West Des Moines Leadership Academy

Amy Seidelman
Vice-Chair, West Des Moines
Leadership Academy

I’ll start this post with a warning:

Readers, beware – my enthusiasm for the West Des Moines Leadership Academy might just jump off the page at you.

As a graduate of the inaugural 2009 class of the Academy and its current Vice-Chair, I am pleased to introduce our group to anyone who hasn’t had the opportunity to participate in the academy, hasn’t attended one of the many events that evolved from our Academy class projects, or doesn’t know someone who comes to work the 4^th Friday of the month with a renewed sense of purpose in life and work (due to their attendance at class the day before, of course).

There are many great leadership organizations in the state and in cities around West Des Moines. As an alumni-driven group, the Board and Committees of the West Des Moines Leadership Academy strive to make our approach to improving leadership unique.

We touch on topics everyone can benefit from like team building, coaching, conflict management, and situational leadership, but we also focus on supporting individuals on their quest toward personal and professional development.  This year, that included a strategic approach to goal setting, tapping into creativity, and generating the “escape velocity” we need to make positive change in our lives.

We spend about a third of our time exposing the Academy class members to real community issues through experiential learning, simulations, and guest panelists. One of the most influential learning opportunities is the class project, which in the past has varied from focused youth-oriented mentoring work to more large-scale community events! If you’ve attended events like Putt Your Best Food Forward, the BoosterPak Bash, the Hy-Vee Stash Mob, or the 2012 Morsel Combat, you’ve attended a Leadership Academy sponsored or run event.

Taught by local leaders, this program was created to build leaders in the West Des Moines area and our surrounding communities. The program’s balance of leadership training, community experiences, and networking opportunities makes it one of a kind.

I’ve saved the best part for last – we are currently accepting applications for our 2013 -2014 class, which starts in September 2013 and ends with graduation in June 2014. We generally meet on the 4^th Thursday of the month with the exception of some dates we move for holidays, orientation, and graduation.

What we look for in ideal WDMLA candidates:

·         a commitment and motivation to serve West Des Moines;

·         leadership in employment and/or volunteer organizations that translates to influence on important issues; and

·         the ability to honor the time commitment required by the program.

Please take a moment to check out our website. Scan the Alumni and Current Class pages for anyone you might know and can ask about the class. Look at next year’s class dates to see if they’ll work for you. Most importantly, visit the online application and review what you’ll need in order to submit yours soon.

Whether you ask your employer to sponsor this great learning experience or decide to “put yourself through” the WDMLA, you’ll find great value in the leadership lessons and connection to our community you’ll develop. If you are considering asking your employer to sponsor you, you can share these employer testimonials with them as well.

As a potential applicant, you’re on the verge of some serious networking and the start of some amazing friendships. I, for one, can’t wait to meet you!