Leadership in a Leadership Program

My internship involves leadership training at its core: it consists of a diverse group of 43 individuals with innumerable interests, talents, and abilities that are trained to recognize leadership not as a title but as a conscious choice. Everyone Leads. That is our motto.

In my role as an intern of the program, I am afforded the opportunity to demonstrate leadership capabilities in many ways one of the most important is the opportunity to be an active contributor and facilitator to the development of the core curriculum of the program. In this role I can channel my creativity, knowledge, passions, and interests to create a session for a training day. Once the initial idea is carved out, I handle logistics and evaluate the results of the project at the end. This can include anything from coordinating a panel discussion with industry professionals to exploring the meaning of racism, sexuality, and inclusion. Through this process I get experience in the complexities of creating and managing multiple projects with varying levels of intricacy from beginning to end. 

My coworkers exhibit leadership in various ways as well. From Dr. Robert Ashcraft continuously building the capacity of the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, to my director Irma Leyendecker who’s resiliency and effectiveness to coordinate multiple leadership programs, onto the Public Allies Program managers who are responsible for the case management of 20+ Allies, leadership is everywhere.