POSITIVE LEADERSHIP CURRICULUM
The Positive Leadership curriculum (one pillar of the Academy program) is designed to promote and support Leadership Academy fellows in becoming positive, forward-moving, effective leaders in any sector.
Most leadership models assume that leadership is a trait within an individual. However,Positive Leadership asserts that leadership is something that happens between individuals – a “social force.”Positive Leadership recognizes seven core capacities — authenticity, purpose, reason, advocacy, community building, resilience, and gratitude. Developing and strengthening these leadership capacities leads to increasing your leadership potential.
The purpose of the positive leadership curriculum is to develop your capacity to take positive actions that evoke positive reactions from others and to create conditions that promote thriving communities. For our purposes, “community” can refer to your town, organization, institution, faith group, social group, or volunteer group – even your family.
In this model, leadership is not dependent on rank, title or formal authority. Rather, it is a moment of accountability in which an individual, regardless of status or position, identifies a need and is compelled to act.
As part of our commitment to antiracism, Leadership MetroWest recognized its own challenges as an organization, as well as the leadership challenges that Academy participants and alumni face, in addressing racism in their communities and workplaces.
The positive leadership curriculum did not include antiracism, and to fill that gap, the Academy now incorporates antiracism, in the context of being a leader, into the existing curriculum.
As leaders, it is one of the shared responsibilities to reshape MetroWest’s inclusive and equitable future, and to become more self-reflective as individuals and organizations.
You will emerge from the Leadership Academy with meaningful and long-lasting cross-sector, cross-cultural and cross-community connections, regional knowledge, and a strong sense of personal direction and self-awareness. You will be invigorated, inspired, and well-prepared to be a more effective leader in your community and organization.