The Albuquerque District continues to fine tune the Level I and II Leadership Development Programs (LDP) to help participants grow personally and professionally.
Facilitated by Craig Lykins, the District’s training coordinator, classmates began the 2010-11 LDP II program by finding out about themselves. They experienced a self-assessment module designed to help recognize how they perceive themselves and how they are perceived by others. They also looked at how their personal and work life mingle and their communication and management styles relate.
Subsequent modules of the LDP II program consisted of project management tools, generational differences, social networking and presentation skills, all designed to help build effective leadership qualities.
This year, the District Commander, Lt. Col. Jason Williams, talked with the group about his vision for the participants and the program; he highlighted various projects that needed special attention. Williams wanted to use the developing talents of the LDP II group to improve various mission areas, so the class participants were asked to select a project to work on. The projects included: Quality Management System (QMS) implementation, share-drive clean-up, Green Team jump start and developing a flood fight pocket guide.
The class participants divided into four work groups, and all groups were successful in meeting the project objectives and were able to present the findings to the Corporate Board on June 20. It was great to see the final product of each team’s efforts.
The 2011 LDP II session helped me to stretch beyond my comfort zone. In addition to the regular day-to-day support I provide in the Executive Office, participation in the program meant I had to attended monthly training classes and find time to meet with my team to work on the QMS project.
On June 28, most of the program participants met at the University of New Mexico’s “Ropes” course. This was the final exercise that challenged each of us to our physical, emotional and team limits by building trust, patience and respect. Everyone really bonded.
The LDP II experience was a great one. It raised my awareness of the many facets of effective leadership. I learned that inspiring people requires constantly adapting to your environment, constant learning and continuous awareness of generational differences. I think this quote by Mary D. Poole says it best, “Leadership should be more participative than directive, more enabling than performing.”
All LDP II participants graduated on June 29. In alphabetical order, they are: Jeannette Alderete, Joe Ariaz, Katherine Chapman (BOR), Michelle Estrada-Lopez (BOR), Therman Franks, Susan Gant, Daniel Garcia, Jessie Griego, Timothy Kreitinger, Jennifer Lillard, Crystalin Medrano, Thomas Plummer, Felton Prosper, Maria Romero, Mark Rosacker, Monika Sanchez, Regina Schowalter, Kristen Skopeck, Mark Stewart, and Garry Vollbrecht.