A Leader’s Thoughts on Leadership Classes

By Rachel Hartlaub, Sheboygan ReStore manager

Earlier this year, I took Inspiring Leadership, a servant leadership course, through Lakeshore College. Habitat Lakeside’s executive director, Le’Shay Guy, told me about the class and I’m so glad she did.
As ReStore manager, my goal is to help fund the mission of bringing affordable housing to Sheboygan County by increasing sales in the ReStore. People are our greatest asset and direct path towards achieving that mission. If the people in my orbit are not satisfied or taken care of, I am not doing my job correctly and that mission is not fully carried out.
 
Being new to management, learning how to navigate staff, volunteers, customers, and donors can be daunting. By taking a formal class and learning from other managers, I’ve been able to navigate tough work situations with a little more grace and embrace differences and conflict.
 
Jerome Ahmad was my teacher, and he was amazing! He worked at Kohler for 20-plus years, so he understands a lot about people, leadership, organizations, and complicated work situations. I really enjoyed talking to him one on one. Sometimes after class, we would discuss certain situations I was going through. He always had great advice and words of encouragement. Once he told me, “Rachel, you’re doing great. You’re doing better than you give yourself credit for.” That was exactly what I needed to hear at the time.

While each class was beneficial in its own way, a few really resonated with me during this chapter of my life. For instance, everyone in the class had to take the DiSC assessment, which helped us understand our individual communication preferences and how to interact with those of others.

The results were spot on! I am a “c,” standing for “conscientiousness.” This means I am reflective, careful, and committed to doing things correctly. The assessment also provided a page of things for me to work on and advice on how to manage them, which I have on my pinboard. These include “be firm and stand your ground, recognize the value of networking, and be direct with tough feedback.” I kind of knew these things about myself, but to actually read it, have it at the front of my head, and learn the steps I need to take to improve is very eye-opening!
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Another favorite was called “How to Conduct Effective One-On-Ones and Give Constructive Feedback.” Because of this specific class, I now do monthly one-on-ones with ReStore staff members. It gives me time to ask questions, give uninterrupted attention, and listen. I ask questions such as “What are you feeling good about? What is challenging you?” I’ll ask about what’s new in their world or a random question just to get to know them better. In a one-on-one, staffers should be doing most of the talking and need to feel comfortable and safe to do that.

The tenth class was our graduation ceremony. Each student had to give a two-minute speech on what they learned. I was so nervous to give the speech, but I know I wasn’t the only one who was nervous, so that made me feel better! Many of the participants’ supervisors also came to listen to our speeches, which was nice, but also made it more nerve-wracking. It was a perfect opportunity to express gratitude for Tammy (who handled the logistics for the course), Jerome, my classmates, and Le’Shay and the board for allowing me to take the course.
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Taking this class has been a springboard toward other personal goals/classes I want to take. Habitat for Humanity International’s online course, “Habitat ReStore Leadership Training: Leading with Purpose and Performance,” and the Sheboygan County Chamber leadership course are both on my list. It’s so important to be a lifelong learner because I’ve learned that servant leadership not only affects your work relationships, but also your marriage, family life, and friendships. This can have a positive ripple effect on improving our communities.
 
Additionally, I would love to see the ReStore staff take leadership/communication courses, because I want to create leaders and not followers. An image that really struck me during the first class was the “upside-down organizational structure,” showing an inverted triangle with the leader on the bottom holding up the employees. This shows that the leader supports and empowers employees, brand, and mission, which is exactly what I try to do. I really enjoy sharing the information I learned with my co-workers during ReStore staff meetings.
 
Inspiring Leadership was created in 2020. Since its inception, 48 series have been offered with a total of 850 participants. 21 of those series were cohorts and the other 27 were run independently for organizations. The next class runs Jan. 7 to May 13, 2027. For more information, contact Tammy Beringer, training coordinator at Lakeshore College, by calling 920-693-1275 or emailing her at [email protected].
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ReStore Manager Rachel Hartlaub (red t-shirt, back row) and her Inspiring Leadership graduating class.​