2016 Year of Being Extraordinary

2016 was a year to set the bar a little higher and challenge ourselves to go beyond what we have already learned and accomplished. Using the distinctions around which the School for Leadership is built, we reached a new level of operating smoothly and effectively as a community, bringing the gifts of each School Builder to the center.

• The second Five Day for the Third Cohort was more dynamic than ever for both participants and volunteers. We emphasized cross training of the production teams as a way of generating new participation and growth as well as creating wider ownership and accountability.


• The regional Three Day Residential Clinics in October and November marked the half-way point for the cohort. Each regional learning group has made significant steps toward operating as a community rather than a group. This learning carries over into how each participant operates in the communities they serve.


• There were two Dialogue Calls centered on the distinctions forgiveness and authenticity. These two-and-a-half hour conference calls are an opportunity for the cohort to come together to discuss and work more deeply on each distinction.


• There were two Audio Offerings, one on the distinction of transformational leadership and one on the distinction power. These one-hour, professionally produced recordings are derived from relevant sections of the curriculum.


• More than fourteen members of the first and second cohorts continued to train and develop themselves as program leaders, leading local graduate programs, parts of the Ireland and Israel Intensives, and Making a Difference Courses in the United States and Northern Ireland.


• For the first time, we began work on strengthening the capacity and ability of School participants to raise funds for their organizations and causes. After surveying what they are already doing, we designed a process and conversation at the Five Day to begin to move successful fund raising from the background to the foreground.


• Thirty-five active School Builders, many with more than one accountability, worked throughout the year to support the School and the participants of the Third Cohort. These dedicated volunteers tracked more almost 4000 hours working on the School over 2016.


• The Faculty and Curriculum Support Community Element of the School continued their work on writing the primary distinctions of our work so they are available for study in written form. These become the foundation of our Audio Offerings and Dialogue Calls. We also worked on improving the private, on-line library that houses our materials.


• We created new and updated materials to support the coaches in their commitment to empowering the cohort members that they work with individually. Three participants in the 2015 apprentice coaching program began coaching participants of the School.