2013 ISLC Theme & Speakers



Theme - Keynote Speaker - Moderator


Theme

This year's theme is: Strengths Within.

How is one to lead when one does not know about his or her own skills and strengths? This year’s conference will not only enable you to identify your strengths but also learn how to apply these strengths to your advantage in your different leadership roles and positions. Your own personal strengths will be assessed through the Strength Finder Gallup assessment tool by identifying your natural abilities and strengths.

“Gallup scientists have been examining decades of data on the topic of leadership. They studied more than 1 million work teams, conducted more than 20,000 in-depth interviews with leaders, and even interviewed more than 10,000 followers around the world to ask exactly why they followed the most important leader in their life.” (Strengths Based Leadership - http://businessjournal.gallup.com/content/111967/strengths-based-leadership.aspx)

As a result of their research, Gallup scientist have identified 34 different characteristics and accordingly devised the Strength Finder Gallup assessment tool. This tool will identify your top 5 strengths, and provide insight into how they complement one another and how they can be used to your advantage in your life. This tool only focuses on the strengths as opposed to weaknesses since success is built upon developing one’s strengths

During the many fun and interactive workshops offered through the conference, you will be given the opportunity to understand your own strengths, your uniqueness, and how to apply them when relating with others and specifically in your leadership roles. The conference will only be the beginning of your strengths discovery and exploration as you will be able to develop these new skills back on your campus or wherever life takes you next.

Due to the nature of the activities it is mandatory that everyone be present on both Friday night and Saturday.

 

Keynote Speaker

Michael McCleve’s strengths took him through a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy at Brigham Young University in 1987 and served him well as he finished his Master of Science in Education degree in Higher Education Student Personnel Administration at Indiana University in 1990. Those same strengths were put to use in the work he did to write an unrequired Master’s Thesis on “Experiences of Students Developing Leadership at Indiana University;” and through the completion of over 60 credit hours of coursework in the field of leadership studies.

Michael has taken those themes from his first job as a Coordinator of Student Government at Weber State University, through multiple professional roles at Brigham Young University – including several years as the Director of Student Leadership there, and now to his work as an Associate Director of Leadership at James Madison University. He is deeply passionate about studying, learning, and teaching leadership. If you ask him, he will say that leadership is both his personal and his professional passion in life.

 

Moderator

Salorne McDonald has agreed to serve as advisor to the ISLC Committee, and as the moderator of the Conference. Many of you remember Salorne as the 2006 keynote speaker from Trinidad and Tobago who was kind enough to return in 2007 to lead Friday night activities and a workshop. With Salorne acting as advisor and moderator, we anticipate increased conference cohesion and energy.

Salorne was born in the rural eastern part of the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago. During his formative years Salorne was involved in youth clubs, debating competitions, and school student councils, which provided rich training for his current work, and helped to develop his gift of gab. Ardent work with the youth of his own nation and others around the world has given him an uncommon understanding of the life and development issues that young people face globally. Becoming involved in HIV and AIDS peer education sparked a special passion with Salorne, whose current position is the Regional Behavior Change Communication Manager with PSI/SFH in Trinidad. Salorne also works with the local YMCA and Trinidad Youth Council, providing education and leadership training to youth in his nation and abroad. A specialist in working with particularly vulnerable populations, he continues to aid in policy development as well as project planning and execution.