Wilfulness Wednesdays- Thirteenth edition

When was the last time you chose to step away from known comfort and familiarity to explore new territory- territory that aligns with your purpose? When was the last time you realized you were stepping into your comfort zone?

In the Fall of 2023, at the juncture of my transition from non-profit executive management to entrepreneur, a respected colleague and friend asked me about serving as one of five trainers for a five-part series on leadership development.  The series, funded by our local county department of mental health, was being sponsored and organized by Value Network, a local affiliation of healthcare partners working to implement integrative clinical solutions to enhance the healthcare system, that my colleague leads.  Not unique to WNY, workforce recruitment and retention lends an added layer of challenge to healthcare and human care.

While “Trainer” is not a title I’ve used to describe myself, addressing the challenge in a stable workforce, especially in human service delivery is of importance to me. I lived with workforce gaps throughout my years as a non-profit executive- I observed the adverse effects on the organization … I supported team members impacted by the adverse effects… I personally experienced and felt the adverse effects..

Completely out of my comfort and familiarity zone, but YES! YES! YES! I will serve as a trainer for the series. This would be an extension of my services through which to fulfill my purpose, leverage my empathy for the workforce, my empathy for agencies in need of a stable workforce, and most important, my empathy for those served through the agencies.  The privilege to train absolutely aligned with my purpose!

I developed both the Harmonious Leadership training content and learning modalities with a purpose and harmony framework.  I enjoyed crafting a day of co-creation, a variety of individual, dyad, and group concept-themed activities, a combination of education and personal reflection, introduction to networking, and an emphasis on emotional intelligence, wellness, and team engagement. I guided participants throughout the day in the creation of their personalized plans- action plans they’d leave with to further enhance their harmonious leadership.

📸Megan Dumpleton, Value Network

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I was pleasantly surprised by my comfort as “Trainer”- the cohort’s participation and their personal investment certainly made it exceptionally enjoyable.  I look forward to more opportunities to serve as “Trainer” on Harmonious Leadership now that I’ve stepped into my comfort zone!

What will you do to take a bigger step toward a newly discovered comfort?