• To identify and prepare potential as well as existing leaders in business, government and the community, for voluntary responsibility in the community.

• To provide these leaders with a practical and sophisticated understanding of major problems and opportunities facing the Hickman County area.

• To facilitate access between emerging leaders and the current leadership of the community, which will not only benefit the community, but also empower you with leadership skills and network connections that will benefit you and your organization..

• To improve the communications network among leaders with disparate backgrounds and interests.

• To create a setting for persons of demonstrated commitment to the community to meet and exchange ideas.

• To stimulate increased participation and commitment in the community.

Leadership Hickman actively solicits participants from all sectors of the community. A maximum of 12 people will have the opportunity to participate in Leadership Hickman each year. Participants are selected on their own merits through an application process conducted by the program’s Steering Committee.  Information on the next class is available by contacting the Hickman County Economic & Community Development Association office.

Class members must reside or be employed in Hickman County. Those persons will be selected each year who are most apt to utilize their leadership ability for the long-term benefit of the community and whose inclusion in that year’s class furthers the objective of the program to bring together persons with disparate backgrounds and interests.

LEADERSHIP CLASS OF 2007

• Are willing to seek leadership roles on public and private boards, in volunteer organizations, or in public office.

• Are motivated to improve their skills.

• Have potential for advancement to leadership positions in their own organizations, or are already in such positions.

• Have an occupation such that they are not likely to be relocating from the county in the immediate future.

• Will commit to participate fully in the Leadership Hickman program, meet its attendance requirements and, as alumni, continue for at least one year their involvement with the program as resource persons, program planners, steering committee, or other roles as needed.

LEADERSHIP CLASS OF 2005

Leadership Hickman consists of a one day retreat in September and eight topic-oriented, one-day seminars. The retreat provides structured exercises and presentations which explore theories of leadership and personal power, as well as decision-making through group discussion, analysis, and probing. The one-day seminars focus individually on a major area of community concern and explore the issue of leadership within the context of the day’s subject.

Each session is carefully designed to present a wide range of opinions and perspectives to encourage thoughtful discussion through lectures, panel presentations, and a variety of group activities. Participants are given the opportunity to explore controversial issues with leaders representing a broad range of community interests.

The goal of each day is to open the mind of each participant to the perspectives that surround each issue and, through thoughtful consideration of those perspectives, enable participants to become more visionary leaders in the community.

Attendance at the retreat in September is mandatory.  Thereafter, 90% attendance is required to be entitled to graduate from this program. A total commitment of time is required to achieve a complete education in each subject area.

A participant should plan on each day's program starting at approximately 7:30 a.m. and ending at approximately 5:00 p.m.

In 2010, a Leadership Hickman distance learning website was developed.  The online content remains active to augment traditional Leadership Hickman classes.  It is also available free for anyone to access with an interest in leadership and Hickman County.  The distance Leadership Hickman website can be found at www.hickmantn.org/leadership.

TUITION:

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: