Reflections on Leadership

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

This past year I was a member of the latest cohort of the Leadership Institute in Sonoma County. This is a program that has been active in our area for 18 years, bringing together inspired people from many backgrounds looking to take stock of their place in the world, and investigate how to become more effective leaders in their life.
 
While I feel that I have already been a leader in my community, this opportunity arrived to examine and expand that role. For years the focus in my work life has been engaged with private clients, and developing relationships with regular consultants and contractors, as well as my trusted staff. It was time to open up my network to a larger sphere.
 
That did indeed happen, as I got to dive into a rigorous curriculum with a diverse group of people active in issues of land use, climate, public health, and social justice. My world opened up to learn about these and other issues, which made for a valuable and enriching year. But what made it truly impactful for me was the depth of investigation into personal leadership that we all embraced. We did this by developing our own power statement, learning to speak our values and purpose, and even looking at our personal resilience through a grief ritual. It was deeply moving.
 
I am very grateful to have been able to complete this program, with all of the people involved, at this time in my life. After 25 years in the profession, and almost 17 in Sonoma County, this was the perfect time to pause and reflect. At the end of the program I felt my capacity for leadership grow in subtle yet powerful ways. I have found greater equanimity in myself, and am inspired for a deeper collaboration with others. I am ready to bring this energy into the next phase of my work, and my life.

With Appreciation,
Lars