Welcome to the official SLP week 2 blog! Week 2 was packed with wonderful, talented speakers whose workshops and lectures focused on the theme of “leadership within the workplace.”
Upon arrival, participants were served breakfast from Mitchell’s as we gave them an introduction of what to expect for Week 2.
To kick us off, our very own Katie Decker gave a Lakeland Industry Overview. She walked the participants through the economic history of our city and helped connect the dots between lifestyle, industry, and development.
After Katie provided her overview, we were treated to a talk from Sheriff Grady Judd. Sheriff Judd’s talk emphasized being servant-hearted and how to lead from whatever position you are in. He talked about how, as he rose through the ranks of the department, he noted things he would change when he was in charge. There are lessons you can learn from every leader and manager, good and bad. He took intentional steps to be the best leader he could be, no matter what position he was assigned to. My favorite quote was, “people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
Following Sheriff Judd, we welcomed Chris Hammond from Allen and Company who spoke on Financial Literacy. As a young professional, he opened my eyes to what I need to be thinking about as I enter the work world and save money for my future. The participants were extremely engaged in the Q+A session.
As Chris wrapped up, we had catered lunches from Pinoy Cravings. They are stationed here at Catapult and have a new lunch box option which makes ordering and grabbing your food really quick and easy. I highly recommend checking them out. You can order lunches from their website.
Next up, we had Troy Smith present his leadership methodology, “T.C.M.” or “Teach. Model. Coach.” He talked about how being intentional about your language, attitude, and behaviors can increase your effectiveness as a leader. One thing that resonated with me most is his observation about how “compliments fuel efficiency.”
Our last speaker Michelle Ledford, a personal branding expert, presented a workshop that guided the participants through recognizing and intentionally building their personal brand. Using different handouts, participants filled out what they thought their personal brand already was, what they wanted it to be, and steps to get there. They also used their vision boards from last week to help guide them in this activity.
Following Michelle, Katie reviewed the day’s takeaways and participants shared their favorite insights and quotes that they wrote down.
After the SLP festivities, we had our second official social at Revival where participants got to spend some time unwinding after a jam-packed day.
This wrapped up week 2! Next week we will learn about leadership outside the workplace featuring trips to Parker Street, VISTE, and KidsPack.
Thank you for reading!
Carter Sandman (SLP Intern)