Background

Leadership Maine

At MDF, we believe that if you bring together 1,000 Maine leaders, equip them with leadership skills, immerse them in the Maine economy, excite them about the future, and empower them to take action; they can move mountains.

Leadership Maine was established in 1993 with the purpose of supporting a diverse group of leaders in taking actions to affect change in Maine. Unlike community-based leadership programs, Leadership Maine is statewide in scope and focuses on issues rather than skill development.

Leadership Maine offers participants a unique experiential learning opportunity, designed to build a broader pool of talented leaders in Maine. Over the course of the program, 40-45 leaders learn about their own personal strengths and opportunities for growth, and examine the leadership styles of government, non-profit, corporate, and educational leadership in Maine.

Program Applicants

Each year Leadership Maine seeks 40-45 people who have demonstrated the following:

• Personal concern for Maine’s economic well being
  
• A commitment to take action
• Capacity to lead
• A record of accomplishment within their own organizations or communities

Leadership Maine seeks the participation of individuals from all regions and sectors of the economy. Scholarships are available to help in assuring the diversity of each class. The “open application” period for Leadership Maine runs from January through March of each year.

Program Structure

The program takes place over 14 days throughout the year. It begins in June with a short orientation and concludes in May with a closing retreat and graduation. Leadership Maine explores leadership on three levels through a proven curriculum model:

• The relationships among leaders, followers, and a common goal
• The skills necessary to bring people together for a common purpose
• The characteristics of effective leaders

Opening Retreat

The three-day opening retreat in September offers participants action-learning exercises in an outdoor setting to build relationships with class members, explore leadership styles, and develop a personal vision for action.

Sessions

Sessions are held on weekdays from October through May in different parts of the state, giving participants the opportunity to meet key leaders from various communities. The program uses large and small group discussions, field experiences, and simulations. Each session is focused around specific issues that affect the economy, and discussions about the leadership skills and characteristics needed to address those issues.

The Measures of Growth report serves as the reference point for all sessions as participants are asked to explore the connection between economy, community, and environment as it pertains to the quality of life in Maine. Sessions may include such topics as innovative business, skilled and educated workers, vital communities, efficient government, state of the art infrastructure, or healthy natural resources.

Team Projects

Each class is divided into 5-6 teams. Each team is asked to explore a specific topic through out the year. Topics run the gamut of economic issues in the state such as infrastructure needs, health care, education, entrepreneurial development, to name just a few. The purpose of team projects is two-fold:

• To experience the process of working with a diverse group of leaders from different sectors and regions of the state
• To examine the leadership associated with a critical issue facing Maine’s economy

The objective of the team projects is not to “solve” the problems identified but to learn more about the issue and the role that leadership plays in addressing it. The team project component is reflective of the key purpose of Leadership Maine in educating leaders about the critical issues facing our economy and in building a network of leaders to shape Maine’s future. Each team will present a written report and make an oral presentation at the completion of the project.

Closing Retreat and Graduation

The two-day closing retreat in May is an opportunity to present the work of the project teams and to celebrate the accomplishments from the year. It is also a time when participants are welcomed to the Alumni Network of over 600 Maine leaders.