ISBLI helped me understand the requirements and processes for being an effective leader within our current context of an increasingly diverse world.

One of the primary reasons for my participation in the ISBLI program was to learn from other professionals and to work collaboratively in a team. Making the decision to participate in ISBLI was not one that was taken lightly. However after careful deliberations, I thought that the program offered a great opportunity for personal growth and professional development, and I am glad to say that I benefited greatly from my participation in the program.

ISBLI helped me understand the requirements and processes for being an effective leader within our current context of an increasingly diverse world. As an instructor at Kennesaw State University, I consider myself to be a facilitator of my students’ learning. This means that I need to have good listening skills, and to be able to enhance learning through excellent questioning techniques. Participation in ISBLI helped me understand the value of transformative leadership, and to be attuned to others. I have enjoyed learning about the importance of executive presence, leading by design, and the value of inclusive leadership.

Without a doubt, current social conditions make a program such as the one offered by the ISBLI even more crucial: we need new leaders who are trained in inclusive and transformational leadership. Just being with the ISBLI participants helped me to be hopeful again. The participants are so dedicated to their various causes, and are so energetic that I felt myself being reinvigorated through a new sense of hope. Moreover, the resource persons have enlightened us – both through their knowledge and through their passion.

In the ISBLI sessions, I learned how to build a strong team foundation, how to strengthen accountability, how to set clear expectations, and how to “lean into my identity.” In the group project I refined my leadership skills in a very real sense. I decided to take up the challenge of l the Green Team believing that this was a great opportunity to apply the learning from the monthly sessions. The Green Team’s success has given me the confidence to be patient and persistent in getting team members to deliver on assigned responsibilities, and for the whole team to complete the project within the timeline given to us.

Overall, the ISBLI program has enriched me and has helped me in developing my skills for transformative and inclusive leadership. I am very grateful for the opportunity given to me to benefit from the excellent resource persons, the great participants, the wonderful project coach, and the supportive ISB team. This has been a wonderful experience for me. Thank you all very much!