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LEADERSHIP

January 2015

Leadership:  You're On the Right Path

by Michelle Cummings, Co-Founder of Personify Leadership

 

The Inukshuk

  

Living in Colorado gives me ample opportunities for great hiking.  A common tradition my kids and I like to do when we are out hiking is to leave an Inukshuk cairn on the trail.  The Inukshuk statue is a favorite metaphor of mine I like to use with teams as it has a wonderful tie in with Leadership.  

 

Inukshuk, pronounced in-ook-shook, are stone monuments erected in the image of humans. One of their historic purposes was to communicate direction in the harsh and desolate Arctic.  As such they were a tool for survival, and symbolic of the unselfish acts of a nomadic people - the Inuit - who built them as signposts to make the way easier and safer for those who followed.  If a traveler could see the Inukshuk statue, they knew they were on the right path. 

 

In leadership it is important that our people know that they are on the right path.  This requires a good balance of providing direction as well as the appropriate amount of support necessary for each team member.  The hands of many and the efforts of an entire group were required to build these massive stone sculptures.  They are the result of a consensus of purpose, of focused action by a group united in its goal and labor.  The Inukshuk are the product of cooperation, teaching us that as good as our individual efforts may be, together we can do even greater things.

     

Each stone is a separate entity.  Each supports, and is supported by, the one above and the one below it.  No one piece is any more or less important than another.  Its strength lies in its unity.  Its significance comes from its meaning as a whole. What is true about the Inukshuk is true about people.  Each individual entity alone has significance.  As part of a team each of us supports, and is supported by, another.  We are united by our common goals, and together we are part of a greater whole.

    

The stones which make up the Inukshuk are secured through balance.  They are chosen for how well they fit together. Looking at the structure it can be easily seen that the removal of even one stone will destroy the integrity of the whole.  So, too, with a team.  Each individual in a team is necessary for the realization of the team's purpose.  The removal of even one person will result in the weakening of the structure. What holds the team together is the balance - the complementary nature of the individual skills.

     

The Inukshuk, like Leadership, is a symbol of the human spirit.  They recognize our ability to succeed with others, where we would fail alone.  They remind us of our need to belong to something greater than ourselves. The Inukshuk reinforces our ability to commit to common goals and celebrates our working together.  They continue to remind us of our inter-dependent responsibilities to invest our efforts today, to direct a better way for all of our tomorrows.           

 


Join us in Denver, CO!

Personify Leadership is hosting a 2-day Open Enrollment workshop at the Golden Hotel and we have a few seats left.  

If you'd like to attend or to send some of your front line managers to this workshop where we train on the 8 core competencies of leadership, please register them now!


Come join us for this interactive leadership training event hosted by the Founders of Personify Leadership!


Date: February 17-18 Open Enrollment

Location: Golden Hotel

Time: 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

Cost:  $899 Open Enrollment


Here are our 2015 dates:
  • Feb 17-18   Denver, CO
  • April 20-21    Ft Lauderdale, FL
  • August 3-4   Houston, TX
  • September 21-22, Ft Lauderdale, FL
  • November 16-17   Denver, CO

 


 
Visit us at the Mile High SHRM conference in Denver, CO on January 23, 2015!


 
Join co-founder Michelle Cummings at the 2015 Mile High SHRM Conference in Denver, CO!  We will have a booth in the exhibit hall.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Click here for more information about the conference.


The Heart of a Leader
What people are saying about Personify Leadership

"The Personify Leadership course is a good fit for anyone who leads a team and is wanting to better understand and develop his/her leadership style. The eight core body-focused competencies paired with the engaging facilitators, case study videos and classroom activities created the perfect learning environment for all participants regardless of industry. This class challenged me to take my leadership development to the next level."  ~Sonali Gadkari, Talent Development, Marathon Oil Company

 


Train the Trainer Certification

Would you like to lead a fun, highly interactive, and comprehensive leadership development program for your organization? Are you someone who genuinely cares about helping others achieve their best? Does your organization need leadership training on a large scale? If so, we invite you to consider certification in Personify Leadership.

Upcoming Train the Trainer dates:

  • February 17-20   Denver, CO
  • April 20-23    Ft Lauderdale, FL
  • August 3-6   Houston, TX
  • September 21-24, Ft Lauderdale, FL
  • November 16-19   Denver, CO
Click here to register or for more information.
                                



Direct Engagement

Bring the Personify Leadership Program to your organization!  Our facilitators can work with your schedule to deliver this two-day course to your leaders. There is a minimum of 10 participants, and a maximum of 20 participants required.  Call or email for more information and availability.  Watch below for a message from our founders.
Personify Leadership for Your Organization
Personify Leadership for Your Organization

                                

Connect with us!
 

Sincerely,
Angela Sebaly & Michelle Cummings
Co-Founders and Chief Visionary Officers
Personify Leadership