One of last year's New Leader's assignments was to reach out to an expert in the field whom we admired and ask them questions about their career path and tips for success. The interaction with the expert I selected was very positive. I remember Dr. Jean Blosser coaching us and encouraging us to never be intimidated to seek guidance from professionals whom we perceived to be accomplished and well established in the field.
Fast forward to 2010. As I was sitting at my desk trying determine the best way to evaluate an internationally adopted student's language who had not been exposed to her native language for close to 2 years, Dr. Blosser's recommendation popped into my head.
I did my due diligence and reviewed a number of articles. Once I narrowed down the expert in this area, I decided to take Dr. Blosser's advice and email the researcher with my questions. The next morning waiting for me in my in-box was a reply to all of my questions! Once again, it was nothing short of a positive experience.
It is moments like this that remind me of how influential the New Leaders program has been in helping me to continue to broaden my thinking.