ELC members learn strategies in leadership styles
Just as not all leaders are the same, not all leadership styles are the one-size-fits-all
variety, but there are ways to communicate, connect, and solve conflicts across leadership
styles.
That was the gist of what Kassi Rushing, APR, a communications and people strategist, conveyed as she led the discussion, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, at a Meridian Community College Eagle Leadership Convocation (ELC) Class session.
ELC is an academic year-long professional development and leadership program comprising 10 MCC faculty and staff members: Shaquita Hopson Alfonso, associate director of veterans and military services and C2C coach; Laureta Chislom, executive assistant to the president; Tim Cole, director of custodial and support services; Jamila Brown Coleman, adult basic education instructor; Eric Griffin, Commercial Truck Driving program instructor; Christopher Haralson, athletic trainer and sports information director; Jeanette Howell, support services coordinator; Angie Pickard, human resources director; Erin Richardson, instructional design specialist; and Terrell Taylor, art instructor and Casteel Gallery director.
Rushing, director of organizational strategy and team member experience with the business and consulting services company Blue Hen Agency, shared with the ELC cohort her life's work. "I build places people want to work – that's what spent my whole career doing – is building high-performing teams," she said.
Using "DISC," a behavior assessment tool, Rushing showed ELC participants how to understand their style and improve teamwork. "It helps us better understand how we show up as leaders. Not only how we show up but how other people experience the workplace. It's a communication tool, it's a conflict tool, and a it's connection tool," she said.
ELC members connected with the ideas Rushing presented. "It's been very interesting discovering the different types of leadership skills and how to accommodate others," Pickard said. Alfonso added, "I learned that some of the things I was doing were great and some weren't, but Kassi showed how to enhance it. I liked that."
Rushing added, "Some of our strengths are needed; we need to reach into those, leverage those for the good of the whole group. The more we know about ourselves, the more we can connect with others.”
The next ELC session is on Oct. 3, where SMSgt Winfred Craig will speak on Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion.
For more information about the MCC Eagle Leadership Convocation, contact Leia Hill at lhill@meridiancc.edu or 601.484.8612.