"Leadership from the inside out" was the theme of a special instructional program for county officials held August 12–14, 2009, in Athens through a partnership between the Vinson Institute and the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG). Participants in the 2009 Academy for ACCG Leadership spent 2-1/2 days enhancing their knowledge and skills relevant to effective personal, commission, and community leadership.

Learning how personality traits and individual decision-making processes impact leadership styles was a goal of the academy's first day. Participants asked themselves a range of questions such as, "Do you like to receive information through a one-page summary or a detailed document?" and, "Do you feel comfortable making decisions quickly or after lengthy consideration?" to determine their leadership styles. After completing their individual personality profile assessments, the commissioners engaged in scenarios to help them better understand the differing motivations of others and how each style can add value to a board's decision-making process.

Subsequent sessions dealt with understanding how to positively influence the actions of others through teamwork and steps in creating a shared board vision that can be communicated to the public.

"It was very enlightening to have the opportunity to assess my own communications style and internal motivations. This gave me a base to better understand those of my fellow commissioners. Learning how to use that knowledge will help me to be more effective in leading and building consensus on our board," said Kathy Morgan, chair, Newton County Board of Commissioners.

The Academy for ACCG Leadership is an elective course in the Certified Commissioner Advanced Program. [More Information]