LEAD Awards 2018: Interview with Frank Brennan, Reynolds Lake Oconee

Conquering Leadership Fears

  Category: Best Use of Classroom and Traditional Training
  LEAD AWARD RANK: 4
 
  Category: Innovation in Deployment of Leadership
  LEAD AWARD RANK: 6
 
  Company: Reynolds Lake Oconee
  Program: Fearless: Creating Storyleaders
  Program Director: Frank Brennan
  Visit: www.reynoldslakeoconee.com 

 
Our editorial team interviewed Frank Brennan from Reynolds Lake Oconee at the LEAD2018 Awards this past February. Here are some excerpts from the exclusive interview.
 
What is the overall objective of your program?
Overcoming the fears leaders face when communicating, empowering, coaching, counseling, and providing feedback to their Storytellers while learning how to effectively prioritize tasks, praise their staff, and train on accountability.
 

Who do you impact with your program?
130 Managers and Supervisor positions
 
What are the lessons you’ve learned this year from facilitating your program?
Leaders are usually forgotten when it comes to training & development. So much fear exists when expectations are high for leaders who are thrown into their role. We began developing training manuals and standard operating procedures specifically for managers to ease their fears as they enter their roles based on the feedback and insights gained from facilitating this program. 
 
How do you measure the return on investment and success of the program?
We use leadership surveys to Kirkpatrick's Level 2 of learning and created quarterly small group sessions to evaluate Level 3 behavioral changes in result of the program. We dive deeper into each specific topic presented in Fearless and brainstorm ways to achieve the desired results in the six areas of focus: communication, prioritization, empowerment, feedback, Coaching, and Accountability. 
 
What lies ahead for the program and how will it continue to succeed?
“Fearless" will be adapted to meet the needs of a much larger company with different leadership challenges. It will birth a sister program entitled “Courageous” which will penetrate the heart of leadership through experiential based learning techniques.
 

 

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