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Terry Strine
Guest Columnist[/caption]
Our Leadership Delaware program has been shown in a recent nationwide survey we conducted to be among the most impactful leadership development programs in the nation. We believe our program is more intense, more demanding, more selective! Our fellows (participants in our program) have an average age of 33 when they enter the program.
In our 10-month program, they will meet, hear from, and network with 135-140 of Delaware's most accomplished leaders. They will hear from both/all sides in many fields: organized vs. merit shop labor, conservative vs. liberal economics, climate change -anthropomorphic vs. nature, medical malpractice - offense vs. defense, traditional public schools vs. charter schools, and much, much more. We do not pretend to tell our fellows "this is how you lead", but rather "these are leaders "¦ you decide the styles of leadership which best fit you " Our speakers are truly "at the top of
their game."
Our 23 hours of monthly programming has often been described as "drinking water through a fire hose"¦ a Ph.D. in all things Delaware." Our graduate fellows have described their year in Leadership Delaware as being "transformational, life-changing, the most incredible educational experience of my life."
This is what our fellows can expect of Leadership Delaware.
And what do we expect of our fellows?
We expect that in the months and years ahead, they will reach significantly higher levels of accomplishment and impact in three areas of our Delaware community.
First, we expect that they will rise to the very top of their career field and their profession. Status quo is not an option.
Our fellows will have been exposed to many nonprofit organizations in Delaware, and will have been made aware of huge needs throughout our city, our counties, and our state. We know that they will have identified a number of "needs" for which they will have developed a passion to address. Many will choose to take a leadership role in an existing nonprofit. Or, if a nonprofit does not exist which addresses the need for which they have a passion, they will create one that does.
Finally, government and politics affect each of us in all that we do. It is impossible to be an effective community leader without being informed on all things political, an activist for good governance, and engaged in public discourse at the highest level. Whether our fellows choose to run for public office, to become a key advisor to an elected official, a candidate or an agency head, this is a role we expect of every fellow.
Our fellows are challenged to rise to impactful leadership in not one, not two, but all three of the above: in their career field or profession, in the nonprofit world, and in government and politics.
Our challenge to each of our fellows is to "go forth and make a difference." They will not disappoint. We expect much of every Leadership Delaware fellow, and they will surpass our expectations. You can count on it.
Terry Strine is president and CEO of Leadership Delaware. For more information on Leadership Delaware, visit leadershipdelaware.org
