Mountain State University LeaderTalk

LeadershipLink 2011

by Jenni Canterbury

I clearly remember my first week as a Mountain State University employee. I joined the MSU marketing team only days before the 2nd Annual LeadershipLink conference and was fortunate to be able to take part in the event. Participating in the event allowed me to learn more about leadership studies through interacting with MSU's students, faculty, and alumni. Almost a year later, we are preparing for our 3^rd Annual LeadershipLink conference.

This year's LeadershipLink conference is Sunday, May 15^th, through Tuesday, May 17^th, at the Resort at Glade Springs, Daniels, W.Va. This year's theme is "Leading Self with Character" and will focus on the following aspects of leadership:

• Emotional Intelligence
• Authenticity
• Courage
• Integrity
• Sense of Purpose
• Lifelong Learning
• Health and Well-Being
• Resilience

Event speakers include dynamic leaders from a wide spectrum of organizations and disciplines:

Glenda P. Simms, Ph.D., LL.D., is founder and first director of St. Elizabeth Women (SEW) Ltd., Jamaica, and CEO of Simms Consulting. Simms has served as senior advisor on gender and development to Portia Simpson-Miller, prime minister of Jamaica. Prior to serving for Jamaica, Dr. Simms was Chairperson for the Commission the Status of Women in Canada and a consultant on women's issues at the United Nations.

She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology from the University of Alberta, Edmonton; an Advanced Management Program Certificate from the Canadian Centre for Management Development; and a Executive Program for Leaders in Development Certificate from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Garrett D. Hinshaw, Ed.D., became the third president of Catawba Valley Community College, Hickory, N.C., in August 2006.  In 2010, Hinshaw received the IE Ready Distinguished Leadership Award from North Carolina State University and the Outstanding Service Award to the African-American community at CVCC's multicultural celebration in honor of black history. He holds a Doctor of Education in Adult and Community College Education from North Carolina State University and earned both his master's and bachelor's degrees from Appalachian State University.

Major General James A. Hoyer assumed the duties as the Adjutant General, West Virginia Joint Forces Headquarters, in February 2011. As the Adjutant General for the state of West Virginia, he provides command guidance and vision to the West Virginia Army and Air National Guard of more than 6,000 citizen soldiers and airmen. The West Virginia Army National Guard was named the winner of the 2011 Army Communities of Excellence of Award for the second time. The West Virginia Guard attributes its educational partnership with the Charles H. Polk School of Leadership and Professional Development as a primary contributor to winning this award. General Hoyer received his undergraduate degree from the University of Charleston and holds a Master of Science in management and public administration from West Virginia Graduate College.

Charles H. Polk, Ed.D., began his career as college and university president with his appointment as president of Daytona Beach Community College in 1974 at the age of 31, making him the youngest college president in the country at the time. In 1990, he accepted the presidency of Beckley College, now Mountain State University. His commitment to leadership is unyielding. Polk holds a doctorate in adult education and college administration from North Carolina State University and earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in sociology and psychology from Stephen F. Austin University. He is also an accomplished writer of two books, Apex Thinking: A Guide to Long-term Leadership for the Rising CEO and What Leaders Believe.

William M. White, Ed.D., comes from an extensive executive background and draws on years of personal leadership working with such companies as AT&T, Texaco, and Amgen Corporation. He is the first dean of Mountain State University's Charles H. Polk School of Leadership and Professional Development and serves as interim dean for the School of Graduate Studies. Additionally, he was the lead researcher for the development of the first doctorate for Mountain State University, the Doctor of Executive Leadership. His publications include co-authorship with Dr. Charles H. Polk of two books, Apex Thinking: A Guide to Long-term Leadership for the Rising CEO and What Leaders Believe.

Roslyn C. Artis, J.D., Ed.D. is an active member of the West Virginia State Bar Association, the Mountain State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association and practiced law from 1995 to 2003 before embarking on a career in academia. She currently serves as Mountain State University Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer responsible for oversight of all academic deans and faculty as well as all academic courses and programs for all Mountain State University locations and modalities. Dr. Artis served on the 13-person advisory committee on the development of the Doctor of Executive Leadership and serves as a faculty member for the program.

For more information on this year's event, visit the conference website.

Canterbury currently serves as the marketing coordinator for Mountain State University's Charles H. Polk School of Leadership and Professional Development. She holds a Master of Arts in global marketing communication and advertising from Emerson College and a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and advertising from Concord University.

Roots of leadership

by Elisebeth VanderWeil, PhD

I recently visited Washington, D.C., for the first time with my 14-year-old daughter. The atmosphere of the city felt "thick" with intensity and diversity. My daughter's highlights were the National Zoo and the Air and Space Museum – both parts of the Smithsonian. My highlights were the National Archives and the Library of Congress. To stand amidst the documents and recorded thoughts of those who shaped our nation was awesome – breathtaking in the most primal sense. What I learned about the people and processes involved resonated with many of the emerging theories and practices of leadership in the 21st century.

Both the Charters of Freedom (collectively the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights) and the seed of the Library of Congress (Thomas Jefferson's personal library) are far more diverse and "messy" than what I'd been taught to believe.

Some of the men directly involved with creating and ratifying the Charters of Freedom vehemently disagreed with the final documents and wouldn't sign them. All of the women who were indirectly involved are FINALLY being recognized in the contextual and supporting documents surrounding the development of these ideas and their expressions. Collaboration and humor played vital roles in accomplishing the Charters. There were multiple copies that were sent around and only one set of them is now on display in the sepulcher-like room of the National Archives rotunda. The building itself is just a few decades old; the documents have been shuffled around and show some damage due to various exposures.

The Library of Congress was founded in 1800 with the mission to serve the research needs of congressional representatives. However, a few years later, a war cost us that library and the seed for the new one was Thomas Jefferson’s donation of thousands of titles from his personal library (all non-fiction; I think he kept the "stories" for himself). There was some controversy around his donation; it contained works in other languages, particularly French and Russian, and works from very diverse disciplines which were deemed extraneous to the endeavors of the American congress. Jefferson countered this view with the assertion that there is not an area of human thought or endeavor about which the American representatives should not be aware. Thus, the new mission of the Library of Congress emerged from the flames of attack to collect and provide one of the most extensive and diverse collections of library materials in the world. And, yes, the building itself is literally a temple of knowledge – with an inner sanctum and everything!

Learning about the "messiness and beauty" (a phrase from Margaret Wheatley describing life in Leadership and the New Science) that inseminated and gestated our nation has brought me renewed pride and deeper appreciation for what it is to be American. The roots of our nation are deep in the complex soil of European political thought, beer hall humor, "women’s work," natural history, Iroquois democracy, and medicine.  The maintenance of this rich soil is necessary to continued vital growth; we must continue to learn from many areas that do not seem directly applicable to our task, to consider the unheard voices and peer through the lenses of those who disagree.

Current theories of transformational, sustainable, and chaotic leadership support what these founders did over two centuries ago. The emerging scholarship and focus on leadership that looks beyond and beneath the "great man" have unearthed rich validation for what we know to be some of the best ways to accomplish great things that last. Sadly, we have neglected for too long the wisdom of these generalists, agitators, and learned men AND women. Without nourishing our roots of collaboration and diverse knowledge, Americans and our representatives jeopardize the health and well-being (not to mention the "general welfare," "domestic tranquility," "blessings of liberty," and "pursuit of happiness") of the United States of America and her citizens.

VanderWeil works as the Director of Organizational Leadership at Mountain State University and holds a PhD in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University. Her seemingly disconnected yet thematic work experience has provided her with the skills and experience to remain curious, flexible, decisive, and knowledgeable in many realms.

Leaders are ambitious

by Nicole Greer

The question is not: "To be or not to be?" The question is: "To do or not to do?"

We stand in choice. Each and every day life provides a plethora of opportunities for us to engage. How do you decide what to say "yes" to and what to say "no" to? Asking yourself this powerful question puts you in the driver's seat of your own life. It creates that longed-for state of balance. Saying "yes" or "no" appears to be a simple process but you must examine the motives behind your decisions. You may decide to engage with something out of guilt: "I should do it." Or you may decide out of habit: "I've always done this." Or you may decide out of ambition: "I really want and desire to do this." Your best choice will always be when you decide from your ambition.

Ambition is defined as a cherished desire to serve the world with the highest form of ourselves. It's a mysterious force that emanates from deep within you. There is a magnet that draws you toward certain ideals, activities, and organizations. I believe this is a gift. Pay attention to your ambition and identify it.

You will move throughout life with high efficiency saying yes when your ambition is being fed. Behavioral scientists have identified seven distinct ambitions that drive us to perform. Take a look at these ambitions. Which one resonates with you? Which one motivates you to say "yes"?

 1. Economic Ambition: a drive to create value and focused on results

 2. Altruistic Ambition: a drive to serve people, highly compassionate

 3. Theoretical Ambition: drive to understand and learn

 4. Authoritative Ambition: drive to be true to convictions, tenacious

 5. Creative Ambition: drive to use imagination and think outside the box

 6. Individualistic Ambition: drive to be unique and independent

 7. Political Ambition: drive to compete and advance position

Identifying your ambition is a powerful tool for deciding your next right step. Is ambition good or bad? The answer is it is how you use it. Growing up, many of us were warned about the consequences of being overly ambitious and as a result many of us have simply turned off this valuable gift. We'd rather be safe than sorry. The next time you must make a decision, invite your ambition to be part of the discernment process. Ambition can be used for good or it can be used for evil; test your ambition with these questions:

If I say "yes," will I increase the resources available to move a worthy cause forward?

If I say "yes," will I deliver a message that motivates others or give a warning that creates safety?

If I say "yes," will I right a wrong?

When you engage your ambition, and test it, you'll find yourself doing amazing things.

Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great. –Mark Twain
 
Nicole Greer, PPCC, is a professional life and business coach. At its deepest level, working with a coach frees you to indentify your birthright gifts, discern your deepest passions, and fulfill your highest purpose. A coach can pry you off dead center. As Principal Coach for Vibrant Coaching and Workshop Leader for The Lydia Group, LLC, a collaboration of individuals focused on work, life, and spiritual growth, Nicole is on a mission to impact, energize, and influence people to lead a Vibrant Life by engaging the possibilities. As a life and business coach and workshop leader, Nicole views her role as a conduit to release all that you want to achieve. Join her on the PATH to move forward with authenticity, skill, and confidence.