In September, I had the privilege of getting to know, learning from, and welcoming Walking Softer’s newest cohort of Young Leaders during a retreat in Lake Tahoe. To say that I am inspired and impressed by the work that each and every one of them is doing would be a gross understatement. As the Digital Media and Program Coordinator, I have seen all twelve of their names and their organizations on various spreadsheets throughout the nominations, interview, and selection processes and yet, who they are on paper doesn't hold a flame to their personalities in person. As they shared more about themselves and their personal leadership journeys, I couldn’t help but notice a few qualities they exemplified despite the various upbringings, backgrounds, areas of expertise, and sectors. Reflecting on how each of the Young Leaders showed up in Lake Tahoe left me thinking about leadership as a whole and pondering the qualities that each of them exemplified that seem to sit at the heart of meaningful leadership: commitment to values, perseverance, curiosity, and authenticity.

Commitment to Values

I believe that it’s an undeniable truth that to be a leader, and I mean a great leader, you need to be clear about your values and remain steadfast in your approach and commitment to them. Each of the Young Leaders has a different reason behind their work and approach to climate solutions, but underneath all of that is a stronger sense of their why…the various moments in their lives that shaped the way they see the world, experiences that made them want to be a part of the solution, and the values that guide their work. Meaningful leadership is not simply having a vision or building something from the ground up. It is also knowing what matters to you and why the work you are doing is worth it to you. This became clear to me as I listened to each YL discuss how they have been challenged in their paths and have allowed their personal values to guide them forward even when things may not have been clearer.

Perseverance

During hikes and around a fire pit, the Young Leaders participated in “peer shares’ where they shared their own personal leadership journeys. A common thread that I noticed in each of their stories was a sense of perseverence. During these conversations, I contemplated whether or not this is a quality inherent to all leaders or if leadership builds this quality over time.  Even in the face of the loss of funding, uncertainty, and personal hardships, the Young Leaders have persevered and continued to pursue their work. Making difficult decisions, adapting, and moving forward is no easy feat, especially when the end of those means is not entirely clear. The thing that inspired me the most was that their perseverance was not just a matter of pushing through, but the way they leaned on their support systems, acknowledged that things were indeed hard, and kept sight of their end goal, and remained committed to their values. These stories are often some of the less visible parts of a leadership journey, but hearing them sparked my own internal ponderings of what qualities make a leader and what leadership looks like more broadly in this sector.

Curiosity and Authenticity

In addition to the time the cohort took to learn from and with each other, they had the opportunity to learn from three executive coaches, where they received valuable information on topics such as asking and offering, burnout, networking, and finances. Instead of silently taking notes like in a classroom setting, everyone asked thoughtful questions, gave feedback to other cohort members, and shared some of their personal experiences. This natural curiosity really helped bring the sessions to a level beyond just a learning experience and create space for something else: authenticity. Vulnerability is a scary thing sometimes, especially being vulnerable in a room full of people you just met! But throughout the retreat, I watched people become increasingly comfortable sharing the parts of their stories beyond what’s shared in a professional bio or pitch deck. Something I heard often, both in general conversation and the coach led sessions were themes of authenticity, especially in terms of relationship building. There was a willingness to show up as themselves, be honest where they were at in their journeys, and let others get to know them beyond their work. If you ask me… I would say that I think authenticity is what allowed this group to connect so quickly in such a special way, and I am excited for them to continue to support each other.

What I am Taking Away From The Week

Going into the retreat, I was just excited to get to meet the Young Leaders whose applications and pitch decks I had reviewed for months. However, I left feeling like I had learned a lot from them too. Working so much behind the scenes of this program meant that most of my experience with the leaders happened through spreadsheets, emails, and Zoom calls. To spend a week with the Young Leaders learning how their worldview was shaped, how they took leaps of faith to start their nonprofits or forprofits, how they hope to continue to serve their communities, and how they persevere when things feel uncertain…that left me feeling so hopeful for the futures that they are helping shape and beyond excited for you all (dearest readers) to learn more about this special group!! I also left Tahoe incredibly grateful for programs like Walking Softer’s Young Leaders that takes the time to carefully curate such a cohort and opportunity.

-Allyssa Salcedo