AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM MOUNTAIN VALLEY CHAPTER

THE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM INVITES ESTABLISHED LEADERS FROM ALL PROFESSIONAL SECTORS AND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS IN THE GREATER SACRAMENTO REGION TO PARTICIPATE IN A YEARLONG FELLOWS PROGRAM. THE FIRST YEAR FELLOWS PROGRAM IS AN ENGAGING PROCESS OF ACTION AND REFLECTION WITH DIALOGUES MOST RELEVANT TO THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES RESULTING IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT BY ACTION TEAMS OF PASSIONATE CONCERNED LEADERS. INDIVIDUAL LEADERSHIP IS TRANSFORMED THROUGH RIGOROUS REFLECTION ON STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES, INTENTIONS AND OUTCOMES. TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING ASSERTS THAT THE MORE IN CONTROL AND RESPONSIBLE LEADERS ARE FOR THEIR OWN LEARNING, THE GREATER THE POTENTIAL FOR TRANSFORMATIVE OUTCOMES. THE GOAL IS TO CREATE A DIVERSE AND GROWING NETWORK OF LEADERS TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD. TO DATE, WE HAVE LEADERS FROM ACROSS SIX COUNTIES, 19 SECTORS AND REPRESENTING OVER 390 BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT THE REGION. THIS YEAR WE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL FIRST YEAR'S FELLOWS COHORT.

IN 2016, THE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM SPEARHEADED A SERIES OF DIALOGUE AROUND IMPLICIT BIAS. MORE THAN 40 SENIOR FELLOWS, FROM A VARIETY OF SECTORS, PARTICIPATED IN TWO SIX-WEEK SERIES TO LEARN ABOUT COGNITIVE SCIENCE AND UNDERSTAND OUR OWN BIASES. SENIOR FELLOWS LEARNED TECHNIQUES TESTED AND TRUE WHICH MINIMIZE BIAS IN OUR BRAINS AND ALLOW US TO ADDRESS BIAS IN THE WORKPLACE AND INSIDE INSTITUTIONS. IN 2017, THIS DIALOGUE WAS DEVELOPED INTO A TWO-PART TRAINING WORKSHOP DESIGNED FOR NONPROFITS, FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES, PUBLIC SECTOR LEADERS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE COGNITIVE SCIENCE BEHIND OUR UNCONSCIOUS BIASES. IN 2018, BEYOND BIAS WAS DEVELOPED AS AN ACCOMPANYING TRAINING THAT INCLUDES A DEEP DIVE INTO INTERVENTIONS ACROSS PERSONAL, INTERPERSONAL, INSTITUTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL LEVELS. THESE TRAININGS ARE TAILORED FOR EACH AUDIENCE AND PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR EFFECTIVE DIALOGUE ON RACE AND EQUITY FOR INSTITUTIONS THAT WANT TO TRANSFORM THEIR CULTURES. WE PROVIDED 15 TRAININGS AND HAD OVER 400 PARTICIPANTS. WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION TRAINING AS WELL AS BELONGING.