Are leaders born or made? Are they inherently wired to lead, or do they learn leadership skills through upbringing, experience, and trial and error? In 2012, the nonprofit Center for Creative Leadership asked that very question of 361 C-level executives from across the United States. A slight majority of respondents, 52 percent, answered that leaders are more made than born. Nineteen percent believed leaders are born, while 29 percent answered that leaders are both born and made.
For some business leaders, the path to the C-suite is forged at an early age. For others, leadership is thrust upon them in the crucible of a board or conference room.
While it is hard not to imagine historical icons such as Winston Churchill or Joan of Arc as natural-born leaders, it could be argued that both were crafted into the standard-bearers they became through their respective life experiences.
Would the Allies of World War II have benefited from the same effective, never-surrender British prime minister if the younger Churchill of 1915, as first lord of the Royal Navy, had not been demoted following the failure of the World War I Gallipoli Campaign?
Kate Barlow, business development officer for the central Arkansas market of White Hall-based Relyance Bank, is the current chair on the Leadership Greater Little Rock advisory board. She graduated as a member of Class XXXII. Barlow said she believes some are born with traits that make leadership come easily but that effective leadership requires qualities developed over time.
Kate Barlow
“One of the most impactful aspects of my experience in Leadership Greater Little Rock was the exposure to people from all walks of life,” she said. “The program brought together individuals from diverse industries and backgrounds. I had the opportunity to engage with people whose experiences were different from my own, and it helped me develop a deeper understanding of our community. The most valuable takeaway from the program was the relationships I built with my classmates — connections I may never have met otherwise that turned into lasting friendships and continue to influence my life today.”
Members of LGLR Class XXXIX complete a ropes course as part of team-building exercises.
Leadership Greater Little Rock was launched through the Little Rock chamber in 1985, and Leadership Arkansas from the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, modelled on it, is currently in its 19th iteration. Other such programs can be found in Pine Bluff (the first in the state), Conway, Fort Smith and northwest Arkansas.
The inaugural class in 1985 posed for a group photo at the Arkansas State Capitol. (Photo courtesy of LGLR)
The programs are designed to take business leaders, be they forged or born, and help set them up to be effective community leaders. In the case of LGLR, the curriculum is intended to:
• Identify and motivate individuals with leadership potential.
• Acquaint them with community needs, challenges and opportunities.
• Offer a forum of exchange on methods for dealing with community issues.
• Challenge potential leaders to become involved with local issues and the decision-making process.
Most similar programs entail a nine-month program that parallels the academic calendar year. LGLR and Leadership Arkansas generally accept roughly 50 applicants per cohort. In the case of the Little Rock program, participants must have either lived or worked in the Pulaski County area for a minimum of one year to be eligible and be at least 21 years old. The LGLR curriculum includes a class announcement ceremony in September and graduation ceremony in May.
Kellen Davis, LGLR executive director, said the program simply aims to train community leaders.
Kellen Davis
“In-depth training sessions focus on various issues, exploring their background, origin and present-day status,” he said. “The program covers a full slate of topics, including government, the area’s economy, education, social services and much more. The sessions combine lectures, tours, dialogue, and interaction between speakers and participants.”
The LGLR curriculum includes a leadership challenge course that includes the ExCEL Leadership Challenge and other team-building exercises and an orientation/retreat through which class members take a Process Communication Model personality assessment. Other sessions are dedicated to the history of Little Rock, the central Arkansas region and state as a whole; community/neighborhoods (class members are split into groups and assigned a neighborhood in Pulaski County to research); economic development; government and politics; health care; military; education; criminal justice and public safety; and quality of life.
All sessions entail on-site visits to hear from community stakeholders.
The LGLR advisory board meets at the end of each class to evaluate and consider any program tweaks, but changes are few. To this day, the program still bears the imprint of former Little Rock Mayor Jim Dailey, the program’s first chairman, and legendary local real estate developer Jimmy Moses, who led the first curriculum committee. Volunteers have served in these positions for each class since.
Judy Love is a former LGLR program director and board member who still volunteers to help with each class. She said Dailey and Moses travelled across the country to visit chambers with similar programs and get the Little Rock curriculum established.
Judy Love
“With each session, the content shifts some, but our core curriculum stays mostly the same because Jim Dailey and Jimmy Moses did such a great job in the beginning and really researched the programs. We started out with a good core curriculum, and we are still very close to what it was in the beginning.”
One example of curriculum change was the addition of a military session in which participants visit the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville and the Arkansas Army National Guard’s Camp Joseph T. Robinson in North Little Rock, she said. Love added that sponsorships from local businesses have been integral in the program’s success. This year’s sponsors are Pulaski County Title (presenting sponsor), Relyance Bank, CHI St. Vincent, Bank of America, Wright Lindsey Jennings and Everon.
Not only do businesses consider sponsorship a sound investment, but alumni status with either the Little Rock or state program is considered a significant professional accomplishment. Many business leaders in central Arkansas complete both the LGLR and Leadership Arkansas programs.
Toni Lindsey, director of Leadership Arkansas and governmental affairs for the state chamber, said her program is “a great way to offer professional development to business leaders across our state” that shows class members what is going right and wrong in Arkansas and where “they can get plugged into help and make a difference.”
Toni Lindsey
“We’ve had several graduates go on to run for school board, state senate and the state house of representatives,” she said. “We are so proud to see many of our graduates continue to network and engage with one another. They use the lessons learned and skills gained through their year in the program to continue to propel them forward in their careers, many winning prestigious awards, gaining recognition and promotions along the way.”
Leadership Arkansas’ Class XIX will graduate in May. Its members include employees of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Entergy Arkansas, Riceland Foods, Walmart corporate and state agencies such as the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Arkansas Department of Commerce. Lindsey said the program has graduated 1,000 members.
“We want everyone to leave their inhibitions and preconceived notions at the door and travel to each spot with an open mind, immerse themselves in the culture and industry of the area — really engage with the leaders and alumni in each area and learn from them,” she said. “We always tell the new classes what you get out of the program will be equal to what you have put in. One of this program’s strengths is its networking opportunities throughout the program and beyond.”
The application process for both the Little Rock and state programs is highly competitive, as evidenced by many businesses and corporations opting to pay the $3,500 entry fee, in the case of Leadership Arkansas, to get their employees in the fold. Companies get better employees and the community gets more effective leaders.
Lindsey said Leadership Arkansas has received enough applications each of the last few years to fill multiple classes. LGLR also must weed down applicants to keep its classes at around 50 participants.
Lindsey Gray, chief financial officer at Arkansas Automatic Gates in Little Rock, is an LGLR alumnus who believes effective leaders live by the mantra, “Leave it better than you found it.” She said she was surprised by how much she learned in the program — information to not just make her a more effective leader but a better citizen.
Lindsey Gray
“Even as a native Little Rock resident from birth to present, I had no idea how much I didn’t know about my community prior to LGLR,” she said. “I had the bonus joy of participating with my brother, which gave us a guaranteed day together each month. Through the program, I made so many new friendships and relationships that I value greatly and gained an even greater appreciation for our city.
“I got to see behind the curtain on many industries, giving me a greater appreciation of all that Little Rock has to offer. I’ve seen where the connections made in the program have led to new career paths and passions for many needs in our community.”
Feature image: Last year’s LGLR class visited the Dassault Falcon Jet plant in Little Rock. (Photo courtesy of LGLR)
READ ALSO: Dollar Tree, 10 Fitness Slated for Vacant Stein Mart on Cantrell
