The KWSM Leadership Program is a 12-week course designed to help team members discover the leaders we can all learn to be. CEO Katie Wagner guides a group of like-minded individuals through the course with data, educational videos and articles, and with her own experiences in leadership.
What is a Leader? Fundamentally, a leader is someone who influences or guides other people through their own actions and behaviors. Leadership is not a position or a title, it’s an action and example. Leaders are people other team members look to in order to determine how to feel or react.
I have been with KWSM for two years as a web designer, and over the 12 week period of the leadership program, I learned a lot about myself and what kind of leader I am.
My experience in the leadership program has helped me understand what makes an effective leader.
We Are Not Born Leaders
Leadership is 30% genetics and 70% acquired skills and experiences.
Before the KWSM Leadership Program, I would never have described myself as someone who people look to as a leader. I went into the program thinking of myself as someone who is timid, not great with communication and lacks self-confidence.
My first task in the program was to put together an Individual Development Plan focusing on these core questions.
- What are my objectives for this program?
- What activities should I participate in/actions should I take?
- What resources will be helpful?
- How am I going to measure success?
- What do I want to learn/accomplish?
After determining what those would be, Katie had us write a vision statement, essentially outlining our long-term goals for where we wanted to be at the end of the 12 weeks.
My vision statement:
“I am more confident in myself. Communicating in groups of people no longer intimidates me because I am more aware of when to listen and when to talk. I know when to hold eye contact and when to break away. My words are spoken with a more confident tone so others trust what I am saying.
When I am making decisions, they are made strategically and confidently. I am now a person in the agency that someone would consider a leader and trust in me to guide, encourage and inspire anyone at any level on the team.”
We were then instructed to read this aloud every day to help manifest the person we wanted to be by the end of the program. It was important because it gave me purpose as to what I wanted out of the course.
The Answer is Always Self Governance
As I have learned throughout the course, self-governance plays a key role in building a strong leader. But what is self-governance? One way it can be defined is the way you manage yourself, from your emotions to your body language, to the way you communicate verbally.
“Self-control is strength. Calmness is mastery. You have to get to the point where your mood doesn’t shift based on the insignificant actions of someone else. Don’t allow others to control the direction of your life. Don’t allow your emotions to overpower your intelligence.”
– Unknown
It is important for a leader to practice self-governance. Since leaders are individuals that people look to in order to know how to feel and react, they need to be able to lead by example.
To help me better understand the importance of self-governance, I asked web developer Madeleine Wood, a team member I look up to as a leader, to share her experience as to how she uses self-governance as a tool to be a better leader.
“A variety of leadership skills like influence, communication, and ownership all build upon the underlying skill of self-governance. Learning more about self-governance changed the way I communicate with my colleagues, how I present myself in client meetings, and my perspective on my day-to-day tasks which all strengthened my leadership skills.”
-Madeleine Wood, Website Designer & Developer, KWSM
Learning about self-governance was a game changer for me because it helped me realize that I am in control of how I think and feel. It helped me reflect, respond to my emotions, and listen to my inner voice. This was key in guiding me as a leader and helped move me toward positive outcomes.
Life After Leadership
The program was overall a valuable use of my time. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn alongside my peers and gain insight into what makes an effective leader.
Reflecting back on my vision statement, I can see a huge difference in myself through the journey to become a leader. I feel much more confident when speaking in front of people and take the time to engage with them so they trust in what I am saying. When making decisions, I can see that I am much more assertive and self-assured that, at that moment, it is the best decision I could have made.
I would highly recommend this program to any of my peers who want to grow as a leader. It is important to have a growth mindset and be willing to continuously learn how to become the best version of yourself.
Be A Part of an Agency that Creates Effective Leaders
If working on a team of aspiring leaders with the opportunity to grow sounds like the right fit for you, then check out our open roles at KWSM or fill out the form below to talk to a member of our team.
