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THE
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JOURNAL
I N S P I R AT I O N F O R C I V I C L E A D E R S H I P I N K A N S A S
VOLUME 4 - ISSUE 1 - SUMMER 2012
$10.00
THE
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JOURNAL
The Journal is published by the Kansas Leadership Center, which receives core funding from the Kansas Health Foundation. With a mission to foster civic leadership for healthier Kansas communities, KLC is unique in the field of leadership development due to its focus on civic leadership, statewide scope and robust funding source. KLC strives to deliver world-class leadership development experiences for Kansans by Kansans. Its initiatives are designed to inspire, educate and connect people from all areas of civic life, including business, government and nonprofit organizations. KLC MISSION To foster civic leadership for healthier Kansas communities KLC VISION To be the center of excellence for civic leadership development KANSAS LEADERSHIP CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS Karen Humphreys, Chair Ed O’Malley, President/CEO Greg Musil, Vice Chair
Consuelo Sandoval David Lindstrom Carolyn Kennett Reggie Robinson PERMISSIONS
Abstracting is permitted with credit to the source. For other reprint, copying, reproduction permission or subscriptions, contact Mike Matson at mmatson@kansasleadershipcenter.org. KANSAS LEADERSHIP CENTER
300 North Main, Suite 100 Wichita, Kansas 67202 316.712.4950 www.kansasleadershipcenter.org PHOTOGRAPHY
Jeff Tuttle Portrait Photography 220 N. Terrace Wichita, KS 67208 316.706.8529 jefftuttlephotography.com PAINTINGS
Don Gore 913.530.8919 dongore50@gmail.com GRAPHIC DESIGN
Clare McClaren/luxedesign 816.868.9825
©2012 Kansas Leadership Center
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CONTENTS Welcome to the New Journal By President/CEO Ed O’Malley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Cover Story: Two Governors, two parties, one topic: Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 At Age 5, We’re Still Working Toward “Someday” The Leadership Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 By President/CEO Ed O’Malley . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 InLetters Memory . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .17 .6 $1.7 Million KHF Grant Kansas in Question . . Opens . . . . . . Doors . . . . . . .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .18 .8 Shared Dreams By Jamie Crouse . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Coaching: Unleash Your Hidden Leadership Talent The Power of Civic Leadership By Julia Fabris McBride . . . . . . .Coaching . . . . . . . . By . . ..Julia . . . Fabris . . . . . .McBride . . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .20 20 Leadership That’s Good for the Soul By Mark E. McCormick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Board Leadership Explain to me like By PollyitBasore . . . .I’m . . .a. .Third-Grader . . . . . . . . . . . Demystifying . . . .. . . . . . . .the . . .state . . . . budget . . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .32 22 Dispatches . . . . . . Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Open Letter. .to. .a. Young (Not) Ground: By EdGiving O’Malley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Library . . Lessons . . . . . . . .About . . . . . .Working .. . . . . . .Across . . . . . . Factions . . . . . . . .By . . Chris . . . . .Green . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .40 29 AThe KLCLeadership Alum Shares Tough Community . . . . . . . . . .in . .Our . .. . Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . By . . .Sheersty . . . . . . . Stanton . . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .50 30 The ChangingProfile: Face ofBeloit Civic Leadership Lead LikeInformation Coach . . . . .and . . . Inspiration . . . . . . . . . . about . . . . ..KLC . . . .Alumni . . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .52 58 The Fuse: The Fuse: Information and .Inspiration 67 Column: Fly Like Eagles . . . . . . . . . .about . . .. . KLC . . . . Alumni . . . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .54 AlumniProfiles Profiles . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .56 68 Alumni Alumnion onthe theMove Move . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .60 79 Alumni “Getthe thePicture” Picture”Photo PhotoCollage Collageof ofKLC KLCprograms programsBy Keshia Ezerendu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 “Get Keshia Ezerendu 80 The By KLC Calendar . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .67 The Summit in Pictures The Leadership Laboratory . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 By Jeff Tuttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 The KLC Commentary Service . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Leadership Laboratory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Darrell Hamlin: Kansans need a shared purpose to guide state. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Building Communities Ed O’Malley: Leading an outside organization requires a different style than your business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 By Chris Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Mark E. McCormick: Civic leadership isn’t about being popular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Taking Care of Yourself News from the Front Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 By Mark E. McCormick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Special Guest Feature: Dr. Roz Diane Lasker: Engaging Unusual Voices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Poem: Helping with the Town Rock Sign Poem: The Quickening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 By Annie Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 The Back Page By Mark E. McCormick . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 The Back Page By Mark E. McCormick
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
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AT AGE 5, WE’RE STILL
WORKING TOWARD
“SOMEDAY”
I love how my youngest child Lizzie growls when her brother or sister encroaches. I admire and am sometimes frustrated by her grit and cunning when she makes up her toddler mind not to take her antibiotics or when she locks herself in our bathroom. We’re our locksmith’s lottery ticket. • My wife and I fret over but manage to savor Lizzie’s escapades while marveling at the possibilities of where all her energy and intellect will take her. • I’ve had similar thoughts seeing Kansans caring more, engaging more and risking more on behalf of their communities. It hasn’t always been smooth, but I’m so excited about where our state is headed. • In December, more than 300 Kansans from across the state – corporate executives, university educators, students and involved citizens – convened in Wichita for the Kansas in Question Symposium to discuss the issues our state will face in the intervening decades. They mulled market and demographic trends, recounted our state’s varied and colorful history and maybe most important, challenged themselves to think about leadership in a new and different way. • I’ve watched with interest as citizens in Southeast Kansas have rallied around the issues of economic development and improved health outcomes. The people of that region are blazing a path forward. • Elsewhere in Kansas, we’ve seen numerous churches engage their communities in new ways, creating new health clinics and innovative efforts to end generational poverty. And, we’ve seen countless individuals, exercising bold leadership to improve their organizations and
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communities. They are asking the tough questions, handling the conflict and energizing others. • You can read about some of these efforts in this edition of The Journal, and that’s our intent. We want The Journal to offer one-stop shopping about civic leadership happenings around the state, and the inspiration for such activity wherever it’s needed. • Five years ago last January, I plopped down into the chair of my temporary office at The Kansas Health Foundation and wondered what I’d gotten myself into. How would I steward the renewable grant planted by The Foundation in the belief that KLC would someday begin to bear fruit? • Well, with our team of directors, program managers, faculty, coaches and many others, that someday has arrived. While we still have much to learn, but this organization has developed a state-wide and national reputation as a laboratory for the study of leadership exercised for the common good.• I’m pleased with KLC’s steady climb. About the many Kansans a year we hope to add to the KLC family. About the new and interesting ways we will push boundaries and challenge convention. About more “somedays.” • But I’m more proud to see civic leadership activity stirring in every part of the state. Groups of concerned citizens working together to make progress on the daunting issues they’re facing. People actively experimenting with a new kind of leadership.• I’m guessing that in the coming years, because of dedicated leadership from Kansans (many of whom you’ll read about in The Journal), communities across the state will be celebrating milestones none of us can even conceive of now, and Lizzie will be applying her energy and intellect in new and more constructive ways. Onward!
Ed O’Malley President and CEO Kansas Leadership Center
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INFANT MORTALITY PROBLEM NEEDS OUR COLLECTIVE ATTENTION Kansas babies die at a rate faster than the national average, ranking the state 40th in the nation on infant mortality. Each year, approximately 300 Kansas babies die before their first birthday, an infant mortality rate of more than 7 deaths for every 1,000 births. For African-American babies, the rate more than doubles at nearly 16 deaths for every 1,000 births. In 2009, the Blue Ribbon Panel on Infant Mortality was formed to review the problem in Kansas and identify potential solutions and recommendations. Harnessing the broad range of expertise in maternal and child health of its 22 members, the Panel released interim recommendations (http://www.kansasinfantmortality.org/recommendations.asp) in February 2010 in four broad categories. In April 2010, Panel-supported legislation was passed that will pave the way for improved data collection on birth outcomes in Kansas, including infant mortality risk factors.
LETTERS
Kansas Action for Children’s mission is to shape public policy that puts children first. Each year, KAC reports on infant mortality rates at both the state and county level through our KIDS COUNT data report. The Blue Ribbon Panel's foundational work sets the stage for a collective effort to address this complex social problem. Movement on this issue will take more than a statewide public awareness campaign or public policies at the state level. It will take leadership at every level and in every strata of Kansas life. SHANNON COTSORADIS
President/CEO Kansas Action for Children TOPEKA
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SOUTHWEST KANSAS DEVELOPING UNITED, REGIONAL VOICE
GRADUATION RATES IMPACT WHOLE COMMUNITIES
Here in Southwest Kansas we’re working to preserve our way of life in our rural communities. As our numbers shrink, each small community struggles to survive. We hope to develop a more unified perspective on our future so that we can work together. Working together as a region means we must learn to overcome the barriers of our past – the Friday night mentality that competitors on the football team also must be competitors during the day.
The United Way of Douglas County and Lawrence Public Schools would like to boost the number of Lawrence students graduating with the skills to succeed in their next step in life.
The danger of not doing this is great. In a time of declining resources, rural communities often lack the voice in these decisions because of their small numbers. When that small number is divided even more by old habits, then we truly become inconsequential.
As a community, we greatly value education, but we are failing at least 18% of our youth based on the 2010 overall graduation rate of 82%. In Lawrence Public Schools, 90% of high school sophomores plan on attending a four-year institution after high school. By the senior year, this has dropped to 50%. Many students fall through the cracks, and no one is looking at this across the community as a systemic issue.
While there is an immediate effect on students and their families, lower graduation rates and lack of life preparation also adversely impact the greater community, employers, and local human service organizations.
The Southwest Kansas Chamber of Commerce has been bringing together people from all over Southwest Kansas for the past few years. We’re getting to know each other and learning to trust each other. These efforts are starting to show results. Recently the City of Dodge City agreed to use part of its federal dollars for Essential Air Service to support improved air service in Garden City.
As state-wide reports reflect, students fail to graduate for a multitude of reasons, some personal, some economic, but fewer reasons are academic. We’ve made fervent efforts to provide technical solutions, but without an adaptive approach that includes the entire community, we will not make progress on this daunting challenge.
Bringing hundreds of people together to have a conversation is not that difficult. Getting those conversations to mean something and have lasting impact is difficult.We must continue to navigate difficult discussions, point out where we are stuck in our own past, and keep building a new future for our region – together.
We don't believe this is just a matter of changing the high school curricula or adding another afterschool program. We consider this is an adaptive challenge. We want all middle school and high school students engaged in learning that leads to future success and their entire community to support them in in achieving that goal.
MARG YAROSLASKI
Assoc. Prof. Speech at Dodge City Community College DODGE CITY
ERIKA DVORSKE
President/CEO of United Way of Douglas Country LAWRENCE
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B C G P B D G
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at state and local levels. Elections that will decide the composition of all 165 seats in the Kansas Legislature loom on the horizon later this year, and the reverberations from their outcomes could be felt for years to come.
T . There are no experts who can point to a path forward that is sure to lead to success.There is no single action that we can take to secure a prosperous future.
In the whirl of daily life, though, it is often difficult to take into consideration all of the trends, perspectives and possibilities that exist in our state at the moment and think more carefully about them. It often takes an external force, such as a convening, to prompt us to consciously ask ourselves tougher questions about the future of our state and what role we should play in answering them.
The issues, circumstances and challenges that we face are too diverse and too complex for quick and easy solutions. Despite often appearing stable and wary of change, Kansas is presently a place in transition as it experiences significant changes in its economy and demographic make-up. While our rich history has helped us forge a set of closely held collective values, we often fiercely debate how to prioritize and actualize them. Our future is, in many ways, open, but we have yet to truly choose, together, how we might define it.
About six months ago, more than 325 Kansans gathered in Wichita for “Kansas in Question,” a statewide symposium focused on considering the future of Kansas beyond its first 150 years.The unique group included individuals from state and local government, business, the nonprofit sector, health, education, statewide organizations and college students, among others. The group was convened by The Wichita Eagle, Kansas Leadership Center,Wichita State University and the Kansas Health Foundation.
In the middle of our state’s 151st year of existence, many of us still thirst for the answers that will better shape Kansas and its place in the world for the next 150 years.We struggle to outline those answers each and every day, it seems, through our actions, large and small. Under the Capitol building dome, difficult and often heated debates have unfolded about issues that could help define the state’s direction. Kansans of all political stripes are weighing in on changes they support or oppose
It was certainly a rare occurrence to have so many different people from so many different professions and perspectives on hand to focus exclusively on discussing the future of Kansas.
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Those assembled heard from Gov. Sam Brownback, pondered lessons from the history of Kansas and considered the economic and demographic trends currently affecting the state.They engaged in deeper discussions about employment, health, rural communities, education, urban cities and the environment.
Now we must decide: How much further are we willing to go? Will we let the future largely shape Kansas? Or we will seize the moment to more effectively shape that future ourselves?
Participants reported taking something of value from the event. But many also left longing to dig into many of the issues that came to the surface and with a desire to see those discussions lead to meaningful action.The organizers hoped this convening would stir our curiosity but knew it couldn’t quite quench our thirst. A convening can inspire and catalyze action, but individuals determine whether significant progress is made by what they do with these ideas and information.
T T I F K: O C O. Kansas has always seemed to lie somewhat close to an equilibrium.We’re not often considered particularly trendy. Our economy usually trails the highest flyers, but we also tend to avoid the crashes that bring them low. Kansas has often seemed a steady, discerning place, committed to core values such as providing quality education and being fiscally responsible. It has also been suspicious of changes that can’t be justified as fundamentally necessary.
Kansas in Question was designed to raise the difficult questions that need answers. The purpose of this piece is to share the story of Kansas in Question with more citizens, to inspire more questions and to, hopefully, serve as an artifact of sorts for where our state is today and what daunting challenges must be addressed to move forward. Concerned citizens, whether young or old, in positions of authority or not, should familiarize themselves with these ideas. Our future depends on it.
But that stability is tenuous. Kansas has been changing, in many significant ways, and these developments mean that we can’t stand still ourselves.The ground is moving beneath our feet, and our situation will change, even if we do nothing differently.
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During “Kansas in Question,” a presentation by the president of a strategy and research firm,Wichita native James Chung of Reach Advisors, put the economic and demographic forces influencing the state into perspective. His findings are summarized below, as are several insights he provided in a recent interview. (You also can view the slides from his presentation at www.kansasinquestion.com.)
with major implications for Kansas, a state with about 160,000 people employed in manufacturing. Comparable Plains states surrounding us have been growing much faster and over the past decade have mostly surpassed us in terms of economic output per person.
There is no single trend or development that stands out for Kansas.The issues that the state must focus on vary, as Chung says, depending on what organization or entity you are involved with or what role you play in the state’s civic life.
Even as we attempt to control our own destiny and determine what we’re “known for” in the future, international and demographic trends that will no doubt heavily influence us.The rest of the world, particularily developing and emerging nations, is catching up to the United States.
The question facing Kansans is whether our state represents “an oasis of stability” or we are “looking at significant stagnation.”
But the long-term trends and challenges that we face don’t seem to be going away -- they certainly have changed little since “Kansas in Question” -- and someone, somewhere in Kansas, will need to confront them at some point.
Such developments could produce opportunities for Kansas in areas such as agriculture, where Kansans could help meet the growing demand for food, fiber and fuel. But there are worrisome trends, too, such as the fact that our nation as a whole is far behind other industrialized nations in terms of producing the highest percentages of adults with twoand four-year post-secondary degrees.
Based on the data, Kansas could be viewed as an “oasis,” a place with relatively high family incomes, low unemployment rates and affordable home prices.
It should not be surprising that a state famous for its exports of aircraft, wheat, corn and beef competes not just with surrounding states, but in a global marketplace. But are we having enough conversations about what it will take for our state to be truly more competitive
But the state’s slower-than-average population growth and the long-term population declines being seen in rural areas of the state could be viewed as troubling.The gravity pulling down manufacturing jobs is a national trend
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men.The nation’s population is growing, but much of the increase will come from minority populations.
These days, growing domestically often means tapping more effectively into global growth. If Kansas had a more robust discussion about how to better perform on the global playing field in which it competes, it might help the state make better strategic investments for the future.
The face of Kansas, particularly among the young, is changing, too.While the state’s elderly population remains largely white, a third of the children entering kindergarten are minorities. Minorities already make up a majority of the population in four counties. Hispanics could generate close to $1 billion more for the state's economy over the next 15 years.
Kansas is also likely to be affected by demographic changes affecting the whole United States. More young women are graduating with college degrees and earning more than young
CHANGES UNDERWAY IN KANSAS N N N N N
Growing minority population among the young; elderly remain largely white. Married couples with children no longer the dominant household structure. Increasing elderly population. Hispanics less likely to have a high school diploma, bachelor’s degree at present. Keeping the most highly educated graduates is a challenge.
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?
Provocative Questions Longing for Leadership
EMPLOYMENT, BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY N N N N N
How do we recruit and retain workers, particularly the young and talented? How do we more effectively diversify the state’s economy? How does Kansas become a hotbed for entrepreneurship? How do we resolve the issue of immigration and integrate immigrants into the workforce? What role does government have in boosting the economy? EDUCATION
N N N
How do we increase both the value and efficiency of education? How do we more effectively ensure a quality education for all students? What long-held traditions or structures might we need to adjust to improve the system? HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
N N N N N
Who will ensure our resources are protected? What is the role of government? How will we weigh out the long-term benefits vs. the short-term losses? How do we change to become a more equitable culture of wellness? How will we choose to balance individual rights with the collective good? How far will we go to address the underlying conditions that create health disparities, not just health outcomes? RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES
N N N N N
How will we speak to the losses that communities may be experiencing? How will we increase our tolerance for conflict and change? How will rural communities embrace more cultural diversity and accept outsiders? How do we help rural, urban and suburban communities begin to value one another for the good of all? How do we foster more leadership to tackle our toughest problems?
-- Adapted from “Kansas in Question” conversation notes, Dec. 6, 2011.
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Some cities and states similar to Kansas are finding ways to produce growth and advance community goals. Places such as Oklahoma City, Omaha, Des Moines and North Dakota have made progress in such areas as keeping unemployment low, increasing educational attainment, wooing and keeping highly educated or younger workers and cultivating high-paying professional jobs.
Furthermore, married couples with children are no longer the dominant household structure, accounting for just one in five households in 2010. The state’s population of people over age 65 is expected to increase by 28 percent to 480,000 by 2020. In a handful of rural Kansas counties, those age 65 and older already account for more than a quarter of the population. Substantial issues related to providing the public services necessary for an aging population will likely accompany that growth. In terms of education, the state’s rural schools appear to be delivering results. But 42 percent of all Hispanics have less than a high school diploma, compared with the 11 percent in the population as a whole. Only 11 percent of Hispanics here have a bachelor’s degree compared with 30 percent in the population at large.
One common ground among those other areas is that they actively worked to make “strategic bets” on the future, an effort often facilitated by communities working more collaboratively on shared problems. In North Dakota, for instance, the state is not just riding an energy boom but also diversifying its economy and investing in its university system.
What are the strategic bets Kansans, as a collective, are willing to make? What type of leadership will it take to discern these smart risks and then mobilize Kansans around them?
Those numbers could change as the children of immigrants move up to high school and college ages. Increasing that level of educational attainment could be a way to make Kansas more competitive in the future.
H K P
The state already sees strong performance at the graduate level, ranking No. 2 in the country in terms of science and engineering graduate students as a percentage of the workforce, well ahead of its comparable neighbors. But those grads often aren’t staying.
The success of comparable communities is a signal that Kansas doesn’t have to be shaped solely by the issues it faces.
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teacher tenure, the number of districts or institutions statewide and whether the school calendar should be year-round.
The state can also be shaped by the people who live here, who will determine the ways in which Kansas addresses its challenges and help it make the most of its opportunities.
The environment proved to be a challenging topic -- there’s tremendous difficulty in weighing the long-term gains vs. the short-term costs while implementing solutions.A discussion about health raised difficult questions about where the line should be drawn between individual liberties and the collective good.There was a question of when Kansas could reach a point where it would prioritize and engage the “winnable battles” that could address the underlying conditions that create health disparities, not just treating health outcomes.
As part of the symposium, those attending “Kansas in Question” participated in sessions on important statewide topics. The facilitated conversations prompted many discussions, ending with provocative questions and even some ideas for moving forward. For instance, in the conversation that specifically related to employment, there was a sense that retaining and recruiting workers would continue to be an issue, including the need to keep the best and brightest young professionals.There were hopes of actively making Kansas a hotbed of entrepreneurship.
For rural communities, there was an understanding of the need to have conversations about loss, since the next decade is likely to produce winners and losers among these towns. Increased tolerance for conflict and change may be needed to seize a future in which rural communities will be more culturally diverse and include more “out-of-towners.”
The group also saw the need for tough conversations on the topics of immigration and integrating immigrants into workforce, the role of government involvement in the economy and the risks that would come with pursuing “excellence not just fairness.”
A rural assembly agreed to conduct a more in-depth discussion in February 2012 -- which ended up as the “Big Rural Brainstorm” convened in Newton by the Kansas Sampler Foundation.
Another group looked at the “courageous conversations” that would need to happen in education, including discussions about reducing costs while increasing the system’s value and efficiency.There was also talk about some of the state’s educational traditions and structures, including
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The discussion around urban Kansas proved wide-ranging, a dynamic owing perhaps to the diversity of urban experience in Kansas. Urban means different things to different people, participants noted -- it’s interesting to remember that at least seven of the state’s 20 largest cities in 2010 were suburbs of larger metropolitan areas. Urban areas can include pockets of both significant prosperity and poverty at once.
be foolhardy. However, many participants also yearned to see tangible action emerge from those assembled at the symposium.
The importance of more effective leadership to address problems and improve the quality of life in these more densely populated areas of the state emerged as a recurring theme.
One small but powerful thing that we can all do differently is push ourselves to think more intensely about the challenges facing the state and begin questioning our assumptions about the way things work. Our first instinct is often to plunge forward with solutions – which tend to be the policies and positions that often already lie close to our hearts.
The issues and challenges facing Kansas are broad and complex. No single one of us could expect to be able to solve them alone.Yet unless more of us are willing to step up and engage others on these issues, we will not make sufficient progress toward truly shaping our future.
W’ Y D F
If we favor cutting taxes, increasing education funding or consolidating local governments, it’s all too easy to see those things as the obvious cures for what ails us. By no means should we give up the things we strongly believe in – but we have a responsibility as citizens of this state to authentically push ourselves
As stimulating as the discussions could be at “Kansas in Question,” most participants seemed to leave, as designed, with far more questions on their mind than answers. Attempting to answer such questions in such a short time would
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to think about what is truly necessary to advance Kansas into the future.What we prefer and presently have strong loyalties to may not be exactly what we need to prosper.
citizens.There’s a hunger for individual liberty, one that allows people to determine their own destiny based on their own personal talents and desires, which also seems precious to Kansans.
Fostering difficult progress requires having a clear purpose to guide your actions. You have to know what you want to accomplish if you want to engage others in formulating solutions.
We also understand the importance of working together in a community to produce collective “civic good” and create a functioning society that is greater than the sum of its individual parts.We want not just places to live, but strong, prosperous communities in urban, rural and suburban Kansas that add considerable value to the lives of their citizens.
T V K: C A O O P
In creating those communities, we often want to ensure the ability to keep intact what we have built up.We value the existence of law and order where there is proper respect for authority that contributes to a climate of public safety. We also seek to ensure that our past history, culture and heritage are preserved and protected.
We can zero in on our driving purpose by thinking carefully about what we value.As Kansans, we have a multitude of values that rank high with us. Sometimes they compete against one another. Although they may not have been consciously named, the discussions during “Kansas in Questions” suggested many of the values we collectively hold here.
We want a safe environment, one that preserves the essence of Kansas, including its natural beauty. But we want people to succeed economically as well, valuing a strong business climate that fosters prosperity and effectively utilizes agriculture and our natural resources.
The values of an entire state’s diverse population are certainly worthy of debate. We also may not always live up to the values we aspire to embody. But in hopes of enhancing our ability to advance them over the next 150 years, this story describes our collective values below in the broadest and most inclusive terms possible.
The Kansas of our dreams is a place where employment is plentiful, diverse, well-paying and rewarding. But we also want healthy places to live where people can access and receive proper health care.
We have long demonstrated that we value having access to quality education, one that prepares individuals to be productive
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?
THINKING ABOUT YOUR OWN VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF KANSAS
When you think about the future of Kansas, what concerns you the most? What aspects of Kansas feel most important to you? What values do they touch?
Think about Kansans who have very different views about what the state needs than you. What do they value the most? Based on the trends and challenges identified in this story: How might pursuing changes based on your most closely held values improve Kansas?
Based on the trends and challenges identified in this story: How might pursuing what you most value impede progress in Kansas? Based on the trends and challenges identified in this story:What personal or organizational steps are you willing to take to advance the Kansas values you care most about? How will you productively engage when your own values conflict with the values of others?
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Finally, we value seeing a place where all of these positive aspects cohere together to create a high-quality place to live and raise families that ourselves and others can cherish, now and in the future.
The economic and demographic dynamics influencing Kansas are real, and the challenges are not going away on their own.To make progress, we will have to confront them in more thoughtful, collaborative ways.We’ll have to step beyond what we are comfortable doing and experiment by taking smart risks that could pave the way to a better future. And, all the while, we’ll have to keep our focus on choosing to express the values that are truly most important to us as we advance onward into new frontiers.
Future progress in Kansas may largely be determined by how we sort through those values and which ones we place the highest priority on. No single value should become an all-or-nothing proposition.There are balances to be struck. But it is also true that we cannot prioritize everything equally, in every situation.We have to choose among these values and decide what’s truly most important to us.
Kansans should hope that as the years go by, we will make more conscious choices and make our own “smart bets” -- as individuals, groups, organizations, communities and as a state -- that will help shape our direction going forward. The future of Kansas is truly up to you to co-create.
What do we want to be truly known for? And how will we make all the other pieces fit together?
T . A , . B . And go forward,
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COACHING UNLEASHING YOUR HIDDEN LEADERSHIP TALENT
ExecCoach Kansas is a new Kansas Leadership Center program that meets experienced and emerging leaders where you are. Starting in March 2012, the program is available to Kansans engaged in civic life – whether at work or as a volunteer. Individuals choose a trained and experienced member of the KLC Coach Team to support and challenge them to exercise more effective leadership on the challenges facing their organization or community. A skilled Civic Leadership Coach draws on the KLC’s deep understanding of the leadership behaviors required to mobilize people to make progress. The four-month engagement – with a market value of anywhere between $700 and $1800 (depending upon the skill and experience of the coach) – is subsidized by the Kansas Leadership and available to Kansans for just $200. Coaching is uniquely suited to offer 21st century executives: • • • • •
Joe Caldwell’s coach kept him focused on making progress, using the KLC civic leadership competencies as inspiration. “My coach was challenging,” remembers Caldwell, “yet with his support, I experimented with things I might never have tried on my own.” Michelle Gislason, whose organization CompassPoint has been on the leading edge of coaching in the nonprofit sector, calls coaching “a process of supporting individuals to make more conscious decisions.” She says that the ultimate goal of coaching is to help someone move to a new action or behavior while learning, growing and developing. A growing body of research shows that coaching speeds and sustains ability to apply learning. At KLC we know that it is not enough to attend a workshop, read a book, or study a list of civic leadership competencies. In order to make a real change, individuals and teams have to put new ideas into action, try new approaches to leadership, and be willing to learn from successes and failures.
Tailored and timely assistance; Help in problem solving and accountability; Support for real-time application of learning about leadership; An objective and confidential ear; A time and place to reflect.
“My coach was challenging, yet with his support I experimented with things I might never have tried on my own.” Joe Caldwell, Kansas Health Foundation Fellow
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IS CIVIC LEADERSHIP COACHING RIGHT FOR YOU?
TAKE KLC’S COACHING READINESS SELF-ASSESSMENT
Circle your response to the following statements. Be honest with yourself. Then tally your responses to see if ExecCoach Kansas could be a powerful leadership development opportunity for you:
1.
I’m at a point in my life where I am ready to lead more effectively and purposefully – in my organization or in the community or civic arena. Yes
2.
7.
No
Not sure
No
Yes
8.
No
No
Not sure
No
Not sure
Now, tally your scores, giving yourself 3 points for each “Yes,” 0 points for each “No,” and 1 point for each “Not sure.”
I have enough control over my schedule to keep appointments with my coach, or to reschedule 24 hours in advance when necessary. Yes
Not sure
I view ExecCoach Kansas as an investment in my leadership development, and am highly likely to apply what I learn or discover through coaching to help strengthen my organization or community. Yes
Not sure
No
If something is not working related to coaching, I have the will and self-confidence necessary to let my coach or a KLC staff member know immediately so we can take action to improve the situation.
Not sure
I could benefit from additional tools, resources or concrete approaches to leadership challenges. Yes
5.
No
I understand that in coaching, the coach is there as a partner to provide support, encouragement, provocative questions, challenges, and a measure of accountability, but that I am responsible for making sure that the experience is valuable and productive for me. Yes
I’m open to new ideas and new ways of doing things that will help me create positive change in my organization or community. Yes
4.
Not sure
When it comes to exercising leadership, I’m prepared to tackle some tough challenges to close the gap between the way things are now, and the way I want them to be. Yes
3.
No
6.
If you scored 20-24 points: You are probably ready to make the most of civic leadership coaching!
Not sure
Call Keshia Ezerendu at 316.712.4961 to learn more about ExecCoach Kansas.
You may be on your way to a powerful and productive coaching experience!
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THE BOARD’S EYE VIEW MEMBERS OF THE KLC BOARD OF DIRECTORS DISCUSS THE REWARDS AND CHALLENGES OF SERVICE
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, Karen Humphreys and Greg Musil gave a 30-minute joint interview about their role as board members of the Kansas Leadership Center. Karen, a U.S. magistrate judge, is president of the KLC board. Greg, a real estate lawyer in Kansas City, is vice president of the board.
about what KLC was … an opportunity to do something very special and unique. The fact that Ed was in charge of it, someone that I trusted and respected, made it a very easy decision.
Q. Without using job titles, how would each of you briefly describe yourselves? KAREN: I am a passionate Kansan, a born and bred
native. My origins are in Clark County in the county seat of Ashland, and my mother and brother still live there. I attended KU for 7 years and I chose to remain in Kansas. Living in Kansas as an adult has permitted me to cross paths with hundreds, if not thousands of other Kansans. And through that journey, I have had opportunities to really become better informed about our state and the people who live and work here.
KAREN: I came to this through my years of service
GREG: First and foremost, I am and always will be, and always want to be, a Kansas farm boy. Those 18 years of roots are what stay with me today, even though I have not lived on the farm since 1975. I grew up in a family where you learned that you were to give back, and it wasn’t just because of an obligation or responsibility but because you got something out of it. And so I continue to try to be a giver.
Q, How did the Kansas Leadership Center come to be part of your lives? Were you invited to serve on the board? Did you seek this opportunity? GREG: Really it was a cold call from Ed O’Malley. I had a relationship with Ed O’Malley for a number of years (in Johnson County). Ed called me and said he was recruiting board members, and he talked 22.
on the board of the Kansas Health Institute. I served on that board for 11 years, several of those as the board chair. And I think that (my service) was viewed in a positive way by the Kansas Health Foundation when it was thinking about how to set up the Kansas Leadership Center. So I was invited to be the board chair and bring that experience into the leadership center. I first met Ed O’Malley the day he came to Wichita and accepted the invitation for employment. Unlike Greg, I had not known Ed prior to that day. Q. Your stated mission as board members is to “ensure the advancement of civic leadership in Kansas.” What exactly does that mean to you in everyday terms? What would success look like?
(Laughter) KAREN: Go ahead Greg. GREG: Part of what we struggle with is, it is such a broad and amorphous and ambiguous task to define leadership, and then to measure leadership because the variables that go into success are infinite. What we want to do is get more people more interested and passionate about working within their community
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Board Member Greg Musil
to solve those everyday problems that go on and on and on. But it is hard to define that in a way you can measure it and say, “Because we did X, Y happened.” … But we know that if we don’t help people to listen better and control themselves better, they are likely to stay in the same rut. KAREN: We want to inspire participants to engage
more and take bigger risks to make their communities healthier. We want to educate them on how to do that in the most effective way. And we want to connect the participants to create strong networks. And I have always said the measure of success will be when the mayors, the city councils, the county commissioners, the members of the state Legislature, the heads of agencies in Topeka, as well as throughout the state, will be familiar with the competencies that are taught in the KLC programs. GREG: Let me piggyback on what Karen said: If we could have chambers of commerce, church and religious leaders, elected officials, Rotary Clubs, American Legion Halls, PTOs (parent-teacher organizations) and have somebody from every one of those organizations who knows the language and understands the KLC competencies, so they can work across those groups, which would lead to success.
Q. Under the KLC definition, leadership is an activity, not a position or a title. It requires taking a risk to engage others to confront problems. Using this definition, how would you like to see KLC lead in the state? Is the role of KLC limited to equipping potential civic leaders with skills? Is that risky enough? Or should the KLC have a role to play intervening in the state’s most challenging problems?
KAREN: That question is one which our board
revisits frequently. And I believe that our current position is that right now, our mission is to educate, inspire and connect. There may be a time in the future after those objectives have been more completely fulfilled that there would be room for KLC to take a bigger risk and address issues that our state faces, as an organization. But I don’t see that happening for several years. Greg: Karen’s right; we have talked about this many times. If we don’t have enough credibility to demonstrate that we’re not an advocacy group for a specific outcome, I think we lose. We can’t get lost in the din of voices out there pushing a particular viewpoint. Some people could say we need to do more, move faster and confront people. But I don’t see us becoming advocates for a particular solution, but rather becoming an advocate for saying that we need to find a solution for a particular issue. That does entail some risk, but not nearly as much as saying, “Here is how we need to solve the immigration problem in Garden City, Kansas.” Our goal is to let the grassroots folks figure out how to solve a particular problem in their community. Polly Basore is a Wichita-based communications specialist with more than 20 years of journalistic experience as a reporter, writer and editor, and community activist. Life and work have taken her to New York City, Moscow, and Washington, D.C., and finally to Kansas where she launched ground-breaking initiatives benefitting children.
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Young Professional AN OPEN LETTER TO A
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Dear Young Professional,
As someone who is quickly aging out of your ranks, I am writing with a simple message: YOUNG PROFESSIONALS (YPs) NEED TO LEAD IN COMMUNITY LIFE NOW.
As a young aide to a governor, member of the legislature and now a CEO of a statewide organization, I have made plenty of mistakes, including some really big ones. I have had some success plus witnessed other generational peers succeeding also. That is why I know YPs can lead. I believe in it so much that YPs represent more than half the Kansas Leadership Center staff. We need YPs leading in communities and organizations across our state. At the recent YP Summit in Topeka and at another recent YP event in Hays, I was struck by the intellect, character and talent of YPs and found myself hopeful – for their futures, for our communities and for our state. With both audiences I explored the issues and concerns on their minds about their communities. We also explored the type of leadership needed from YPs to move the needle on those issues. YPs are concerned about big issues such as rising poverty, population decline in rural communities, job opportunities for new college graduates, funding for education, the quality of health care, affordable housing, strengthening families and a “bigger is better” mentality that permeates our thinking. They talked of the established power structure in communities that is often caught in divisive, short-term politics, exasperated by egos and a “we have always done it this way” attitude. Civic officials mean well but lack the skills and understanding to engage the community and truly understand the challenges and solutions.
YPs are quick to point out problems but find it hard to actually engage on big challenges like these. The discussions surfaced four barriers that get in the way of YPs leading on those tough civic issues. I am sharing them with you with the hope you’ll learn to overcome them.
FIRST, viewing current civic officials and others
with significant authority in the community as the “leadership” or the “established power structure” is getting in the way of making more progress on the issues that concern YPs the most. Just because they are the power structure doesn’t mean others can’t exercise leadership. YPs need to develop the gumption to get involved, whether or not they are in the perceived “power structure.”
SECOND, not having a clear direction for how
to make progress on those daunting issues holds YPs back. The truth is that no one, whether young or old, knows exactly the direction or way to start on those issues. These challenges require exploration, experimentation and improvisation, three things that YPs tend to be more comfortable with than established professionals, which is all the more reason why we need YPs more involved.
THIRD, the typical YP view of change is all wrong. People don’t fear change. They fear the loss they perceive will come along with change. Rather than reciting the “people don’t like change” mantra, YPs should spend energy trying to understand what people think they might lose because of a given change.
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FOURTH, establishing a career and raising a family can squeeze out time for working on community issues. As a husband and father of three, I understand this challenge. YPs need to find a way to engage more, care more and risk more on behalf of creating stronger communities. Think of it this way: Engaging on a nonprofit board or city commission will take time from a young family but also will model civic engagement for children. Also, ask an employer for time to engage civically. Many will see that it’s in the company interest to have a higher community profile. In the long term, community engagement will benefit a YP’s family and career.
TO CHANGE COMMUNITIES,
YPs MUST BE:
X K X K X K X K X K X K X K
Passionate Steadfast Informed Collaborative Courageous Credible Action-oriented
Our fellow YPs in Topeka and Hays articulated a type of leadership we need from you and other YPs. It’s the type of leadership that can overcome those four barriers and others, too. It is big, provocative and desperately needed in our communities. HERE IS HOW THEY DESCRIBED IT:
PASSIONATE - Get involved in the community not out of obligation but out of passion. Think through your life and experiences, your hopes and dreams for yourself and your community, and discover what brings you passion and how it intersects with your community’s needs. A passion for sports becomes improving athletic opportunities for youth. A passion for business becomes involvement with the economic development efforts underway. A passion for faith becomes helping your church make more of a difference in the community.
STEADFAST -The things that concern you the
most can’t be solved quickly. You must be steadfast in your commitment to exercising leadership on these challenges.
INFORMED - While YPs may have access to more
information via comfort with social media and the internet, they aren’t always up to speed on the complexities of the issues facing your communities. You must do a better job developing knowledge of community issues.
COLLABORATIVE - Progress on the things that
concern you the most can’t be solved alone. You must engage with other factions in the community, including the established power players. Seek first to learn their perspectives and needs before trying to mobilize them for change.
COURAGEOUS - Some confuse this with “fearless,” but courageous seems more appropriate. Courage is action in the presence of fear, not the absence of fear. Exercising civic leadership on the big challenges is risky. Don’t ignore that risk, but find ways to mitigate it and exercise leadership anyway.
CREDIBLE - You must be credible with many if not all the relevant factions connected to the things that concern you the most. It’s possible to build credibility with the older generations.
ACTION-ORIENTED - Leadership is not a position, but rather an activity. Specifically, leadership is the activity of mobilizing others to make progress on daunting challenges.
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TIPS FOR BUILDING CREDIBILITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY AS A
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL 1.
FIND MENTORS
Cultivate mentors. Find older professionals you admire and ask them to breakfast. Learn about them. Ask about their past and about how they got were they are today. Ask for their advice. You’ll flatter them and learn a lot of wisdom, too. In the process, you may well develop a relationship with someone who might open doors for you.
2.
3.
GET CURIOUS
Be curious. Ask about other people’s work, and ask their advice for yours. When you are bored in a meeting, get interested. It was socially acceptable to check out during boring college classes, but doing so in the real world makes you look like a college kid dragged to a business meeting with your parents.
READ NEWSPAPERS
YPs tell me they get their news from other sources, but then when there is a big local issue of civic concern, they are often clueless. Even with the diminishing quality, reading a local daily paper is a must. Paging (or clicking) through it, reading headlines and stories, is how you’ll know the news. (I understand this tip may be irrelevant in 10 years, but for now, it’s still important.)
4.
VOTE OFTEN
It’s a civic responsibility. You want to be thought of as responsible and credible, right? Be an active voter. Vote in all elections, not just the big ones.
The Young Professionals of Wichita website proclaims: “YPs are ambitious, educated, and wired; those ready to work hard, play hard, and make a difference in their community.” That sounds right to me. And the “making a difference” part will take lots of leadership. THE FIRST STEP IS DECIDING IT’S YOUR TIME. OUR COMMUNITIES CAN’T WAIT, AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU. Onward!
Ed O’Malley
PRESIDENT AND CEO KANSAS LEADERSHIP CENTER
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THE LEADERSHIP
LIBRARY WHETHER VIA IPAD, KINDLE, IPHONE OR THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY, CONSIDER ADDING THESE BOOKS TO YOUR LEADERSHIP LIBRARY.
The Humanitarian Leader in Each of Us: 7 Choices That Shape a Socially Responsible Life
By Frank LaFasto and Carl Larson Seemingly ordinary individuals often exercise extraordinary leadership. This book introduces you to seven choice points that mark their path. It will spur you to think about how to more fully embrace your own cause.
Thinking, Fast and Slow
By Daniel Kahneman Being aware of our own biases and tendencies is an important part of exercising leadership. In this book, Kahneman outlines two systems that drive the way we think, fast and slow, and how we can benefit from understanding them.
American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us
By Robert Putnam and David E. Campbell Putnam’s landmark 2000 book, Bowling Alone, warned of plummeting social capital from increasing civic disconnection. This book maps out the surprising religious landscape in which today’s communities of faith are working.
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COMMUNITY PROFILE
BELOIT ‘Can-do attitude’ leads to civic change in north central Kansas town By Laura Roddy
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COMMUNITY PROFILE: BELOIT
“WELCOME TO BELOIT,” proclaims the sign along Kansas Highway 24 in north central Kansas. “Vision with Values.”
Take 85-year-old Bob Severance. Several mornings a week, he’s over at the pool in the Wellness Center, volunteering as a lifeguard. The North Central Kansas Wellness Center was launched by a partnership among the city, Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems and North Central Kansas Technical College, where Severance served as chief executive from 1967 to his retirement in 1992.
Visitors can find that same sign outside The Banner Restaurant, the kind of joint where retirees meet daily and practice the original social networking.The Solomon Valley Cinema, a nonprofit first-run movie theater, touts “Vision with Values,” too. That vision for a vibrant community with an active civic life is evident in any encounter with Mary Jane Chapman, a nurse who also serves on the board of Leadership Mitchell County.
As Severance puts it, he “takes the blame” for the Isle of Lights, a Christmas lights display in Beloit that he started with three others in 1999. It now draws 12,000 to 15,000 people per year, including visitors from 168 towns besides Beloit, not to mention out-of-staters and even foreign visitors who have swung through.
As Phyllis Shurts, a fellow board member, drives the streets of Beloit, Chapman points to improvement after improvement and then gets herself fired up for more community change. That area where the town’s first walking trail is planned? Well, now Chapman has yet another vision – finding some way to connect the mile loop with the Wellness Center across the highway.
“It’s a community project, no doubt about it. Without community help, it’s not going to fly,” Severance said. “That can-do attitude for the city is what makes this town special. The difficult we do right now; the impossible takes a bit longer.”
Chapman is full of ideas – and takes pride in the initiative her fellow residents show in tackling meaningful projects in the town of 3,800. “It’s such an important piece of what Beloit is,” Chapman said. “It’s seeing a need and fixing it, even if you are up to your elbows in alligators.”
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COMMUNITY PROFILE: BELOIT
NOT WITHOUT CHALLENGES Although so much civically is going right for Beloit, it is not without its challenges. Among the biggest are jobs and housing. Agco Corp., which sells Sunflower brand farm tillage equipment, is among Beloit’s biggest employers, rivaled only by the hospital, which draws from a 50-mile radius, including across the Nebraska border. Agco has about 340 employees but would like to have 360 – with high-technology manufacturing systems installed over the last decade, it needs to be able to attract skilled workers to town. “The biggest thing we struggle with is places for our people to live,” said Ron Harris, site leader, who has been with Sunflower in Beloit for 35 years. “We have lots of churches, entertainment – we have the park, a great hospital. We have a lot to offer.” Murray McGee, director of Solomon Valley Economic Development, agrees. “We could probably use all levels of housing,” he said. “Builders need to be able to build 10 homes at a time to make it affordable.”
On that note, Crown Homes is a recent development of nine homes restricted to people with low to moderate income. Beloit is also particularly low on rentals available, McGee said.
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COMMUNITY PROFILE: BELOIT
Mary Jane Chapman The nurse serves on the board for Leadership Mitchell County and is an unabashed cheerleader for Beloit.
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COMMUNITY PROFILE: BELOIT
Bob Severance The retired chief executive of North Central Kansas Technical College volunteers as a lifeguard several mornings a week. He also helped start the town's popular Isle of Lights holiday display.
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COMMUNITY PROFILE: BELOIT
YOUNG BLOOD As with many Kansas towns, it’s a challenge for Beloit to retain its young people. In Beloit, the Mitchell County seat, residents are pleased when young people move back. Brennan Eilert is one of them. She and her husband spent several years after college living and working in Manhattan but felt the pull to return to Beloit once they started their own family. “I love our school system as if it were a person,” said the mother of two, who is a counselor at Beloit Junior-Senior High School, sponsor of the student council and PTO president to boot. “I never once worried we would be sacrificing their education. I thought we would be adding to their education.”
Mark Palen, continuous improvement manager at Agco, got his start in the company with a part-time job during high school. The 36-year-old worked his way up in the ranks, but it was only in the last couple of years that he became more civic-minded. He credits the Leadership Mitchell County program with opening up that vision to him and feels it is critical for reaching out to Beloit’s younger adults. “I feel like they don’t know to get involved,” Palen said. “We’ve got to engage them.” One thing those young adults can do is look around. Four community undertakings – the pool, movie theater, Perdue House and North Campus – and some of the people associated with them demonstrate the vitality of civic life in Beloit.
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COMMUNITY PROFILE: BELOIT
Heather Johnson and
THE POOL
When the committee looked at funding sources, Johnson said – considering donations, sales tax and grants – it found that grants for pools are simply nonexistent. The committee also felt that the community was pretty tapped out for a capital campaign, with recent library and hospital fundraising. That left sales tax, which was a lot more palatable in the community than property taxes because as a county seat, Beloit actually has an inflow of taxes from folks who live elsewhere. The decision was made to seek a 0.03 percent increase, and the next step was selling it.
In July 2010, Heather Johnson and her children were at the Beloit Municipal Pool in Chautauqua Park on the town’s south side. The day was sweltering, but there were only 11 kids at the pool. She turned to a friend and said: “This isn’t working.” The pool was built in 1937, a Works Progress Administration project, and it was showing its age. Johnson said families were heading 65 miles southeast on weekends to visit a large aquatic center in Salina. It was then that seeds for the pool project formed. Johnson got together 12 people of varying demographics, including age and gender. They met once a week and sometimes twice a week brainstorming and assessing needs. Johnson said the biggest obstacles were the cost and location of a new pool for Beloit. The committee surveyed the community and received more than 900 responses, from that of Johnson’s then 11-year-old daughter to a 90-year-old.
Education and creativity were hallmarks of the campaign. Johnson said it was crucial to point out that the sales tax increase would mean just an extra 3 cents on $100 in groceries. “This is just pennies on the dollar for what we’re gaining for our community,” she said. The committee then asked for community support to show who was “Cool With the Pool.” Residents were asked to display sculptures made of foam pool noodles in their yards and buy and wear blue pro-pool T-shirts around town on designated days. A Facebook group for the pool project garnered 1,100 likes. Supporters also wore their blue shirts in Beloit’s 2011 Memorial Day parade.
Those folks on the pool committee and those in the government had their eye on moving the pool to the north end of town, closer to the juniorsenior high school and an early childhood center. But those questionnaires showed that residents overwhelmingly favored keeping the pool in Chautauqua Park.
The sales tax passed, and 18 months after the committee formed, the Chautauqua Swimming Pool will open for Memorial Day 2012. The new pool takes up essentially the same footprint as the original one, but is long way from the basic rectangle design of the 1930s. It has one feature in particular that residents prioritized – namely a lazy river. The pool also features a toddler area, several slides and a diving board. This year, pool supporters brought up the rear in the parade, and the finish of the parade marked the grand opening of the pool.
“It was almost a heart tear for me,” Johnson said. “In the end I can remember someone said, ‘Heather, it’s already been decided.’”
So with the committee refocused on the pool’s current location, the committee consulted with City Administrator Glenn Rodden and others and keyed into the next piece: financing.
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St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Farmers spent two years quarrying and hauling limestone for the construction of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, which was completed in 1904. The parish also has steadfastly supported its own school.
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COMMUNITY PROFILE: BELOIT
COMMUNITY MOVIE THEATER and Randy Paxon Construction of a new pool was a grassroots, citizen-led effort, and the story was much the same for the Solomon Valley Cinema, which began in the early 1990s with the work of the Beloit Pride Committee. The committee discovered in a community survey a desire among residents for more entertainment options. The community raised $150,000 and took out a loan for $70,000. The theater has been showing movies on two screens daily for 15 years as a nonprofit organization, and it gives between $6,000 and $10,000 per year back to the Mitchell County Foundation, which was once the parent organization for the theater effort. Randy Paxon, an electrician by trade, has been there since the beginning. “I’m a movie nut,” Paxon said. “I just love the movies.” He donated his time to do a lot of the wiring himself and coordinated work by students at the technical college. Paxon said the theater brought in $98,000 its first year. In its fifth year, that amount was up to $198,000 – enough for a mortgage-shredding party. Today, there are seven paid employees, and members of the board of directors such as Paxon volunteer one day a month. They worked many more shifts in the early days. Through it all, Solomon Valley Cinema has raised prices just one time, and that was after the installment of new digital equipment. Today, an adult ticket runs $5 instead of the original $4, and a child’s ticket is $4 up from $3. A large popcorn is $3.50. As a smaller theater – with 108 and 134 seats, respectively, on each screen – Solomon Valley can’t always get every film it would like. Still, Paxon is proud that the community movie theater was able to show The Hunger Games on its first weekend and even managed to get 30 residents out for its midnight opening.
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COMMUNITY PROFILE: BELOIT
Susan Concannon, Stephanie Simmons and
PERDUE HOUSE
Stephanie Simmons, who divides her time between working on foundation matters and working in the hospital’s administration, said rides went from 35 per month last year to about 500 rides per month now.
Susan Concannon is a physician’s wife and longtime community volunteer who began helping with the Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems’ capital campaign after her youngest went to college. The campaign was successful in raising $1.3 million for improvements in the hospital – making the total renovations since 2003 about $20 million.
But perhaps what Simmons, a newcomer to Beloit, and Concannon, a 25-year resident, are most excited about are their new digs – not for what their current state is, but for the promise they hold for the future.
Through the work on that campaign, residents also saw the need for a foundation to support health care in North Central Kansas. They were concerned by studies that showed how much wealth is leaving small-town communities and so formed the Mitchell County Regional Medical Foundation. Concannon served as president of the foundation’s board of directors and then was hired as its first executive director.
The foundation purchased the Perdue House, built in 1874 and named for a physician who built a 10-room addition in 1879. The native limestone house, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is close to the hospital and has been vacant for a decade. Needed renovations are extensive, but enough progress has been made for Concannon and Simmons to outfit the parlor with two desks and make Perdue House the office of the foundation.
“In three years, it’s just exploded,” Concannon said. “ We are real project-oriented.” The foundation has awarded scholarships for the health care field and has launched a transportation service, which is open to the public for any purpose but which predominantly takes residents to out-of-town medical appointments for a nominal fee.
The real vision for moving to Perdue House is to run a hospitality house for families of hospital patients. Similar to Ronald McDonald Houses, Perdue House eventually will be able to accommodate three families at a time for overnight stays.
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COMMUNITY PROFILE: BELOIT
Mark Palen The local boy got his start at Agco with a part-time job during high school and worked his way up in the ranks. In the last couple of years, the 36-year-old has become more civic-minded and wants to help engage Beloit's younger adults.
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COMMUNITY PROFILE: BELOIT
Beloit takes pride in its square. The town's position as county seat and the regional draw of its hospital help keep it vibrant.
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“THAT CAN-DO ATTITUDE FOR THE CITY IS WHAT MAKES THIS TOWN SPECIAL.
The difficult we do right now; the impossible takes a bit longer.” 3.
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COMMUNITY PROFILE: BELOIT
Lynn Miller, Mandy Fincham and
NORTH CAMPUS And both Miller and community activist Mandy Fincham have big plans for the green space on the 23-acre campus.
At Perdue House, Beloit residents are taking an old building, repurposing it and breathing new life into it. That same thing is happening on a larger scale in Beloit’s North Campus. For many years, it was the Industrial School for Girls, founded in 1888 by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union for “wayward girls.” The state ran it for many years, and it was most recently called the Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility.
Miller helped secure a grant that will give Beloit its first community garden. She has the plots drawn out and is devising plans for faucets. “It’s going to be beneficial for people who want to grow things they just can’t at their house,” she said. Gardeners will just need to pay a fee to cover water usage.
Lynn Miller worked at the facility for more than two decades, first as an activity director and then as training director. A maximum of 110 girls lived at the facility, but toward the end only about 20 did. The state closed it in 2009 and deeded the property over to the city of Beloit.
In addition, Fincham is working with Miller to give Beloit an outdoor walking trail. Fincham is a community development specialist at the North Central Regional Planning Commission who writes grants, usually for infrastructure, for a 12-county area. She is a also fitness aficionado who teaches group exercise classes at the Wellness Center and who had wanted a trail since she moved to Beloit in 2007.
Miller, who has a degree recreation therapy, found work as Beloit’s director of parks and recreation. Little did she know when she left the former Industrial School for Girls that she would be back soon – in charge of a boiler and with master keys to the whole campus. “Some say North Campus is a money pit – the state didn’t do us any favors,” Miller said. “I think what we’re seeing now is the growing pains of this place. … Once it’s taken care of, then we can maintain it.” The city already has put many of the buildings to use. The former cafeteria is currently being renovated as a new library for the city. The police department, sheriff’s office and jailers also have moved to North Campus, modifying a building that was already used for corrections. Two other buildings are occupied by the Mitchell County Partnership for Children and the Early Learning Center. About 60 children are cared for daily on site. The school system also gets use out of the property.
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So when she saw a grant for walking trails that she thought would fit Beloit last fall, she sprang into action. One of the first people she called was Chapman, the Leadership Mitchell County board member, because “she walked everywhere.” Fincham also got several others on board, and within two months, they raised the $15,000 needed as match money for the grant. Fincham worked with the city engineer, who gave her advice and helped her narrow in on the North Campus area. She also consulted with Miller about where to stake out the mile loop. Students in the heavy equipment program at the technical college will actually build the trail, expected to be finished by this fall.
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COMMUNITY PROFILE: BELOIT
BUILDING CONNECTIONS Connections are vital for the Beloit residents who have visions for civic change. It’s easy enough to know lots of people in a small town, but when it comes to tackling a civic project, it can help to know other like-minded individuals to call on. “I think Leadership Mitchell County really helps,” Fincham said. Simmons, a Belleville native who spent several years working as a regional sales manager, was looking to get back to her roots. Working for Beloit’s hospital and medical foundation allowed her to buy a farm in the country and keep a horse. “I wanted to be rooted in a really active community,” she said, “and Beloit prevailed.”
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CAN WE APPLY FACETS OF SNYDER’S ‘MANHATTAN MIRACLE’ PHILOSOPHY TO OUR OWN CIVIC LEADERSHIP VENTURES?
Sports fan or not, you likely know about Coach Bill Snyder’s “Miracles in Manhattan.” He’s twice transformed moribund Kansas State University football teams into national powers. He coached 17 seasons, retired for three years and returned to lead the Wildcats to bowl games in two of his past three seasons. But much of Snyder’s on-field success involves simple though powerful leadership principles applicable virtually anywhere off it. He was a charter member of the Kansas Leadership Center Board of Directors and remains active in the civic life of Manhattan and the state. In the following reflections, try to imagine how Snyder’s ideas might apply to your civic leadership efforts. What might you borrow from him that would help you make progress on the issue you care about most? What could you learn from him as you embark on your own miracle?
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REFELCTIONS ON LEADERSHIP KA NS A NS SHARE STORIES OF INSPIR AT IO NAL L EA DER S HIP FROM SNYDER’S EXA M PL E
Coach Snyder’s leadership style is nestled neatly in his tireless work ethic, his day to day goal setting, his personal performance evaluation and clearly defined expectations. I have heard him say that “Leadership is the adoption of a process.” What I hear Coach saying is that you have to have a plan to get where you want to be. You’ll have to consistently work the plan every day! Not a little today…nothing tomorrow and “I’ll catch up next week sometime!”A consistent “process” produces a consistent outcome. THE HONORABLE MELODY MCCRAY-MILLER
State Representative, Wichita
Coach Snyder’s belief in hard work and incremental improvement perhaps ring most true for me. Exercising leadership consists of helping followers clarify their individual and collective goals, enrolling followers in a collective vision, and then doing the work necessary to improve. He believes larger goals must be broken down into intermediate goals that are believable and achievable. Exercising leadership takes hard work, a plan, ability to assess and adjust the plan, all in pursuit of a goal – a purpose worth the effort. MARY HALE TOLAR
Director, School of Leadership Studies Manhattan
For more ideas and perspectives about Coach Snyder’s leadership, read Robert Shoop and Susan Scott’s excellent 1998 book Leadership Lessons From Bill Snyder. Shoop and Scott, both long-time members of the faculty and administration at K-State, describe 20 key leadership lessons from Coach.
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20 leadership ‘Snyder-isms’ LEADERSHIP LESSONS
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Goal attainment is a three-step process: a) significant goals are set based on priorities/values; b) a well-constructed plan is put into place; c) a “just do it” attitude is adopted. A vision of the desired transformation must be established before implementing the goal attainment process. Goal attainment is always a balance between a focus on long-range goals and daily improvement. The ultimate goal of leadership is continuous improvement, rather than a quantifiable outcome. Decision making is: a) conscious and based on established values and priorities; b) participatory within well-defined limits; c) occasionally intuitive Treating everyone equally while respecting individual differences, needs, and motivations is the key to fairness. Respect for diversity is best achieved by ensuring that everyone is focusing on a common goal. Discriminatory attitudes, behaviors, or statements have no place in an ethical and fair organization and will negatively impact the successful attainment of goals. Leadership Lesson Number Nine: Ethical organizations are based on loyalty and service to individual members, as well as to the greater community. All communication should be open, direct and positive. Successful communication is accomplished through continual repetition of an individualized message.
12. It is important to explain in detail the reason behind decisions and directives, if possible. 13. Storytelling and providing visual images are effective means of communication and leadership. 14. A sense of family is important in the organization. Each individual and every task should be valued by every member of the organization.
15.
Leadership Lesson Number Fifteen: Sincere interest and concern must be regularly demonstrated to each member of the organization.
16. Integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness are the leader’s most important attributes. 17. Credibility is earned and established over time. 18. A standard of excellence can only be established and maintained by hard work and role modeling.
19. Attention to detail and consistency are essential to transforming an organization’s climate, and necessary for the continual improvement of the organization.
20.
Managing time, stress, and emotions are learnable leadership skills. The need for these skills increases as the demands of leadership increase.
Excerpted from Leadership Lessons from Bill Snyder, by Robert J. Shoop and Susan M. Scott.
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REFELCTIONS ON LEADERSHIP
Coach Snyder believes deeply in perfecting the fundamentals - in football and in life. He teaches personal discipline on and off the field. He’s demonstrated how natural talent can be trumped by an inspired work ethic and selfless acts of leadership. From Coach Snyder I learned it is always substance over style... the quiet, relentless pursuit to improve every day. His coaching and mentoring techniques are timeless. I have heard sportcasters wonder aloud at Snyder's ability, at age 72, to relate to teenage players. Apparently they don't understand that when one lives as one coaches... the example spans generations. PATTY CLARK
Director – U.S. Dept. of Agriculture – Rural Development Sedan
The greatest leadership lesson from Coach Snyder is his challenge to players to find a way to improve as players, as students, and as people, every single day. A “little better every day” may not sound like much. It should be easy to do. But the cumulative effect of a daily improvement can have impressive results over time. In year one, it might mean going from zero wins in a season to one win. But by year five, it might mean going from nine wins to ten wins and going to a bowl game. This is highly relevant to our daily lives. We can and will have significant results if we will make a daily commitment to improvement. RON WILSON
Director, Huck Boyd Institute, Manhattan
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Lead Like Coach A SELF-ASSESSMENT
Given his accomplishments, Snyder operates on the high end of this scale. Use the following self-assessment to see where you fall on the continuum. The items below were culled from the reflections included in this article.
Never
Almost Never
Sometimes
Almost Always
Always
I focus more on continuous daily improvement than on a major outcome.
1
2
3
4
5
I have strong attention to detail.
1
2
3
4
5
I focus on the fundamentals.
1
2
3
4
5
I help others clarify their individual and collective goals.
1
2
3
4
5
I engage others in a collective vision.
1
2
3
4
5
I work hard.
1
2
3
4
5
I devise a plan AND have the ability to assess AND adjust the plan.
1
2
3
4
5
I genuinely care about those around me AND want them to be successful.
1
2
3
4
5
All of my communication is open, direct AND positive.
1
2
3
4
5
I work to create a sense of family in my organization or community.
1
2
3
4
5
I model the same behavior I hope to see in others.
1
2
3
4
5
I continually repeat a consistent, positive message connected to our vision.
1
2
3
4
5
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THE
F US E I N FO R M AT I O N + I N S P I R AT I O N A B O U T K LC A L U M N I
Graduation from a KLC program comes with expectations. With strings attached. A fuse, if you like. The KLC hopes to have equipped you with the tools to better engage your community and your state in your civic leadership endeavors. Whether you entered one of our programs as a part of a group or through open enrollment, someone saw the potential in you to Inspire, Educate and Connect Kansans. We hope you continue to visit this section of The Journal for ideas, inspiration and information that will help you in your work.
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ALUMNI PROFILES
In each issue of The Journal, The Fuse will feature program alumni. If you know of a KLC program graduate who’d make for a great profile, just contact Mike Matson at: mmatson@kansasleadershipcenter.org to nominate that person.
What's your favorite thing to do outside the public eye?
Spend time with my family and listen to music Whose leadership style do you most admire?
President Obama and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recall a childhood experience that possibly predicted your desire to lead.
Honestly, playing football seemed to show me that I had leadership qualities indirectly. It pointed out that when you have a passion for something and you put your all into it, as I did every game, people seemed to catch on and follow my lead. It took my coaches to point that out to me, then when I transitioned into quarterback, I really noticed that the type of leader you are can affect a team. So those experiences in sports really helped me out.
BRANDON J. JOHNSON What has been the greatest lesson you took from your KLC experience?
The greatest lesson I have learned is how to recognize the difference between an adaptive problem and a technical problem. Age:
If you could get a do-over on a past civic leadership intervention what would it be? Why?
25
I would not do anything over. I have learned a great deal from my successes and my mistakes. If I were to go back and have a do-over, then I would cheat myself out of a great lesson and experience.
Education:
I am a current student at Wichita State. Where do you live?
Wichita, KS What have you learned in your lifetime about leadership that you'd like to share with young people?
Where do you work?
Never doubt yourself. When you see an issue that you think should be fixed or something you think someone should stand up for...you do it. If you don't do it, who will? Why wait? Tomorrow is not promised. Take a stand, and put the rest in God's hands.
The Salvation Army, Youth Services/ Friends University, Running Back Coach/ C.O.R.E., Inc. , Co-Founder Executive Director What kind of civic engagement are you involved in?
Current Member Kansas Advisory Group on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency/ Executive Director at C.O.R.E., Inc.
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What's your favorite thing to do outside the public eye?
Spend time with family and friends, read, listen to and discover new music, watch movies, and run. Whose leadership style do you most admire?
My father. He is a humble, quiet and genuine man who leads not through a lot of words (as his son is prone to do) but through the strength of his character and actions, which are evident to those around him. The older I get and the more I watch him and think about the way he was as I was growing up, the more I want to be like him.
SHAWN NACCARATO
Recall a childhood experience that possibly predicted your desire to lead.
What has been the greatest lesson you took from your KLC experience?
The week I spent in Context & Competencies was a powerful, self-evaluative one. The greatest lessons I took from it were: 1) A confirmation of my belief that there is no exact formula for leadership, and 2) That anyone can lead at any time; if we are to truly make any headway on the persistent and pervasive problems we face, we must start empowering people to lead in the ways in which they are able and suited. We must engage unusual voices and broaden our “leadership” base. Age:
33
Education:
B.A, Political Science, Pittsburg State University; J.D., University of Missouri; M.P.A., University of Missouri; Ph.D., Saint Louis University (expected 2012) Where do you live? Pittsburg, Kansas Where do you work? Pittsburg State University
When I was about 5 or 6 years old, I absolutely loved Michael Jackson and had a favorite hat with his picture on it. Because I loved Michael Jackson so much, and because I lived in a home where racial differences were never discussed in negative terms (“God loves us all the same, no matter the color of our skin, we are all his children” my mother would often say) I proudly wore the hat on the school bus on the way to kindergarten. Unfortunately, in rural Southwest Missouri where I was raised, discussion of racial differences were often not nearly as benign outside our home. As I walked toward the middle of the bus some of the “big kids” in the back noticed the hat and started taunting me. This was the first time I had heard some of the awful racial epithets. Despite a long 45-minute or so bus ride filled with taunts and shoves, I refused to take my hat off. Obviously, I was not thinking at that young age of making a profound racial statement, but I wasn’t going to take that hat off. If you could get a do-over on a past civic leadership intervention what would it be? Why?
What kind of civic engagement are you involved in?
As the director of government and community relations for PSU (Pittsburg State University), civic engagement is central to my professional life. In this role I am responsible for representing the university locally, at the state level and at the federal level. Prior to this position, I was already actively involved in civic engagement through the Pittsburg Area Young Professionals and the Pittsburg Rotary Club.
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There were a number of past civic leadership interventions when I “took charge” and attempted to take on total responsibility for directing the endeavor when I should have been giving the work back to others. What have you learned in your lifetime about leadership that you'd like to share with young people?
Be confident in your strengths, but the discovery, recognition and management of your weaknesses is probably more valuable.
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ALUMNI PROFILES
What's your favorite thing to do outside the public eye?
Spending time with my family is my favorite thing to do when we aren't running here there and everywhere. We have a great time just hanging out at home. Whose leadership style do you most admire?
Desmond Tutu Recall a childhood experience that possibly predicted your desire to lead.
I was a member of the Friendly Valley 4H club and held several positions in my time with the club. I was later in Salina Central's FFA. I have always felt the drive to be in leadership positions.
SYLVIA KVACIK What has been the greatest lesson you took from your KLC experience?
The Leadership and Faith program was the beginning of a turning point in my life. I approached the first session without many expectations. I assumed it would be like any other conference I have attended. I was pleasantly surprised and came away with an awakening on a personal level. Age:
If you could change one civic leadership intervention in your past, what would it be? Why?
I find myself pushing the limits when taking on controversial issues. I am working on “turning up the heat� without causing alienation. If you could get a do-over on a past civic leadership intervention what would it be? Why?
28
The IAFF #782 Auxiliary is currently treading water, if that. I wish I could get people motivated to devote time to the cause, but because of politics and the current members being very busy, it seems to be dying a slow death. I feel personally responsible for its downfall, but in reality, I know I'm just one part of it.
Education:
I am currently pursuing a degree in English education. I will graduate in December 2012. I hold an A.S. in agricultural education. Where do you live? Minneapolis, KS Where do you work?
What have you learned in your lifetime about leadership that you'd like to share with young people?
I attend Kansas Wesleyan University. School is my job! What kind of civic engagement are you involved in?
ANYONE can be a leader. EVERYONE's voice has value.
I am the bell choir director for Minneapolis FUMC, the president of the IAFF #782 auxiliary, a committee member for Ottawa County Relay for Life, a member of the KWU Philharmonic choir, and a Faith Facilitator for KLC.
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What's your favorite thing to do outside the public eye?
My favorite thing to do is to create memories with my spouse (Dedra), my five children, my three grandchildren, and the rest of my extended family. Whose leadership style do you most admire?
I admire the leadership style of Adam Hamilton, Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, Kansas, and my dad, Ken Rogers, retired pastor who served in the Kansas East Conference.
THE REV. KENT ROGERS
Recall a childhood experience that possibly predicted your desire to lead.
I really don’t have a childhood experience that possibly “predicted” my desire to lead. When I was two years old, I was challenged to be a great man (leader) and I think I have spent most of my life doing my best to make my mother proud of me. I can remember like it was yesterday…my mom watching the television while ironing clothes and suddenly bursting into tears at the news that President John F. Kennedy had been shot. I was only two years old but I can remember her saying, “He was a great man. I want you to grow to be a great man, too.” My mother, who was single parent, wanted me to always treat others with respect, regardless of their sex or race. When I was in kindergarten, we lived in Wichita, Kansas close to the WSU campus, and I was the only white kid in the class.
What has been the greatest lesson you took from your KLC experience?
Manage Self. I have learned that leaders clearly define the “vision” and let others determine the “how.” At Evangel, I have worked to give the church staff and team leaders the freedom to develop strategies and structures for the success of their assigned ministry. By giving the work back, I have encountered innovative thinkers and success-oriented leaders who champion the vision of the church to change lives and our community – one person at a time. Age:
50
Education:
B.S., psychology, Emporia State University in 1989; Master’s of Divinity, Saint Paul School of Theology, 1992. Clinical Pastoral Education, Osawatomie State Hospital. Where do you live? Holton, KS
If you could get a do-over on a past civic leadership intervention what would it be? Why?
Too many times, I have lacked the courage to speak from the heart and intervene in civic activities. The KLC has provided me with the confidence and ability to make conscious choices that may raise the heat but hold relentlessly to purpose and vision.
Where do you work?
Evangel UMC (Kansas East Conference) What have you learned in your lifetime about leadership that you'd like to share with young people?
What kind of civic engagement are you involved in?
I’m currently and member of the Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and I’m the “voice” of the Holton Wildcats during the high school football and basketball seasons. I’m a very active and visible member of the Holton community.
Identify and equip leaders and then let them lead! Don’t forget to recognize their efforts and celebrate their successes with others. When the leader has no vision it is impossible to challenge people to be radical for anything. The leader must clarify and champion the vision. The leader must hold others accountable to accomplish the vision.
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What's your favorite thing to do outside the public eye?
Reading and running Whose leadership style do you most admire?
Donald L. Beggs, President of Wichita State University Recall a childhood experience that possibly predicted your desire to lead.
From the earliest days of elementary school, I remember always wanting to earn the highest score/grade and I always wanted to be class President.
TED D. AYRES What has been the greatest lesson you took from your KLC experience?
If you could get a do-over on a past civic leadership intervention what would it be? Why?
That there are techniques and methods to be utilized and engaged to facilitate our becoming more effective leaders. Age:
64
Education: B.S., Central Missouri State College; J.D., University of Missouri Where do you live? Wichita, KS Where do you work?
One of my early forays into “civic leadership” was serving on a “social services commission” that reviewed/considered applications for public funding at the city level. I wish that I had taken more time to learn about the agencies that were requesting funding AND about the services those agencies provided to those in need. I would have been more effective. As I think back, I really didn’t understand what I was doing or why.
Wichita State University What have you learned in your lifetime about leadership that you'd like to share with young people?
What kind of civic engagement are you involved in?
Chairman, Board of Directors of World War II Memorial, Inc.; Chair of Organizing Committee of Symposium on the Future of Kansas; Member, Board of Directors of Mizzou Alumni Association; Chair, WSU Historic Preservation Commission; Member, Board of Directors of Tornado Alley Tigers Chapter of the Mizzou Alumni Association; Life Member, WSU Alumni Association; Ex Officio Member of the Board of Directors of the Wichita State University Foundation; WuCrew Team at The Lord’s Diner; Member of Board of Directors of Penstemon Home Owners Association; Member, Board of Directors of Wichita Technology Corporation; Member of Advisory Board of the Ulrich Museum at Wichita State University; Member, Board of Directors of the Heskett Center at Wichita State.
Life is all about attitude and keeping things in perspective. Life is all about being accountable. Life is all about understanding the need to work hard to succeed. Life is all about civility and respect. Life is all about listening. And, ultimately, leadership IS all about success in life.
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Whose leadership style do you most admire?
I most admire the leadership style of my dad. He was a servant leader who didn't necessarily hold high positions of power but instead chose to lead by example in every facet of his life. He was a man of his word, took a genuine interest in people, and had an incessant desire to lead a life of purpose centered around family, faith, and his community. Recall a childhood experience that possibly predicted your desire to lead.
LIZ SOSA
As a child, I became the designated coordinator of the neighborhood adventures for my sister and I, and four other friends. We actively pursued projects ranging from lemonade stands to athletic competitions to neighborhood cleanup efforts. I quickly learned that in order to get everyone on board with the same decision, we had to compromise after getting input from each person.
What has been the greatest lesson you took from your KLC experience?
The greatest lesson I have taken from my KLC experiences is the idea of raising the heat, especially when one is not in a traditional leadership position. So often it is easy to let the status quo dictate our actions rather than asking the hard questions and heeding the hard answers to truly make positive progress. Age:
If you could get a do-over on a past civic leadership intervention what would it be? Why?
Given the opportunity, I would "do-over" my approach to joining committees. When I first entered the workforce and established myself as a "doer," I was asked to join lots of civic groups in my community because people knew I would work hard to get the job done. I was so flattered to be asked to participate that I did not stop to question my actual value to the organizations and instead jumped at the chance to join. While many tapped into my broad range of interests, I discovered that I was most effective when I aligned my talents and values with roles that allowed me to have maximum impact in a specific interest.
30
Education: Bachelor's degree with emphasis in Business and Leadership from Fort Hays State University. Where do you live? Garden City Where do you work?
General Manager for Inkt Graphics, Colleague with Public Square Communities, PowerUp Liaison with Kansas Sampler Foundation. What kind of civic engagement are you involved in?
What have you learned in your lifetime about leadership that you'd like to share with young people?
Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission, Western Kansas Community Foundation Board Member, Garden City Downtown Vision Main Street Program Volunteer.
I would share with young people that leadership is definitely not limited to those who hold official "leadership" or management positions in an organization. People of any age and of walk of life can and do exhibit leadership in many meaningful ways. The act of leadership is not something that gets turned on and off like a switch; it's a process, a way of engaging in meaningful interactions that positively builds capacity in our community and in others.
What's your favorite thing to do outside the public eye?
During the the spring and summer, I spend as much time outdoors as possible golfing, playing yard games, and barbecuing.
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Whose leadership style do you most admire?
I admire anyone who practices leadership by acting as a coach and mentor. This is certainly a quality which I strive to emulate on a daily basis. I think we can all be more effective when we take ownership of our outcome and of the outcome of those around us. If we want to make a difference on the issues that matter most, then we should learn to embrace the differences that we perceive as impediments and work alongside those who are moving in the same direction as we are. This is certainly something that is easier said than done, and when I do see these selfless acts, it reminds me of the power of servant leadership.
MARK PALEN
Recall a childhood experience that possibly predicted your desire to lead.
What has been the greatest lesson you took from your KLC experience?
That it is often necessary to raise the heat and to ask the uncomfortable questions if we want to make progress. So often we choose to live in an atmosphere where nobody points out the elephant standing in the middle of the room. We are willing to sacrifice for a less-thanideal state because we don’t want to upset our neighbors. Yet, our neighbors are likely no more satisfied with the status quo than we are. By asking more direct and more provocative questions we can help people break down the barriers and see more clearly what the real work is. Age:
36
Education:
St. John’s High School
Where do you live? Beloit, KS Where do you work?
Continuous Improvement Manager, AGCO Corporation
I was probably known as the class-clown when I was in grade school I was always doing something to draw attention to myself. When I reflect back though, I think inside I was really just wanting everyone to have a good time. My desire for everyone around me to live happier and more fulfilling lives is probably a good indicator that I am willing to help make progress – even if that means a personal sacrifice, like wearing the big floppy shoes. If you could change one civic leadership intervention in your past, what would it be? Why?
My do-over would be to have known earlier that I had the desire or ability to act as a leader. I can think of so many chances I had in my past years to do something that would have made a difference. I always had a perception that those elected into office and those that stood in the limelight were the ones that ran our community. My true intervention is when I realized I have something that I can do to share in the work.
What kind of civic engagement are you involved in?
Currently, the majority of my civic engagement is involvement with Leadership Mitchell County as a board member, curriculum committee chair, and facilitator. I find this work very exciting and challenging, as I am constantly trying to engage more people in our community and show them that they have tools inside them to make a difference in our future. In working with these different voices, I keep hearing a common theme, and that is that we as Kansans are very passionate about making this a stronger, healthier place to live.
What have you learned in your lifetime about leadership that you'd like to share with young people?
Leadership is an activity that can occur at any moment and we must always be ready and willing to put in the extra effort it often takes to make a difference. It’s so easy to see people who do the work in our communities as the owners of our problems. We often perceive them as leaders of our community, but we never stop to ask them if they are tired of doing all the work or if they are being effective by doing it alone. What if we helped them?
What's your favorite thing to do outside the public eye?
Wake-boarding
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What's your favorite thing to do outside the public eye?
Fish with my husband, support my five sons in their careers and travel with my girlfriends annually. Whose leadership style do you most admire?
Colin Powell. He has 18 principles and my favorite two are: “Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds;” and “Organization charts and fancy titles count for next to nothing.”
JUNETTA EVERETT Recall a childhood experience that possibly predicted your desire to lead. What has been the greatest lesson you took from your KLC experience?
As I sit in board, committee and management type meetings, I am amazed how much I focus on the various interpretations of a topic as well as the different roles others play (whether they know it or not). The experience at KLC helped me to work within that environment. I find myself purposely interceding to try and move discussions to a closure rather than engaging in prolonging them. I subconsciously but strategically seek out the “unusual voice” now realizing the value that it may bring. This personal insight has provided me greater opportunities to participate in issues and activities that I truly embrace rather than those I may have dreaded. Age:
56
Education:
AA, BA, BS Health Science in Dental Hygiene
I was interested in becoming a dental hygienist when one of my instructors told me that I should consider another field. At that time, there were few if any minority Registered Dental Hygienists in Kansas. She told me that it was very expensive, very difficult and that I would most likely not be able to get a job in the field. Although risky, I considered that a challenge and in order to be successful, I had to be purposeful and do what was needed to get the job done. In 1979 I became the first African American Dental Hygienist to ever graduate from Wichita State and the first one registered in Kansas. If you could get a do-over on a past civic leadership intervention what would it be? Why?
I would have intervened more by addressing a much needed issue rather than walking away. I should have “raised the heat” and not allowed a necessary need to go unmet.
Where do you live? Bel Aire What have you learned in your lifetime about leadership that you'd like to share with young people?
Where do you work? Delta Dental of Kansas What kind of civic engagement are you involved in?
Leadership Kansas Alumni, Wichita Chapter of the Links, Women United, Inc., Oral Health Kansas Dental Champions Program, Kansas Mission of Mercy, Shocker Athletic Scholarship Association, WSU Advance Education General Dentistry
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Unlike many young people tend to believe, leadership is not a position of authority, an impressive title or about being popular. It is about influencing others to achieve a common goal. One way to lead is through networking and volunteering. I would encourage young people to embrace the equation of: Sharing Your Time + Your Talent = Leadership Opportunities. Those opportunities can take you far personally and professionally.
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What has helped you in the past when you’ve exercised leadership?
I’m a natural collaborator so getting people together to work on new or innovative ideas energizes me. It feeds a personal passion to continually experiment, innovate and reach beyond what we think we are capable of doing. Whose leadership style do you most admire?
Mother Teresa If you could change one civic leadership intervention in your past, what would it be? Why?
THE REV. NATHAN D. STANTON
I recently attempted to arrange a group of meetings that would include older adults from both the neighborhood and the church. I defaulted back to relying on myself and one other person to do all of the work to communicate and make the arrangements. Because I had not taken to the time to share the purpose of the gatherings with some of the key people in my church and because I had not worked to connect with any of the key stakeholders in my community about what we were attempting to do, the gatherings were cancelled with virtually no one signing up. I didn’t take the time to bring important voices to the table from my church nor did I work to discover some of the unusual voices in our community around the issues of aging adults living in our community.
What has been the greatest lesson you took from your KLC experience?
I wholeheartedly believe that the idea of leadership is one that can be done at any level of any organization. I love the flexibility of the Core Competencies and the ability that any motivated person can have to lead others to do difficult work together. Age:
42
Place of birth: Salina, Kansas Education:
Salina Central High School, 1987; Kansas Wesleyan University, B.A. English, 1991; Saint Paul School of Theology, Master of Divinity, 1996; Kansas State University, M.A. Speech Communication, Theatre and Dance, 1999 Where do you live?
What have you learned in your lifetime about leadership that you'd like to share with young people?
Hold to the purpose that you have in this moment and accept and love it! Understand that this is your life right now and it is okay to learn as much as you can, challenge yourself in new ways, grow and risk with what you have been given even though it isn’t where you hoped you would be at this point. I believe when you challenge yourself where you are and continue to grow now, that is what unlocks the doors of new challenges for the future that you had no idea would come to you. Wherever you go or whatever change of job you take, you always take you with you. Changing your situation often times means challenging you and changing you first.
Wichita, Kansas
Where do you work?
Senior Pastor, Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church What do you do civically when you’re not working?
I spend a couple of hours a week in the schools where my sons attend. I serve on the Board of Trustees for the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund in Hutchinson.
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the first time I observed a leader of a major organization actually “walking his talk.” He was someone who had very clearly identified his core values and was living them through his daily actions and interactions with those both inside and outside of the organization. Recall a childhood experience that possibly predicted your desire to lead.
My childhood was spent as a military brat moving every three years from one military base to another. While this experience taught me to be independent, I’m not sure I ever saw myself as a leader. However, others have always showed up in my life to provide the “nudge” I needed toward leading. For instance, I would teach cheers to others wishing to try out for the cheerleading squad in junior high and high school, never trying out myself. I did not realize, at the time, it was preparing me for a much larger opportunity of integrating the cheerleading squad at K-State, becoming the first African-American to serve on the squad.
SYLVIA WHITE ROBINSON What has been the greatest lesson you took from your KLC experience?
Going up on the balcony, as a reflection strategy, was one powerful take-away that I continually put to use personally and in my consulting practice with organizations interested in reviewing and enhancing their leadership effectiveness. Age:
Seasoned If you could get a do-over on a past civic leadership intervention what would it be? Why?
Education: BBS Education – Kansas State University; MS Education – University of Kansas; PhD Education – University of Kansas
I can’t think of anything for which I would want a do-over. This is not because everything has been successful – quite the contrary. However, there has been tremendous learning in those efforts that were challenging and not as successful. These have added to my overall experiences by providing valuable lessons for future interventions.
Where do you live? Kansas City, Kansas Where do you work?
Self-employed as an independent leadership consultant What kind of civic engagement are you involved in?
Project manager for the Urban Neighborhood Initiative – one of the Big 5 ideas being promoted by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the United Way of Greater Kansas City. The goal of the initiative is to support the revitalization of urban neighborhoods within Kansas City, Mo.
What have you learned in your lifetime about leadership that you'd like to share with young people?
There are two things I would like to share with young people: 1) Relationships matter and 2) Be open to other possibilities. Relationships: In all of the years that I have been engaged in civic leadership, one of the important lessons I’ve discovered is that appropriately, authentically and respectfully engaging stakeholders across factions is the best way to ensure long-term success. Possibilities: When you open up, you’ll be amazed at the people and opportunities that show up, ready to move you toward your purpose.
What's your favorite thing to do outside the public eye?
Read an inspirational book. Whose leadership style do you most admire?
Bob Rogers, former President and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Watching him lead was
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Recall a childhood experience that possibly predicted your desire to lead.
Working with seniors in a nursing home. In middle school, I was a weekend volunteer, feeding, reading and visiting residents. Many had no family members who visited. A little kindness went a long way. I remember thinking then that I wanted to make a difference for those people and organized my family and some friends to get involved, too. If you could get a do-over on a past civic leadership intervention what would it be? Why?
CYNTHIA COLBERT
Hindsight is always 20-20, right? I don't have a specific example in mind because I think that you absolutely do the best that you can at any given time with the people and resources at hand. Rather than think of a do-over, I guess I think about what went right, what could have gone better and how I can learn from that experience for the next time. Working in disaster relief after Hurricane Katrina was one of those big learning experiences. Now I am applying those lessons in helping with tornado relief efforts here.
What has been the greatest lesson you took from your KLC experience?
The KLC experience just keeps on giving! I learned so much during the experience, but it is really after it is all over that you begin to incorporate the learnings from the KLC. Knowing yourself, the difference of a generative topic, being courageous enough to bring the heat when its needed, taking time to get on the balcony ... the lessons keep coming! I am very appreciative of the experience and share the information with others. Age:
54
What have you learned in your lifetime about leadership that you'd like to share with young people?
Education: Bachelor of Social Work, Cal State Sacramento; Master of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley.
Get involved, stay involved, don't sit on the sidelines expecting someone else to do what you think needs to be done. Care enough to sacrifice. Change isn't easy, but it is always worth it. Everyone has the opportunity and capacity for leading
Where do you live? East Wichita Where do you work?
Executive Director, Catholic Charities What kind of civic engagement are you involved in?
Poverty reduction, homeless services, domestic violence, housing, and services for seniors. What's your favorite thing to do outside the public eye?
Read historical fiction. Whose leadership style do you most admire?
Many people actually. I try to learn from those who have made a difference: what they did; how they brought people together; how, by working with others, they created lasting changes.
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ALUMNI ON THE MOVE Alumni on the Move wants to keep you updated on your KLC colleagues’ career success. If you know of a KLC alum who is changing jobs or if you are the alum changing jobs, please let us know by emailing Mike Matson at: mmatson@kansasleadershipcenter.org.
Kate Davis is the new Volunteer Services Director at Wichita Habitat for Humanity, where she manages volunteers who work on the construction sites, in the ReStore, and at the office. She also oversees the Faith Relations program, helping to mobilize churches and faith groups to work with Habitat. She comes to the position after two years working with housing and homelessness services in Wichita, first as an AmeriCorps worker with Wichita Habitat for Humanity, then as an AmeriCorps worker with Inter-Faith Ministries GoZones! When she isn’t at Habitat, she’s talking about her recent trip to Haiti with Global Faith in Action, helping out at Mead’s Corner, working on local political organizing, or cooking dinner for her friends.
The Rev. Sarah Marsh accepted an appointment to the Tecumseh United Methodist Church in July 2011. Founded in 1854 and located outside Topeka, Tecumseh UMC has a long history of faith-inspired service. Members currently manage an after-school program, a disaster preparedness team, and a health team which offers classes and events. The church also has a community garden in the works. This year alone, Tecumseh UMC, with an average attendance of 70, has raised over $25,000 in partnership with Kiwanis to refurbish a local playground. Prior to her move, Marsh served as the Associate Pastor of College Hill UMC in Wichita. She is a 2007 graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, a member of the Kansas West Annual Conference, and was ordained an elder in 2010.
In 2011, Taggart Wall became the younger mayor in the history of Winfield at age 22, by appointment of the Winfield City Commission. Wall was first elected to the commission for a four-year term in 2009. His initiatives as mayor include decreasing the city’s debt, evaluating rate structures for water and electric utilities, and facilitating the first Mayor’s Youth Commission. Wall is a 2011 graduate of Southwestern College (Kans.), currently working as the George Van Riper Fellow at the Center for Urban Studies and the Kansas Public Finance Center at the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs at Wichita State University. In 2013, he will finish his term with the City of Winfield and will complete his master’s in public administration from the Hugo Wall School. In addition to the city commission, Wall serves on the Strother Field Industrial Park/Airport Commission in Cowley County. He aspires to serve in state government in the future.
The Kansas Independent College Association and Fund (KICA&F) has hired Matthew Lindsey as president of the organization. Lindsey will assume his new role August 1, 2012, upon the retirement of Douglas Penner. Since 2008, Lindsey has served as executive director of the Kansas Campus Compact, an organization whose membership includes public and private colleges and universities. Howard Keim, chair of the KICA&F board and president of Hesston College, noted the strong leadership skills and experiences Lindsey will bring to the role. “Matt’s track record of success in building collaborative relationships and programs and in strategic planning are precisely the kind of leadership strengths needed for our colleges to thrive and grow, collectively and individually.” Matt Lindsey is a KLC Civic Leadership Coach and a 2010 graduate of Art and Practice of Civic Leadership Development.
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GET THE
PICTURE Photos By Keshia Ezerendu
1. Kathy Symes having lunch with classmates during the Leadership and Faith – Faith Facilitator Training – May 2011 2. Deron Belt attending the Context and Competencies 5 follow-up session – June 2011 3. Tawny Stottlemire and Gilbert Davila pose at the October 2011 Context and Competencies 4. A Leadership and Faith participant during Leadership and Faith 5 – August 2011 5. Leadership and Faith – Faith Facilitator Training – May 2011 6. Leadership and Faith: Transforming Communities 5 – August 2011
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GET THE
PICTURE 1. Context and Competencies 5 participants gather to discuss their MBTI results during their follow-up session – June 2011 2. KLC Coach Steve Radley enjoys great conversation at the KLC Guiding Coalition Retreat – December 2011 3. Kansas Civic Leadership Context and Competencies 6 participants – October 2011 4. Members of the KLC Guiding Coalition engaging in a team activity – Guiding Coalition Retreat – December 2011 5. KLC Coach Suzanne Hawley giving a big smile at the KLC Guiding Coalition Retreat – December 2011 6. Mark Anderson busy at work during Leadership and Faith 5 – August 2011
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LEAD WHO
IF NOT YOU
?
WHEN IF NOT NOW
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The Kansas Leadership Center believes community leadership programs are one of the most effective ways to help communities collaborate for positive change. There are roughly 50 adult community leadership programs in Kansas.
LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
RENO COUNTY
GARDEN CITY
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT A COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IN YOUR AREA, contact Shaun Rojas, KCLI Manager – srojas@kansasleadershipcenter.org or 316-712-4856
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THE SUMMIT IN PICTURES Photos By Jeff Tuttle
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Every fall, participants from community leadership programs across the state will come together to deepen their civic leadership abilities and learn from one another and from the stellar faculty of the Kansas Leadership Center. The Kansas Community Leadership Initiative Summit (KCLI) is designed to complement local community leadership programs. TOGETHER, WE CAN FOSTER CIVIC LEADERSHIP ACROSS KANSAS.
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INSPIRING PARTICIPANTS TO CARE MORE, ENGAGE MORE AND RISK MORE ON BEHALF OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. 3.
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Participants are asked, “How can you exercise leadership to advance what you care about?”
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EDUCATING PARTICIPANTS ON HOW TO ENGAGE MORE EFFECTIVELY AND BECOME CITIZENS SKILLED AT EXERCISING LEADERSHIP
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KCLI Summit participants wrestle with what it takes to make progress on issues they care about most.
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CONNECTING PARTICIPANTS TOGETHER TO CREATE STRONG NETWORKS ORIENTED TOWARD IMPROVING THEIR COMMUNITIES
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Participants enjoy time together to relax and network with other community leadership program participants from across Kansas.
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L
L EA DER S H IP
L ABORATORY
One of The Kansas Leadership Center’s prevailing principles is that the exercise of leadership is an experimental and improvisational art. We cannot know if an intervention – the insertion of our ideas into a situation – will work until we try. In each issue of The Journal, we will load up your tool belt with some of the instruments and implements you’ll need to launch and/or navigate your civic leadership interventions.
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L
LEADERSHIP L A BO R ATORY
TAKE CARE OF
YOURSELF
“It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way you carry it.” LENA HORNE
As you engage others in difficult work, pay special attention to maintaining your own energy and enthusiasm. Take time to renew yourself. Call on friends and colleagues for support. Be purposeful about taking care of yourself over the long haul.
A S K Y OUR S ELF TH ES E QUES TIONS :
1. How do you know when your energy is waning?
2. What activities, practices and places revitalize you?
3. Whom can you call on for support when you need it?
4. How might you create time or space to take care of yourself? (See page 107 for more on this topic.)
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HOLD RELENTLESSLY TO PURPOSE “You may write me down in history With your bitter twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise.” MAYA ANGELOU
HIGH
You demonstrate your commitment to purpose consistently in words and actions. Anyone could tell exactly what concerns you and why.
MEDIUM
Your focus is sometimes fuzzy. An observer would need to follow you for a day or two or inquire patiently to discover what you care about.
LOW
PURPOSE-O-METER Maintain your focus on what you want to accomplish. The more provocative your vision, the more others will try to distract you. Don’t let them.
If someone watched you for a week, they'd see little or no evidence that this issue is important to you.
US E TH ES E QUES TIONS TO R E-OR IENT Y OUR S ELF TO Y OUR PUR POS E:
1. What is your leadership challenge or opportunity?
2. Why are you working on this?
3. What do you care about related to this challenge?
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LEADERSHIP L A BO R ATORY
SPEAK FROM THE
HEART “Almost every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it.” SANTAYANA
Key questions involved in Speaking from the Heart include:
1. Why are you/I working on this?
2. What do I care about most related to this challenge?
3. How often do you/I share your/my beliefs and personal stories with other stakeholders?
4. Are there some stakeholders with whom you/I haven’t shared these thoughts?
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The key to SPEAKING FROM THE HEART is striking a balance and not becoming overly emotional or overly detached. Where do you fall on this continuum? 1
2
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You constantly let your emotions get the best of you.
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You rely solely on emotional anecdotes (oftentimes your own), rather than objective data to make your case.
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You have trouble connecting with or inspiring anyone not already moved by your issue.
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Appropriate Balance for Speaking from the Heart
Overly Emotional
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4
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You allow yourself to speak authentically and respectfully about values.
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When making your case, you intersperse anecdotes and hard data with ease.
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You have developed allies who were moved by emotion and others moved by data and logic.
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Too Detached and Inexpressive
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You never speak about values or show emotion.
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You are not open to using qualitative or anecdotal data to support your case.
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Meetings feel very business-like and lack passion and energy.
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Few people are truly inspired by your work on this challenge.
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SPEAK TO
LOSS “We must do something” always solves more problems than “Something must be done.” AUTHOR UNKNOWN
In building a trustworthy process, we have to be transparent about what motivates us, but we also need to be transparent about what we may be asking others to sacrifice for the cause of progress. Speaking to Loss is a part of that process. Always remember to acknowledge the possible losses of members of the factions – the people on either side of an issue.
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BUILDING COMMUNITIES
John Covington’s decision to step down as Kansas City, Mo., school superintendent, after about two years on the job, provides another sobering reminder that we can’t count on saviors in civic leadership. It’s a lesson not only for those rebuilding that school system, but for everyone addressing entrenched problems across the border here in Kansas. Covington became the 26th person to pass through the Kansas City, Mo., superintendent turnstile in the past 40 years. He made temporary progress on some issues by slashing the number of schools to keep the district up and running.
Still, deeply entrenched problems aren’t solved by an individual, no matter the title or tenure.
Authority figures also should recognize these limitations and recruit a variety of folks to help share the leadership burden. Covington could not have made the progress he did without support from the board and other stakeholders. I’ve come to believe through my work with the Kansas Leadership Center that leadership is an activity, not a position. It’s something anyone can do at any time, when he or she makes the choice to engage others in pursuit of progress. The Kansas City, Mo., school board has temporarily filled a vacancy, but finding a top-quality person to fill the role permanently would only be a starting point. The problem isn’t about the face of the district or even about the head of the district. The problem is below the neck, as it is for any of us invested in civic engagement. It is in our hearts.
To make substantive progress, all stakeholders — board members, teachers, parents, etc. — must engage more fully and work on their part of the mess to improve classroom conditions.
The question is how much are we all willing to give to help build the respective school districts, communities and cities of our aspirations?
Board members may have to work harder, for example, at mending fences to inspire confidence in the district. Teachers and parents may have to hold more relentlessly to doing what’s best for students by sacrificing conventions more important to adults. It’s an approach Kansans might be wise to follow as we address tough problems in our communities. While governors, city managers or mayors can make tough decisions and facilitate progress, the most difficult dilemmas typically exceed the bounds of their authority. After all, student performance in Kansas City, Mo., is significantly affected by deficiencies in housing, health and employment — areas that rest well beyond the purview of any school district.
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Chris Green is a writer for the Kansas Leadership Center.
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TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF A PERPETUAL, SOMETIMES PAINFUL PROCESS By Mark E. McCormick
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Greg Meissen, a devoted dad and university professor, compensated for his overwhelming schedule by waking at 4 a.m. to work, but coached every team his children played on.
Patty Clark told a group of us discussing life-work challenges how she’d begun to emotionally unravel under the professional workload that kept her away from her family. Increasingly, the weight of the guilt became unbearable.
I talked about how difficult it had been lately for me to let go of my sons’ toddler years and how on a recent lunch outing built on the premise of quality time, I had to bite my lip as the folk classic “Cat’s in the Cradle” poured from the speakers.
Tears rolled down her face, she recalled, when of all people, her then 13-year-old son grabbed her shoulders and barked, “Mom, get a grip.” “It was one of the moments I’ll always hold in my head and in my heart,” Patty told us. “I learned that you can’t carry that guilt around. You can’t beat yourself up. I reframed time away from family as an opportunity for my children to cultivate some independence.”
The most poignant moment though emerged as Racquel Thiesen, Newton’s vice mayor, recounted through tears the previous four months during which she’d lost her toddler Tatum to a late-summer drowning.
This “life-work balance” discussion, punctuated with laughter as well as tears, ballooned to nearly 15 people.
Patty, now also crying, shared her relief in seeing Racquel at the retreat.
The conversation dealt with the difficult sacrifices of managing work and home. But it also illuminated one of the Kansas Leadership Center’s important, challenging new guidelines: take care of yourself.
“I was afraid that this part of your life would shut down, that you might withdraw and blame yourself; overcompensate as a mother,” Patty said. “When I walked into the room and saw you, saw that you didn’t lose that part of your life, I was so happy.”
Amy Delamaide, a relative newlywed, raised the topic for discussion. She lamented whether choosing marriage and family would mean sacrificing how influential she could be in the world.
With remarkable repoise, Racquel explained how she’d reached this place. “Tatum was a part of me,” she reminisced of her ebullient child. “I couldn’t abandon who I am because she isn’t here.”
Amy articulated the disappointment, if not anguish, young spouses and parents face as they’re stretched between their desire for civic and professional involvement and the responsibilities of caring for aging parents, maintaining a home and the desire to be the room mother.
Racquel demonstrated self attention on the deepest level and under the most unimaginable circumstances. She’s managed to salvage and balance the life of public service that means so much to her while carrying it as a torch that illuminates the spirit of her daughter’s life.
Sue Dondlinger, a career executive now with two adult children, offered the perspective of a woman who’d lived through this balancing act and had witnessed its iterations. She’d watched friends who successfully opted for home. Others attempted to balance both, buoyed by the intellectual stimulation of a career. Others balanced both because they had no options.
There were tons of tears in this conversation because it isn’t an easy topic. We were dealing with who and what we care about most. The answer to taking care of self – balance – is easy. It’s just not easily done. That’s why we must consciously devote attention to it. We can’t just focus on our civic cause. And we shouldn’t sacrifice the love and support of the families who make us who we are.
Other women at the table chimed in about the reward of work being tempered by such scenes as the desire to more often see their daughter, ponytail bouncing and bird legs churning, run into their arms at the close of the kindergarten school day.
So much of what we want to do as civically engaged people involves caring for others.
So much of “taking care of yourself” for this group, centered on our time with loved ones.
But we can’t do that without caring for ourselves throughout the journey.
The sprinkling of men in the group shared similar stories.
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HELPING WITH THE TOWN ROCK SIGN BY ANNIE WILSON
I brush aside the curled pink tangle Of last year’s bluestem leaves. I pull hard against the flat rock’s edge, But it won’t budge. I see another and lift it up, A limestone mold of ancient seas, Pull its always-surprising weight Up to balance on my hip, Sidestep up and lay it on a bare place In the “D” of the town rock sign. E-L-M-D-A-L-E Spelled in eighty-foot letters of Stones laid in lines and curves Across the side of the steep ridge Rising above the Cottonwood River below us, Our crew one of many over the years To repair and rebuild the town rock sign. We catch our breath occasionally to look out: Elmdale a miniature village below to the northwest And the great valley between In winter wheat green and deep coffee-color Of early spring fields full of promise. While children shout and scramble over The spinal rock outcrop that caps this line of hills, Below brawny bare-armed young men laugh And heft the largest stones. Weed whips and nippers clip the woody brush Too tough for prairie fires, And more gloved hands rearrange the rocks Slipped and heaved and sunken in nature’s course of freeze and flood, thaw and bake. The art of arranging stone, Fitting the puzzle of corner and space, Brings to mind the awesome pioneer-laid walls That line old pastures and homestead yards. This hill rock sign, a county tradition: So large and labor-intensive It can be accomplished only by group effort, A community act, A celebration of identity Painted in the regional media Of pocked and lichened dapple-gray stone. Our town name spelled for all to see, Our labor and pride: Our community.
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Annie Wilson teaches writing and literature at Emporia High School and works with her husband on their Chase County ranch. She is a member of the Tallgrass Express String Band, and enjoys writing poetry and songs about life in the Flint Hills. Last year she produced a CD collection of her songs called Clean Curve of Hill Against Sky – Songs of the Kansas Flint Hills.
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THE BACK PAGE
MOVING ON Kansas Leadership Center President and CEO Ed O’Malley once rhetorically asked a group, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” It was one of the most profound questions I’d ever heard, and a question I’m answering as I leave KLC to discover my calling. You don’t want to fade away without answering that question, as American author and poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. once wrote, with the song still in you.
On any given day, I could move from coach to coach, faculty member to faculty member in a roomful of extraordinary intellects and enjoy sumptuous conversation. Then the next day, I could talk one-on-one with people of national renown such as Dr. Roz Lasker, author Carl Larson or our own David Chrislip. And while working on me, I didn’t have to feel guilty because I was helping Kansans aspire to greatness for their communities and state. Now, I want to attend to my own aspirations.
Realizations such as this one are momentous. But it also is bittersweet because I’m leaving one good circumstance for another. We can’t pretend that all of our office relationships will be exactly the same. I won’t be able to walk across the hall or across suites and discuss Jayhawk basketball, boxing, our dogs, the Equal Rights Amendment or our mutual dreams. I won’t be around every day to playfully put my staff colleagues on the spot by saying, “I’m not going to let you talk about my good friend Keshia that way,” as Keshia walks into the room.
But first, I’d like to thank Ed, and Matt Jordan, our director of operations, and the Kansas Leadership Center Board for this opportunity to serve my state and fellow citizens in my role here, as well as for understanding my desire to follow this new path. This isn’t a decision made without risk or even without fear. But the question I began with asked what I would do if I weren’t afraid. Well, I wanted to answer that question now, before time fades away, and with the song still in me.
And they’ll all be safe from the wild, made-for-TV stories I’d create with Ed and try to sell to you in the hallway around his office. It will still happen, just less often. I’m deeply grateful for my entire KLC experience and for the thoughtful, incredible people I’ve met who have left deep imprints on my life. By Mark E. McCormick
KLC regularly allowed me to focus on my own development, and that often involved someone in the KLC family.
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SAS L EADE
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