The LAA Connector 
Managing Flux: Lean into Leadership with Flagship 2022
by President & CEO, Kris Valerio Shock

I am thrilled to share that on September 9th the Flagship 22 class kicked off their program year with the Opening Retreat at London Town. The full roster of the 2022 Flagship class (pictured above) is available here and photos from the Opening Retreat are captured here. We are deeply proud to provide forty-six public, private, for profit, government, non-profit and citizen community leaders with the resources and networks needed to help our community weather the current and future challenges.

The class of 2022 is the third Flagship class to adapt to the challenges presented by the global pandemic. While we had hoped to be "back to normal" (whatever that means) by the start of this Flagship year, the Delta variant requires that we continue to adapt our sessions to meet current health recommendations. Leveraging all of the tools in our tool kit - vaccinations, rapid and easily available testing, outdoor spaces whenever possible, masks, distance, sanitizer - we will provide in-person experiences as much as possible and if/when we must be virtual, we will provide interactive, robust opportunities for the Flagship class to learn and bond and grow, together.

Leadership Anne Arundel remains deeply committed to providing people of diverse backgrounds with the education, resources and networks necessary to become successful proactive leaders. We do this because we need these leaders to persevere and thrive through these ever challenging, (and yes,) relentless times. 

Have you heard of pandemic flux? It's a thing. I recently listened to Brené Brown's podcast with Amy Cuddy on Pandemic Flux Syndrome. They discuss Cuddy's recently published Washington Post article, “Why This Stage of the Pandemic Makes Us So Anxious,” and how working through this collective, constant pandemic flux affects us as individuals and as leaders. 

Spoiler Alert: Leaders need other leaders to inspire them to get back up and persevere through pandemic flux. Following 18+ months of global pandemic, social justice reckoning and political unrest, providing our local leaders with the understanding and networks needed impact positive change in our community is more challenging and more rewarding than ever.

This morning I had the pleasure of hearing David Marriott in a Fireside chat with the BWI Business Partnership. When asked how he manages to "fill his cup" as a leader who so many rely on to stay optimistic in the face of unprecedented adversity, he stressed the importance of taking the time to reconnect with colleagues and recharge the batteries.

Fortunately, LAA has exactly that opportunity on the horizon. If you're looking for a dose of inspiration, a shot of optimism or just a little breath of hope for the future coming out of the last 18 months of extraordinary challenge, you must join us for the Program Kickoff and Homecoming Celebration on Tuesday, September 28th from 5:30p - 7:30p (outside) at the Annapolis Maritime Museum. Full details are available here.

In the meantime, if you're looking for a quick boost, treat yourself to the Flagship 2022 playlist on Spotify filled with loads of inspirational tunes to get you going and past a moment of flux.

Comment below to share how you are managing through flux and let us know how we can be of support in this next leg of the journey.