CLASSROOM REFLECTION

Masters Class Session Class Reflection by Brenda Peterson, Great Falls, LMT 2008, Masters 2019

Leadership Montana delivers – again!

Now that the first Leadership Montana Masters Class has come to a close, I am in awe of this next-level experience.

As a person who believes so deeply in the offerings of this organization, I honestly had some trepidation about a three-day, three-session experience that was spread out over an eight-month period. How will this work? How will the curriculum be cohesively brought together? How will I be able to build strong connections with my classmates?

The first session was quintessential Leadership Montana. The Leadership Challenge and Leadership Practices Inventory was so powerful, it was a bit hard to digest in three days. There was so much information that surfaced for me related to my own leadership journey. I’ve been in leadership roles for much of my professional career. At this session, I realized that while I am doing good work, I certainly have room for continued growth. It was mind-blowing, overwhelming, and exhilarating! And the coolest part, everyone in the room was there right along with me…analyzing, questioning, wanting to understand at the deepest level possible. Bonds were building.

The second session touched on the leadership lessons of the first session, and I could feel myself and others settling into the work of the Leadership Challenge. We took a deep dive into Courageous Collaboration with Patricia Hughes. And if you haven’t had the opportunity to be in the company of Pat as she brings her teachings of Gracious Space to life, well you haven’t yet experienced the purest form of this work. As the author and architect of the process of civil discourse, she inspires us to focus on what patterns or habits we have that cause us to get in our own way of being successful leaders. I came away with tools and insights to lead and live better. I felt a real closeness with my classmates that was unexpected, yet so incredibly appreciated.

And then session three, the wrap up. We were tasked with presenting our individual Master’s Thesis on what we learned, gained, and are practicing in our day-to-day lives. When we were told about these presentations, I experienced the usual fretting over “doing it right.” All the presentations were so right and incredibly well done. This was such a brilliant way to bring all three sessions together cohesively. The presentations were powerful, insightful, uplifting, and the knowledge in the room was inspiring. These sessions created connections that will fall in the “forever” category of my life. I am eternally grateful for the support of my business partners, teammates, and family for the ability to participate in this inaugural Masters Class.