I was introduced to Leadership Northwest when the bank I work for transferred me from the Camp Bowie area to Boat Club Road, near Eagle Mountain Lake. I have lived just outside the city limits of Saginaw for the last 15 years, so I had a good grasp of the Northwest Tarrant Area. As I worked in West Fort Worth, that was the focus of my attention during the week, so I knew what was going on in that area as well. I knew what there was to see and do, not just in West Fort Worth, but in the whole of Fort Worth. Or so I thought.
I saw Leadership Northwest as a good way to meet a few people and get my name out there. Network, network, network. The other members of my class would be the movers and shakers in the area of my new banking kingdom, and I could get all their business and all their contacts. That was the focus, and clearly what LNW is all about. Or so I thought.
The fact is that I did meet new people and expand my network. I met people from all walks of life, in a vast array of career fields. Whether it was the members of my class, LNW alumni that were the planners and facilitators each month, or the speakers and tour guides that lead us on this journey, just the contacts alone were worth the price of admission. But It was so much more.
In 9 months, I learned more about what Fort Worth has to offer than I did in the previous 14 years. It is one thing to drive by a place and know it is there. It is very different when you get to go behind the curtain and see the Wizard. From the transportation sector, to the manufacturing sector, to criminal justice, to arts and culture, Fort Worth is a truly amazing and diverse city. From state-of-the-art hospitals, to the Tarrant County jail, to the first of its kind airport at Alliance, to the city within a city that is Texas Motor Speedway, you get a glimpse of how the city of Fort Worth and surrounding areas operate and perform at peak efficiency. New technologies and creative new ideas for workspaces are moving companies forward in fascinating ways. But these behind the scenes experiences are only the beginning.
The vast array of speakers that willingly share their knowledge on all topics of leadership is truly inspiring. Whether it is how to work as a team, or business ethics, or something as seemingly simple as how to follow directions, every session leaves you with something that can make an impact not only in your job, but in your everyday life. Wait, was that a pastor using baseball as a metaphor for being successful in business?
I have been to management training on the other side of the state. I have been to sales training halfway across the country. And they were outstanding programs. But there is something different about learning leadership concepts in a local environment, surrounded by people you will interact with on a daily basis, while also getting to know your community a bit better. The only way to do that is through Leadership Northwest.
Marvin Walters
Branch President
Pinnacle Bank