|
21st Century Leadership:
Exploring the Frontiers of the Future
by Dr. Sheila Sheinberg
This is the first in a series of articles revolving around the topics that will be presented at the 16th Annual Leadership Summit scheduled for September 11-13, 2008 at the Resort at the Mountain (Mt. Hood) in Welches, Oregon. The program titled, ‘Exploring the Frontiers of Leadership in Local Government’ includes underlying themes of exploring change, collaboration, conversation, courage and the personal challenges of serving as a leader in local government.
----------------------------------------------
A renowned futurist describes a leader as, “A person you choose to follow to a place you wouldn’t go by yourself.” Where is that place? That place is the future!
Each of you, called to leadership in local government in the 21st Century, are also called upon to lead the way to the future. And, the future will not be more of the present and the past.
Together we stand at the “break point,” between the 20th Century that shaped our cities, our communities and our lives, and the 21st Century that is filled with challenge, change, and a new future – the new frontier!
Exploring the New Frontier
Our new frontier is the transforming world. We are living in a world that is changing at break-neck speed; the speed of change is unprecedented. How do you, as leaders in local government, anticipate this future, and position your communities to seize the opportunities that the future provides? How can you, as a local community leader, “shape” your community’s future? How can you, as someone who is called upon to lead in a dynamic world, understand the dynamics of that world, and know what you need to do, and how you need to do it, to enhance the success of your local community?
The 16th Annual Leadership Summit is designed to give you the knowledge, skills, and tools to find, recognize, and secure the future in your local community. You will learn to recognize the frontiers of the future, develop a powerful tool, such as storytelling, to share that future with your community, and lead your community into the 21st Century.
You will be surrounded by explorers, such as Rex Ziak, who has not only researched explorers such as Lewis and Clark, but is, in his own life, an explorer of self and world.
Christina Baldwin, a commiserate storyteller, will teach you to understand the power of stories, while you craft your own personal story, and connect your community stories, and your leadership in that community, to a changing world.
Don Coyhis, a member of the Mohican Nation, will welcome you to the future, with a Native ceremony from the past. Don will share with you his personal journey of growth and transformation, and enable you to lead change based upon the principles, values, and laws found in the Teachings of the Native American Elders.
Greg Merten, a leader in the business world, both locally and nationally, as Vice President and General Manager InkJet Supply Operations for Hewlett-Packard, will share not only his business leadership acumen and his own community leadership experiences, but also his experiences with personal growth and change.
I, Sheila Sheinberg, will serve as your guide.
The Last Great Frontier
The most important frontier, the frontier that allows you to be an “authentic leader” in your community, is knowledge of the self. The one thing every person brings to leadership, is themselves. To explore the frontier of self is to know who you are, what forms your foundation, your personal values, your life story, the life story of your community, and the intersection of self and world.
We will explore the “final frontier” as part of the dominant theme of “Exploring the Frontiers of Leadership in Local Government.” You will learn more about the “last frontier,” and bring this knowledge to your capacity to provide leadership in local government as the members of your community “choose to follow you to a place they wouldn’t go by themselves.”
----------------------------------------------
Dr. Sheila Sheinberg is an author, professional speaker, former university professor and researcher, and is the President and CEO of the Center For Life Cycle Sciences, where she works with both government (federal, state and local) and private industry. Sheinberg is an expert on the subjects of leadership and the development of strategic leadership teams, creating flexible and adaptive organizations and cultural change. Sheinberg’s expertise centers on leadership, strategic thinking, creating strategic infrastructures, building strategic leadership teams, confronting and mastering transformational change, and organizational development to create successful organizations for the 21st century.
The annual Leadership Summit is NLC’s premiere leadership development program for local officials. Designed as a leadership retreat, the Summit provides personal leadership development that is focused on community perspectives. For more information, contact the Leadership Training Institute at (202) 626-3127 or visit the NLC website at www.nlc.org
|