Page 9 - index

An “Aha” Moment! The Early Years of Leadership
Dr. Filan was possessed with a grand vision, an insatiable Over the early years of its existence, Leadership was built
curiosity, and an immense reservoir of creative talent. around the eforts of several key contributors. From 1995-
It was not long before what had been established locally 1999, 11 editions made it to print under the leadership of
extended its reach globally with the aid and creative the Executive Director, with the support of two talented
input from a host of early adopters including: Dr. Al editors and a host of regular contributors including Al
Seagren from the University of Nebraska, Dr. Idahlynn Seagren, Idahlynn Karre, Ken Robson, Helen Burnstad,
Karre from the University of Northern Colorado, and Dr. Dan Wheeler, and Jim Perry. In addition to a handful
Ken Robson from Mt Royal College in Calgary, Alberta, of featured articles, each edition provided a series of
Canada. As rapid growth ensued, Dr. Filan reported in the “Tips and Tools” intended to help equip post-secondary
premier issue of Leadership in the fall of 1994, that he had leaders with the skills and abilities necessary to be truly
experienced an “Aha!” moment, one where the light went efective with their teams and in their organizations.
on and, in addition to all the other initiatives the newly Beftting of a journal that, at least in part, was intended
established Chair Academy was pursuing, he realized that to refect something of the pervasive values and beliefs
the organization needed a credible and creative outlet of the time, Jim Berry authored a series that came to be
for Academy musings on labeled “Stories, Metaphors and Anecdotes;” appropriate
issues and themes related to given how much we learn about leadership by simply
leadership and post-secondary experiencing it. By 1999 Leadership as a brand had
education in general. It was been well-established, was singled out as a leader in
then that Leadership - the its class with a Paragon Award in 1995, and was being
Academy’s very own academic distributed (mailed) to approximately 800 individual and
journal - came to be. institutional recipients in print version only.

Dr. Gary Filan

LEADERSHIP Vol. 21.2 Fall 2015 7

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