FAQ'S About LEAD New York

• What is the program mission?

• Why do we need LEAD NY?

• What are the Program Objectives?

• How does it work?

• What is the difference between year 1 and 2?

• Is there much homework?

• What are the attendance expectations?

• How much does it cost?

• Who should apply?

• What are the program outcomes?

• How can I find out more about the program? 

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What is the program's mission?

The mission of LEAD New York is to inspire and develop leaders for the food, agriculture and natural resource industries

Why do we need LEAD NY?

As fewer people are involved in the direct production of food, many begin to take for granted a seemingly endless supply of safe, inexpensive food. However, the reality is that our food system is very complex, and it is more crucial than ever for our industry to engage in meaningful dialogue with consumers, work collaboratively with diverse partners, and participate in the public policy process. We need effective leaders that are willing to accept such challenges, and LEAD New York gives leaders the tools they will need to be successful in those roles. Furthermore, our food system and the communities in which we live and work face a number of significant changes, and the pace of change continues to quicken. Communities are often better able to effectively navigate those changes – they are more "resilient" - if adequate social capital is present. LEAD New York builds and enhances that social capital.

What are the program objectives?

Enhance Personal and Professional Networks
An overall objective is to enhance the personal and professional networks of the individual leaders that participate in our program, and in so doing, we also build and enhance the social capital of our food, agriculture and natural resource industries, and the communities in which they operate. Ask any one of our alumni what the most significant benefit of participation is, and they are likely to respond "networking". It is this ever-growing network of leaders that form the core of the social capital that we seek to build; a group of connected and interdependent leaders that will help our industry and communities address the many challenges we face.

Improve Leadership Skills
LEAD participants generally show marked improvement in many of the skills leaders need to do their jobs effectively. In improving their competency in these skill areas, participants become more effective at influencing others to bring about positive change in organizations. By improving their confidence in their leadership abilities, participants are often inspired to serve in leadership roles. Participants are challenged and motivated to get involved in the public policy process and community service roles.

Increase Self-Awareness
Participants learn about their own leadership styles, strengths, and areas for improvement, as well as how others perceive them as leaders. Through improved self-awareness, participants realize the importance of life-long learning, practice ongoing reflection, and seek out new opportunities to continue their leadership development. They learn to value feedback and the growth opportunity it provides.

Enhance Knowledge and Understanding of Relevant Issues
LEAD Participants also develop a broader knowledge/awareness of relevant issues, with the food and agricultural industry, and to a lesser extent the public policy arena, serving as the context in which this leadership development takes place. Activities help our participants understand the policy development process at the local, state, federal and international levels. In addition to learning how the policy development process works, they learn how it affects them and how to influence it. The specific issues studied in LEAD New York change from class to class, depending on the learning needs of the participants and the relevancy to current industry/community challenges. These issues provide the context in which leadership skill development is practiced, and public policy is examined.

How does it work?

We generally meet monthly from October through April in each of the two years. Most monthly seminars are three days in length (Thursday – Saturday), though some seminars (e.g. Ottawa Canada, Washington DC, etc.) are longer. A full schedule for each year is provided well in advance so that class members can plan other commitments around our seminar schedule.

A typical monthly seminar will include a combination of speakers or panel presentations, tours, practice exercises, and class discussions. We accomplish our objectives through an experiential education/action learning process that includes instruction, practice, feedback and reflection (see figure below).

What is the difference between Year 1 and Year 2?

Year 1 - "Leadership Fundamentals"
The focus of year one is on enhancing self-awareness, developing leadership skills, understanding local and state government, and gaining exposure to the breadth and diversity of New York's various food, agricultural and natural resource sectors. All seminars take place within New York, and the total time commitment is 25 days. Participants that successfully complete this first year of the program will receive a "Leadership Fundamentals" certificate to acknowledge their achievement.

 
Year 2: "LEAD Fellows"
The focus of year two is on the "big picture" issues facing our food system, and includes examination of topics like agricultural policy, globalization and trade, labor and immigration, and other topics that are national or international in scope. We travel to Ottawa, Canada and Washington, DC for seminars, and class members are expected to complete a robust issues analysis or leadership project. In addition, the study trip experience is nearly 2 weeks in length, which provides options in terms of where we are able to take the class for this capstone experience. In total, this second year requires a 30 day time commitment. Participants who successfully complete this second year of the program will be referred to as "LEAD NY Fellows".

LEAD NY CLASS 15 Schedule

(Year 1 Final as of 03/27/13)

Is there much homework?

There is some between-seminar work expected nearly every month. This work may include reading, completing seminar evaluations, preparing a presentation, writing a thank you letter to a speaker, contacting an alumnus, or researching a topic for a class activity, for example. However, the work load is kept very manageable because we respect the time constraints of the busy professionals we typically attract to our program. Some of this work (e.g. additional reading) might be considered "optional", but we like to point out the old adage: "You will get out of this program what you put in to it", meaning the more time you invest in preparing for the seminars, the more you are likely to get out of them.  

What are the attendance expectations?

We set the attendance bar very high for several reasons. First, selection to our program is competitive. If a participant fails to honor their attendance commitment, that means another applicant might have been selected for that spot in the class. Second, participants pay only a fraction of the true cost of participation in the program. The majority of the funding comes from other donors - we like to call them "investors" – because they are in fact investing in your development as a leader for our industry. If you fail to attend all sessions, then our investors may not realize the return on investment they have come to expect from our program. Finally, we select class members not only because we believe we can do something for them (i.e. help them develop into better leaders), but also because we believe each class member has something to contribute to the development of their classmates. If a class member doesn't attend a seminar, then everyone loses the benefit of their perspective and contribution to the learning of the whole group.

How much does it cost?

Cost for the first year of the program is $2,000, and cost for the second year is $3,000. This cost represents only a fraction of the true cost of participation in the program, as we are heavily supported by contributions from our program investors. Though the participant is responsible for meeting this tuition obligation, you should know that the vast majority of our class members usually don't pay their own tuition. Most are able to get tuition support from their employer, a cooperative or other organization they are a member of, or other sources of support. As a last resort, LEAD New York also sets aside a small scholarship fund to assist those class members that have exhausted all of their other funding opportunities.

 There is little other out-of-pocket expense during the program. The program pays for all lodging, all out-of-state travel, travel during seminars (tours), and most meals. Class members are responsible for their own in-state travel (to and from monthly seminars in New York), some "on-your-own" meals, and a few program materials (e.g. books), tips, and beverage purchases.

Who should apply?

We firmly believe that our class members learn as much (or more) from each other as they do from the many outsiders that address them throughout the program. For that reason, we seek first to select a cohort that is as rich and diverse as possible, as this diversity contributes greatly to the overall class learning experience. In general, applicants should have some professional connection to the food, agriculture and natural resource industries, but we define those sectors broadly. A typical cohort includes roughly 1/3 producers (those involved in a farming enterprise), 1/3 for-profit agribusiness (e.g. lender, service provider, food processor), and 1/3 from the not-for-profit, governmental agency or educational sectors.

Minimum age for participation is 25, and the average age of our participants is around 38 years old. There is no minimum educational requirement, though much of the material and activities covered in the program could be considered graduate level, so a college degree is recommended. Most participants come from New York State, but we do accept applicants from neighboring states.

What are the program outcomes?

Nearly 400 people have already completed the program and are currently serving their communities in a variety of leadership roles. Over ninety percent of our graduates are involved in food, agriculture and natural resource organizations, and many also serve on organizational boards and committees, or in governmental positions. Still others have applied their skills as management consultants, media advisors, volunteers, or their own entrepreneurial endeavors. Indeed, it would be difficult to look at the leadership of virtually any food or agricultural organization in the state and not see at least a few LEAD New York graduates in leadership roles in those organizations. LEAD New York graduates "step up" when called upon to lead.

How can I find out more about the program?

A great way to learn more about the program is to talk to our alumni or current class members, so we encourage you to do so. Of course, you should feel free to explore this website, or contact the LEAD office for more information:

ljv4@cornell.edu