ON THE RECORD
EXECUTIVE ANSWERS How do you make room for continuing to learn while leading?
TISH CORREA-OSBORNE
CEO, GIRLS INC. OF OWENSBORO-DAVIESS COUNTY
To me, learning happens all the time. Every interaction with a person, with a group, with a book, a TV show or an experience of any type, is an opportunity to learn. We just have to be open to it. I truly enjoy learning from the people I lead, serve and work with in the community. Being involved in a variety of organizations insures that I get different perspectives to guide me in my personal growth and the individuals I connect with are pretty quick to recommend books, classes, etc. that they have
OLGA MCKISSIC
WESTERN ACADEMY AT THE NEBLETT, DIRECTOR
We all have 24 hours in a day, no more, no less. How we manage that time keeps us sane. My learning is done throughout the day. I am listening and asking questions for understanding, to learn what the next step should be to move forward in the plan. I believe everyone has a part in the process and we all can learn from each other in order to be better leaders. As leaders, we have to set time aside to relax and refresh, which could be a staycation at one of our local hotels on the river, a walk on the Greenbelt or watching a good movie and then back to work. It is also important to attend leadership conferences to share best practices with others who are facing the same challenges and successes.
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GO CHAMBER . THIRD EDITION 2021
SCOTT WILLIAMS, PH.D.
PRESIDENT, OWENSBORO COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE
As with most things that are important, a leader must be deliberate in scheduling the necessary time to grow professionally. Quite often the demands of the job can take over and it is too easy to push lifelong learning to the back-burner. I purposefully set time aside, usually at the end of the work week, by scheduling a few hours to read and study current research in my field. In addition, I make it one of my annual performance goals to attend at least one major conference or professional development forum each year. I have found that if I am not intentional in setting aside the time to learn more about my craft, I get caught up in the whirlwind of work and do not give it the attention it deserves. Making the time to focus on lifelong learning is as critical as setting time aside for one’s physical and mental health.
enjoyed. Serving in leadership continually opens doors to learning. I love continuing education courses and would probably go to school full time if I could. I have audited classes and look for things that stimulate different parts of my brain. I do happen to be a big fan of Audible and podcasts and sometimes have to make myself turn it off to allow myself to think and plan. I am also intentional about reading books and attending lectures about topics that do not flow with my usual line of thinking. I switch to radio or tv channels that I might not agree with but they do give me better perspective on where others are coming from. I am all about biographies and historical based novels and movies. History fascinates me and provides guidance to keep us all from repeating mistakes, so books are always with me wherever I go to fully utilize every free moment to learn and grow.
