Westmont Magazine Lead Where You Stand 2015

Westmont Blends Practical Principles with Inspiration from Great Leaders in the Montecito Institute’s First Leadership Conference

Westmont’s first leadership conference, Lead Where You Stand: Lessons for Leaders from Lincoln, Drucker and Bill Gates, attracted a range of attendees: college students, business and non- profit executives, pastors and retirees. The college’s Montecito Institute sponsored the three-day event in May, which focused on practical principles, the experiences of leaders, and inspiration from an unlikely trio: Abraham Lincoln, Peter Drucker and Bill Gates.

Doug McKenna developed the C4 Leadership Framework Model when he led executive development at Microsoft and worked closely with Gates. CEO and executive director of the Center for Organizational Leadership, McKenna presented four essential principles of leadership he has identified: composure, conviction, connection and courage. His wife, Kimberly McKenna, executive director of the Center for Family and Community Leadership at the Oceanside Institute, led exercises for each principle.

In three talks, Ronald C. White, a Lincoln scholar, historian and bestselling author, used Lincoln’s words to illustrate his development as a great moral leader. He has written three books on Lincoln.

Westmont president Gayle D. Beebe discussed concepts from his book, “The Shaping of an Effective Leader: Eight Formative Principles of Leadership.” Reflecting on 15 years as a college president and studies with management expert Peter Drucker, Beebe noted the importance of consistency, dependability and predictability for leaders.

Four corporate leaders shared personal experiences to illustrate each C4 principle: Robert Emmons, former CEO of Smart and Final; Kathy Ireland, founder of t he $2 billion company Kathy Ireland Worldwide; Jack Sinclair, for mer head of Walmart’s Grocer y Division; and Peter Thorrington, board chair and past COO of UTi.

John Ortberg, author and senior pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, presented the C4 principles from the perspective of ministry.

Westmont will hold its next leadership conference June 1-3, 2016. To learn more, see westmont.edu/lead.