Public Service Leadership Course

Objective:  Preparing leaders with the strategic tools to define their differences, discover options for how they can serve and address the personal, professional, and sometimes political obstacles that could stand in their way.

Objective: Turning a great idea into a great difference often depends on how well the leader can communicate a vision for change that motivates and mobilizes others. This session will focus on the foundational principles for how leaders can elevate their experience and expertise, effectively communicate the difference they want to make and build their personal brand to boost their credibility in order to influence and lead others.

Objective: Educating participants by welcoming civic, public and non-profit leaders to share on the most pressing community and public challenges, issues, and opportunities facing Polk County.

Objective: Positioning leaders to refine and prepare to implement engagement plans with specific goals and objectives, including how to build teams and define short and long-term objectives, and to step up to the starting line of their leadership opportunity ready to realize results.

Polk Vision’s Public Service Leadership Course, a free four-session leadership engagement program, is designed to carry forward the legacy and outstanding tradition of civic, public, and non-profit leadership that has made Polk County a distinctive, prosperous, and vibrant community.   

Through lessons from leadership experts and current Polk County leaders, small-group exercises and confidential one-on-one coaching, aspiring leaders will discover proven, practical and personalized preparation and positioning strategies for how they can elevate their real-world experience in order to accelerate the difference they can make in civic, nonprofit or public leadership without wasting their time or talent.

Aspiring leaders will be equipped to: define their unique difference and explore where they can best make it; overcome common personal, professional and political hurdles to engagement; elevate their public visibility and credibility in order to impact, influence and inspire change and engage with a network of proponents who can open doors; realize results more quickly with an engagement plan to start strong, lead and succeed.

Each participant will receive a 100% scholarship thanks to the generous support of the program’s investors.

Interested leaders must apply by January 15 through the link at the bottom of this page. A competitive selection process will ensure a limited class size and individual attention. The class selection will be announced January 29. The program will meet on February 23, March 8, March 22 and April 5, 2024 from 9:00a – 4:00p with breaks throughout each session. Participants must commit to being fully available to attend all four day-long sessions. Applicants must be current residents of Polk County and not currently serving in an elected position or running for office. Prior participation in a Polk Vision leadership program is not required.

Though both programs go through a selective application process, their content will be very different from one another. The Leadership Polk program consists of countywide tours that build awareness on the county at-large including hidden gems, challenges and opportunities that are faced throughout the different municipalities that make up Polk County.

The Public Service Leadership Course (PSLC), though hosted in different locations throughout the county, will be located at one site per class day and dig deep into the course curriculum, facilitated by Mark Mills for the majority of the program. The content is designed for leaders interested in learning more about ways to impact public policy and how to enhance their effectiveness as engaged citizens. PSLC creates an opportunity to be better equipped for elected and appointed office candidacy for those potentially interested in pursuing future positions of service.

Learn more at Public Service Leadership Series Application (jotform.com).