When Scott Hutchings, director of government affairs at Waste Management, applied for the Colorado’s Civic DNA Fellows, he thought it would be like many of the other leadership development programs he’d completed throughout his career.
He quickly learned he was in for more.
“I feel like this one peers into your soul,” Hutchings told his wife somewhat jokingly after he received the results of his 360-degree leadership assessment.
Today, he credits the eight-month Fellows program with changing his outlook – both professionally and personally.
Colorado’s Civic DNA Fellows is the Leadership Foundation’s newest program, dedicated to helping leaders develop their skills so they can increase their business and community impact. It’s based on the Leadership Foundation’s five attributes that make up Colorado’s Civic DNA™ – inclusivity, collaboration, shared vision, leadership and responsibility.
Participants complete an assessment that identifies their strengths, so they can build on them through one-on-one coaching, peer feedback and self-reflection tools.
“In our other programs, the focus is on understanding the issues in the community, who the stakeholders are and what changes have lasting impact. In Fellows, we focus on strengthening your personal leadership skills,” said Leadership Foundation Program Director Denise King. “You’ll start with a thorough assessment of your skills, then work one-on-one with a professional coach and get strategic feedback from your fellow participants, all designed to help you achieve your personal goals. It’s a very different and very powerful program.”
An alum of Leadership Denver 2011, Hutchings had never been through a leadership program that encouraged him to focus on his strengths rather than improve on his weaknesses. For instance, he could lean in to his ability to work through processes – a strength you need when working in government affairs.
Hutchings said he was most surprised by how impactful the one-on-one coaching was – something he said he never would have tried on his own. His coach, Jen Joyce, helped him focus on the right priorities to improve his leadership. He is learning to “embrace the power of the word ‘no,’” so he can be more fully engaged on the areas where he can have the most impact.
That includes his family. His wife and three children have noticed that he’s more focused when he’s with them. Rather than trying to squeeze in several activities when he isn’t traveling and is home with his family, he picks one where he can spend meaningful time with them.
His colleagues have noticed that he speaks up more often, even in rooms of engineers, where he used to defer to others. He works to be engaged in projects from the beginning, when he can have the biggest impact.
Hutchings is working to bring what he’s learned back to the Waste Management team, encouraging them to be vulnerable, which is one of the biggest lessons Hutchings took away from the program.
“Trying to teach a bunch of trash guys to share their feelings is a rough ride,” Hutchings said.
Even though he said Colorado’s Civic DNA Fellows is “crazy different and hard,” he recommends the program to anyone who wants to do more on their leadership journey.
“Try to get in,” said Hutchings, who sits on the Leadership Foundation Board of Directors. “If you do, it will change the way you look at things.”
Colorado’s Civic DNA Fellows is made possible by Program Sponsor Boettcher Foundation.
Want to increase your impact? Apply for Colorado’s Civic DNA Fellows by March 28.