The NYC Progressive Leadership Lab launched with a two-day session on Thursday, August 5th to Friday, August 6th with a total of 30 participants of the incoming council members of the New York City Council. The program is a leadership development opportunity designed to provide newly elected officials in New York City with the training and skills necessary to govern effectively and truly represent the values of their communities.
On day one, the cohort started their day by learning about each other and their values. Participants were able to identify what type of leader they are and how they can design a cohort to build power collectively. In addition, participants learned the importance of collaborative governance and what that looks like in practice, with some guidance from our facilitators, providing case studies. The cohort was introduced to the tool of power mapping which provided the opportunity for participants to share their priorities and where they see power across different issue areas. There was a lot of discussion around power and where it lies and
with whom. The local electeds ended the day by giving feedback and sharing their thoughts and ideas for their first term in office.
The second day kicked off with a panel and discussion with community partners: New York Immigration Coalition, Churches United for Fair Housing and Advocacy Institute. Participants got to hear first hand what it means to work effectively with different community and policy partners across different issue areas. Tensions, lessons learned and offerings were shared amongst the group as the session transitioned into setting an agenda. Participants were split into groups by borough, where they were able to draft their very own collaborative campaign. Once folks took a small break we dove into self care and how they can take inventory of self care practices that helps them feel nourished and energized.
The upcoming sessions will take place from September to December, and will provide the incoming council members with more insight on the core functions of the council, how to govern effectively with their colleagues and build a team that reflects the needs of their communities. We are excited to continue to build with our partners and allies in this space and provide the resources and information for the incoming class to succeed in their new roles.
