February 2014 ENGAGE Recap

Guest post from 2013-14 ENGAGE Breakfast Series guest blogger Alicia Dietrich. Alicia is a public affairs representative at the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin. See the end of this post for the podcast from the breakfast.
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As Austin prepares for a new era of single-member city council districts, Leadership Austin hosted the February 5 ENGAGE breakfast panel to explore "Countdown to 10-1: The Changing Face of Austin City Governance."

Austin voters approved a plan in 2010 to restructure the city council from eight at-large positions to 10 single-district members and a mayor elected at-large. The new structure takes effect this fall.

Panelists included former state Rep. Wilhelmina Delco; Dr. Regina Lawrence, director of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at The University of Texas at Austin; and Bill Spelman, current Austin City Council member and a professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. The discussion was moderated by KXAN News Anchor Robert Hadlock.

Here are eight takeaways from the discussion:

1. New city council members are going to have a learning curve their first year as they learn how difficult it is to balance campaign promises made to their district constituents with city governance.

"When you run for public office, you make outrageous promises," said Delco. "You tell people, 'If you make sure that I'm elected to that council, your street will be paved, your lights will be on, when you call, I’ll come within 15 minutes.' So, when you go on to a council representing a specific district, then you feel compelled to look at that district rather than the big picture."

Spelman agreed: "The first time somebody runs for office, if they're a newbie and they haven't had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in the building on a board or a commission or a task force, they don't know very much about city government. They think their job is to make promises, and they don't understand that you can't always keep those things."

2. Council members must learn to work together and cooperate.

Spelman grew up in Los Angeles and talked about his experience working with city council there in the 1970s. "The city council actually represented their districts, but most of them recognized that they had an obligation to the entire city, in part because some of the money that they needed in order to run for their rather large districts had to come from downtown and Westside. So they had to represent other parts of town or at least be aware of the problems in other parts of town."

Delco also talked about her experience working in the Legislature, and how she convinced conservative lawmakers to vote for early childhood education in exchange for her vote to allocate funds to help eradicate a cattle disease. "You get those tradeoffs where your issues aren't important enough for me to oppose, and then I'll trade that for something that's very important to me. I think that's a good thing. It gives you a bigger picture of an issue that's not important to you, but is important to someone else."

3. The new 10-1 structure is an opportunity to engage new voters who have felt left out of the process.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to get people talking about what does city government do, and why does it matter?" said Lawrence. "Now candidates have something to talk about that they didn't necessarily before. You have an opportunity now to talk about neighborhood and community and very specific concerns for specific areas of the city."

4. The new 10-1 structure isn't perfect, and some groups will still be under-represented on the council.

"Unless you have 25 districts, you're not going to represent the diversity of the population," said Delco. She also pointed out that many minorities are not concentrated in any single district, and that the new structure doesn't guarantee representation for those groups.

5. This is an opportunity to increase voter turnout.

"Levels of voter turnout have plummeted in Austin and in Travis County over the last several decades," said Lawrence. "This may not be an ideal opportunity, but it is an opportunity to try to begin to reverse that trend." Panelists also pointed out that moving the election date to November will very likely have a positive effect on turnout.

6. The new mayor will have to work to unite council members on citywide issues.

"I wouldn't want to be mayor if they paid me in gold coins tomorrow, because that's the person who's got to juggle all those commitments that people have made in order to get [elected]," said Delco.

7. Sign up to serve on a city board or commission.

"You guys—who need to be on boards and commissions—have not been telling us you want to be," said Spelman. "If you want to be on a board or commission, we can probably arrange that. But not enough people are interested, and as a result, we're going to have an increase in the number of people we have to appoint, and without increasing the number of people who are interested, we're going to have some trouble."

Said Delco, "One of the things I think the council has to do is—right off the bat—start educating these new council members who, again remember, ran for and were elected on their issues and not the issues of the city at large. One of your first jobs is going to be to explain to [your constituents] what all these boards and commissions do and how important it is for them to have representation on them."

8. Keep educating yourself about these issues.

Lawrence encouraged voters to attend the "Why bother? Austin City Government 101" informational session hosted by the Strauss Institute, KUT, and the League of Women Voters to answer questions and teach voters how to make their voice heard at City Hall. You can also continue the conversation and build skills for community collaboration at Leadership Austin's Skills Booster Shot on February 28.

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EMERGE 2013 Session V Takeaways

Guest post from recent EMERGE 2013 graduate Jessica Sager, reflecting on the December 5 EMERGE program day on community engagement. Jessica is an account manager with the International Matrix Management Institute.
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To effectively recap the power and magic of our 5th EMERGE classroom session, it's important to know that the seeds for Session V were sown back during Session III. It was during that class when, having learned about and identified our core energies (Maven/Relater/Evangelist), we were grouped into triads of the three energies and given an envelope. Within it, there was the name of a Leadership Austin alumni member who had generously contributed their time to meet with us. Our assignment: to meet with these leaders and learn how change takes place in the community, including insight on how the leader's own core energy, values and guiding principles influenced their effectiveness. We all knew what an opportunity this assignment and classroom represented—to be able to connect and network with some of the giants of the Austin community, spanning all aspects of the nonprofit, corporate and public sectors. We met with leaders like Cookie Ruiz (ESSENTIAL 1995), Kelly White (Honorary Alumni 2007), Kirk Watson (ESSENTIAL 1984) and many other passionate leaders connected with Leadership Austin who are a large part of what makes Austin so great.

During our 5th session, we reconvened to share the insights that we had gathered through our interviews. The classroom experience was amazing and rich, like getting a "daily dose of wisdom" on steroids. Each group shared highlights of the advice, wisdom and humor of the leaders they had interviewed, whom cumulatively have centuries of experience causing change, being the difference, and leading in the community. The resulting wisdom and anecdotes ranged from pithy advice, such as the words shared by Clarke Heidrick (ESSENTIAL 1982), "Be Humble, Be Merciful, Do Justice," to the good humored humility offered by Sam Planta (ESSENTIAL 1991), encouraging us to "Do a daily gut check," to self inquiry, such as Suzanna Caballero (ESSENTIAL 1993) asking "What do you want to be known for?" and Pastor Joe Parker’s (ESSENTIAL 1985) deep question on responding to the call to leadership, "Am I willing?" And, lest we were to get carried away by all the inspiring causes we are now aware of because of our time in this program, we can reflect on the wise words of Eugene Sepulveda (ESSENTIAL 1988): "There is an infinite number of good causes, but only a finite number of resources." A good reminder to choose our causes wisely.

As a quintessential Relater myself, I was in heaven; this was not only an opportunity to personally meet with outstanding members of the community, but it was also the classroom equivalent of having 18 deep and meaningful conversations about leadership and change with the Who's Who of the Austin community—getting to talk to the people who do things that matter, about what matters to them.

Beyond their generosity with sharing their time and stories, what I was most struck by—as I listened to my peers share stories from their interviews—was the incredible multidimensional and diverse energy of leadership in the Austin community. In previous classrooms, we had dialogued about what kind of energy was needed to be a leader. Must you be an Evangelist, and have the drive to get things done? Or perhaps being a Relater is key, as they are the connectors of the community. Or should you be more Maven, to be able to correctly address the problems? Through this assignment and the sharing in classroom, it was clearly evident that leadership is not about you having a particular kind of core energy. More so, it's about your willingness to bring your energy—in its totality—to the cause that calls you the most. To make a difference in the community you need to be able to integrate the energy of everyone; as Kerry Tate (ESSENTIAL 1995) shared with her group, "You have to collaborate… you cannot stay in silos."

Lastly, this session brought home in a new way what it means to be a part of Leadership Austin, and to soon take our place among these distinguished alumni as our program comes to an end. The words from one interview shared ring so true: "We are a part of something much bigger than ourselves."

For other highlights from this EMERGE session, check out my classmate Ethan Brisby's summary of quotes.

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NOTE: The opinions of Leadership Austin alumni, faculty members, and guest bloggers are their own, and do not represent an official position of the organization.

January 2014 ENGAGE Recap

Guest post from 2013-14 ENGAGE Breakfast Series guest blogger Alicia Dietrich. Alicia is a public affairs representative at the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin. See the end of this post for the podcast from the breakfast.
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The January installment of Leadership Austin’s ENGAGE breakfast series explored the best ways for leaders to move Austin forward during this period of tremendous growth and change. Panelists Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe and University of Texas at Austin Professor Jeremi Suri sat down with moderator Shannon Wolfson of KXAN to discuss the challenges Austin faces as it grows, and what it will take for leaders to address those issues.

Suri outlined what he believes to be the three greatest leadership challenges facing Austin: the challenge of success and how to lead beyond that, diverse groups in Austin not living in integrated ways, and the uneven growth of the economy and lack of opportunities for upward mobility.

January 2014 ENGAGE breakfast at the Long Center

To address Austin’s greatest challenges, Biscoe advocated for better collaboration between the city, government agencies, nonprofits, and community leaders. He noted the improved state of mental health care in the city after local hospitals worked with the county jail to make sure that patients were getting appropriate treatment instead of jail time.

However, he said that while the city has high aspirations for cooperation, we often fall short on implementation.

"We've always done a good job of studying and putting together reports and plans," he said. It's the next step that’s key, though.

He explained that government tends to respond to issues and problems, and if you have a problem you want solved, you need to get it in front of the right person and work to build consensus.

"We respond, by and large, to specific issues that we try to fix," he said. "I don’t know if we as a county ever sit down and think, 'What kind of Travis County do we want?'"

He noted that building consensus and compromise are crucial: "If you have five persons responsible for a decision, you'll see that often what we approve wasn't what was brought to us. But you'll see what got consensus and what we had resources to back up."

KXAN's Kate Weidaw interviews
panelist Judge Sam Biscoe

Suri noted that it was important that people learn that compromise is necessary and that they shouldn’t feel shut out of the process if they don’t get everything they want. "When people come to believe it's a process where the decision of today isn't the last decision—if they only got 20 percent of what they wanted today, maybe tomorrow they'll get something more. When it's a process and you have credibility, that's what works."

Suri also discussed the importance of crossing lines in politics to get things done. "We need to talk to people who think differently and see things differently. We need to make a conscious effort to cross lines because you can't [create change] if you're only talking to people who already agree with you. You need to make a conscious effort to cross lines, and the beauty of Austin is that we have such an intellectual diversity here all around us."

As Austin moves toward a new City Council structure next year with single-member districts, both panelists stressed the importance of asking tough questions of potential leaders to make sure they can articulate a vision for the city’s future and how they will include everyone in that vision.

"As an elected official, your attitude should be 'I represent all county residents,'" said Biscoe. "From the neighborhood association level on up, inclusion should be part of everything we do. If we err, it should be that we included too many people."

Suri said, "We desperately need people in this city now who can continue to talk to groups who have been dominating dialog but are also able to bring other people in and connect them. Successful politicians are connectors. Second, I think it’s time we ask our politicians to say not just what they promise to do about a problem, but what they envision the city looking like. I think we do need a vision. I don’t mean a visionary in terms of pie in the sky, but an ability to articulate, to tell us a story about how you see our city with all these changes, institutionally and economically, growing in the next five to 10 years and how we can all be part of making that kind of city."

Both panelists also emphasized the importance of mentoring and incubating future leaders, through encouraging students to pursue public service and by implementing permanent succession strategies at the government level.

"We need to remind people at all age levels, but particularly young people, that public service is a noble calling," said Suri. "Leadership has to involve politics in your organization and in your city."

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Leadership Starts by Asking the Big Questions

Guest post from January ENGAGE panelist Jeremi Suri. Jeremi is the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. You can read more of his writing on his website: jeremisuri.net.
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Successful leaders do not believe that they have the correct answers. They do not have set plans. Policy-making in a period of rapid change and multiplying uncertainties offers few clear paths forward. The role of leadership, especially in a city like Austin, is to make sure diverse stakeholders are energized to explore the big questions: What kind of city do we want to live in? How can we grow while preserving the qualities that have made Austin so livable and attractive?

The model for the leadership we need today in Austin is neither charismatic nor technocratic. Charismatic figures are eloquent and persuasive, but they encourage simple choices and polarized opinions. We have enough of that already. Technocratic leaders have detailed knowledge about key issues, but they have trouble seeing the connections that matter most for life, economy, and community. Too much obsession with the details can make inspiring change impossible.

The most successful cities in the United States are governed today by figures who see themselves as brokers with a vision. Urban officials must speak to different groups and take their interests seriously. They must manage diverse revenue flows from taxpaying families, local businesses, tourists, and state and federal agencies. They must also oversee complex spending flows through school districts, police and fire departments, municipal transportation units, housing agencies, and other services of last resort.
There are no consistent formulas for reconciling these different interests. The revenues and expenditures are often unpredictable, especially when the local economy is growing quickly but unevenly. City leaders must constantly adjust to bring different groups into balance, serving many masters and re-defining the common ground that addresses the broadest set of urban needs. This is the fundamental brokering function of city leaders—the core of urban politics.

Vision, however, is essential to making urban politics serve a higher purpose. Successful cities have leaders who continually remind negotiating groups that they should work toward something larger than just their immediate interests. Skilled leaders do not dictate a vision, but they motivate stakeholders to see personal value in looking forward toward a larger image of what their city should be like, and what role they should play. A city is, after all, as much an idea as a reality. Urban groups must see themselves as part of something more than themselves—a community—and leaders must help them articulate this vision and its service to each stakeholder’s long-term goals.

No one person or group can impose a vision on another one, especially in a large and decentralized city like Austin. A common idea of what Austin is about must emerge from continual engagement among diverse stakeholders. The common idea will constantly evolve, building on a venerable past as it adjusts to the opportunities and demands of the present.

City leaders are not the dictators or even deciders for the governing vision of Austin. They are the facilitators of the process, insuring its depth, fairness, and representativeness. City leaders must keep the engine of the city running as they push citizens to steer together to a mutually beneficial destination. City leaders cannot presume to know the precise coordinates or the exact route for the destination. Their job is to ask, time and again: Where are we going? How will we get there? How can we keep everyone on board?

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NOTE: The opinions of Leadership Austin alumni, faculty members, and guest bloggers are their own, and do not represent an official position of the organization. To purchase tickets to the January 8 ENGAGE breakfast featuring Jeremi Suri, please visit the Leadership Austin website.

EMERGE 2013 Session III Takeways

Guest post from EMERGE 2013 participant Patti Fore, reflecting on the November 7 EMERGE program day (led by Keith Lewis) on values and principles. Patti is Senior Manager of Client Services at Hahn Public Communications.
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The Power of Being Vulnerable
In our most recent EMERGE class we engaged in one of the best exercises I've ever experienced: we were told to write our top ten core values—what is most enduringly important to us. Then we were told to prioritize our core values. Then, to take our top five and write guiding principles that encapsulated how we embody those values.

Then we were told to turn to the two people next to us and share what we had written.

It was unnerving to say the least. In each EMERGE class my boundaries have been pushed a bit further and I've been urged to think about who I am and what drives me, and how those underlying motivations affect my daily life and the way I approach any situation. This particular exercise was especially challenging because we got really personal. Really fast.

After being told that we had to share our ten core values and five guiding principles, there was a noticeable pause in the room. We all felt vulnerable. But we shared what we had written, and afterward the consistent feedback was we were happy we had not known we'd be sharing what we wrote until after we wrote it. The safety in thinking it was for our eyes only kept us honest, but then sharing something so personal with classmates we've only known a few short weeks was enlightening and motivating.

The exercise of discovering what beliefs guide me—my core values—showed me the connection between my personality and my priorities. I realized that while my core energy does drive my approach to life, my values shape my intentions. We all have the choice to move through life aimlessly, but if we want to be truly effective leaders, we must be intentional.

After discovering I’m an Evangelist—someone always guided by a cause and focused on action—I started to notice my core energy being expressed in situations where previously I never would have given a second thought to why I responded the way I did. It almost felt empowering in a negative manner, because suddenly I had justification for always wanting to focus on deliverables rather than "wasting time" on small talk with coworkers or clients. But building relationships with coworkers and colleagues, along with several other priorities of the Relater core energy, is important (I keep reminding myself, even though my core energy would have me think otherwise), and it’s an area where I now realize I need to make more of an effort.

Knowing our own strengths and weaknesses based on our core energy allows us to recognize them and use them both to be more effective. Identifying our core values and using them to guide our decisions allows us to find our individual purpose and become leaders who create meaningful impact. And sometimes all it takes to get started is the willingness to be vulnerable.

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NOTE: The opinions of Leadership Austin alumni, faculty members, and guest bloggers are their own, and do not represent an official position of the organization. If you would like to learn more about the Evangelist and Relater core energy concepts mentioned above, please take a look at this free Siminar on "The Human Fabric" from author and facilitator Bijoy Goswami.

EMERGE 2013 Session II Takeaways

Guest post from EMERGE 2013 participant Nicole Beckley, reflecting on the October 24 EMERGE program day on discovering your core energy. Nicole is Marketing Director for Merlot Skin Care and a freelance writer for TRIBEZA.
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Consider The Dog: What Our Core Energies Say About Us
"Redesign the dog kennel. You have 10 minutes." These were our instructions. Our complete instructions. “A dog kennel like the place or the object?” someone wanted to know. “For what size dog?” someone else asked. “Indoors or outdoors?” “Should it be moveable? Durable? Lightweight?”

All of a sudden my mind was flashing back to Mechanical Engineering 101, where we were given, say, a rubber band and a PVC pipe and told to create a device that would launch a baseball into the air. Trying to find a solution with very few materials.

Unlike ME 101 however, this design exercise was built to expose how we approach process, and what that says about our leadership styles. In our second EMERGE session, the class was divided into three groups. Thanks to a presentation from Bijoy Goswami, author of The Human Fabric, my group of fellow questioners learned we were “Mavens” – knowledge-seekers looking for optimal answers. The group to our right had another set of priorities – they were determined to make a sale no matter what, with a product that promised to be a vision of the future, and would be available at two price points. These were the future-looking “Evangelists.” And to the left, split into two sections, were folks who most wanted to know, “what does the dog want?” These were the “Relators,” empathetically putting themselves into the dog’s shoes (er, paws) to answer the question.

While one of the sections of Relaters presented a picture they’d collaboratively drawn of “Doggie Heaven” – a full-service spa-like kennel complete with petting stations – the Mavens admitted they’d never even considered the dog. The Evangelists chimed in that no matter what the kennel looked like, they’d figure out a way to convince you you wanted it.

Bijoy’s notion of the Maven/Evangelist/Relater (MRE) types spring from his “Core Energy” model – that we all have a natural energy that helps define us and how we process knowledge and relate to others. When it comes to leadership, having a deeper awareness of our type of core energy can help us better connect to colleagues and collaborators. Tuning into others’ energies can help focus and drive our own. Then, when we’re faced with needing to redesign a dog kennel (or build a better mousetrap), we’ll know that while some of us may prioritize acquiring the best materials or emphasizing the best price, others will be thoughtfully considering the dog.

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NOTE: The opinions of Leadership Austin alumni, faculty members, and guest bloggers are their own, and do not represent an official position of the organization.

EMERGE Is...

Guest post from EMERGE 2011 alum Allison Daskam.
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What is EMERGE? It’s a question that I’ve been asked often, and the answer depends on the person asking. When I started the EMERGE Program in 2011, I wanted to hone my leadership skills. It turns out I was in the perfect place to accomplish that goal, but not in the way I expected.

A key component to EMERGE is defining your core energy. It’s akin to a personality test, and the answer was clear for me. I’m highly analytical and hence defined as a Maven. I expected my analytical skills to be the foundation for my growth as a leader, but the relationships I formed in EMERGE have proven to be equally (if not more) influential. Being in the midst of people who are pursuing excellence is contagious. The people I met through EMERGE have motivated me to challenge my definition of professional success, put my values into action, and become more active in my community.

EMERGE 2011 alums Brandon Wollerson and Allison Daskam

At a recent EMERGE event, there was a photographer handing out whiteboards with the phrase “EMERGE is…” for guests to fill out and hold for a photo. My friend Brandon and I grabbed the boards, and I thought for a moment before writing, “EMERGE is... Brandon.” Personally, I can’t think of a better answer. Brandon is passionate about making Austin a better place, he works tirelessly in our community, and he inspires others to do the same. He is EMERGE.

Brandon is just one of many dear friends who have become the most important part of my EMERGE experience. And coming from someone who prefers data analysis to a networking event, that’s saying a lot.

EMERGE is finding your passion.
EMERGE is understanding your values.
EMERGE is becoming part of a family.
EMERGE is me.
EMERGE is Brandon.
EMERGE is you.

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Allison Daskam is Chief Communications Officer at Any Baby Can and a graduate of Texas A&M University and the Communications Leadership SPIN Academy. Leadership Austin is currently accepting applications for the EMERGE 2013 program through Thursday, August 15.

My EMERGE Experience: Katie Vitale

Guest post from EMERGE 2009 and ESSENTIAL 2013 alum Katie Vitale. Here, Katie shares her experiences learning about Leadership Austin and applying for the EMERGE program. 
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Having no expectations is a mindful and challenging practice, unless you pair that with having little to no experience of the situation you worked hard to thrust yourself into. I had no idea what to expect when I first walked into that downtown law firm conference room for my first Leadership Austin EMERGE class session. I had no idea who any of the faces around those tables belonged to. Of the dozens of people in the room, I knew not a one. I had no idea what sort of activities we would engage in to boost our leadership skills. In the midst of all these known unknowns was just where I needed to be.

The year before, one of my candidate clients at work gushed about the classmates she had in ESSENTIAL, and I became curious. When I saw these same classmates rally around her bid for office and offer the kind of support you would expect from life-long friends, my interest mounted. I can still remember attending my first ESSENTIAL recruiting reception. It seemed like everyone knew everyone else, and the conversations flowed freely echoing against the walls into the impassioned din of a pre-revolutionary salon. I was initially intimidated by it, and despite my extensive volunteer service, did not feel like I belonged in ESSENTIAL and decided to apply for EMERGE as further research - a way to determine if the further commitments and expense of ESSENTIAL were really what I wanted.

When I applied for EMERGE, it had been less than a year since I learned of Leadership Austin and its bevy of programs. I had thought of EMERGE as the junior ESSENTIAL program. Both are selective entry, both require not insignificant commitments of time, and both are enhanced by the synergy of the cohort’s composition. That was a cognitive shortcut I did not shake until my first EMERGE class.

It was that night - that first class - when I realized how two dimensional my understanding of Austin truly was. Even though I had been very active in the community, I knew zero of my classmates. At that moment I was sure that the novelty of the experience wouldn’t end there. I was really excited to see how dozens of strangers could become as close as that candidate and her classmates.

For months we met every other week, growing closer as we worked and reflected and reflected on our work. We spent the whole fall that way, sharing meals, happy hours and embarking on challenges together. Participating in the EMERGE program expanded my understanding of my city, my work, and myself. It also solidified my interest in ESSENTIAL. Today I am still in regular communication with many of those EMERGE classmates. Joining the Alumni Association fostered those bonds, but I can say that the curriculum, content, and camaraderie we generated those evenings that fall will stay with me for a long time. I expect that you will find what you are looking for in EMERGE, and it will stay with you too. Even if you have no expectations and no idea of what you will do.

In fact, in that case it’s easy, easy as walking into a conference room.

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Katie Vitale is Giving Manager and Webmaster at People's Community Clinic in Austin. Leadership Austin is currently accepting applications for the EMERGE 2013 program through Thursday, August 15.

Making Time for What Matters

Guest post from ESSENTIAL Class of 2011 graduate Oliver Bernstein. This is the first in a series of posts related to our Healthy Living for Leaders initiative - powered by H-E-B. The program promotes the importance of health, wellness, life-balance, and resiliency to being an effective community leader.  
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When I became a working dad, I needed new ways to manage my time so that I could get everything done at the office without missing priceless time with my family and friends.

Time management is not just about doing more in less time; it's essential to our personal ecology. Personal ecology is a concept I love that the Rockwood Leadership Institute uses to describe the practice of maintaining balance, pacing and efficiency to sustain our energy over a lifetime of activism.

In other words, if we're spinning our wheels at the office then we are neglecting our employers. If we are glued to our phones in the evenings then we are neglecting our families. And if we get burned out because we have lost control of our schedules then we are neglecting ourselves.

Here are some tips that work for me:

• Work blocks - I learned these from The Management Center, and now I'm hooked. Schedule chunks of time on your calendar as if they were meetings, and then use those blocks to write, brainstorm and focus on the long term projects that are otherwise impossible amid the chaos of the average workday.
• Work blocks are sacred, so don't move them; they are just as important as any other meeting, just more productive.
• Start with one two-hour work block per week, and decide each week which project(s) to focus on in that valuable time.
• Let your colleagues know that you are unavailable except for emergencies, and offer to cover for them once per week in return so they can try a work block, too.
• Better lists - No matter what system you use for tracking tasks and projects, make sure it works for you. Here are some ideas:
• Break down projects into finite tasks on your list that you can cross off.
• Write "WF" next to any tasks where you are waiting for someone else to get you something that you need in order to proceed on a project.
• Go over your list in the last 10 minutes of each work day and prepare a fresh list that will be waiting for you in the morning. This is a liberating practice that gets tasks out of your brain and on to your list so you can leave the stress at work.
• Use technology wisely – There are thousands of apps and tools available that promise to make you more efficient and organized. Use whatever works for you, but try to find ways to prioritize your tasks, limit distractions and stay healthy.
• Some of my favorite free online tools are Pocket (which lets you save articles you really want to read later all in one place) and WorkFlowy (which tracks projects and to-do items).
• Unplug when it matters most. My daughter is only 18 months old, and I can already see how special each minute is with her. So put down the smart phone and pick up your child.

I fully recognize how fortunate I am to work for a supportive organization with inspiring colleagues, to have an amazing spouse (who also works full time) and to have other advantages that enhance my personal ecology. But whatever you are trying to balance in your life - work, family, friends, service, art - remember that it takes practice, commitment and support from your community.

What are some tools and practices that work for you?

Oliver Bernstein is a father, husband and the National Communications Strategist for the Sierra Club, the country's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the Rockwood Leadership Institute's Art of Leadership.

EMERGE 2012 Takeaways

Guest post from new EMERGE 2012 graduate Rand Zumwalt.
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Everyone who participates in the Leadership Austin EMERGE Program does so for a different reason. For some, it is a way to network with like-minded professionals. For others, it is to seek guidance as to which philanthropic efforts best match their skills. For me, it was mainly to sharpen my leadership skills and, perhaps, expand the reach of my business along the way.

What I discovered through my time with the group, however, is that Leadership Austin is about so much more than one might assume at first glance. From day one, it becomes obvious that the EMERGE staff cares deeply about each individual in the program and carefully crafts every session with a cohesive intentionality focused on self-discovery and equipping people to make a societal impact.

Heather, our group’s fearless leader, announced during our first session that her goal was to get us out of our comfort zone. Well, she certainly did! From impromptu speeches to the group summarizing our lives in a handful of words to competitions that involved constructing “satellites” out of children’s toys, I think it is safe to say that every person in this year’s class found themselves challenged beyond their usual capacity on a regular basis.

Each session of the Emerge program builds on its predecessor, but is flush with fresh material and organized in a distinct manner uniquely selected to best present the topic at hand. The ever-changing format kept me on my toes and excited about what was coming next. This is not your typical lecture-based, sleep-inducing program. That said, the meetings are heavy on content and time spent outside of class unpacking lessons learned is encouraged.

One of the greatest pleasures for me, as a class participant, was getting the opportunity to meet talented and bright individuals that I would not necessarily have come across in my daily life. The Leadership Austin folks clearly prioritize diversity of experience and perspective in choosing program members. At the same time, however, the standards for entry are high. Distinct points of view were a welcome feature of our class, but the integrity and shared trusteeship we all felt for the Austin community was a key factor that bound our group from the start.

Though I entered the EMERGE program with a desire to build my leadership skills – which I accomplished – I left the program with a new understanding of myself and a strong desire to dig deeper. My journey as a Leadership Austin class participant may have come to a close, but my voyage into self-discovery and empowerment have only begun. For those considering applying to the EMERGE program, all I can say is make haste and prepare for life-changing insights that will serve you well for years to come in both your professional and personal life!

Rand Zumwalt is an attorney and Principal at Zumwalt Law Group, PLLC

Leadership Austin Wins AYC FAVE Award

Submitted by Leadership Austin intern Mark Shaw.
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Leadership Austin is very proud to have been recognized as the 2012 "FAVE Professional Development Source" by the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce (AYC). It is an honor to be nominated among other great organizations like Texas MBA and The Princeton Review The award ceremony was held at the Hilton Downtown on October 19, followed by an after-party at Recess Arcade Bar.

Leadership Austin and the AYC are truly aligned in their missions. Both strive to create and grow a culture of professional engagement, connectivity, and development in order to create civic awareness and business relationships in Austin.

Austin is "the No. 1 city for young people" according to CNBC, and the Census Bureau reported the Austin MSA as the second-fastest growing metropolitan area in the country. With so many young people from all around moving here, it is very important to have a connection to this growing next generation of leaders.

The AYC is an organization designed for young professionals to engage with the community and expand professionally. They are tuned in and growing their organization rapidly. "With this rapid growth, we are now the largest young professional organization and third largest chamber of commerce in Central Texas," says Melanie Plummer, Executive Director of AYC and Leadership Austin EMERGE 2010 alum.

Leadership Austin also plays a vital role in the development of young professionals in Austin through our EMERGE Program, which is designed to deepen leadership skills and build relationships for emerging young leaders of this fantastic city. "Many of AYC's membership, volunteers, staff and Board Members have had the opportunity to experience the excellent events and programs offered by Leadership Austin," explains Blake Absher, 2012 President of the AYC and current EMERGE 2012 participant.

Thank you again to everyone who voted in the FAVE awards! We’re honored to be a part of it.

To find out more about this or our other programs, visit our website at www.leadershipaustin.org.