AWL Alumni Spotlight

Describe the benefits of the AWL experience.
The AWL experience gave me the space, structure, and shared accountability to personally reflect on my leadership values, goals, and the way that I live those in my leadership practices. The exercises we experienced in AWL are valuable in deepening personal understanding, creating the intention around how we will bring those values into being in our lives, and an awareness to how we are enabling others to shine their own leadership.

What was it about AWL that made you feel you had an ROI from the experience?
Being on the journey with a peer group offered inspiration, motivation, and accountability. I am a leadership development practitioner and oversee Talent Development in the pharmaceutical industry. I’ve experienced many leadership development courses and read about many different approaches. In some ways, it seems like I shouldn’t need a program to guide me in this space, but AWL offered the vessel and companionship needed to stay focused and intentional about taking the time to nurture my own leadership.

What did you walk away with from AWL and what are you continuing to learn about yourself?
I appreciated the discipline the program provided to reflect and solidify core aspects of who I want to be and who I am as a leader. Taking time to articulate my personal values and desired leadership style is something I don’t regularly pause to do, however it is an important step in being able to then use the behaviors to be the leader I want to be. In fact, I have gone back to the values and my leadership vision that I created in AWL to check in on myself and to update them in the few years since the program has closed. The values and vision have continued to evolve and I am grateful for the AWL experience to help the fundamentals take root.

What would you say to someone considering the AWL experience?
I would highly recommend this experience to a leader who is ready to reflect on their experiences and make a commitment to their own advancement.

I feel like I am fulfilling my purpose when... people feel more capable and inspired after connecting with me.

My favorite way to spend an afternoon by myself is... cooking something I've never made before with my teenager.

To me, leadership is... aligning and mobilizing others to take on uncommon challenges.

Something that makes my life ridiculously fun is... picking up new and challenging hobbies. I've pushed myself this year to learn to ski with my kids... not easy in middle-life!

The values/behaviors that are most important to me are... Authenticity. Integrity. Determination. Ease.

How I would like to impact the world right now is... making it more welcoming and easier for people to express their greatness.