Leadership: A Quality, a Skill-set, a Position?

By Beth Porter, Four Corners Broadcasting
​Success often doesn’t rest on the actions of one strong or charismatic individual…the “leader.” It comes from the efforts of a group working together to achieve results. Leadership creates direction, alignment and commitment. It isn’t necessarily a position. It is a skill set that can be learnt and honed.
Here are just a few leadership skills:

• Conflict resolution: spotting tensions before they escalate, managing conflicts that do arise, navigating different personalities and different work styles. Successful conflict resolution employs respect, compassion, integrity and courage.
• Critical thinking: thinking clearly and rationally, understanding logical connections between ideas, questioning things in an active way. This demands learning agility.
• Communication: conveying ideas clearly, listening actively, ensuring mutual understanding, articulating a vision, providing guidance. 
• Adaptability: anticipating change, being quick and adaptable, being transparent and accountable.
• Emotional intelligence: understanding and managing one’s own emotions, recognizing and responding to the emotions of others.

Think of how these skills can impact the efforts of your team: motivating team members, providing support and guidance, leveraging individual strengths, and creating a sense of trust and accountability. This all ultimately leads to improved productivity and overall team success.

Sure, most of us possess some leadership qualities. But how are those qualities honed into skills? Leadership La Plata is the skills training and broad-based community education arm of the Durango Chamber of Commerce. Its mission is to build a group of informed leaders who are committed to broadening their knowledge of La Plata County, refining & developing their leadership skills, and utilizing them for the benefit of our diverse community. 
​
From September to May, LLP participants spend one Friday each month in a classroom/fieldtrip environment, doing a deep dive into a specific leadership skill and learning about our community. Homework assignments augment the learning experience. Even the makeup of the group is a study in diversity, with a mix of personality styles, ages and professional backgrounds. Participating in LLP also creates a county-wide network that spans not only the current class, but often members from previous classes. 

Speakers bring invaluable insights into the different warp and weft that create the fabric of our community. From government and business leaders to public safety and environmental regulations, you get a much deeper understanding of the many different aspects of La Plata county while honing valuable leadership skills.
Here’s how the topics connect to leadership skill:

• Regional diversity…what is your leadership style?
• Government…How to influence and advocate
• Business…How to negotiate
• Arts and culture…Communication skills
• Education…Process Improvement
• Health and Human Service…Ethics and Ethical decision-making
• Public Safety and Criminal Justice…Teambuilding
• Environment…Conflict Resolution

LLP participants are selected through a written application and personal interview procedure. Recruitment traditionally begins in April, with applications due by the end of May. LLP hosts free informational receptions to allow prospective candidates to meet current class members and alumni and learn more about the program. 

If you are interested for yourself or a team member, now is the time to get your application together. Learn more at https://www.durangobusiness.org/llp.html.

Monthly Sponsor:

Beth Porter is the Senior Marketing Consultant with Four Corners Broadcasting and an alumna of Leadership La Plata Class of 2015-2016.