Discover Your Leadership Potential: Keweenaw Community Foundation Event Recap

Leadership is not just a title or position—it’s a mindset, a way of making a difference in your organization and community. On Thursday, January 23, 2025, Puti Ceniza represented EBLP and International Neighbors at an event hosted by the Keweenaw Community Foundation (KCF) in collaboration with Grow and Lead: Community and Youth Development (GLCYD). This special gathering was designed for everyone in the nonprofit sector. Whether working behind the scenes or guiding teams as executives, participants came together to learn, connect, and grow.

Event Highlights

The event, held at the KCF office in Hancock Community Hub, brought nonprofit professionals from across the community to explore leadership and its many forms. Led by Taylor Olson-Brutto the Outreach Coordinator from GLCYD, the session was both engaging and insightful. Here are some highlights from the gathering:

Organization Spotlights: Attendees learned about the inspiring work of local nonprofits, sparking ideas and potential collaborations.
Leadership Style Discovery: Participants explored their unique leadership styles, uncovering how their strengths contribute to their roles within their organizations.
Community Partner Exploration: The session emphasized the power of collaboration and showcased examples of successful partnerships.
Group Sharing and Networking: The event provided a warm and welcoming space for attendees to exchange ideas, share experiences, and build meaningful connections.

The panelist speakers shared valuable insights from their experiences in the nonprofit sector:

Carol Korpela, Executive Director from Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly (LBFE) spoke about the importance of clear communication in building trust and fostering meaningful relationships within the staffs in the organization.
B Lauer, Executive Director from the Keweenaw Land Trust shared reflections on self-awareness and its role in effective leadership, emphasizing how understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses can lead to better decision-making.
Rachael Pressley, Co-Founder + Board Secretary, from From The Ground Faremrs Market Collective, highlighted the value of adaptability and resilience, demonstrating how these traits are essential in navigating challenges and leading teams through change and the importance of setting boundaries and maintaining work-life balance.

This gathering reinforced the idea that leadership exists in many forms and that every role matters in creating impactful change.

Reflections on Leadership

Taylor also gave a presentation about good leadership – it isn’t about perfection; it’s about embodying qualities that inspire and uplift others and the importance of self-awareness. During the event, attendees reflected on Patrick Lencioni’s framework for being an ideal team player, which highlights three key virtues:

Humble: Great leaders prioritize the team’s success over their own. Humility fosters collaboration, trust, and a culture where everyone feels valued.
Hungry: A strong leader is driven, proactive, and always looking for ways to improve. Hunger fuels a commitment to growth and perseverance.
People Smart: Emotional intelligence is key. Being attuned to the feelings and needs of others creates stronger relationships and a more supportive work environment.

Things start getting interesting when you look at people with only one or two of the attributes (see charts). Those with just one are fairly easy to spot:

Humble only = the pawn, who often gets left out

Hungry only = the bulldozer, who often annoys everyone else

Smart only = the charmer, with great social skills but low contribution

Those with 2 out of 3 are much harder to spot:

Humble and hungry = the accidental mess-maker, unaware of their effect on people

Humble and smart = the lovable slacker, only does as much as asked

Hungry and smart = the skillful politician, out for their own benefit

Participants left inspired to cultivate these traits in their daily work, realizing that leadership starts with self-awareness and a willingness to grow.

Special thanks to Keweenaw Community Foundation and Grow and Lead: Community and Youth Development for facilitating such an impactful session. We also extend our gratitude to the panelists from Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly, Keweenaw Land Trust, and From The Ground for sharing their experiences and wisdom.

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