The Leadership Kenosha cohort met at Pillar Health and the day started with a presentation created by our very own cohort members James, Ericka and Rose on “What does healthy leadership look like?” They shared that leadership is:
- about making others better,
- being a cultural magnet that attracts people to your team,
- doing what is in the best interest of others,
- taking care of yourself,
- managing negative emotions to increase morale,
- learning your strengths and weakness,
- following your values,
- knowing your limits and setting boundaries,
- seeking support and giving yourself, as well as others, some grace.
Our cohort team was engaged and gave some positive feedback! Great work, cohort!
The morning continued with learning about community health and wellness resources. First, Mary Ouimet, DNP, RN, CEO Kenosha Community Health Center, shared that Pillar Health is the next generation of community healthcare. Mary conducted a tour of the fully integrated clinic which is staffed with dentists, nurse practitioners, and a behavioral health team. They pride themselves on taking care of all people. Pillar Health is not a free clinic. The fees are on a sliding scale according to household size and income.
The second half of the morning was with Lori Plahmer and Krista Tappa of Kenosha County Public Health. They each shared the role of public health and their journey through the COVID 19 pandemic and the current challenges in public health. During COVID they learned to be mobile - delivering thermometers, masks, and setting up rooms at local hotels for positive COVID patients who lived at the homeless shelter for isolation. They shared both positive and negative experiences with getting people vaccinated and tested for COVID. Krista also shared that the Health Department offers many services from TB skin testing, lead testing, court ordered genetic testing, vivitrol injection, drug therapy and many more services. Krista spoke about how addiction is a disease and how it affects the brain. In the near future vending machines will be placed at the Sharing Center and Crisis Center stocked with free Narcan.
In the afternoon, we were greeted by Ed Egan, President of Double E Workplace Solutions, LLC who gave a presentation on “Leading Change.” Leadership cohorts completed an “about you” exercise which included sharing who most influenced us personally and professionally and how it has developed us as leaders. Ed then broke us into small groups to have us draw our optimal influential change leader.
Ed shared that all levels of employees matter because if you don’t involve them morale suffers and confidence decreases. Ed talked about the Kubler-Ross change curve – shock, denial, frustration, depression, experiment, decision, and integration. Ed shared another video “The Backwards Brain Bicycle” to remind us that knowledge does not equal understanding and truth = truth.
The last part of the afternoon was led by Marvin Bembry, President, MKB Leadership Transformation and Executive Director, John Maxwell Team to share our Inclusive Leadership Action Plan. The six traits of inclusive leadership are commitment, courage, cognizance, curiosity, cultural intelligence, and collaboration. We must lead from a place of knowing and passion. We must know the importance of accomplishing mission. Leaders have an action plan that consists of being aware, active and being an advocate. A group activity was done focusing on where we are on the spectrum – interesting views and feedback was shared among groups.
Marvin ended our final session with “your success rises and falls on the basis of leadership.”
No stopping us now as we are on the move in the eighth month of the silver leadership class!
—Lorroli Henderson
Posted on
April 26, 2023