Leadership Fort Worth
Leadership Fort Worth is one of the first programs in the United States designed to develop leaders to assume positions of responsibility in the city. It is in its 43rd year operates five different programs for participants and members.
– Leadership Forum leadership education, leadership skill development and connections with other leaders and community volunteer efforts to the membership. Learn more…
–The Leadership Class addresses vital issues impacting Fort Worth by engaging established leaders in discussion and challenging them to make an impact.
– Leading Edge offers emerging leaders in their mid 20s to mid 30s an opportunity to strengthen leadership practices, create connections with community leaders and move beyond volunteerism into board service.
– LeaderKids is a youth program encouraging middle-school students to develop leadership skills such as taking initiative, setting achievable goals and becoming strong communicators.
LeaderPrime is a new program specifically for CEOs and executives who are either new to Fort Worth or have moved up within the ranks of their companies to top decision-decision making roles.
http://leadershipfortworth.org
Leadership Fort Worth is introducing a new program aimed at engaging new top business executives into civic and community service.
LeaderPrime becomes the fifth program of Leadership Fort Worth and the first new program in seven years for the 43-year-old nonprofit organization focused on training and developing leaders within the city to deal with community issues such as homelessness, transportation and education.
The new program specifically targets CEOs and executives who are either new to Fort Worth or have moved up within the ranks of their companies to top decision-decision making roles. The program will introduce these newcomers to Fort Worth’s top leaders and provide avenues to civic involvement.
“Fort Worth is unique in its commitment to collaboration to building and strengthening our community,” said Harriet Harral, executive director of Leadership Fort Worth. “LeaderPrime is an opportunity for new CEOs to lend their expertise and resources to benefit the community.”
Harral is the wife of Paul Harral, editor of Fort Worth Business CEO Magazine and associate editor of Fort Worth Business.
LeaderPrime is a program developed with the input of a steering committee of nearly 30 top civic leaders, including former Fort Worth mayors Mike Moncrief, Kenneth Barr and Kay Granger, who currently serves as Congresswoman of District 12. Current Mayor Betsy Price is also a member.
“We’ve been told that Fort Worth can be a little difficult to break into as a newcomer to break into community life,” Barr said. “We feel it is really important for top leaders of local businesses and corporations to be involved in the community so we want to make it easier for them to do so and feel welcome.”
The program debuts Feb. 18 with an expected group of 10 to 15 participants, including spouses, who will spend one-and-a-half days in a retreat at The Ashton Hotel. Participants will learn about Fort Worth history and current civic initiatives and then take a tour of the city.
Other activities include a reception with local community leaders, dinner with a presentation by real estate developer Ross Perot Jr., chairman of the board of Perot Systems, and entertainment.
Second-day activities include an overview of regional economic development and business trends and presentations by top community leaders on civic projects and their involvement experience.
A follow-up session on March 31 will help guide participants into projects and programs that specifically interest them.
Robbie Briggs, president and CEO of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, is among those who is planning to participate in the inaugural class of LeaderPrime.
“I’m really excited about it,” said Briggs, whose Dallas-based real estate firm expanded into Fort Worth this year, acquiring Brants Realtors, Mira Vista Realtors and Bloom Realtors.
A native of Highland Park, Briggs said he attended a leadership-training program in Dallas, which was an eye-opening experience.
“I grew up in Dallas and thought I knew all about Dallas, but I found out that I didn’t know as much as I thought I did,” he said. “I am really looking forward to learning a lot more about Fort Worth and getting involved in the community.”
Harral said another goal of LeaderPrime is to parlay participation in the program into one of Leadership Fort Worth’s other programs such as Leadership Class to take a more extensive role in tackling important community issues.
Leadership Fort Worth also offers a program for developing young leaders, a continuing education program and a program for eighth-graders to foster volunteerism and guide them toward future community leadership.
“All of our programs are a commitment to making Fort Worth a better place,” Harriet Harral said. “Involving, empowering and connecting leaders and future leaders is the catalyst for a more vibrant city.”