Leadership Lessons

Aki Sagi

5 Things to Expect From Valley Leadership’s Explore Program

Explore takes participants out of their comfort zones to get to know the great diversity of the state and how our most pressing issues show up in rural, urban, suburban and Native communities. If you are a VL Alumni with a passion for forging connections while experiencing Arizona’s many diverse communities, this program is for you! Learn more about what participants can expect.

Read More »
Aki Sagi

Celebrating National Native American Heritage Month

National Native American Heritage Month starts on November 1st. It is a celebration of the resilience and achievements of the Native community. Listen to our conversation with Germaine Simonson, owner of Rocky Ridge Gas and Market in Navajo Nation, to learn more.

Read More »
Paige Soucie

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15th is the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s a celebration of the achievements and contributions of the Hispanic community, and an opportunity to highlight the leaders who are lifting up those in the community. Listen to our conversation with Arizona leaders to learn more.

Read More »
Valley Leadership

Celebrating Black History Month

We celebrate Black History Month, an opportunity to recognize the rich history of the Black community and honor the achievements individuals and their contributions to our global society.

Read More »
Michelli Castañeda

Leadership Looks Like Outsmarting Our Biases

Researchers have documented nearly 200 different cognitive biases – decision-making shortcuts our brains employ to save much-needed energy. But, those energy-savings often come at a cost. Cognitive biases can lead us to make bad decisions.

Read More »
Dave Brown

The First Step in Leadership

Reflection is a critical tool for our growth – and something we ask those leading our Impact Maker work to do every time we meet. In particular, we ask them to reflect on when they’ve seen real-life examples of our Principles of Doing in action – and we wanted to share one of them with you. Acting with integrity is the first step in acting with those principles.

Read More »
Bailey Reynolds

Three Steps to Begin Making an Impact

Wanting to tackle a challenging issue but not knowing where to start is understandably intimidating but top of mind for many Arizonans after the last year. We’re all capable of driving the impact we want to see in ourselves and our communities. With a commitment to exploration, goalsetting and collaboration, you can set yourself up to make a difference.

Read More »
Sara Crocker

Video: Building a Culture of Belonging in the Community

Valley Leadership Board Vice President Koran Hardimon has led the creation of VL’s Impact Maker Racial Justice Team, and he is the director of inclusion and diversity for Republic Services. He sat down with VL’s Leadership Development Manager Michelli Castaneda to discuss the idea of belonging, how he works to improve diversity, equity and inclusion at work and in the community, and how others can do the same.

Read More »

Added to cart!

Apply Today: Explore Class 4

Applications for Explore Class 4 are now open! If you’re a VL alumni who is ready to step out of your comfort zone and travel to different communities across Arizona, we encourage you to apply today!