October Session Recap

Nov 2

Written By Sauk County Institute Leadership

October 28, 2021

Leadership Lessons Learned from 2008 Rock Springs Flooding Event: “Be a Captain, Not a Pirate.”

This year’s Sauk County Institute of Leadership (SCIL) class met on Thursday, October 14th, at the new Rock Springs Community Center to continue their growth as leaders in our community. They met with a community panel to discuss the events that occurred during the floods and how their experiences can teach this year’s SCIL class to become better leaders in their fields and in our community.

When the flood in Rock Springs took away the use of a once cherished building, the Rock Springs Community Center, it shook so many of the members of our community to the core. Jeff Jelinek knows this better than anyone. Not only were the floods a living nightmare of loss and heartache to Rock Springs residents, it was on Jeff’s shoulders as part of the Sauk County Emergency Management team to get to work to keep the residents safe and be the leader that was tasked to begin the healing. A humble man, Jeff stood and led his team; he trusted that they knew the job they had to do. To this effect, Jeff offered the following advice, “Be a captain, not a pirate.”

The SCIL class of 2022 not only engaged with the Rock Springs leadership team to learn from their experiences but also discussed and developed lifelong leadership skills that often will challenge our instinctual reaction to stress. Jenny Erickson, UW-Extension Educator, discussed how taking a moment before you respond to a stressful situation can change your influence in a situation from adding fuel to the fire, to creating positive change. Finally, Morgan McArthur, UW-Extension Educator, discussed how stepping outside of your comfort zone and entering the “Stretch” zone in conversation can allow all persons to hear everyone’s story and make critical connections both professionally and personally. This can be done by listening for key elements in everyone’s lived experiences often expressed during casual conversation. Even introverts can learn to become comfortable in casual conversations with strangers.