You are the Leader You’ve Been Waiting For!

Thursday, September 16, 2021 — 1:00-2:00 PM Eastern / 12:00 noon-1:00 PM Central / 11:00 AM-12:00 noon Mountain / 10:00–11:00 AM Pacific

Many of us cast about looking for someone to show us the way, not realizing we already have the skills required to be leaders in our own right. We may find ourselves asking, “How might we grow as leaders in our own lives and the lives of others?”

In her newest book Dare to Lead, Brené Brown defines leadership this way: Leader: Anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes and who has the courage to develop that potential.

As supportive leaders, we can nurture a culture of kindness and connectedness that creates a fertile ground for people to build relationships and step into their own leadership roles with confidence.

In this session we will:

• Discuss and define the meaning of leadership to understand our own responsibility in nurturing the potential of those we support.
• Explore ways in which we can implement concrete processes and strategies that allow us to bring our best selves forward, in our work and in the rest of our lives.
• Examine the principles of a Culture of Gentleness and how they can assist in developing our own leadership skills, as well as the skills of others.
• Explore how we can utilize The Central Purpose and the 6 Elements of a Culture of Gentleness to deepen our understanding of leadership.

Presenter

Sheldon Schwitek brings more than 30 years of experience supporting people who experience disability which began with the birth of his youngest brother when he was 13 years old.

With a firm grounding in Person Centered Work through long associations with Inclusion Press and the Toronto Summer Institute, Sheldon’s focus has always been on encouraging people to “dream bigger” as a pathway to true citizenship. He is passionate about people living meaningful lives of contribution in their communities. Sheldon is well versed in all areas of Independent Facilitation including self‐determination, community living, person and family‐centered planning, Person Centered Thinking. He is a trained Facilitator in multiple facilitation modalities, including MAPS, PATH, Essential Life-Styles Planning, Solution Circles and many more.

In 2011, Sheldon began to work with The Center for Positive Living Supports and their implementation of a Culture of Gentleness in Michigan. This work solidified his knowledge that relationships and community connections are fundamental to a safe and happy life.

Lately, Sheldon has been working nationally and internationally weaving together his experience in Person Centered Work and mentorship as exemplary tools to assist people to realize full potential as citizens.

The key message in Sheldon’s work is that all people can lead lives that are rich and meaningful and that this is our most important work. He continues to find ways to deepen his practice and understanding of this work. Most recently, Sheldon became the Executive Director at The Arc Community Advocates in Kalamazoo, Michigan; a community that is committed to social justice for all.

This is the third episode in a six-part webinar series on community living. For the complete series, click here.