The greatest gift of the Community Leadership Accelerator has been becoming more familiar with what is going on internally for me. I have much greater awareness of how the internal and external affect each other, which has allowed me to pause and respond to challenging circumstances instead of reacting.
As a result of this program, I am overcoming my own anxieties of being a leader and shifting from simply reacting to responding to challenging situations in a thoughtful manner. This program has reminded me that we need community to be our best selves. To be in community intentionally with others was really important for … Read more
I was able to take concepts and resources I was learning, or even already aware of, and apply/experiment with them for my own growth. You don’t really know something until you put it into practice. Hearing others’ struggles was validating. I didn’t feel alone in mine. I know now that leadership is looking inward first … Read more
It is easy to feel isolated in this work. The CLA brought together a mix of organizations and professionals that was inspiring and energizing. I learned many new concepts. It was helpful to have the time to build my leadership and interact with others as we helped each other apply new ways. I have been … Read more
What was most powerful to me was slowing down to process thoughts and feelings, and knowing the difference between the two. I was feeling burnt out at the beginning of this program, and now I’m thinking about next steps. I’ve gained perspective. As a result, my organization is getting a refreshed Jessica. I feel hopeful … Read more
Coming from a corporate background, leading with love and care wasn’t modeled for me. With the CLA, I was able to focus on empathy, which let me break down some walls and rebuild them. Talking and learning about healing has been very beneficial to how I work with management in my organization and interact with … Read more
As I stepped into the CLA, I felt isolated. I appreciated the sense of community I gained with this cohort. I’ve been able to go deeper with partner organizations as a result, and I have been able to think strategically about professional goals. I have renewed hope in dealing with the overwhelm so commonplace in … Read more