Leading, Educating, and Developing (LEAD) is a dynamic and engaging one-week leadership development program designed for local government department heads and supervisors.
What today's Leaders Face
The world of the public manager and leader is evolving at a speed that challenges even the most robust organizations.
- Local governments are increasingly being asked to do more with less.
- Federal and state support is declining.
- Citizens are demanding a more caring, responsive government.
- New technology is revolutionizing communication.
To respond to these forces, our local governments must become laboratories for a new style of organization - one grounded in basic democratic values and guided by a collective vision of community-building and empowerment.
To take our communities confidently into the future, public leaders and executives must adopt a proactive approach to change both inside the public organization and outside in the community. They must invest the time and resources required to create and maintain a continuously improving, learning organization.

What LEAD Offers
LEAD programs provide local government leaders essential skills they can directly apply in their organizations to make positive change. In our new LEAD programs, participants will
- Examine, discuss, and apply the most relevant and powerful leadership practices, with focused discussions on the distinct and complex experiences of local government leaders
- Leave the LEAD session with a clear roadmap of the concepts learned in the program that can be applied to their organizations immediately
- Develop interpersonal skills and community and organizational leadership skills
- Build skills and awareness through team engagement, including developing coaching techniques, an understanding of how key experiences have shaped leadership styles, and empathy for others gained through attentive listening
- Develop a deeper understanding of inclusive leadership through sessions specifically focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion
Contact Us
If you would like to learn more about LEAD, contact Shirley Hamblet
Email: shirleyhamblet@virginia.edu (preferred) | Office: 434-243-5031 | Cell: 727-744-0573