The North Clackamas Leadership Clackamas County Class is a 9-month training that offers emerging leaders of companies and organizations in the North Clackamas area a chance to come together to learn and practice leadership skills. The class, which meets on the second Wednesday of the month from October – May, consists of a variety of speakers as well as hand-on skill building opportunities. The group is also charged with planning and executing a community project.
As the Development Director for a local non- profit, I have come to this class hoping to; learn more about the community that make up North Clackamas Chamber, examine my skill base and gain knowledge of ways to improve and grow in leadership, and to educate others about the work done by my organization. My classmates include professionals from local governments, health care, financial institutions, small family owned and large businesses, and even our new chamber director! Together we have, in the last three months, begun the process of forming a cohesive group whose goal is to learn to lead our organizations and our communities in a more effective way.
Activities are diverse and can be anything from donning a harness and helmet and walking a tight-rope over a 50 foot gully to role-playing crisis communications strategies the day after the terrible tragedy at Clackamas Town Center. The class is facilitated by Leadership graduates including Gary Young from PGE and Sheldon Penner of Amicus Data who are sharing their expertise and experience. Other graduates also participate including Chief Fred Charlton of Clackamas Fire District #1 who spoke on team building and North Clackamas School District’s Director of Community and Government Relations, Joe Krumm who lead us in activities around strategic organizational communications.
I found Chief Charlton’s discussion on good team building particularly motivating. He has seven points that include not only having common goals, mission, vision and values but also accountability and a willingness to follow when appropriate. I was particularly drawn to his idea that to facilitate a team environment a good leader should not, “Share an inspired vision but INSPIRE a shared vision.”
So, the 2012/13 North Clackamas Leadership Clackamas County class is off! Learning…and growing…and inspiring one another to a shared vision for a class project. Stay tuned to see where we lead.
Submitted by
Class Co-Historian
Pamela White, Development Director
Clackamas Women’s Services