AgForestry Class 41 kicked off their leadership experience at Washington State University with fanfare created by ESPN’s College GameDay’s arrival. Excitement was brewing outside and inside the classroom as Class members learned what to expect during their participation in the 18-month program, the vision and mission of AgForestry, and the dedication of more than 1,000 Giving Partners who provide support for the development of leaders to serve the natural resource industries and communities throughout Washington State.
Class 41 was treated to wonderful presentations by WSU faculty and staff including the new dean of the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resource Science, Dr. André-Denis Wright. One of the many lessons he shared was, A
good leader is able to form and utilize a team, and to be flexible and adaptable, while being conscientious of goals.
The City of Pullman was placed in a “State of Emergency” to deal with the extra 40,000 to 60,000 people they were expecting for GameDay. The chaos on campus provided the perfect segue for Dr. Dan Bernardo, Provost and Executive Vice President of WSU, to share his thoughts with Class 41 on crisis leadership. A Class member said,
I learned that being self-aware of your personality and work styles is valuable for working with a team. By being yourself and leveraging your life experience, you can be more effective and adaptable as a leader. I think this would be particularly useful in crisis situations when decisions need to be made quickly.
A new presenter, Dr. Denise Yost, Director for the Center for Transformational Learning and Leadership, led Class 41 through an exploration of leadership as embodied values in action.
A class member
commented - I especially appreciated Denise Yost's talk and activities where we practiced not only listening to a colleague but drew upon his or her cues to learn more about their values and perspective.
Reflection -
In reflecting on the first seminar, one class member shared -
I've already found myself using the DiSC profile to better place my work-style tendencies in the context of dynamics within my organization. Recognizing my natural inclination to be direct and impatient, listening to storytelling in professional settings has allowed me to now be more patient and understanding. I am utilizing active listening skills with friends, coworkers, and community members.
