Last week, I attended my first WELV conference in Charlottesville. It’s no secret that I love all things blue and orange, but this was a totally new reason for me to be delighted to be in Charlottesville.
If you are male and want to stop reading, you probably should. If you insist on continuing, don’t say you weren’t warned…. What a difference to be in a room of women for two days! The only men who entered the room were either there to fix something or clear the tables. Really! To be honest, I didn’t expect to feel this way about a single-sex conference. But the feelings of camaraderie and support were real. The conference was definitely designed with female leaders in mind.
The sessions were informative and engaging. They included K-12 policy changes, Standard 7, and Future Trends and Transitions. Break-out sessions included informative panel discussions, with time for table-talk.
As we finish up the spring semester, I wanted to share some takeaways from the conference. If you’re male and still with me, don’t give up yet….these are gender-neutral.
- Stand up for work that matters
- Face change with courage
- Be a “what if” leader, not a “yeah, but” leader
- Appreciate the outliers; diverse teams get the best results
- Find joy in your work and feel passion for what you are doing
My next trip to Charlottesville is already planned. I’ll be there in for the ACC Lacrosse Finals on April 22—how’s that for wishful thinking (Go Hoos). Oh, and I’ve booked March 21 and 22, 2013 as well–next year’s WELV Conference.
