The Northern Kentucky Family and Consumer Science Agents offered a common read with its central insight focused on that the key to leadership lies not in what we do, but in who we are - it proves to have powerful implications not only for organizational leadership, but in listeners’ personal lives as well.

Empowering Extension Homemaker leaders, nurturing family development, and providing professional development for all who participated was the key focus of our four part zoom lead common read on “Leadership and Self Deception” by Arbinger Institute. The goal was to foster healthy communication and understanding within our organization.

Our average attendance for our four night zoom session was 38 participants.  On a 90 % return rate on a six week follow-up evaluation the following data was shared:

• 92% of the participants have applied their improved interpersonal skills learned to their work, organization, or family relationships
• 76% stated they had increased self-awareness
• 66% stated they were more aware of others’ needs
• 63% strived to take ownership of my own words and actions
• 58% said they had become a better listener
• Over half felt they had improved their ability to work well with others

One participant said that they are “trying to listen to others more closely and trying to see other’s point of view as being as valuable as my own opinion.”  Multiple participants extended their knowledge of their leadership skills by reading additional books with one participant sharing “I have become more self-aware with how I react to my son and started reading a book to better understand my son and better support him.”

Through reading and group discussion, participants were able to learn more about themselves personally on a deeper level allowing for improvement in leadership at an organizational level.