To start off this blog, I must first ask a few questions... What is leadership? Who is a leader? Are the qualities of a leader learned or is a person born with them? How does one effectively and efficiently lead a group of people?
These questions (and many others) were posed to us "Artichoke Fellows" during our first meeting in January. Ten strangers, each with different backgrounds, education, and careers started a journey to learn about and define leadership through the New Mexico Agricultural Leadership Program.
In our short time together, we learned a little more about ourselves from professionals who are experts in their fields. We learned about our behavior, our personality, and our style of communication. We discussed ways to effectively communicate with others who don't match our personality or communicate the way we do. We also learned or were reminded that as "leaders" we need to be open minded, inclusive and equal to a diverse workforce...and it goes without saying. As children, we are taught to include, communicate, and treat others equally. Sometimes though, one can lose sight of those teachings and when that happens, we set ourselves and our team up for failure. Naturally, as one manager in a large organization, I found these topics interesting. The ideas, suggestions, and advise offered I can and have been using in my role as manager. The "communicate styles to style" lesson we received has been a guide to me in effectively communicating with my colleagues. Is it working? Hard to say, but by referring back to it every now and again, and practicing daily, I feel I will be able to communicate with the many different personalities I work with.
Throughout our time together, we had many great conversations and discussions. I tried my hardest to not be my quiet, reserved (some say "Shy") self. I tried to engage in conversations more, rather than sit back and observe. As we move through this program, I hope I am able to step out of my comfort zone more and without hesitation. I want to learn more about being an effective and efficient leader and I know I am in a great group of Fellows who can help me be that. I can't wait to learn from them during our short eighteen months together.
Until next post...
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