Leadership in Wisconsin n The Potential Unleashed

Thursday, October 30, 2008 7:16 AM CDT

Joan Sanstadt, News Editor

Editor’s note: This week’s column is written by JoAnn R. Stormer, executive director, Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program.

Powerful social and economic challenges are rapidly changing the economy and altering the nature of the communities that we live and work in. As a result, Wisconsin and the nation are passing through a period of transition in which quality leadership has become even more critical. In recent years there’s been an increasing amount of talk about leadership - some good, some not so good. The recent events in the world remind us how important leaders are.

Nationwide, Americans have commented about leadership. In one such national study conducted by Harvard University's Center for Public Leadership, Americans indicated that they are highly critical of the state of leadership.

* 66 percent of Americans believe we have a "leadership crisis" in the United States today

* 72 percent of the American public sees grave consequences for the nation if leaders do not improve… but

* 82 percent also see themselves as part of the leadership problem, agreeing that Americans who don't keep up on important issues are a big part of today's leadership problem

The 25-year mission of the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program (WRLP) has been to “develop leaders to strengthen communities”. WRLP has been preparing the next generation of leaders to display the knowledge, skills, and actions that Wisconsin communities envision in their leaders. Through this two-year program, ordinary people are equipped to be statesmanlike leaders. The most common comment from alumni is that they are changed, from the inside out, forever. Nothing looks exactly the same ever again.

People with guts, determination and a burning desire to better serve their community, organization or businesses have taken part in the highly regarded Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program. They apply to be a part of this cutting-edge program and are taken on a two-year journey of learning with an expectation that the knowledge, skills and networking connections will be used for a lifetime.

It is the only statewide leadership development program in Wisconsin. In 2003 the W. K. Kellogg Foundation recognized WRLP for its impact as “one of the exemplary leadership development programs in the nation.” Allow me to illustrate the impact of WRLP, by sharing some brief stories and comments from and about some of our graduates.

Daphne Holterman of Watertown, describes her WRLP experience as “one of the most valuable experiences of my life.” She says, “Every time I get involved in a local event, committee, etc. I use the skills I learned in WRLP in many different ways. I learned to LISTEN more. Most of all, I valued meeting people and learning from them and making life-long friends around the state.” She says she believes that the “the “payoff” is long-term and comes back to the people of Wisconsin in so many different and valuable ways. Recently nominated for an outstanding alumni award, Daphne was described as dependable, capable, visionary, articulate and outstanding farm business partner. The nomination went onto to say that “Daphne has demonstrated uncommon leadership in modern dairy financial analysis and planning, modern calf management and animal well-being initiatives, farmland preservation and environmental programs, and community and consumer relations. Simply stated, Daphne speaks up for agriculture.”

One of our WRLP alumni, Sheri Fanning, RN, from Sparta displayed her leadership when she volunteered to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees in a San Antonio, Texas, shelter. In addition to direct care work, Fanning worked closely with FEMA and Center for Disease Control officials and Mexican army generals and physicians with evacuees.

Sheri credited her WRLP experience for her success in Texas. She said, “It's what I learned in 'Rural Leadership’, that has helped me with making good decisions, working through problems, knowing how to conduct myself with diverse groups, knowing when to exert myself and when to step back and let others lead in a different way. Having gone through WRLP made all the difference.”

Here is what Rod Nilsestuen, secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, had to say about the impact of alumni, Norm Monsen, Stoughton, " Every dairy plant operator, big or small, that I encounter in my travels, knows of Norm and his abilities to help connect them to the great resources that Wisconsin has configured to help dairy plants with new ventures. Norm is the true "ambassador" for dairy development in Wisconsin. His role is vital and irreplaceable".

Jack Herricks of Cashton says that, “The first lesson learned is that to be a leader you need to know yourself first. Another lesson is the importance of listening. Giving perspective to the whole WRLP experience is difficult in a few words. It has changed me from being locally focused to being nearly global in my thinking. The greatest thing of all was having the opportunity to meet so many people.”

James Krueger of Platteville described WRLP as an opportunity for “stepping outside my comfort zone.” He went on to say how each seminar “provided a new set of challenges and in-depth views of issues only vaguely familiar to most. Since I come from a rural environment, the conferences in Milwaukee and Washington D.C. were extremely positive and a great insight to those cities and their challenges. On the other hand, by staying in Arkansas, Chile and Argentina I also gained a tremendous amount of knowledge as to life in various parts of the country and world, for both urban and rural dwellers.

Another alumnus, Sam Miller of Appleton was instrumental in creating a charter school in Appleton that now has become a statewide model for other Wisconsin communities to follow. Again, focus and impact was a theme, in this case on creating a classical school curriculum that would provide students with a core knowledge-centered education, cultural literacy, and the values of a democratic society.

The examples could go on and on. After every two-year Group, we find graduates go onto distinguish themselves through elected or appointed office, in business, nonprofit or community organization leadership, and by taking on new community challenges.

The work, the mission of the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program - Developing Leaders to Strengthen Communities - lives and breathes through these men and women. The WRLP experience is about the developing part. Our alumni’s part is about strengthening part; going back to their communities, their work, their professions, nonprofits, churches, schools and much more, rolling up their sleeves and making a difference. And the amazing part is that this story has now played itself out exponentially for the last 25 years and will continue for many more years to come. It’s a wonderful thing to be a part of. It’s a wonderful thing to see spread!

WRLP assembles leaders who live in Wisconsin and provides them with a chance to interact with each other. Purposefully we bring together people from different backgrounds with different and more often than not, opposing agendas and to help them develop processes to work collaboratively. They are immersed in opportunities to increase their knowledge and understanding of the issues present and the future. WRLP provides them with the tools to lead innovative responses to the long-term challenges facing Wisconsin, our nation and our world.

Through a combination of real world learning experiences, classroom activities, field experiences and readings, participants are provided with a forum for rigorous discussions organized into a series of practical seminars over a two-year period. This includes eight, three-day seminars held in various locations throughout Wisconsin focusing on different topics such as technology, environmental, state government, diversity, global economics, urban issues, tension between individuals and community, and leadership. Participants also travel to another part of the United States for a one-week seminar, studying a region very different than where they live and work. Politics come alive during a week-long seminar in Washington, D.C. Their perspective broadens as they look at another culture through the eyes of its people and experience life as others do in a two-week international seminar.

It is an exciting and challenging opportunity to make a significant contribution to the future of Wisconsin and to enhance their own personal growth. In the words of alumni, Dennis Deery, of Menomonie, “What a phenomenal experience! The program creates an incredible public space to debate and discuss issues in a very respectful yet challenging forum. I do not know of any other place where I have experienced such a great diversity of people tackling such a diversity of issues in so many ways.”

Our graduates are leaders who are active in their communities, organizations or businesses. They are passionate and motivated to make things happen. They are committed to developing the skills to ensure that they can make a difference in their communities.

To learn more about the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program visit the website, http://www.uwex.edu/ces/wrlp or contact JoAnn at 608-263-5024.

JoAnn R. Stormer, executive director of the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program, has an extensive history of leadership and management experience in several diverse not-for-profit organizations including the last 10 years as an executive director for four separate statewide organizations serving as many as 80 paid staff and 5,000 volunteer staff. Stormer’s education is complemented with over twenty-five years of developing and delivering educational programming, workshops, presentations, and training for all age levels preschool through adult.

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