YDLI 9 Day 1 Recap: Understanding Behavioral Styles and Leadership Inspiration

Phase 1 of YDLI has a strong focus on developing individual leadership skills, and the first day of our Class 9 Phase 1 program reflected that emphasis. The first official session was entitled "Create a Leadership Oasis using Behavioral Styles to Influence Others" lead by Marnie Green of the Management Education Group. All participants had the opportunity to complete a DiSC Workplace Profile assessment; the majority of the workshop was spent covering the different styles and understanding how individual styles impact a person's ability to influence others, and how recognizing the styles of those around you can help you relate and communicate more effectively.

Marnie Green speaks to the class about personality styles during Thursday's opening session.

Michael Goeldi, IA, talks to the class about the defining characteristics of his group's style.

Wayne Worden, NY, shares the results of his group's discussion about what their personality style can contribute, what worries them, how they are commonly misunderstood, and tips for working with people who have that style.

Michael Johnson, MN

Abby Bauer, WI

After lunch, the focus shifted to a broader leadership focus, with Paul Vitale leading a session titled "Legendary Leadership in Action." Key take-home messages from this workshop included the importance of effective listening and connecting with others; developing an attitude for service and becoming an inspiration for others; and eliminating the fear of failure while setting a tone for success, recognizing growth opportunities and becoming more resilient during setbacks.

Paul Vitale speaks to the group during Thursday's session.

Amber Horn- Leiterman, WI, discusses her ideas with a partner during one of the group exercises.

Londa Johnson, MN, plays along with an exercise using a tube of tootpaste to demonstrate the point of how important it is to carefully consider what you say before you speak - once the words are out there, they can't be put back in!

After taking some time to review many of the objectives participants will be expected to complete over the next 12 months during Phase 2, Paul Vitale took the stage again to speak about developing Community Support and Partnerships, skills that will be key during the Phase 2 experience. Some of the main concepts from this portion of the meeting were the importance of properly identifying and researching your target audience, maximizing the tools at your disposal, making the most of your budget, properly positioning yourself against competitors, and sharing your news with the world.

After a long day, the class had a chance to unwind with dinner and a hypnotist show that had everyone laughing in their chairs.

The Holstein Foundation would like to thank the organizations who sponsored today's program:

• "Create a Leadership Oasis Using Behavioral Styles to Influence Others," by Marnie E. Green, sponsored by CHS Foundation
• "Legendary Leadership in Action," by Paul Vitale, sponsored by Deere & Company
• "Community Support & Partnerships," by Paul Vitale, sponsored by Cargill
• Dinner & Hypnotist Entertainment sponsored by Allflex

Check back on our blog daily to keep up with YDLI Class 9's Phase 1 experience, or if you are on Facebook or Twitter, follow along with #ydli9! Learn more about YDLI or sign up to be on the mailing list for YDLI Class 10 applications at the Holstein Foundation web site!