Strong Leader Series offers practical leadership training for Southwest Michigan

Leadership rarely comes with an instruction manual. While some people seem to have a natural knack for leading, most develop their skills through experience, trial and error — and learning from others.

For Southwest Michigan professionals looking to become more effective leaders, the process can be accelerated by learning what makes a good leader, and an opportunity to do that is coming to this region soon. It’s called the Strong Leader Series, and the South Haven Regional Business Hub offers it as a three-part professional development experience designed to help leaders at every level increase their influence, think strategically, and bring out the best in others.

Participants will meet at Lake Michigan College in South Haven on three Thursdays: Oct. 8, 15, and 22 from 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  The program is intended to:

“Understand and apply your natural strengths to everyday leadership challenges.

“Communicate with influence and build trust across your team and organization.

“Think strategically to make better, faster, and more aligned decisions.

“Inspire and develop others by focusing on what makes each person thrive.”

The deadline to register for the Strong Leader Series is Sept. 24.  It’s open to people throughout southwest Michigan, and the class size is limited to 30.  

Elizabeth Bernhard, South Haven Regional Business Hub executive director, says there will be three interactive, half-day workshops:

Session 1: Communication & Influence, October 8.  Learn how to adapt your communication style, strengthen your credibility, and turn conversations into action. Discover how your strengths shape your influence, and practice skills that build trust and drive collaboration.  Practice adaptive communication for different audiences and situations.  Learn how to give and receive feedback that builds trust and accountability.

Session 2: Strategic Thinking & Decision-Making, Oct. 15. Develop a stronger strategic mindset and learn to balance intuition and analysis.  Gain tools for making confident, strengths-aligned decisions that keep your team focused and aligned.  Learn to balance intuition and evidence when making strategic choices.

Session 3: Motivating & Developing Others, Oct. 22.  Build stronger teams.  Understand what drives individual motivation and learn how to coach and develop others through their strengths. Create an environment where people feel seen, valued, and empowered to perform at their best. 

“This is a highly interactive experience,” says Bernhard. “Participants are not just sitting there and listening to presentations. They’re actually discussing real leadership situations, practicing skills in small groups, and learning from one another.”

Before the classes start, participants will complete the CliftonStrengths 34 Assessment, a tool to determine a person’s strengths and rank them from 1 to 34.  The Strong Leader Series focuses on each participant’s top five.

The Series began last December with a cohort of 16 people including several executive directors of nonprofit organizations, a senior municipal leader, and individuals from a local small business who were relatively new to supervising others and new to leadership training. About 40 percent of the participants were local government employees.

“One of the things I really like about this program is the range of people it serves,” Bernhard says. “It’s a valuable experience for all levels of leaders.”

Responding to a survey, all 16 participants in the first cohort said they achieved the goal they had for attending the course, and all would recommend it to others.

The series is funded in part by the South Haven Area Community Foundation and the City of South Haven. The South Haven Regional Business Hub also offers entrepreneurship programs, which get funding from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the state Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.