A blog from Christopher Cahill, Professor of Chemistry and International Affairs, Chair- Chemistry Department
GWALA participation for me has been nothing short of game changing. I had been in a leadership role (department chair) for three years, and began GWALA at the same time I had been re-elected for another term. The timing could not have been better as I was feeling a bit like “OK- I sort of know what I’m doing!” combined with “Three years in and I still do not know what I am doing!” Consequently, participation was a wonderful combination of validating some strengths, identifying some areas for improvement, and most importantly, finding a community of like-minded colleagues with whom one could share experiences and feel deep connections. It was a sense of community unlike any other I have experienced after 22 years at GW.
In addition to the ‘feelings’ listed above, GWALA provided some genuine, boots on the ground training and evaluation. I heartily recommend any kind of quantitative, evaluative assessment of one’s leadership or decision-making style. Sure, these exercises can be a little corny at times, but I argue that having a few adjectives to describe your behavior can be simultaneously liberating and empowering. For example, being labeled an ‘avoider’ during a conflict management assessment really hit home- and could not have been more true. This is now front and center in my mind and has enabled me to find the strength to get some of the less pleasant chores out of the way. Same goes for emotional intelligence- another phrase that gets tossed around (perhaps) excessively. Nevertheless, there is real value, both as a leader and a human being, to knowing where the other person is coming from.
Practicing difficult conversations with role-playing colleagues was another useful exercise. We’ve all been there, but who knew how valuable a mock dry-run could be? Same for hearing from other leaders at GW- seeing how they have dealt with challenges and opportunities was reassuring and inspiring.
In closing, I had such a wonderful experience in GWALA. I honestly do not want it to end and wish it was a more regular part of my professional life. And I wish I could have spent even more time on the exercises and evaluations, but I guess we would not be in leadership positions if we had plenty of time for everything! I look forward to continued engagement with my Cohort, as well as a continued commitment to improvement.
