“Humility in leadership does not imply the absence of ego or ambition. Rather, humble leaders are better able to channel their ambition back into the organization, rather than use it for personal gain.” - Dr. Robert Hogan
Recently, I have been intrigued by the quality of “humility” and much that I have read has changed the way I view this important leadership trait. We may think that a humble person is intentionally “small”, meek, or holds a low self-image. Though countless examples of leaders around me, I have learned that the exact opposite is true. Confidence and humility co-exist in great leaders.
A humble leader is one with supreme grounded confidence - an authentically strong sense of self that is rooted in experience. Through that self-awareness, a humble leader knows who they are and how they lead.
With grounded confidence, a humble leader recognizes the strengths of others, and elevates those contributions for the betterment of the organization. They do not need to compete with, take away from, or overshadow those in their circle. They are confident in who they are and help build confidence in others as well.
Leaders with humility are more open to collaborative efforts to advance a shared vision, understanding that co-created ideas and solutions have a better chance of successful implementation. They are well-equipped to ask for help and make it safe for others, too. A culture of learning and self-development is important to leaders with humility, who also build cultures of openness, trust, and appreciation.
I see a common thread of humility woven through our Leadership Montana network of alumni. Across Montana, you are leading in all the ways mentioned above.
My list of great leaders with grounded confidence and humility is far too long to include in it’s entirety. They range from Amy in Kalispell to Leslie in Sidney. Aaron in Helena to Kelly in Red Lodge. Debbie in Havre to Sharon in Lame Deer. Barb in Bozeman to Stephen in Glendive. Hatton in Missoula to Marci in Billings. Countless examples fill my head and heart and make me so proud to be a part of this community of confidently humble leaders who are building a better Montana together.
Who is a humble leader that you admire? I encourage you to tell them why you admire and appreciate them. You might just make their day.
Be well and lead well,
Chantel M. Schieffer
President & CEO
Class of 2010, Masters 2019
Please join us Thursday, May 6th - Friday, May 7th from 6:00 pm - 6:00 pm for a Day of Giving for Leadership Montana.
MONTANA GIVING DAYS You do not need to live in these communities to donate, but these are the five giving days we are participating in.
This year has been challenging and thanks to the generous support of so many, Leadership Montana has continued to provide much-needed programming but we still need your support. We invite you to join us in making a donation to Leadership Montana on May 6th and 7th during a 24-hour day of giving. Your donation will help us build programs so that we can continue to support the leadership needs of our alumni and our state.
This year, thanks to the generosity of generous donors including Carmen McSpadden, Kristy Buckley, and The Williamson Family Fund, all donations will be matched up to $5,000. Your $25 donation will become $50, $100 becomes $200, $500 to $1,000. Help us reach our goal of $15,000 through this great match!
GIFT FOR YOU!
Thanks to our Giving Day partners, each donation will be entered to win a Giving Day package including a pair of Bedrock Sandals, a Mystery Ranch backpack, and a local growler with a fill. Five total packages will be awarded, one for each community giving day!
Everyone who donates $100 or more will be entered to win a private dinner for ten in Headframe Spirits' Barrel Warehouse. Owners John and Courtney McKee as well as Distiller, Reade Huddleston, will be there to provide your party a catered dinner, cocktails, wine and exclusive whiskey tasting straight from the barrels! Each guest will also take home a bottle of their own.
Leadership Montana’s annual Celebrate Montana event is going virtual again! We hope you will join us for an evening with fellow alumni and friends celebrating honored guests, the graduating 2021 Flagship class, and an opportunity to reconnect with your own classmates.
This year with your early registration you will receive a $25 gift certificate to one of ten LMT alumni businesses - you choose your favorite!
Join us to celebrate the recipients of our annual awards - Alumni Service Award, Alumni Leadership Award, and the Tom Scott Excellence in Leadership Award.
You won’t want to miss the silent auction including exclusive items and experiences from all corners of Montana.
The special event is one of the highlights of the year as we gather to celebrate our participants, alumni, and the great state we call home. We hope you can join us this year virtually!
Cami Skinner, Sidney- Class of 2015 Interviewed by Mike Worden, Helena, Class of 2018
It was with sincerity, enthusiasm, appreciation and pride that Cami spoke of her Leadership Montana experience and her love for Montana. Growing up on a farm/ranch in northeast Montana, Cami learned the great lessons of life, that hard work is required for success and the value of family and happiness cannot be measured.
Montana is home for Cami, she graduated from the University of Montana in Business Management and Communications and began her career with General Electric (GE) in their Capital Division. This required her to travel a great deal, keeping her from her home, friends and family. Cami was able to return to the University of Montana, earning her MBA and married her college sweetheart.
Cami and her husband, the principal of Fairview High School, reside in Sidney and are very involved in the community. Cami is the Operations Manager of the Seitz Insurance Agency. This position requires Cami to wear many hats, overseeing the operations of the insurance agency, providing human resources advice and guidance and ensuring the employees are engaged and productive.
In her spare time, Cami continues to work on the ranch she grew up on, visiting and working with family and friends. She enjoys taking both yoga and cooking classes and daily walks with her husband, Jon, and their goldendoodle, Molly.
It was difficult at first for Cami to decide on only one favorite memory of her Leadership Montana experience. She named off several that were impactful and memorable, such as…the whole experience, commuting each month with classmates, getting to know her classmates and developing lifelong friendships. However, Cami’s favorite memory of her Leadership Montana Experience is the class visit to Sidney the place she calls home. The ability to show off ‘her town’ was an awesome experience.
Being a person of integrity, high morals and ethics and having a sense of care and concern for others, Cami’s experience in Leadership Montana heightened her awareness and effectiveness in the qualities and standards she holds for herself and others. The idea of Gracious Space and Inviting the Stranger have had significant impacts on the way she interacts with others, practicing the ‘listen, learn and lead’ proposition and the value of taking a step back with the intent to learn, not only to respond.
According to Cami, the Leadership Montana experience is of significant importance to all Montanan's as it builds a bridge for inclusion and diversity, politically, economically and socially through the practice of Gracious Space. It can be seen, even from a distance, when others practice the art of graciousness, inclusion and diversity, leaning in and learning. The impact can be seen in our communities across the state and Cami is intentional in employing civility in her dialogue and practicing what she has learned in Leadership Montana and from her classmates of the Dream Team of 2015.
It is about giving back and paying forward.
Cami will be joining the Leadership Montana Board of Governors in July 2021.
Active Alumni Membership Dues
Our annual Active Alumni Membership Dues Campaign launched in February. We are 75% towards our goal. Can you help us meet or exceed our goal?
The Class of 2019 continues to hold the lead for the class competition, 68% of the Class of 2019 have paid their Active Alumni Dues!
We are grateful to our Alumni that have renewed their commitment to building a better Montana.
Class of 2021 - Your dues are current for 2021. We look forward to you joining the campaign in 2022.
Thank you to these Alumni that have paid their 2021 Active Alumni Membership Dues between
March 25 - April 28, 2021.
Alumni Dues with Honors
Jim
Bliss
2010,
M 2019
Jo Ann
Eder
2008
Stephen
Clawson
2005
Anne
Hughes
2012
Jim
Lehner
2009
Kathy
Brown
2006
Clifford
Kipp
2020
Karen
Miller (Baumgart)
2020
Alumni Dues and Pay It Forward
Alan
Satterlee
2017
Alumni Dues Plus
Courtney
McKee
2019,
M 2020
Scott
Kesler
2020
Jake
Feddes
2017
Zachary
Adkins
2013,
M 2020
Viktoryia
Fosjord
2006
Tara
Mastel
2007
Stephanie
Uter
2020
Dave
Glaser
2012
Chuck
Winn
2015,
M 2019
Alumni Dues
Nick
Pancheau
2019
Kathy
Schlepp
2006
Dana
Toole
2018
Diane
Conti
2019
Keith
Cron
2017
Shalon
Hastings
2020
Leslie
Messer
2008,
M 2020
VickiLynn
Terpstra
2019
Jon
Herz
2020
Brad
Doll
2020
Darrell
Hirsch
2020
Fran
Albrecht
2020
Heidi
Duncan
2016
Jeff
Guengerich
2016
Alumni Dues
Andy
Hunthausen
2010
Aaron
Pratt
2017,
M 2020
Dax
Schieffer
2009
Tom
Shellenberg
2007
Cindy
Trimp
2018
Jean
Curtiss
2006
Mark
Macek
2018
Sean
Becker
2011
Dale
Bickell
2011
Todd
Buchanan
2005
Don
Chery
2017
Amy
Coseo
2017,
M 2019
Aimee
Grmoljez
2012
Eric
Halverson
2016,
M 2019
Chris
Kukulski
2014
Julie
Seedhouse
2010
Christopher
Dahl
2016
Alisa
Schneider
2018
Howard
Skjervem
2010
Shawn
Thomas
2018
Kali
Wicks
2016
Samuel
Williams
2010
Jennifer
Fritz
2014
Marissa
McDonough
2014
Svein
Newman
2016
Jennifer
Cloutier
2019
Andrew
Metroka
2017
Alan
Ruby
2018
Walt
Shaw
2017
Brian D.
Brown
2011
Kris
Carpenter
2018, M 2019
Cathy
Frank
2013
Lisa
Kelley
2018
Jeffrey
Roth
2015
Billie
Ruff
2008
John
Cech
2006
Jane
Moe
2016
Mike
Kadas
2005
Vincent
Kalafat
2018
William
Jones
2009
“I want my entire team to experience Leadership Montana. Can we do that?” Yes, you can!
In 2020, nearly 1,000 Montanans participated in a Leadership Montana training through their company or community. With three main workshops to offer, we can help you build a culture of leadership in your organization.
As a nonprofit organization, Leadership Montana depends on the generosity of our sponsors and donors to support our programs. Our sincere gratitude this month goes out to YOU! Individual donations are essential to our organization today and moving forward. So thank you to all the Monthly donors, Leadership Circle donors, yearly donors, and donors who give when asked, for your generous and continued support of Leadership Montana!
VIRTUAL EVENTS - Opportunities to Listen, Learn and Build Connection
May 3 - 7 Celebrate Agriculture Week
Join us as we celebrate education during the first week of May. Follow along on social media and our website as we highlight Montana agriculture leaders including our alumni and sponsors.
May 6 & 7 Montana Giving Days. Join us next week in supporting Leadership Montana as five communities in Montana will be holding a 24-hour day of Giving, Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, and Missoula.
June 156:00 PMCelebrate Montana virtually. Our annual gala celebration will be held virtually again this year. Save the date to join with alumni, graduating class members, sponsors, and friends as we come together to celebrate all that is great about our state and organization.
Save the Date: September 23-24, The Confluence, White Sulpher Springs. Registration will open in May. Alumni that are current on 2021 Dues will have early opportunity to register. We expect this event with a max attendance of 50 to sell out quick.
Save the Date: December 1-2, 2021. Men's and Women's Leadership Forums. Alumni that are current on 2021 Dues will have early opportunity to register.
Leadership Montana is a non-profit collaboration of leaders from business, labor, healthcare, higher education, non-profits and government coming together to form a strong partnership for the betterment of Montana.
Leadership Montana exists to develop leaders committed to building a better Montana through knowledge, collaboration and civility.
It was with sincerity, enthusiasm, appreciation and pride that Cami spoke of her Leadership Montana experience and her love for Montana. Growing up on a farm/ranch in northeast Montana, Cami learned the great lessons of life, that hard work is required for success and the value of family and happiness cannot be measured. 
