Want to Affect Change in Your Community? // Learn How to Lead
The Vacaville Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Today is an experience in leadership, community building, and personal development designed anyone wishing to grow beyond their current level of productivity, personal and professional capacity, and wishing to affect change in their community.
Photo courtesy of Alexis Ruiz
Could you benefit from Leadership Today?
Maybe a more important question is: Could your community benefit from what YOU learn in Leadership Today?
Our very own Kristie Gardner recently underwent her own enrollment in the course and is quickly on her way to graduation. Check out her in-depth interview on the experience:
WHAT IS LEADERSHIP TODAY?
It’s very eye-opening [course]. [Leadership Today is] a way of heightening awareness as far as the responsibility and the amount of power that we have as individuals with the ability to affect change. I think the more you're educated on that, the more responsible you will be. I have been surprised on some things I have learned.
IS IT JUST FOR BUSINESS OWNERS?
No, we have a very diverse class. Some are employees, some are business owners.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE?
I support the Chamber. I watched Alexis with the Chamber really thrive and I’ve had some friends and colleagues also succeed and it really sharpened them.
Photos courtesy of Alexis Ruiz
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART?
Learning who I am and learning how to communicate better with others. I feel like it doesn’t matter if you speak Swahili really well if the other person speaks English. Even if you speak slow, there’s no landing on the information.
With the DISC testing and really paying attention to how other’s respond. The value that comes from those who are outspoken and strong-willed and also people who are slower to take action and do more research. There’s value in both.
Finding the balance between the two or surrounding yourself with a team of people that have that balance I think you’re more apt to thrive than opposed to the person who’s never going to make a decision because they’re constantly calculating what could happen or somebody who doesn’t take any time to do the research to calculate anything and they pick up four knives and run at a wall.
DO YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP?
I definitely was able to identify my strengths and my weaknesses. I feel like every time I go… I learn more about myself. Being a better person, a better friend, a better colleague, a better boss—just a better person.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
Running two businesses, going to Leadership Today, sleeping, making sure there’s time to eat, supporting the Chamber, I should do my hair at some point throughout the week…I think the time.
And, making sure you are focused when you’re there. There’s a lot of outside distractions. It’s important to stop and really self-evaluate in order to be better. I think oftentimes we run into “I don’t have time for this, I don’t have time for this,” well your really don’t have time not to. Personal development—not every day, but it takes a village.
WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM LEADERSHIP TODAY?
Anybody would benefit from this.
HOW DOES THE PERSON READING THIS KNOW IT’S TIME FOR THEM TO ENROLL?
I think that when you have your foundation and you can breathe a little bit—not a whole bunch, but a couple, quick breaths—then it’s time. I think it would be advantageous if you can do it early on so you don’t make more of the wrong moves…but I don’t know if there’s ever a right time to take a look at yourself in the mirror. It’s uncomfortable at times, but I think the risk reward is worth it.
WHAT DROVE YOU TO TAKE THE PLUNGE AND ENROLL?
Never put off tomorrow what you can do today.
WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU HAVE POST-GRADUATION?
P.J. Goodson with Savvy Insights Consulting is an amazing resource and I’ve met some profound men and women that are currently leaders in the community or supporting leaders in the community that I’ve had the privilege to work alongside of. Those are resources that will follow me the rest of my life.
WHAT’S NEXT?
I want Alex to do it next. I’m really excited to watch her go through the journey. It’s a lot of discipline and self-awareness—all those wonderful emotions—but it’s tools and making sure you’re open to learning those tools. Information is power. It’s not about money. The more informed you are, the more resources you have, the money will come.
Learn more about Leadership Today by clicking here.
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