From right to left: Brian Kowalkowski, LEAD21 Board Chair; Darren Jarboe, AGNR UME; Xiaoping Zhu, AGNR Veterinary Medicine; Mike O’Neill, LEAD21 Program Chair
Image Credit: LEAD21
Xiaoping Zhu, professor and chair of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, and Darren Jarboe, assistant director and program leader of the Agriculture and Food Systems Program with University of Maryland Extension (UME), were 2 of the 90 individuals completing the LEAD21 leadership-development program’s fifteen class in Washington, DC on February 20, 2020. They represented the UMD College of Agriculture & Natural Resources (AGNR) as a part of this group of distinguished individuals, representing land-grant institutions and their strategic partners from across the nation. Over the course of the past year, this group has met regularly with their peers, both in-person and virtually, to enhance their personal leadership capacity. The graduation was held at the culmination of the final in-person session, where the focus was on organizational leadership through collaboration, communication, and leading change.
“The program taught us how to lead people effectively, whether it was in a meeting or through a major organizational change,” says Jarboe. “LEAD21 provided opportunities to network with colleagues from across the country who have an interest in agriculture, food systems, and natural resources leadership.”
The primary purpose of LEAD21 is to develop leaders in land-grant institutions and their strategic partners who link research, academics, and Extension, and to help them lead more effectively in an increasingly complex environment, either in their current or future leadership positions.
“I learned a variety of leadership skills in managing conflict, resolving dilemmas, fostering collaboration, facilitating the decision-making process, and leading for organizational change,” says Zhu. “The program helps me value the role of individuals within the department and team. I will apply key learnings from the program, including the knowledge and these tools, in my job duties in the department and community.”
The goals of LEAD21 are to enhance the application of skills and knowledge across a set of nine leadership competencies, to develop a network of peer leaders to enhance personal leadership practice, collaboration, and diversity of perspective, and to implement the individual’s leadership development process.
“I would like to constantly review what I have learned from the program and practice the knowledge and skills in my daily work,” says Zhu. “When I am in a dilemma and need help, I will seek the answers from the program. This will influence my knowledge and shape my leadership style in the future.”
“On a personal level, I see it as AGNR and UME investing in my future, which is greatly appreciated,” says Jarboe. “On a professional level, this experience sharpened my leadership skills and empowered me to serve the college, the university, and our stakeholders better, as well as the Agriculture and Food Systems Extension Program faculty.”
Zhu adds, “I sincerely thank Dean Beyrouty's nomination and appreciate the support of many colleagues. I also developed a strong friendship with Darren [Jarboe] and understand his job much better than before.”
LEAD21 class 16 has been announced and will begin in June 2020. For more information about LEAD21, visit www.lead-21.org.
