“Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion.”
It was the beginning of class and the guest facilitator, Trustee Dr. Marc Watrous ’91, began by paraphrasing a quote from the assigned reading, Chapter 8 of John C. Maxwell’s “Developing the Leader Within You 2.0.” Then he prompted the class with the question:
“If a leader isn’t producing the vision, who is?”
And the seven faculty and staff members in the Leadership Development Program began offering their thoughts to the room. They tossed ideas out like beach balls for others to gently bounce off, engaging in a dialogue about their own experiences, the kind of leaders they want to be and, yes, how their vision might play into it all.
“It’s important to have something on the horizon,” said one. “Vision provides that horizon.”
Said another, about her experience working for a visionary leader, “I felt unstoppable almost.”
Vision, the topic of the April 23 class, was particularly suitable for the group. The program was created by ACPHS President Toyin Tofade as part of the People & Culture pillar of the College’s new strategic plan – itself a vision for the future.
President Tofade partnered with Cabinet to identify faculty and staff committed to the advancement of lifelong learning and leadership. The group of seven has met seven times since January, usually with the President, to explore issues in leadership, as well as discuss their perspectives on Maxwell’s book. The cohort will continue to work through the summer and culminate their efforts with a project designed to enhance the campus community and support other goals of the strategic plan.
Participants said they have benefited from the chance to reflect on weighty, abstract ideas and consider how to apply them in their day-to-day work lives. They have also enjoyed the opportunity to interact with faculty and staff in other departments.
“In my daily work, I don’t get to discuss ideas very often, and this has provided me with the chance to do that,” said Melissa Barr, development coordinator in Institutional Advancement.
In addition to Barr, the inaugural members of the program are Katie Cardone, director of the PharmD program; Ariel Collins, digital marketing specialist; Logan Gee, director of Student Engagement and Wellness; Angela (Bermudez) Palmer, academic class advisor and coordinator of the Peer Mentoring Program; Katie Palmer, senior associate director of pharmacy admissions; and Manish Shah, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences.
In his guest appearance last week, Dr. Watrous shared that his own return to the College in 2019 as a trustee resulted from being drawn to the vision of ACPHS leadership. He ended the session with words of encouragement.
“I applaud Toyin, and I applaud you all for being in a program like this,” said Watrous, who has more than 30 years leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. “Now more than ever, the school needs leaders – leaders who are not just at the top of the organization.
“You can lead from everywhere.”