thus affecting your findings. Collaborations are critical as diverse perspectives offer insights and wisdom for researchers to learn from, therefore, how you manage your relationships matters. When you consider how your work can connect to the systems it needs to in a way that benefits the people it needs to, this can add depth and help your research make an impact. 

How are you moving change forward based on your work?

The outcomes of the research itself and the conversations that occur telling the story of our research helps to move change forward by providing an example of how things can be done differently. Whether I’m managing a project specifically in my area of study, or I’m doing something completely different, I believe I’ve developed a greater confidence to navigate people and systems. I have a greater understanding of the value of knowledge generation and exploring how that knowledge can flow through a system, the barriers it may face, and the opportunities that can emerge to create change.  

What surprised you about your experience of the thesis process?

I was surprised by the amount of growth and confidence that developed over time. Although I had many feelings of imposter syndrome, I took one step at a time and completed what I sought to do. With guidance and support, I was able to keep on pushing. Looking back, the amount of work we did is surprising. Not only did my research collaborator and I do all of our required course work and execute our dissertation portfolio components, but we also independently produced a film and applied for and received numerous grants/scholarships. Each assignment, each application, each conversation with my supervisor all add up. I can now appreciate what an immense undertaking it is to complete a doctorate.  

How are you applying lessons learned from your whole MAGL and DiSocSci  journey?

I explored values-based leadership, systems thinking, and personal development in MAGL program which gave me the confidence to apply for the DiSocSci program. The DiSocSci program threw me into the deep end and then taught me how to swim. I learned to explore different schools of thought, the importance of understanding how knowledge can be generated, and to appreciate different methodologies and methods. These lessons give me the confidence to navigate situations I find myself in both professionally and personally. I am now more inquisitive and engaged seeking to understand people and systems and how I can use my skills to contribute to positive change.