We are excited to announce this year’s Leadership Development Institute (“LDI”) began on Monday, September 21, 2015.  Members participating in the program are developing leadership skills including strength assessment and self-development planning, how to coach and be coached, leadership styles, team building, working with different personalities, and personal mission and league career planning.

The Leadership Development Institute is one of the League’s most successful training programs and has empowered dozens of women to become leaders in our community. Established in the 2007-2008 JLLA year and funded by a grant from Legacy Leadership Circle, LDI is a program designed to increase the confidence, competence, and comfort of participants as leaders in the Junior League. The program was created in it’s original form by Terry Townsend and Anika Jackson to have a consistent program supporting the JLLA mission statement, specifically to “developing the potential of women.” The program is executed through training sessions and professional training with a small peer group.

In 2008, JLLA’s LDI program won the AJLI’s Award for Leadership Development, which included a $10,000 grant to implement some additional programming and components.

The Leadership Development Institutes structure has evolved over the years.  Initially participants would meet during five evening sessions and one all day session and now there are six evening sessions.  The professional coaches have changed from year to year including prior JLLA members and male coaches.  Leadership of the LDI program has changed from a combination of one JLLA sustaining member and one JLLA active member to two JLLA active members (chair and chair-elect). Alumni sessions have recently been added in the spring for all LDI alumni to attend.

Over half of the current Board Members have completed LDI, and many graduates are serving in leadership positions in the 2015-2016 year.  This year is promising to be another great year for LDI with a combination of new and returning coaches.  For more information please contact the current LDI chair, Kelly McFarren, at ldi@jlla.org.