Leader’s Edge benefits business professionals as well as others

  • By Tessa Compton
  • February 20, 2014
  • 419
                        
Leaders in our community no longer have to purchase airline tickets or drive miles upon miles to reap the same benefits of attending a professional conference. The Leader’s Edge Incorporated, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing opportunities for leaders to be challenged and to grow, offers an ongoing catered event called The Edge the first Thursday of each month, noon to 1 p.m. at Bistro 131 in New Philadelphia. For $12, attendees not only have the opportunity to meet others in our community but will also gain know-how by hearing a straightforward talk focused on practical and applicable leadership principles, given by a well-seasoned speaker. What sets The Edge apart from other networking luncheons and professional development seminars is that it is designed not just for the business leader. “We are trying to influence anyone who has influence, which means we are looking to impact everyone,” said Dwight Mason, lead pastor at New Pointe Community Church and current speaker at The Edge. “There are not only skills that we believe that leaders need to develop, but a major challenge in leaders’ lives today is their own personal development, which is their character. We hire for competency and capacity, and yet we fail and get fired by and large for character issues.” Leaders are everywhere in our community, tucked into the nooks and crannies of our public schools, churches and libraries. Leaders are behind computer screens within our local businesses and taking notes while in class at Kent State University at Tuscarawas. Whether a student, stay-at-home parent, full time employee or avid volunteer, each leader can help him- or herself and the community at large by developing both personally and professionally. The leadership principles provided at The Edge are easy to apply and could change the atmosphere of your sphere of influence almost immediately. “I found The Edge to be extremely relevant to the issues that I am faced with on a daily basis. It’s as if the topics are directed right at me. It helps me break bad habits and focuses on proven ways to effectively work and interact with the people we influence and/or lead,” said Howard Dugger, marketer for a commercial aircraft leasing company. “I have learned a lot about effective communication. It is a building block for so many facets of a successful venture. I’ve found that better communication has helped my colleagues better understand how and where to focus their efforts.” By carving out just 60 minutes a month to attend The Edge, leaders may just discover that who they are, their character, their desire to learn, may be the solution, the game changer, in whatever environment—the workplace, the PTG, the home—they serve. Upon being asked what advice he would give a young leader today, Mason replied, “Leadership is not just something that you learn, but it is something you experience. So over the years, I have experienced a lot of different challenges in the arena of leadership. I lead an organization where it is volunteer based, which means people do not have to follow you because they don’t get a paycheck. They follow you because of your vision and who you are. People don’t usually quit companies or departments, they quit leaders.” For more information or to register to attend the next The Edge event, visit www.theleadersedge.org.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load