Propelling nonprofit managers forward in their careers...

Monday, October 7, 2013

No One Can Be Wise On An Empty Stomach!

Pizza & some of the most driven and innovative individuals the Tri-state has to offer is all it took for me to accept a lunch invitation from this years New York Emerging Leaders cohort to visit with the group as a program alum. It is crazy to think that just a few months ago I sat in this exact room, eating pizza and preparing to embark on what would be a professional awakening. From Lecioni and his “Five Dysfunctions of a Team” to Oncken & Wass’s “Who’s got the Monkey,” I would embark on a journey that would both inspire and challenge my thinking. Emerging Leaders cultivates entrepreneurial and innovative capacities in young leaders to equip them with the necessary tools to make a difference in the nonprofit sector. Also- not to be forgotten- it allows you to enjoy some of the best pizza New York City has to offer. With this in mind, I decided to pen this blog entry drawing on the parallel between the pizza I enjoyed with the New York cohort and the Emerging Leaders program as a whole.  

The Dough: This is the platform Emerging Leaders establishes. In the mixing of various backgrounds and world experiences, participants are coming together each session as a group sharing ideas, offering feedback (kneading) and challenging one another to rise!  

The Sauce: Our ever-increasing and changing world is led by hard workers, innovators and creative thinkers. No surprise here. The “Secret Sauce” of The Emerging Leaders is …. you guessed it, the participants! More importantly, the amazing ideas brought to the forefront and discussed during each session all contribute to this incredible mixture. Today, our interconnected and mobile world demands that we have a broad world-view and that we are in tune with the experiences of others. In doing this, we can travel beyond the basics of simply addressing pressing issues of the present and begin to put our minds together to discover sustainable solutions  

The Cheese: Pizza cheese encompasses several varieties and types of cheeses- obviously, too many to get into at this point and time. However, with this in mind, The Emerging Leaders cheese would most certainly be its many guest speakers. With less than just the transmitting of nonprofit theories and more of real life advice and examples, guest speakers serve as facilitators of knowledge, addressing key issues that are really going on in today’s world. Information is power and the Emerging Leaders program is providing learning experiences that challenge perspectives, broaden awareness, and encourage a deep understanding of constantly changing issues. With everything from finance to how to effectively lead your team, these learning experiences are aligned with the process of purpose.  

The Topping: The topping or add-on is the opportunity to create connections with other key people within the nonprofit sector. The sharing of ideas and mentorship has long been acknowledged as a cornerstone of developing an informed and active citizenry. However, in today’s society both a lack of time and lack of a significant platform has caused this very important component to become nonexistent. This is why I consider myself to be extremely lucky to be awarded the opportunity to be apart of this community that is helping to change the nonprofit world as we know it. Lastly, after you have gathered all your ingredients, all that remains is the oven! The oven ties everything together.  

The Oven: The oven is that forum provided by Emerging Leaders coupled with the well thought out and inspiring facilitators. Emerging Leaders serves as the perfect platform of learning experiences that foster the development of engaged and active global citizens. With cohorts created in cities such as New York and Washington, DC, we have the ability to address a plethora of issues that threaten our future as well as solutions to some of the most complex problems within the nonprofit sector. I guess it also doesn't hurt that you also get to enjoy some of the best pizza around in the process.

No comments:

Post a Comment