Emerging Leaders - Part Two
Last week, I attended a workshop facilitated by one of the top ten most dynamic women I’ve ever met, in my second favorite city ever- D.C. Her name is Jacinda Adams and she works for the Twin Cities United Way. Her “thing” is mobilizing emerging leaders in the community to make a tangible difference in the community. Her message resonated with me- down to the very makeup of my being.
Young people in today’s society are motivated, action-oriented, and like to see the results of their work… and like to see those results immediately. When you can find a way to engage this group, mighty big things happen. What I understand though, is that it is more than just about engaging them- it’s about truly achieving a “buy-in” and having leaders take ownership over the community and its development. The Twin Cities gets that- you should see what their 12,000 Emerging Leaders have accomplished in just the last year alone. Think- 6 million dollars and Volunteer-run “Extreme Makeovers” of area agencies that rival ABC’s Ty Pennington!
In my last entry, I mentioned how all Detroit needs is a forum that connects emerging leaders to the region and each other. Now, I know that some of this is already taking place- I see Model D as a great information network that is sharing with the region the growth and development that is happening. Detroit Synergy is more grassroots- mobilizing the involved and motivated, and Inside Detroit is physically showing people the uniqueness and goodness of the area. These groups are awesome, and necessary, but I think we can go even farther… we need something bigger- something that connects people even more- with not only the area around them, but with each other as well. I think the perfect forum is an Emerging Leaders Society through the United Way.
Picture this: a group of thousands who care about what happens in the region, coming together, networking, volunteering, and developing their business skills together through mentoring with today’s CEOs. Through their involvement, they begin to take a “hands-on” approach to the opportunities of the region. They get direct, immediate positive reinforcement from their investment of time and dollars. They learn business strategy and leadership skills, get board training, and volunteer at sites that resonate with their own causes. An Emerging Leaders Society that makes people feel connected to the community and each other, and see that not only is change possible, but that they are actively involved in creating that change, could drastically change the future of the region.
We, as the United Way, would help those who will be the next generation of business and community leaders to become successful. We educate them to the needs of the region and empower them with the skills they need to impact society. If we want the area to move, then we need to provide the “movers and shakers” with the means to “move and shake.” Again, the Twin Cities have over 12,000 active members in their Emerging Leaders Society. Apparently this idea resonates with more people than just me!
The Community has already stated that they want the region to work together to move this ship forward. What a great way for the United Way to answer their call, positioning itself as a true community convener- and helping those who want to take action determine the course of Detroit. I’m pretty sure that the brain drain would reverse- a community that empowers its people to lead is an enticing place to live.
Julie Updyke
Campaign Associate
Resource Development
See Also
Emerging Leaders - Part One
Young people in today’s society are motivated, action-oriented, and like to see the results of their work… and like to see those results immediately. When you can find a way to engage this group, mighty big things happen. What I understand though, is that it is more than just about engaging them- it’s about truly achieving a “buy-in” and having leaders take ownership over the community and its development. The Twin Cities gets that- you should see what their 12,000 Emerging Leaders have accomplished in just the last year alone. Think- 6 million dollars and Volunteer-run “Extreme Makeovers” of area agencies that rival ABC’s Ty Pennington!
In my last entry, I mentioned how all Detroit needs is a forum that connects emerging leaders to the region and each other. Now, I know that some of this is already taking place- I see Model D as a great information network that is sharing with the region the growth and development that is happening. Detroit Synergy is more grassroots- mobilizing the involved and motivated, and Inside Detroit is physically showing people the uniqueness and goodness of the area. These groups are awesome, and necessary, but I think we can go even farther… we need something bigger- something that connects people even more- with not only the area around them, but with each other as well. I think the perfect forum is an Emerging Leaders Society through the United Way.
Picture this: a group of thousands who care about what happens in the region, coming together, networking, volunteering, and developing their business skills together through mentoring with today’s CEOs. Through their involvement, they begin to take a “hands-on” approach to the opportunities of the region. They get direct, immediate positive reinforcement from their investment of time and dollars. They learn business strategy and leadership skills, get board training, and volunteer at sites that resonate with their own causes. An Emerging Leaders Society that makes people feel connected to the community and each other, and see that not only is change possible, but that they are actively involved in creating that change, could drastically change the future of the region.
We, as the United Way, would help those who will be the next generation of business and community leaders to become successful. We educate them to the needs of the region and empower them with the skills they need to impact society. If we want the area to move, then we need to provide the “movers and shakers” with the means to “move and shake.” Again, the Twin Cities have over 12,000 active members in their Emerging Leaders Society. Apparently this idea resonates with more people than just me!
The Community has already stated that they want the region to work together to move this ship forward. What a great way for the United Way to answer their call, positioning itself as a true community convener- and helping those who want to take action determine the course of Detroit. I’m pretty sure that the brain drain would reverse- a community that empowers its people to lead is an enticing place to live.
Julie Updyke
Campaign Associate
Resource Development
See Also
Emerging Leaders - Part One
Labels: Employee Voices, leadership_next
posted by UWSEM webmaster at
2:16 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home