PMI Leadership Institute Meeting (LIM): Day 1 - WOW!

 

By Mike Adams, PMP® 
President Elect - PMI Otowi Bridge 
@MichaelAdamsPMP

So this whole thing got off wrong! Southwest Air gave my seat away while I was at the restroom. I didn't plan on having to run to the facility, but I had to, and by the time I returned to the gate, my seat was GONE! I've asked them to try and make it right, and we'll see if they do anything or not. #DontGoToTheRestRoom

Anyway, that had me arrive last night at 2:00 am (local Florida time). That's right, 2:00 am! Obviously, I had a rough time waking this morning. When finally I dragged myself from bed and out of my room, I was treated to a pretty good breakfast, and a fantastic speaker, Captain Sully, who successfully landed a passenger jet in the Hudson river less than three minutes after lift-off. There were no fatalities.

His talk was incredible and uplifting. The image I'll never forget is when he described one parent on the plane, who thought no one would survive. This parent wrote a quick note on a business card, letting his wife and kids know how much he loved them, and shoved the card deep into his pocket, so it would be found when his body was recovered. I held back a tear, as I imagined what it would be like to write that note to my wife and kids. That aside, his talk was engaging, uplifting, full of useful information about being a leader, and creating a high performing team.

Thanks Captain Sully for a great talk on providing essential leadership even under high stress circumstances!

I attended a workshop on engaging chapter volunteers, another on practicing servant leadership, and a talk detailing the history of PMI, and its growth from being a mere possibility to an organization with fewer than 100 members to its explosion into the organization it is today. Despite incredible growth and reach, PMI is essentially the same as it has always been. It is volunteer powered, infused with member passion, and aimed at empowering people to make things happen in the world.

I've also met some incredible people here. One couple, who arrived last night at 2:00 with me. They were quite impressive. We're going to explore creation of a program where chapter leaders can learn about their fiduciary responsibilities, and the technical aspects of how they can fulfill on those responsibilities.

They say that the North American LIM is like a family reunion, and I have to agree, it is incredible, and though this one isn't even half way over, I already can't wait for next year!