Caption: Pictured left to right are participants of the most recent community Dare to Lead™ training sponsored free of charge by invitation by For All Seasons. Pictured left to right are Mia Cranford, Director of Development, For All Seasons; Cristy Morrell, Executive Director Critchlow Adkins Children Center (CACC); Christine Larsen, Beth Anne Dorman, President and CEO, For All Seasons; Lesa Lee-Mulcahy, Chief Clinical Officer, For All Seasons; Lynn Sanchez, Diane Flagler, owner, La De Da; Lori Ramsey, University Relations & Recruitment, The Aerospace Corporation; Leieve Colbert, School Age Site Director (Easton), CACC; Melissa Johnson, Cordova Site Director, CACC; Liz LaCorte, Chief Advancement Officer, CBMM; and Joe Kemp.

For All Seasons’ Center for Learning is excited to bring Dr. Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead™ courage-building program to the community to provide practical tools and in-depth exploration of courage-building skills that will help prepare members of the Mid-Shore community to lead in work and life. Beth Anne Dorman, President and CEO of For All Seasons, and Lesa Lee-Mulcahy, LCSW-C, Chief Clinical Officer at For All Seasons are Certified Dare To Lead™ facilitators — two of fewer than 400 certified facilitators nationwide.  They trained the entire For All Seasons staff in the program over the past few years.

The Dare To Lead™ curriculum is based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown, research professor at the University of Houston, and author of several #1 New York Times bestsellers. Dare To Lead™ is the culmination of a seven-year study on courage and leadership. According to Brown, courage is a critical skill set that leaders need if they are going to lead successfully and thrive during these times of volatility, ambiguity, change, and uncertainty.

For All Seasons is offering several cohorts of the four-day training to community members. Training Sessions include: November 12 – 15, 2024,  January 28 – 31, 2025, March 25 – 28, 2025, and May 13 – 16, 2025.  Dare to Lead Training focuses on four skill sets, including:

Rumbling with Vulnerability – Learning about the myths of vulnerability that stop us from fully leaning into our leadership roles and the relevance of emotional literacy.

Living into our Values – Transitioning from professing values to truly practicing them, even when it is uncomfortable. Gain clarity around beliefs and values, while taking care that intentions, words, thoughts, and behaviors align with those beliefs.

Braving Trust – Shifting from unproductive power dynamics to authentic and inclusive connection. Leaders operationalize this concept of trust into actionable behaviors, increasing trust in themselves and their teams.

Learning to Rise – Creating space for failure and mistakes — for ourselves and others. Leaders own their stories and sift through the discomfort, risk, and emotional exposure of vulnerability in service to connection, creativity, and courage.

“When you can come from a place of courage and understanding in the workplace, we can create a culture where everyone can show up authentically, we can have hard conversations, we can move through difficult times, and also celebrate all of the successes in a much different way,” comments Dorman.

“It’s important to us that we share out this knowledge beyond our organization, and strengthen leadership across our community and all professions. Representatives from several business sectors across our region participated in our community-wide training this past spring and reported that it was a ‘life-changing experience.’  When we think about leadership development and impacting the lives of those who serve our community, that feedback says it all.  This is not a ‘check-the-box’ training, but rather an experience that allows us to dig in together and shift the lens we lead within our place of work, at home, with our friends and family, and in our community.  It surpasses the typical ‘work training’ in ways that allow participants to grow both personally and professionally,” she adds.

“When I heard that For All Seasons was offering Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead™ training in Easton, I jumped at the chance to participate. I had read Dr. Brown’s books and listened to her podcasts on leadership, but never considered that there could actually be certified trainers here on the Eastern Shore. The training, led by Certified Dare to Lead™ Trainers Beth Anne Dorman and Lesa Lee, far exceeded my expectations and positively impacted my relationships with family, friends, and colleagues,” stated Lori Ramsey, University Relations & Recruitment, The Aerospace Corporation.

“Rather than jumping to judgment, I now take the time to ask people to ‘say more’ to better understand their perspective. And, I try harder to remember that people are usually doing the best that they can. This program was a gift of time and personal growth, that has greatly impacted how I manage my team at work. I highly recommend the Dare to Lead™ program to anyone who would like to strengthen their personal leadership skills or corporate/non-profit teams that are looking to take their success to the next level.”

Another participant shared, “Admittedly, I was a skeptic coming into the Dare to Lead™ training. A friend of mine hounded me for years to read Brené Brown’s book, and I kept putting it off. Now, having experienced it, I can say with confidence that I am a better leader at work, at home, and in every aspect of my life. I gained new communication skills and learned a lot about myself,” says Liz LaCorte, Chief Advancement Officer Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

The goals and outcomes of Dare to Lead™ are dependent upon each participant’s full engagement. Your Dare to Lead™ experience will be best when you read the provided copy of the book Dare to Lead in advance of the program. Program days begin at 8:00 a.m. and conclude by 4:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be served daily. Participants who complete this four-day Dare to Lead™ program will receive a certificate of completion and the right to add the “I am Dare to Lead™ Trained” badge to their LinkedIn account.

According to Brown, “Leadership is not about titles or the corner office. It’s about the willingness to step up, put yourself out there, and lean into courage.”

For further information and to register for this training, go to https://forallseasonsinc.lpages.co/dare-to-lead/.  If you have questions, contact For All Seasons’ Center for Learning at CenterForLearning@forallseasonsinc.org.