Leadership is a mindset, not a job title. While KCLS managers are expected to be leaders, staff don’t have to be managers to lead. We recognize that many staff, regardless of position, are exhibiting exemplary instances of organic leadership. What’s been missing, however, was the intentional effort to bring our aspiring leaders — both management and non-management — together to cultivate cohesive leadership behaviors that align with our strategic goals. KCLS LEADS fills that void.

The program is a five-month cohort-based active learning experience. Twenty-four participants come from across the system, from a variety of job positions. The curriculum takes a progressively inward-outward approach: first exploring what it means to lead oneself, how to lead others and, finally, how to lead within organizational and community systems. We teach 11 topics, to cultivate 11 leadership behaviors to achieve our anticipated outcomes and rely on supervisor support to propel learning into action.

During the first KCLS LEADS program, a diverse group of participants not only developed a shared understanding of leadership, but they also forged meaningful connections with one another. A recent post-program evaluation confirms that extensive skills and knowledge were acquired. Now, program graduates are actively leading as heads of newly-formed strategic project teams, members of advisory committees, instructional and conference presenters and community organization partners. In short, KCLS LEADS is successfully developing leaders.