Class Report
You Are the First Organization That You Must Master
Teacher: Kaytura L. Felix, personal and executive coach at ISL Coaching (standing in front of the projector screen)
Facilitator: Amanda Leslie
Documentarian: Greg Giles
Location: Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library
Date: Feb. 5, 2014
What was the take-home message of the class?
Amanda: You need to take responsibility for your actions. If you need something at work or at home, the only way to get it is to communicate with others and make them see your side of things in a direct and respectful way.
What was the most surprising thing you learned?
Amanda: That even though we see emailing as a necessary way of communicating with others, it doesn’t mean it’s the best form of communication. It’s really about striking a balance and finding what works for you and the other person so that you both are happy with the outcomes of your interactions.
What did you learn that you can put into practice immediately?
Amanda: I need to start calling people more, instead of emailing. A lot of personality is lost in email and things can be misconstrued. I also need to call my mother more.
How did you get interested in this subject?
Kaytura: I had a moment in time where there was a call for leadership, but I did not recognize leadership was the explicit need. I stepped up during a time when I needed to lead. I discovered leadership and just kept learning about it. I recognized that if I wanted to do things in the world, that I would need to enlist others, and that would require leadership.
What do people tend to wrongly assume about leadership?
Kaytura: People assume that you are born a leader. Leadership can be taught and learned through practice. There’s a misconception that you either have it or you don’t. People tend to look to great orators and think that is the only kind of leadership, but there are many styles.
What can people read/watch/do for more information on this topic?
Kaytura: I work in the frame of generative leadership; generateleadership.com is one resource that builds on this approach. Bob Dunham has been working in generative leadership for about 30 years. He wrote a book entitled “The Innovator’s Way.”
I also plan on making more offerings through KCDC, so look for that.
If an alien visited Earth and could understand English, what would assume about humanity from your class?
Kaytura: I think they would understand that people care. They want their own lives to be better, but they also want the experience of humanity to be better.