LEADER AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTION PROJECT 1

Leader and Leadership Development Intervention Project

Deidre R. Bradley
Fort Hays State University

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Abstract

This study will assess the strengths and weaknesses pertaining to leadership and leadership
development for a small rural hospital. The focus of this study will be on high-potentials and
readying them for a leadership role in conjunction with succession planning. A closer look at the
structure and dynamics of the organization and the opportunities for improvement will be
explored.

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Leader and Leadership Development Intervention Project
Clark Regional Medical Center serves its surrounding communities by offering quality

care in a warm and friendly environment. Patients are the top priority, yet it is vital to the future
of Clark Regional to maintain a strong and engaged workforce. The organization has a very
robust leader/ship development vision. Development of leaders is the focus of our strategic
plans each year. The CEO is dedicated to the ongoing enrichment of our leaders, and she
encourages them to learn continually. Therefore, this environment is ripe for harvesting leaders.
To mitigate risk of losing individuals who, either do not feel prepared to enter a
leadership position, or believe there is no opportunity for career growth, it is vital that an
intervention be introduced for each objective to ensure stability in key leadership position. An
additional benefit will be reducing turnover as we help employees follow their desire to grow.
Overview
A needs assessment was conducted for Clark Regional Medical Center. The main
challenge facing Clark Regional Medical Center is succession planning. While we have a solid
base for our Directors and not current vacancies, we struggle with identifying and training up
emerging leaders. This puts our organization at risk of losing seasoned leaders without anyone to
smoothly transition into their role. Operations can crumble under these circumstances.
Therefore, it is essential for our hospital to seek out those who are interested in leadership roles,
and train them to be successful in technical skills as well as leadership skills. Three objectives
were developed to address this weakness in our organization. From those objectives,
intervention strategies were developed. Finally, assessment activities to measure the outcomes of
the interventions have been finalized. This paper serves to align the objectives, intervention
strategies and assessments with the strategic mission of the hospital.

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Dynamics
Our medical center is a close neighbor to Lexington, Kentucky, which boasts several

large hospitals including the University of Kentucky Medical Center. All of these hospitals vie
for the same patient population and talent pool of Central Kentucky. This researcher has been
employed as the Vice President of Human Resources and Public Relations for over two years.
When I was hired by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), she had just been transferred to the
medical center as part of the restructuring of the hospital.
Clark Regional Medical Center was a non-profit hospital and financially strapped. This
financial position led to its sale. LifePoint Health, a for-profit company with over 70 hospitals
nationally, purchased the hospital in 2010. Major changes took place with the acquisition, not in
the least of these changes was the fact that several key positions were no longer needed, and
there was a mass lay-off. When the new administrative team, which consisted of the CEO, Chief
Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) and Vice President of Human Resources
and Public Relations (this researcher), began the journey of changing a culture, there was a
plethora of opportunities. This would prove to be a great challenge.
Many in the organization were quite disillusioned with our parent company, LifePoint
Health. There became a mentality that eventually was spoken in many circlesLifePoint versus
Clark or old Clark. Employees and even leaders could be heard saying, When LifePoint took
over, they completely changed the way we did things here Our administrative team began the
culture change by simply asking our directors to stop using this language, and to champion the
cause with their employees. It was a slow and arduous journey, but I can happily state that after
two years this is no longer part of the lexicon at Clark Regional Medical Center.

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It was apparent to me very early on that there had been no leader/ship development for

some time. In fact, the directors were the only group to have ever received any kind of training.
The human resources acumen was not at all where it should be, and part of the reason for that
was that the human resources leader position had been vacant for well over one year. In general,
there had been no one there to truly dig in and develop these wonderful leaders, which is why I
was brought in to assist in changing the culture and getting the hospital on track with employees.
These directors were all operating from a point of distrust, paranoia and just trying to get
their day-to-day tasks completed. This left very little time for the leaders to sharpen their
leadership skills or develop a strategic vision for their departments.
Another glaring opportunity that was discovered is we have not identified that second in
command for any of our departments. Our succession planning is virtually non-existent. While
we have just now started to identify these individuals, we have not properly groomed them or
given them any tools to be a leader. Without developing a pipeline for these individuals, we are
at risk of losing very significant human capital. We need these informal leaders to be our best
first followers.
Organizational Context
All of our 40 directors report to an officer in the company, CEO, CFO, CEO and Vice
President of Human Resources and Public Relations. In the last year we have added some
positions to include managers, supervisors and team leads to assist our directors in their daily
activities and operations. This has been a great help to the directors but it has also created
challenges since they have not been trained or developed as a leader. While they have
demonstrated superb technical skills they are very lost in the jungles of management.

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Each director has multiple people and/or functions that they are responsible for. Without

fail, each of them typically works several jobs to ensure that patient care is not affected by any
shortages with staff, (i.e. if a nurse is absent due to an unplanned event).
Our hospital also has physician clinics that serve the entire county of Clark in addition to
Powell County, to the east of Winchester. These clinics are an entity of their own; however, their
reporting structure is through the CEO, and they are part of our entire organization.
When a new director or leader is selected, they must attend an orientation specifically
addressing leadership principles. This is in addition to the general orientation that a new hire
would go through. Whether we hire from outside the organization or internally, new leaders get
this training. A deeper dive into areas such as human resource policies, accounting, quality and
procurement are also on their agenda. I developed a series of boot camps that delve into topics
from crucial conversations to best practices with onboarding new staff.
Strengths
Leader/ship development is a passion of mine, and it is a large part of my role at the
hospital and in the community. Working with other leaders in the organization and our own
directors, we developed a new leader orientation initiative. When a new leader enters into their
role, they must attend this orientation as we take a deeper dive into areas such as human
resources, accounting, quality, procurement and crucial conversations to name just a few. I
developed a boot camp of sorts that allow us time to delve into all of these areas.
Clark Regional currently provides three formalized approaches for leader/ship
development. These include Central Kentucky Leadership University where leaders are
identified and invited to attend a leader/ship development module over a nine month period. The
opportunity to work with a coach from outside of the organization is also offered. Those who are

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selected are afforded 10 sessions to work with the coach to help them with specific issues or
areas the employee feels they need help with. Both of these opportunities are for director-level
staff. Directors are chosen based on performance reviews and direct observation of
demonstrated behaviors.
Additionally, we have a monthly leadership meeting that typically lasts about 2-3 hours
per month. All leaders are to attend these meetings, including directors, manager, supervisors
and team leaders. In these sessions, we dedicate about 30 minutes to giving leaders on-the-spot
tools for leading. Among the offerings we provide include TED Talks, articles or book clubs.
Directors also complete 360 degree evaluations for feedback.
Our biggest advocate for leader/ship development is our CEO. She strongly supports
each of our leaders and truly looks out for them. Each week, our administrative team discusses
leader/ship development. It is also on my monthly meeting agenda with her. We constantly look
at ways to help our leaders. We discuss what competencies we want in a leader. Without a
doubt, we look at emotional intelligence as a core competency for any leader. We also look at
initiative and positive behaviors that have been exhibited in the past.
For me, the Central Kentucky Leadership University is a dream come true. I had wanted
to implement this when I first took the position at the hospital. We work with a facilitator who
helps the group focus on personal and business mastery. The cohort is assigned a project to
research to determine the viability without our market. The Administrative Team selects
individuals based on gaps revealed through their performance evaluation and general observation
of demonstrated behaviors.
Benefits of this particular training situation is that it gives participants a real world view
of leadership. The group project and the timeline of classes stretches individuals to be placed in

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stressful situations. Van Velsor et al. (2010) described this as the inoculation effect,
undergoing stressful experiences may render similar experiences in the future less distressing,
primarily because the person has developed better coping strategies. It is my hope that people
are truly prepared to handle the majority of issues they will face when they leave a training
experience that I have designed or have worked on as a collaborative event.
Challenges
The challenges we face are not unlike most organizations. We need to foster a pipeline
for interested internal candidates who have either exhibited an interest in fulfilling a leadership
role or demonstrates behaviors that are leadership worthy. At any time, an organization can lose
human capital for a multitude of reasons. Health care is a tough industry and with legislative
changes, it only looks to get tougher. When human capital walks out the door, the knowledge
bank is depleted. We could find ourselves with a group of people leading without the knowledge
of how to get things accomplished.
Our current director pool will have a few exiting the organization through retirement, so
we must actively engage up and coming leaders. One reason is that we must hold onto these
individuals and help them develop so they will be ready when the time comes for them to step up
to the plate. Also, we do not want to lose them to another entity who offers a faster growth rate
than we do. Keeping high potentials engaged is crucial to our success and theirs. Currently, we
are not finding outlets for people to get a taste of leadership nor are we developing a path to
leadership appropriately. We need to support those who are learning, delegate some small but
achievable tasks to them and let them run with the baton. Expecting them to be ready to lead is
setting them up for failure when we have not prepared them. This is frustrating for a front-line

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staff member to toil away every day and not see any growth potential. That is when they flock to
the bigger hospitals because they see more opportunity.
Assessment
While we are doing well with our current leadership team, it is apparent from the needs
assessment conducted, that we need to develop a specific training for high potentials or emerging
leaders so they will be ready to step into a leadership role without any hesitation. This will
become a part of our succession planning for the organization.
Learning Objectives
Based on the needs assessment conducted for the organization, three key objectives have
been identified for the intervention.
Objective 1: Emerging leaders will learn how to coach. Our current leaders serve as
coaches to their constituents. Coaching is a skill that gets better with time and experience. It is
necessary that an emerging leader will have a basic understanding of what coaching is and is not.
They will need to practice this skill in order to become proficient in this area.
Objective 2: Emerging leaders will learn how to conduct crucial conversations. Crucial
conversations happen on a daily basis in the workplace. It has been my experience that teams
who do not engage in these kinds of conversations do not survive. When destructive behaviors
are not dealt with in an appropriate manner, people tend to shut down and move away from
dealing with the fall-out. This does not do anyone or the organization any good. Unfortunately,
many executive teams fail because they do not have the trust necessary to have these
conversations. We see this as a skill to be developed in the emerging leader.
Objective 3: Emerging leaders will learn how to resolve conflict in a professional
manner. Conflict is a way of life. At some point, every one of us will encounter a conflicting

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viewpoint, opinion, idea, standard, etc.. Therefore, it is a must that our leaders are well-trained
in how to deal with conflict effectively.
Another key element to the leader/leadership development initiative will include a fair
amount of time spent on Emotional Intelligence, (EI or EQ). Emotional Intelligence can be
summed up as the ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions while
recognizing, understanding, and influencing the emotions of others (Mayer, Salovey, Caruso
2000).
Further, there are five components of EQ that are explained in more detail:
Self-awareness: Ability to recognize moods or emotions and their effect on others.
Understanding this component will allow the emerging leader to monitor their own
emotions so that they do not come across in a negative manner. Leaders must prepare to
be challenged from time to time and it is imperative that they control their facial
expressions and body language, tone of voice and choice of words. When leaders have
good self-awareness and control their emotions, they come across as more approachable,
and exhibit both self-control and self-confidence. Displaying warmth and positivity
draws people in to the leader and their ideas. This is a good way to develop trust and
credibility.
Self-regulation: Ability to control impulses that could be disruptive; to think before
acting.
Leaders will need to be open to others not immediately gravitating toward their ideas,
especially if change is involved. The participants in this initiative will discover the
benefits of being able to hear feedback, and absorb it, without becoming defensive. If
their followers feel they cannot openly disagree with their leader, they will shut down.

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By being open to others ideas, for example, would demonstrate integrity, which would
lead to more trust and respect.
Internal motivation: The inner vision and passion about what is important in life; joy in
doing something; curiosity in learning.
Being able to motivate others, is a key quality of a leader, a coach. This element of EQ
falls nicely into the coaching aspect of the development of young leaders. Taking notice
of the strengths of their teams and taking time to tap into what they are passionate about,
while sharing what the leader is passionate about can propel relationships. My personal
experience has been that anytime my leader would ask me what I was interested in and
then look for ways to guide me down that path led to more meaningful work for me.
Instilling this in others is important, both personally and professionally. It shows the
team that their leader is vested in seeing them achieve their dreams.
Empathy: Ability to understand others from an emotional make-up perspective.
People have a desire to be understood. Many time, I have found, that people just want to
be listened to. Being able to see things from another persons perspective can be
challenging, but it is very much worthwhile. To step back and ask oneself, How would I
feel in this situation? is eye-opening, and not something that happens many times.
Rather than having an agenda, it would greatly increase positive relationships if others
took a minute to see things a little differently. This is a skill that many in leadership do
not have. Empathy takes time and energy. High potentials must be exposed to this idea
so they can practice it as they move through their career.

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Another aspect of empathy is being sensitive to others reactions. Understanding nonverbal feedback during a conversation is important. It allows for a more open and honest
conversation. Recognizing these cues is also a big part of knowing when to engage
further in an uncomfortable conversation and when to back off. Having a cooling off
period is important. Just as important is knowing when the time is right to bring up the
issue again so the subject matter can be thoroughly discussed. When a leader can see that
they have visibly upset another, and continues down that path, they are less likely to be
trusted and respected. This can lead to diminished engagement, dissatisfaction with
work, and eventually self-selection out of a position, leaving the leader with the task of
finding a replacement. Knowing when to wait so that emotions are not as much of a
factor in the conversation will serve any leader well.
Social skills: Ability to build networks, find common ground and manage relationships.
Another important aspect in leading teams is having the ability to build teams. My belief
is that all the other components of EQ lead to this one. Building a network is critical in
todays business landscape. Leaders are pressed to do more with less. Leaders cannot do
everything, as least not well. They will need to rely on those around them to be the
expert, otherwise, they will get in the weeds and lose sight of the big picture, as a leader.
Knowing who can assist them as they align with the strategies of the team is very helpful.
This takes a great deal of trust in others, and others must trust them in return.
Additionally, when working with people who have differing viewpoints, personalities,
and work functions will require leaders to find common ground with those they work.
Managing relationships so that trust is built and kept should be a focus of every leader.
Often times people get bogged down with who is right or wrong, which only serves to

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burn bridges. Rather, leaders will need to focus on building bridges in order to have
positive outcomes for the organization (Goleman 2009).
Audience
The primary audience for this intervention will be a select group of 10 to 12 individuals

who can be set apart for a one year period to focus on their own development. The selection
method for this group will include performance review scores, supervisor and Senior Leadership
recommendation, and/or their declaration for seeking a leadership role. They must demonstrate
exemplary behaviors, such as good attendance, good technical skills, a desire to learn, and
positive behaviors related to the organization and their position.
Participants will go through a panel interview with the Administrative Team. Every
candidate will be required to put together a portfolio detailing why they wish to be selected for
the program, and what they hope the outcome to be. Additionally, they will develop and provide
a personal leader development plan, which they will work on throughout the process if they are
selected.
The goal of this initiative is that regardless if a participant is immediately selected to fill a
director-level position after this developmental training program, they will still be a value to the
organization. By selecting the right group, we should eliminate any doubt in their abilities to
lead. Therefore, it is crucial that the right questions are proposed to the candidates through an
interview process. Understanding what drives a person to seek out a leadership position is key.
The Adult Learner: Understanding the premise of andragogy, the art and science of helping
adults learn, is a major factor when designing a training initiative for adults (TEAL 2011). This

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knowledge of how adults learn have dictated the methods that will be used throughout the entire
project. Having a base understanding of the learners specific, individual needs and interests,
developing objectives based on the learners skills, designing activities in sequence to achieve
their objectives, working collaboratively with the learner to select methods and materials for
instruction, and evaluating the experience so that if adjustments are needed, they can be
implemented while continuing to assess needs for further learning (TEAL 2011).
Adults need to know why they are learning or doing something; therefore, it would make
sense that the facilitators would explain the reasons for the skills being taught. Focusing on tasks
that adults can peform helps adults learn as they learn by doing. Adults are problem-solvers and
learn best when they can immediately apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to reallife problems. It will be important for the facilitators and coaches to provide feedback to the
group in a way that challenges their assumptions and deepens their critical thinking. (TEAL
2011).
Intervention Strategies
Intervention strategy 1 will focus on objective 1: Emerging leaders will learn how to coach.
Coaching is a crucial skill in the workplace. By adopting the role of a coach, leaders can
build in purpose in a career with their staff (Bleich 2016). When employees understand and
work towards their purpose, they can attribute more to the team and the organization by
developing other leaders. This requires leaders to possess the ability to coach.
Additionally, coaches serve by being aware of issues related to stress and work-life
balance before their employees ever recognize it in themselves. They can help guide the coachee

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objectively so that relationships are built and maintained in an effort to maximize talent for both
professional and personal fulfillment (Bleich 2016).
There are five components to meeting this objective.
1.

Emerging leaders will take a personal inventory of their coaching skills.

2. A 360-degree assessment specifically addressing coaching skills of the emerging

leader will be completed by five to seven individuals who have observed the
behaviors of stated leader. This mix will include both peers and supervisors.
3. Debriefing with an external, executive coach on the results will be achieved so that
the individual understands what areas they need to work on.
4. Emerging leaders will attend six classroom sessions, every six weeks. This time span
in between sessions will allow the participants to absorb the information taught in the
classroom, while putting into practice what they learned that session. The following
class will have time to review outcomes and progress on the previous module. The
first two sessions in the series will be focused solely on coaching.
5. The final component will be that the participants will be afforded the opportunity to
work with a carefully selected, professional coach. There is great value in working
with a professional coach. Coaches can be objective as they guide a coachee in
building relationships and crucial alliances for success in the organization (Bleich
2016). This will empower the emerging leader for their own development, while

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allowing them to understand what the benefit coaching can do for them and their
team.

Intervention strategy 2 will focus on objective 2: Emerging leaders will learn how to conduct
crucial conversations.
Without a doubt, crucial conversations can be daily occurrences in any organization. This
is a skill that only gets better with practice. Challenging an idea or brining up a sensitive issue is
a daunting task, especially if one has not ever done this. However, it is a skill that can be used in
many circumstances, both personally and professionally, to bring about a better understanding of
a situation or issue.
People who are most admired and listened to by their co-workers are masters of crucial
conversations (Grenny 2003). Leaders can gain influence by their ability to handle discussions
that are viewed as controversial or uncomfortable (Grenny 2003).
There are five components to meeting this objective.
1. Emerging leaders will take a personal inventory of their ability to conduct crucial
conversations.
2. A 360-degree assessment specifically addressing crucial conversation skills of the
emerging leader will be completed by five to seven individuals who have observed
the behaviors of stated leader. This mix will include both peers and supervisors.
3. Debriefing with an external, executive coach on the results will be achieved so that
the individual understands what areas they need to work on.

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4. Emerging leaders will attend six classroom sessions, every six weeks. This time span
in between sessions will allow the participants to absorb the information taught in the
classroom, while putting into practice what they learned that session. The following
class will have time to review outcomes and progress on the previous module. Two
sessions in the series will be focused solely on crucial conversations.
5. The final component will be that the participants will be afforded the opportunity to
work with a carefully selected, professional coach. There is great value in working
with a professional coach. Coaches can be objective as they guide a coachee in
building relationships and crucial alliances for success in the organization (Bleich
2016). This will empower the emerging leader for their own development, while
allowing them to understand how to develop the art of having crucial conversations
and how it can impact them personally, professionally, and the effect they have on the
organization.

Intervention strategy 3 will focus on objective 3: Emerging leaders will learn how to resolve
conflict in a professional manner.
Many times young or new leaders worry about conflict and view it as a negative.
However, to some degree, conflict can be healthy because it allows other ways to view things.
This new point of view is often a catalyst for avoiding potential landmines.
The way that conflict is handled and resolved is another tool that emerging leaders need
as they proceed on their career path. Conflict management, can defuse problems before they
escalate (Tyler 2002). Tapping into the benefits of managing conflict appropriately can

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improve employee morale and lower turnover. These are two areas that any leader would
welcome a change for the positive (Tyler 2002).
There are five components to meeting this objective.
1. Emerging leaders will take a personal inventory of their conflict
management/resolution skills.
2. A 360-degree assessment specifically addressing conflict management/resolution
skills of the emerging leader will be completed by five to seven individuals who have
observed the behaviors of stated leader. This mix will include both peers and
supervisors.
3. Debriefing with an external, executive coach on the results will be achieved so that
the individual understands what areas they need to work on.
4. Emerging leaders will attend six classroom sessions, every six weeks. This time span
in between sessions will allow the participants to absorb the information taught in the
classroom, while putting into practice what they learned that session. The following
class will have time to review outcomes and progress on the previous module. The
final two sessions in the series will be focused solely on conflict
management/resolution.
5. The final component will be that the participants will be afforded the opportunity to
work with a carefully selected, professional coach. There is great value in working
with a professional coach. Coaches can be objective as they guide a coachee in

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building relationships and crucial alliances for success in the organization (Bleich
2016). This will empower the emerging leader for their own development, while
allowing them to understand what the benefit of conflict resolution/management can
do for them and their team.
After the feedback on the 360, the members will attend six classroom sessions, every six

weeks. This time span in between sessions will allow the participants to absorb the information
taught in the classroom, while putting into practice what they learned that session. The following
class will have time to review outcomes and progress on the previous module.
During each classroom setting, the group will split into break-out sessions and work as a
group on case-studies, role play, games and discussion related to coaching, crucial conversations
and conflict resolution. This will give the adult learners time to develop their skills in each area
and apply them to real-life situations, either in the workplace or at home. An emphasis will be
placed on role play to help the emerging leader get comfortable with various topics,
personalities, and on the spot confrontations.
It should be noted that a facilitator for the overall sessions will be thoroughly vetted out
for this development series. They will follow the process of selection by interviewing with a
panel of both Senior Leadership and Department Directors. In addition to the panel review
process, they will formally submit a proposal, with a detailed outline of the agenda and training
conference.
The importance of selecting good facilitators and coaches is essential to this program.
They must have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to deliver this type of training. Perhaps,

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more importantly, they will need to be flexible in their approach to others. Therefore, they must
have a proven track record regarding change management, emotional intelligence, and
leadership. This information will come out during the interview process for the facilitator and
coach selection.
The criteria we will use to select these individuals include:
Facilitation Skills1. Knowledge of key elements of coaching and facilitation
2. Good listening skills (clarifying and probing for understanding)
3. Ability to use a variety of media for delivery of information
4. Must be comfortable to be in front of groups; articulate well in this arena
5. Respond to challenges in a non-threatening manner; non-defensive; open to new ideas
6. High emotional intelligence
7. Put people at ease in order to create a safe and open learning environment; good sense of
humor, be able to laugh at self
8. Respectful of all ideas and opinions
9. Demonstrate an ability to draw out differing viewpoints
10. Ability to communicate their thoughts to others; convey ideas clearly

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11. Must be able to think quickly and adjust to the needs of the group without being
judgmental
Organizational Relationship and CommitmentIt will be imperative that the person from the hospital who works with the facilitator(s) and
coaches be able to get along well with these individuals. Establishing a good rapport and
working relationship is essential. Those chosen for this venture will have the following
attributes:
1. Willingness to devote the necessary time to prepare for this development series, and to
continue support during and after the training
2. Credibility and respect within our hospital
3. Positive influencer and role model both inside and outside the sessions
4. Be supportive of the initiative and understand the importance to the success of Clark
Regional Medical Center (Trainer Selection Questions, n.d.)
Additional experts on coaching, crucial conversations and conflict management will be
brought in during this development conference to work with the members of the group as they
work on these specific skillsets.

Assessment Activities

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Throughout the development series, evaluation will be conducted. This will be broken

down into several steps:

1. Reaction: Evaluations of the development series will be given after each session.
This information will provide good insight for the facilitators on the pace of the
modules as well as feedback on the other trainers. Understanding the participants
likes and dislikes can further help the facilitator change things as needed to make for
a better experience. This evaluations will not only consist of the content of the
information but will also seek out information on the venue, temperature of the room,
audio/visual effects and menu. These items should not be overlooked as they add
value to the overall series.

2. Learning, Application and Implementation: Assessing the emerging leaders change

in knowledge, skills, and abilities allows for true evaluation of the program.
Demonstrated changes in behaviors will tell if the intervention has been successful
(Phillips and Phillips 2006).

At the conclusion of the development series, a personal assessment on each area will be
conducted, in addition to a 360-degree assessment by the same individuals who assessed them
prior to the series. This will allow the emerging leaders to see if the gaps in their abilities, skills
and behaviors have changed and how. Since they will be able to continue working with a

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professional coach for one year post-completion, they will be able to work on any areas still
needed to fully develop.

Conclusion
While this project has not been fully implement, there are portions of it that have been.
These include 8 sessions with high-potentials meeting off-site, once a month to work with a
facilitator. Since this project began, I can see leader/ship development in a whole new light.
There are things that I want to change about our current initiative in an effort to make it better.
My passion is developing other leaders. Instilling in others a passion to serve and to lead
is the one part of my job that makes my heart sing. There is no instant gratification that comes
with it. I do not always get to see the fruit of my labor until one or two years have passed. Still
yet, I know there are changes going on all around me. I know that in some small way I have
made a difference if I have empowered someone to go the distance, to make a difference. For
me, there is no sweeter sound than hearing someone say, You inspired me to go back to school
or to get this certification or to be a better listener. Those are the moments that I keep close to
my heart so when the bad days come, I can look back and see that I made a difference to another.
I hope you enjoy reading about this project. It has been a pleasure to work through it.
My goal is to implement it by 2017.

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References
Bleich, M. R. (2016). Gift to self: leadership coaching. The Journal of Continuing Education
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Day, D.V., Fleenor, J.W., Atwater, L.E., Sturm, R.E., & McKee, R.A. (2014). Advances in
leader and leadership development: A review of 25 years of research and theory. The
Leadership Quarterly. 25(1), 63-82.
Goleman, D. (2013) The focused leader. Retrieved from:
https://hbr.org/2013/12/the-focused-leader
Grenny, J. (2003). Crucial conversations. Retrieved from:

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