You can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you cannot choose both.
-Brene Brown 

 

This month we begin again. 

 

July marks the beginning of LAA’s fiscal year.  Following last month’s successful Tribute to Community Leadership celebration, we shift our attention to welcoming new Board members and preparing for a new program year, starting with the Flagship 2021 class opening retreat in September. 

 

I am an organizational leader. My comfort zone is delivering impactful experiences and driving connections. In this time of challenge, uncertainty, and transformation, I struggle with nagging discomfort.

 

Digging into the discomfort I recognize parallel sources: the deep desire to exceed expectations for the incoming Flagship class in spite of challenges due to  COVID-19 and profound understanding that we must dig into the work of greater understanding around racism  and social injustice. 

 

The cornerstone of the Flagship program value is unique  access and connection to community leaders and experiences. This week, we will be reaching out to 30+ Flagship candidates to confirm participation in the class. It is inspiring and humbling to read the applications of these dedicated community leaders who choose to lean into leadership in a time of such unprecedented challenge. I simply cannot wait to meet them. 

 

The Program Planning Committee will be meeting this month* to begin the process of charting the journey for the incoming Flagship class. Courage comes from the strength of the LAA community who will rise to the challenge and craft each carefully planned Flagship session, leveraging their knowledge and connections to benefit the new Flagship class. While much is still unknown, we will adapt to evolving health considerations and embrace new ways of delivering  value like never before. We will deliver on our mission to inspire, develop, and connect a new cohort of community leaders in a time they are needed more than ever. We will provide a Flagship experience filled with opportunities and experiences beyond imagination.

 

*LAA Flagship program alumni are invited to participate in Flagship program planning. An info session is scheduled for Wednesday, July 22nd at 4:00p on Zoom.

Click here for details and registration.

 

 

To not have the conversations because they make you uncomfortable, is the definition of privilege. Your comfort is not at the center of this discussion. – Brene Brown

 

In the challenge of real conversations around equity and privilege, reflection brings deeper awareness and deeper discomfort. My initial discomfort springs from the realization of my superficial understanding of racial inequity.

 

For me personally, before discussion, I must lean into education. This summer, I am leaning into education through a plethora of resources. I am determined to make time to dive into the abundant information available to broaden my understanding of our history, where we are in this moment, and personal actions that may lead to greater understanding and progress for the collective good of our community.

 

If you find yourself also on a seeking path this summer, I invite you to join me in exploring some of the resources below. From books and podcasts to online events and potentially a LAA virtual book club. Please consider the resources below and let me know if you would like to join the conversation.  

 

 

 

Kris

Kris Valerio Shock (FLG06)

President & CEO, Leadership Anne Arundel

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Brene Brown: I'm a big fan of Brene Brown in general. If you are new to her approach to leadership, her book Dare to Lead is a good place to start.

 

Unlocking Us Podcast
Brené with Austin Channing Brown on I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
Brené with Ibram X. Kendi on How to Be an Antiracist

Book: I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown


Virtual Events in July:

National Leadership Network (Association of Leadership Professionals) event
Tuesday, July 14th, 1:00 - 2:30p
Discussions that Matter: Policing and Protesting
Registration closes on Monday 7/13 at 3:00pm! 

Discussions That Matter provides opportunities for graduates of Leadership Programs from across the nation to engage with challenging topics that impact the country. Each session introduces a topic through a panel discussion between seasoned professionals representing corporate, nonprofit, and government entities representing different regions. Following the panel attendees are placed in small groups to engage in meaningful discussions with their fellow leaders.

This conversation will bring individuals who have decades of experience with police use of force oversight and reform together with some of the young leaders who are demanding change. They will center their conversation around the following question. In the current context, what does it mean to defund, reform, reshape, or re-imagine, policing in this country?


Ibram X. Kendi: "How to Be an Antiracist."
Monday, July 20, 7:00 - 8:00p
Co-Presented by Anne Arundel County Public Library:

2019 Guggenheim Fellow and New York Times bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi will discuss his renowned book “How to Be an Antiracist” on Monday, July 20 at 7:00 p.m. with Dr. Charlene M. Dukes, president of Prince George’s Community College. Dr. Dukes is the first African-American woman to serve as president of the College and has 30 years of progressive leadership experience and administrative responsibility in higher education. The conversation will be streamed live online on Crowdcast, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter/Periscope, and will air on PGCC TV on a later date.

Praised as “The most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind” (New York Times), Kendi’s groundbreaking work has provided a major new counterpoint in the national conversation about race in America and resonates in this, our collective moment of reckoning.


Book Club* - Me and White Supremacy

Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor is a book by Layla Saad published on January 28, 2020. The book began on Instagram as a structured 28-day guide targeted at white readers aimed at helping them to identify the impact of white privilege and white supremacy over their lives. It lends itself to an interactive, journaling book club experience. 

 

*I will begin the 28-day guide in August and invite any LAA Alumni who would like to connect virtually during August to share the journey to contact me directly.