I am struggling, I lack confidence, and I am ineffective as a leader.
I am thriving, I am confident, and I am a successful leader.
Which of those two sentences best describes you?
Are you like me, somewhere in the middle? Striving to do better?
Many years ago, my wife convinced me that the fall is a great time to reflect on the year and then set some goals for the coming year. As I move closer to retirement, I feel like I am getting better at this. In 2024 I hope to run more, write more, and read more.
I am also not yet retired and so I have developed a few professional goals. One of those goals is tied to leadership development and succession planning. Out of this work I decided to reach out to Mike Loyd, Executive Director at IPMA, to see if it might benefit IPMA members to engage the same educational content I have been uncovering in my work.
Introducing IPMA’s new Leadership Excellence Program. If you are interested in leadership development, read on!
Very soon, you will have the opportunity to participate in a series of 3, intense, pre-conference educational sessions. These sessions will feature common learning that is central to leadership development, with sessions occurring in an intentional sequence, culminating in an in-person session at IPMA’s 2024 Des Moines, Iowa Conference.
What kinds of things will we be learning?
Family Ghosts in the Room
This is an opportunity to explore how your family history may shape your approach to leadership.
Feel Like an Imposter?
“Am I really qualified to do this? What will people think if I make a mistake? I’m not
sure I have anything valuable to offer.” This is an opportunity to build confidence.
Conflict Happens
How do you feel about conflict? Avoid it? Energized by it? Unsure? There are a few truths about conflict: it’s bound to happen on teams; it can be hard; it can propel a team forward in positive ways. This is an opportunity to develop healthy conflict management skills.
Managing Difficult Conversations
It is truly game changing when leaders develop skills and postures for leaning into difficult conversations rather than avoiding them.
What Did You Say about Me?
This is an opportunity to develop tangible strategies for giving and receiving feedback in a way that is constructive.
Let’s Meet
We have all experienced meetings that energize us and meetings that drain the life out of us. What makes a good meeting? This is an opportunity to understand the key elements of designing and facilitating a productive, safe and energizing meeting.
What’s Wrong with “Hey!”?
Professionalism is an important leadership attribute, but it can be difficult to define. Here, we will unpack what professionalism entails and why it matters.
Leaders as Chief Culture Shapers
Here, we will explore elements of organizational culture and how they can be shaped with intentionality.
Do we have your interest?
To be a part of the inaugural cohort of leaders, you must do 2 things:
- Register for conference prior to the end of February
- Email me (also prior to February 29th) with your contact information and confirmation that you wish to commit to IPMA’s leadership training program. dmagee@messiah.edu
What will be required of you?
In preparation for our “in-person” IPMA 2024 conference leadership session, you will be asked to complete a series of 3 educational modules. Each module will take about 1 hour of your time and will be emailed to you at the beginning of each month leading up to the conference (March, April and May).
These monthly homework assignments will generally be made up of watching a video or podcast and/or reading an assigned article or essay. There will also be a series of follow up questions that are reflective in nature. These are not the kinds of questions that can be graded. No one will see your answers but you. Your carefully thought-out answers will be helpful to you as you engage the content. Engaging the content prior to conference will allow for a richer conference experience.
The first assignment will be issued on March 4th. Members of the cohort are encouraged to apply what they learn from the assignments in their day-to-day work. Discussion amongst the cohort by way of phone or email is strongly encouraged but not required. Members of the cohort who fully engage the content and attend the in-person session in Des Moines will be recognized at conference with a certificate of completion.
Space is limited in the cohort. Priority will be given according to registration date so you will want to register for the conference and sign up soon!
Dwayne Magee, CGCM and former IPMA President, is celebrating his 18th year at Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, PA as Director of Messiah Press and Postal Services. His team of 11 print and mail professionals support the communication needs of Messiah University by producing materials that inform, engage, and connect the broader Messiah community in support of the University’s mission. Prior to his work at Messiah, Dwayne served as assistant manager and ISO coordinator for 17 years at AlphaGraphics in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
Outside of work, Dwayne serves on the foundation board for CPARC, an organization supporting the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He is also an English major at Messiah and enjoys exploring spiritual, environmental, and social concerns through creative writing and the arts. He is the father of two children, Garrison and Grayson, and he currently resides in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania with his wife Sue and their two dogs, Molly and Solomon.