Do you have a hunger to grow both professionally and personally? Do you dream of being a catalyst for change in your community? If so, you are the leader Southwest Michigan needs.

Turn on the TV, and you’ll see the stock market is hitting record highs. Or think back to previous reports by First & 42, and you’ll find strong economic data from across Southwest Michigan. It’s clear to see that our economy is strong, but the truth is that many of our most experienced workers, our most seasoned leaders, are beginning to retire. In fact, 84 percent of organizations anticipate a shortage of leaders in the next five years.

To empower people in the region to grow and fill those gaps, Leadership Kalamazoo has been the premier community leadership development resource in Southwest Michigan for the past 25 years. Sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Southwest Michigan First invites you to join other emerging leaders to sharpen your skills and add new tools to your leadership utility belt in this year’s Leadership Kalamazoo cohort.

Leadership Kalamazoo sessions are not your typical passive professional development seminars. They bring together dynamic professionals, cutting-edge faculty, and a rigorous curriculum to accelerate leadership development and create truly transformational learning experiences. From January to July, Leadership Kalamazoo’s diverse group of current and emerging community leaders will meet each month for full-day sessions. Each day is designed to develop the fundamental behaviors, mindsets, and knowledge base that successful leaders possess on topics like: Talent and Strengths Exploration, Managing Conflict for Optimal Impact, How to Inspire Change, Influence Versus Authority, and Generational Differences in the Workplace.

For even more leadership learning, and added value, the program also includes an exclusive opportunity to attend Southwest Michigan First’s Catalyst University, as well as a two-day retreat on February 6 and February 7. You can read more about Leadership Kalamazoo in the program’s online playbook.

If you’re an eager and emerging leader who wants to step up your growth and the growth of your community, we strongly encourage you to apply for Leadership Kalamazoo 2020. Applications are currently being accepted for our next cohort. Due to the interactive nature of Leadership Kalamazoo, the number of participants is limited.

Once you have completed the application, a member of the Leadership Kalamazoo team will contact you to discuss next steps.

So, are you ready to lead big?