“You’re a leader.” If you heard that for the first time in, say, third grade, it can be hard to admit to yourself that leadership isn’t just about you. Or me. No matter how much we might want to it be.
I was reminded of this important fact just recently, while walking toward the White House on 16th Street NW in Washington, D.C. on a windy and chilly February day. I was chatting with Thad, Anna, and Lisa at the front of a group of 35 Humphrey Policy Fellows, all trying to stay together on the busy streets and avoid getting run down by D.C. cab drivers.
These three Fellows come to the program from different perspectives: Thad works at one of our major Minnesota corporations, Anna is in a government public relations and communications position, and Lisa works in employment and disability services. We were about halfway through the program year, scurrying around D.C. on this three-day study trip. We’d been meeting monthly back in Minnesota since September and will continue through June.
As we walked from the Brookings Institution to the Skadden law firm, I asked these three Fellows about their experience so far in our leadership program.
“It’s not really a leadership program,” Thad said.
Hmm. Okay…
“I mean, it’s not just that. It’s a lot more than that. We need to find a way to explain it better.”
All right, now we’re getting somewhere. I dug deeper, and they came up with examples: They’re learning how politics and policy happen; how things get done. They’re learning who talks to whom, and about what, and that there’s usually a lot more gray area than black and white. They’re learning how the decisions made in D.C. (and closer to home, in St. Paul) connect directly to their work. They’re feeling empowered and energized to take action on the things they care about. And they’re learning the value of spending nine months with their cohort, building a strong network of professional connections and friendships.
Now that they’ve been able to explain it a bit more, I’m not surprised. Our Policy Fellows program is a leadership program, but at this point in life, leadership isn’t just about you. It’s about building your skills and capacity, yes; but it’s also about developing a better understanding of your world and more purposefully engaging in the things that matter most to you.
Now approaching its 22nd year, the Humphrey Policy Fellows program brings together emerging leaders from business, government, and nonprofit sectors for a nine-month professional and personal development experience. Interested individuals from across the state of Minnesota are welcome to apply. Applications for 2011-2012 are due June 1, 2011. Please visit our website for more information on program content and cost, and feel free to contact me with any questions.
~ Kate Cimino is a guest contributor.
Thanks to Kate for the thoughtful commentary on leadership and the Humphrey Policy Fellows program. As a fairly recently alum of the program, I think she characterized well some of the many virtues of the program. For anyone interested in leadership in public affairs, I’d highly encourage you to consider applying for the Policy Fellowship program this year or in the future if this year coming academic year is not the best time for you.
I would like to qualify my flip comment below. Of course there is much about leadership that is about the leader: personal conduct and values and actions towards others, competence, vision, ability to motivate, decision making and many many other components of effective leadership.
But you don’t lead yourself. You lead others. You don’t lead with yourself in mind, you lead with others in mind and with the mission in mind.
Being mindful of your actions as a leader has to do with “you,” but leadership has very little to do with “you.”
When is leadership ever “about you” ?!
I’m not sure this is a discussion or a promotion – but of course, as S. Covey put it, we need to “keep the main thing the main thing” – and “the main thing” isn’t the leader, but a mission with meaning.