Participant Testimonials

Council’s Community Leadership Program has been offered to the Moorabool community since 2020. Hear from previous participants about their leadership journey and what they gained from the program. 

 

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Liz

2021 Community Leadership Program

When I first saw the Leadership Program pop up on Facebook, I said to myself I'm not a leader, I wouldn't even consider doing that. I thought I'm new to the town, I don’t know many people, they're probably not going to pick me anyway, and the timeframe was a bit daunting, 18-weeks seemed like a really long time to do anything.  I applied the night before as a last-minute thing and I'm really glad I did. It's been great.

My initial decision to join was to gain tools and build confidence because I have been involved in quite a number of community groups before, and although I contribute to them, I've never really taken a lead role and contributed in more of a supportive capacity. I've realised I'm more than capable of making decisions and fostering new ideas and following through on projects. So, I am now more equipped to put my hand up and actually get out there in the community and that is what motivated me to do this program.

This program has allowed me to recognise my strengths in being a stabiliser which allows me to keep the group harmonious and appreciate how different leadership styles interact in a group setting. I've taken the learnings from this program into several aspects of my everyday life and observed how practical and relevant they are.

 

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David 

2021 Community Leadership Program

From a personal point of view, when deciding to join the program, I was a little bit apprehensive due to the time commitment involved and that was a little hurdle I had to get over initially but I couldn't have done anything better with my time. By the end of the program we are actually making real change with our projects moving forward. We are making real action which is something that I was a bit unsure about where we were headed before we started the course. I wasn’t sure of the outcomes and I'm really pleased that we are actually doing something real within the community which is fantastic.

The connections we have built along the way with community groups, within Council and our connections within our group, some of which are potentially lifelong. We never would have been at that stage if we hadn’t of done this program. It’s a credit to everyone for stepping up. Some of the learnings that I've really taken from this is the value of team work, active listening and it's been really great for me to learn Council procedures and how local government operates. That's really important and not for just where I am now but I think moving forward, I can see myself having some interest in sticking with different community groups or even Council. The positive experience we have gained from this program has provided me the tools to be a better community leader.

 

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Julie

2021 Community Leadership Program

I saw the Community Leadership Program 2 weeks prior to when it closed and I just disregarded it. It was so far outside my comfort zone. I didn’t know anyone in the town, I was new and then I thought give it a go, what have I got to lose? I have walked away with so much more than I could've ever anticipated.

I have experienced a change of my perception of leadership while participating in the program. I don’t consider myself a leader, but I have realised we lead every day without knowing and we can be an influence on those around us. What we do today will shape future generations and every little thing we do counts.

Leadership is about action and leading with trust. This 18-week course became a non-negotiable in between parenting three kids and working and I was glad that I committed to attending the program.

 

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Dhruv

2021 Community Leadership Program

My leadership journey through his program was more of self-awareness and learning different models and principles and how I can apply them in my everyday life. I have learned from each participant in the program and the group was very different from leadership groups I've seen in the past because everyone is so caring. Thank you everyone for your contribution to this program.

 

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Nimmy

2021 Community Leadership Program

I love to learn. Being a teacher, I am always looking for ideas and activities to increase my learning and also to benefit my students. I saw an ad for this program in the local Moorabool Newspaper and at the very last minute I decided to apply.

Through this program, I gained communication skills, knowledge of local government and project planning competencies. This program has been instrumental in starting my leadership journey. Some people see me as a leader but always saw myself as a follower, but you gave a different picture of leadership in that leaders need to start with what is strong and not what is wrong. I haven't experienced a learning setting like this in my whole life. Where the leaders, lead passionately from the start point and all the participants made me feel very at home.