ABOUT THE FHRLP

In 1991, the Flint Hills Regional Task Force recommended the development of a regional leadership program. As a result, the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program was formed in 1992; since then, 17 classes comprised of more than 360 regional leaders have attended the sessions and graduated from the program.

The objective of the program is to identify and involve people in the area who have demonstrated leadership potential. The program develops and motivates future leaders with special emphasis on:

1.) Awareness of regional strengths and resources.

2.) Economic development and building entrepreneurial spirit.

3.) Encouragement of friendships and networking between persons from all parts of the region to eliminate destructive parochialism.

4.) Understanding and commitment to Servant Leadership.

5.) Acquisition of 21st Century Leadership skills.

6.) Completion of a class project.

THE BENEFITS

Each participant will learn more about their region and will meet the present and future leaders of surrounding communities.

Upon completion, participants will become members of the alumni program, which lends support to the program by using their newly-acquired 21st Century Leadership skills to plan and execute a class project.

THE SESSIONS

In this program, there will be a two-day orientation retreat, five and one-half days of educational sessions, and a celebration banquet. Each session will begin around 7:30 a.m. and end around 5 p.m.

The sessions cover key community concerns in the areas of quality of life, government, crime, business and economic development, community services, education, health care, and the media. Woven throughout the program are concepts of:

• 21st Century Leadership Skills: learning styles, change, collaboration, consensus, facilitation, visioning, and steps to a learning community.

• Community Trusteeship: working for the common good of the whole community.

• Servant Leadership: the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead ... to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are served.

Each community will provide a historical perspective, introduce key people, provide industrial/economic information, give tours, and discuss their community's vision for the future.

Participants will begin to learn the new 21st Century Leadership skills necessary to help the Flint Hills Region become the best place in Kansas to live, work, and raise our children.