Program Explanation Discussion - STRETCH curriculum

 

The goal of the program is to cultivate a cadre of effective and inspired community leaders who will commit their talent, wisdom and skills to enhancing the quality of life in our region. Some graduates may choose to do this through elected and appointed positions in local or regional government, others will focus their energy on volunteer roles. All will develop networks, insights and skills that will be useful in their families, neighborhoods, and in their workplaces.

 

The curriculum is based on a highly respected leadership model developed by Jim Kouzes (former CEO of the Tom Peters Group) and Barry Posner (Dean of Business at Santa Clara University) of Among their many books, The Leadership Challenge (second edition, 2002) describes this model, how it was developed, and the leadership practices found to be consistent with effective leadership in all settings. Program participants will learn the five practices and will complete a self-assessment to learn which of these practices they most frequently employ and which ones they might choose to develop more fully.

 

Throughout the course of the program, workshops will include activities and exercises that are designed to enhance the development of these leadership practices. For example, one practice is “inspiring a shared vision,” and one of the key skills needed to do so is effective listening. An exercise that will be incorporated in one of the workshops calls for participants to draft their ideas for what the region will be like in five years in relation to this year’s program theme, “economic development in a multicultural community.” The group will then be divided into small groups of three and in a structured and timed format, each individual shares his/her ideas with the two listeners who employ specific skills of listening and feedback to ensure that the speaker’s ideas are effectively presented and heard.

 

Yet another leadership practice is “modeling the way” which requires a clear sense of one’s own values. A leader must act in ways that are coherent with his/her espoused values. The participants will engage in a “values auction,” where they competitively bid against each other to “purchase” values most important to them. At the conclusion of the auction, each person can reflect on which values they chose and why they made the choices they made. Additional reflection then focuses on how/if their actions consistently reflect those values.

 

A unique feature of STRETCH is the use of an integrating theme to provide focus for both increasing understanding of community issues and for the project(s) that the participants will develop. The theme that has been selected for this year is “economic development in a multicultural community.” Through sharing their own ideas in structured discussions, learning from experts who can speak from various perspectives about the factors related to the theme, and through tours and site visits highlighting examples of community challenges and assets contributing to positive economic development, participants will gain insights and understandings that stretch their perspectives and encourage creative problem solving. Following a tour of the region in February, monthly workshops will be held in locations selected for their relevance to the theme and to the project(s) being developed by the team(s). Working lunches will feature leaders who can address the theme as well as share their own perspectives on leadership.

 

Concurrent with the workshops, the team(s) formed at the retreat will function in a self-directed, collaborative style to explore the need for the project(s) they have selected, develop partnerships with appropriate organizations and agencies, generate the resources needed to implement their project and lay the groundwork for sustainability. These “learning laboratories” provide the experiential opportunity to apply the leadership practices being introduced in the workshops and create the needed bridge between awareness of issues and effective community action.