JFK once said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” EPL invests significant resources to implement training to help our staff deliver exceptional customer experiences. While we had begun some capacity building with managers, we had not been intentional about developing a common belief, approach and commitment to leadership, nor had we articulated what it meant to be a leader at EPL and the example we wanted to set for our staff and community. We had the opportunity to define our leadership practice, develop tools to help us coach staff and define how we wanted to show up as leaders.

EPL’s Executive Team held a managers’ meeting to define our approach to leadership, reflective of our Shared Values and organizational culture. With this feedback EPL’s Leadership Promise was crafted ⁠— eight statements outlining what staff can expect from their leaders and the leadership practice we were committing to. A member of the Executive Team and two managers visited every staff group to share the Promise. Staff shared their feedback, which managers used to craft annual goals and development plans. A framed copy of the Leadership Promise is now in every staff room and manager’s office ⁠— a reminder of the commitment made.

The Leadership Promise gives EPL positive, aspirational and action-oriented language that describes how organizational leaders behave. A leadership and culture team was implemented to help develop systemwide manager annual goals as well as provide support tools and resources. Individual managers have used staff feedback related to the Leadership Promise to create their personal development plans. Human Resources has clear guidelines to use for manager recruitment and performance management. While we’ve outlined our commitment, we have also been clear that it is a practice that we are working on and improving daily.