Leadership Coeur d'Alene: Visionary leadership for our businesses and community

Leadership Coeur d’Alene is a year-long program at the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber that delivers exclusive access to community leaders from a wide variety of key industries that make our beautiful community unique. Program speakers share the history of their respective industries in our region, big goals and challenges, as well as strategic direction for their future. Class participants also benefit from interactive tours, exercises, and case studies from recent real-world scenarios, creating a unique, in-depth immersion into North Idaho’s industry, community and culture.

At the end of each leadership day, the class holds a best-of-the-best session, where they share and collect feedback that will be used to plan next year’s sessions. With a growth mindset, Sandy Emerson, founder of the program, designed it so that each year sessions are planned by the previous year’s class, ensuring the program continues to improve over time. This year, we have had a wonderful opportunity to learn different leadership philosophies, tips and experiences from our presenters. Two of our speakers really stood out in offering great leadership advice, and with sincere gratitude, I’d like to share some of their learnings that have helped develop them into the great leaders they are today.

Matt Sawyer, director of marketing, Lookout Pass & Route of the Hiawatha

Matt took time to share his experiences as a leader, including some of his favorite quotes on what authentic leadership looks like in action. Here are just a few of Matt’s tips: lead by example, listen actively, understand your strengths and weaknesses, be a mentor, show appreciation and empathy, build dynamic, diverse and inclusive teams, and be honest, transparent and accountable.

Colleen Krajack, Archbright HR consulting

As an expert in human relations, Colleen shared the top things HR people wish leaders knew. Here are a few of her insights: focus on gratitude, clear is kind, seek the whole employee: hire for the mind, the hands, the spirit; host accountability for the team, you cannot save one at the expense of many, create a safe environment and one of her favorites: jerks — you don’t get to be one, you don’t get to hire one and you don’t get to keep one.

In our Cd'A Regional Chamber community, we are extremely blessed to work with many wonderful business leaders like Matt and Colleen. As our region continues to develop very quickly, we are experiencing some of the challenges associated with rapid growth. We have been given this season as an opportunity to create something wonderful for our culture and community for generations to come. By working together, we will provide bold and visionary leadership so that our businesses prosper and our community thrives.

Are you ready to lead?

The Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber is dedicated to nurturing and developing next-generation leaders. Are you interested in learning more about leadership? Do you have exceptional employees that you would like to help grow their leadership skills and get more engaged in the community?

Posting this October, keep an eye out for our class of 2024 online application and be sure to apply. In the meantime, please join us Friday, Sept. 22, at our Leadership Classic Golf Tournament, benefitting CDAIDE, and also developed by the Class of 2020-21.

Register here bit.ly/3sNlYNU today!

Linda Coppess is the president and CEO of the Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber.