By Mark Dolinski, VP of Training & Professional Development, GRCA
As we enter 2026, it’s an ideal moment to pause and thoughtfully reflect on the personal and professional milestones we’ve reached, as well as the challenges and shortcomings that shaped the year behind us. Reflection gives us the opportunity to learn, reset and move forward with intention; without carrying the weight of 2025, but with the wisdom it provided. With a fresh perspective, we can embrace new challenges and opportunities, growing into more effective leaders at work, in our communities and at home.
As professionals, we are continually challenged to move beyond our comfort zones, because our greatest growth and development occur outside the limits of the stories we tell ourselves. True progress begins when we step into spaces where we don’t yet have all the answers; or even know the right questions to ask. In these moments of uncertainty, we are drawn into a realm of interdependence, where collaboration, healthy conflict and ambiguity push us to expand our perspectives and redefine what we believe is possible.
The Greater Reading Chamber Alliance recognizes that leadership in today’s world demands more than the acquisition of skills, tools or best practices. It requires a shift in mindset; one that embraces complexity, anticipates change and leads with imagination and courage. As technological innovation accelerates and social transformation reshapes how we learn, work, and connect across generations, identities and experiences, effective leaders must think boldly and act intentionally. By cultivating critical and creative thinking, leaders are empowered not just to respond to change, but to shape the future with purpose and impact.
Essentials of Effective Leadership is designed to challenge how leaders show up; not just what they do. Rather than offering a collection of strategies aimed at controlling employees or managing around change, these courses explore what it truly means to lead in a way that inspires transformation.
Participants are invited into a different kind of learning experience; one that emphasizes “inner work” as the foundation for authentic leadership. Through reflection and self-awareness, leaders develop a deeper sense of commitment and personal accountability for how they lead. This approach helps participants recognize that the most meaningful leadership work happens internally, not externally.
Leaders do not need another checklist, procedure, or set of surface-level conversations. Those tools belong to the realm of management, fixed mindsets, and incremental change. True leadership emerges when individuals shift how they think, perceive, and engage; unlocking the capacity for sustained, transformational impact. Don’t let another year pass by in survival mode. Take control of your career and your development by making a conscious commitment to lead with intention and purpose. Growth doesn’t happen by chance; it happens when we choose to challenge ourselves, expand our thinking, and step into our full potential as leaders. Join us for Essentials of Effective Leadership – Part 1, beginning Wednesday, Jan. 14, and start shaping the leader you are capable of becoming.