How to Get Bold with your Leadership Development Programs

At LP, we strive to build a culture that empowers people to grow personally and professionally. As we discussed in this article, one of the ways we are striving to do this is by getting bold with our leadership development programs.

The first group of participants successfully completed our LEAD Program – LP’s inaugural leadership program which Melissa Nelson, LP’s Director of Professional Development, custom built in collaboration with UpSpiral Leadership. Because we had previously worked with UpSpiral, they had existing knowledge of LP’s culture and leaders before the program began.

To tailor the program to LP’s current needs and goals, the design team did a comprehensive review of LP’s leadership development programs to date, met regularly for over a year, conducted extensive interviews with key stakeholders, engaged with a diverse set of coaches, and curated research relevant to leadership development and LP’s needs.

The first group to participate included Tom Callam, Christina Carrière Lutz, Rob Connolly, Jeremy Gresham, Carrie Harrington, Jason Hirsh, Jeff Hoffenberg, Brian Kozminski, Elizabeth O’Brien, Michael St. Peter, and Lauren Wolven, with the ripple effects of the program felt throughout the firm and to our clients as well. Each of the participants has emerged from the program with a more holistic view of what it means to be a strong leader, teammate, and colleague.

“Each individual is a separate and distinct piece of a larger whole,” said participant Jeff Hoffenberg, who was recently appointed to the firm’s Executive Committee. “Each piece can be a separate unit, but it is still part of something bigger. Together, all of the stakeholders at LP form a single cohesive unit.”

Participants tackled questions related to what it means to rally around a common vision and how can we help each other grow. Among others, topics included self-awareness and emotional intelligence, relational communication, how to give and receive feedback, leading teams in a hybrid workplace, strategic planning, and influence through storytelling.

The group completed various assignments, individually and collectively, throughout the course of the six-month program in which they were asked to share what they are learning with a team member or client in order to reinforce what they have learned and share the information with others. We invite you to ask any of the participants about their experience with the LEAD Program.

The next group of participants will begin the LEAD Program in February 2022.

“Together we can do great things,” said Lauren Wolven, who was recently appointed to the firm’s Executive Committee. “We just need to have vision, know where we are going, and be prepared to run to the finish line.”