Last week, I graduated. There was a commencement speaker and celebration lunch. There were -- sadly -- no caps to toss.
I joined more than 35 Greater Lansing business folks interested in making an impact in our region as the second graduating class of Leadership Lansing, a talent initiative of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Sort of like #LoveLansing on steroids.
Developed as an annual program designed to identify and equip the next generation of community leaders in the Greater Lansing region, our cohort had the opportunity to peek behind the curtain at some of Lansing’s most influential organizations and institutions.
Here’s where we visited in the eight-month course:
- R.E. Olds Transportation Museum
- Turner-Dodge House
- Michigan State Capitol
- Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
- Lansing Board of Water and Light REO Town Cogeneration Plant
- MSUFCU Corporate Headquarters
- Granger Recycling
- General Motors Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant
- McLaren Greater Lansing
- Sparrow Hospital
- Capital Region International Airport
And, this isn’t to mention the impressive list of panels and individual leaders we heard from and connected with. Each session had a theme and a crew of experts assembled to explore those themes in practice.
I mean, check out this food for thought:
Levels of leadership influence. Think, how we as leaders work with and through our elected officials.
The ABCs of education. From our local school districts to higher education, we explored what’s working and what’s not and how we can help.
The road to the world and homegrown wealth. What’s it take to turn a small business into a lasting, impressively profitable one, all while making a difference?
Regional economic sectors: Manufacturing and health care. We’re more than cars, more than medicine. We’re literally building mid-Michigan’s future through innovative manufacturing and cutting-edge health care.
Under the radar. It’s easy to take our quick-access airport for granted, but international connections in a city our size is no small potatoes.
A vision for the future. As leaders, what do we want for Lansing? How will we make it happen? How do our own personal visions tie into that of our community?
The cherry on top? Monthly creative leadership coaching and development.
I took away a ton from each session. Which, if I’m being honest, surprised me. I’ve lived in Greater Lansing for all of my 36 years. I consider myself to be a fairly well connected and engaged person in my community. Which leads me to the biggest takeaway of all…
The moment you think you know everything there is to know about a place, person or even a thing, is the very moment you have to dive deeper and look for what you didn't know was there. Leadership Lansing allowed me to do just that.
You know by now that at P&G, we're intentional about not only giving back to our communities, but also immersing ourselves in the culture, lives and work of our colleagues and clients. Engaging in fulfilling programs like Leadership Lansing was an honor and helps me (and us!) to be and do better in Greater Lansing.
If you’re considering the program, I highly encourage you to apply for the 2017-2018 cohort. You won’t be sorry!
