What is LeaderShape?

Paul Stoddard reflects on his experience as a Cluster Facilitator in 2012. We hope you enjoy learning what the week was like for him.

There really aren’t that many experiences in a typical lifetime that change the way you think.   Just a few, here and there.  If you’re lucky.  Events and experiences that incite changes in the way you think or act or perceive just don’t happen that often.   People talk a lot about changing the way they think and they think a lot about changing the way they think.  But, they usually don’t change.  LeaderShape was one of those relatively rare events in my life that caused me to change how I think, led me to change how I think, and let me change how I think.

I went into LeaderShape relatively unaware of what I was getting into and relatively naive about the whole LeaderShape “thing”.  I really didn’t know much about what to expect.  And that wasn’t a bad way to go into it at all. 

Everyone’s experience of LeaderShape is bound to be a little different than anyone else’s and everyone’s experience is somewhat unique. 

For me, LeaderShape was a Week of Surprises:  surprises about the depth at which strangers can connect, surprises about the way that being pushed outside your comfort zone will trigger new attitudes and a rebirth of thought, surprises about myself, surprises about my team, surprises about how group dynamics can evolve and coalesce in such a very short time.

For me, LeaderShape was a Week of Awakening:  awakening in myself, marvelous and palpable awakenings in others, awakening of a fluid and blossoming group dynamic in my team, and awakening of new levels of awareness about others.

For me, LeaderShape was a Week of Learning: learning that leading is action, learning that leading is a choice, learning that leading is an attitude, learning that leading is about pushing past boundaries, learning that leading sometimes means loving enough to push someone to think differently, learning that leading is about stepping up, learning that leading isn’t about me but it has to start with me, and learning that leading is about throwing out your old ideas about what’s possible.

Are you thinking about LeaderShape? Cast off your cocoon and check it out!

We are currently accepting applications for Cluster Facilitators for the 2013 national sessions of The LeaderShape Institute.