Ken Riemer presents “12 Hurdles for Leadership” March 2 in Room 1186 of the Student Leaders Marple campus. Photo by Theresa Rothmiller

By Theresa Rothmiller

DCCC hosted “The Hurdles of Leadership” workshop March 2 in Room 1186 on Marple campus, to educate students on the 12 specific hurdles for leaders wishing to build high performing organizations.

Ken Riemer, of Riemer Associates, explained the 12 hurdles categorizing them into four sections: the pinnacle, building, motivation, and foundation hurdles.

Riemer said these 12 hurdles stemmed from his own experiences while working as a human resource manager and executive.

After Riemer became unemployed in 1999, he began teaching human resource and management seminars, which eventually led to leadership courses. Riemer answered questions during and after the workshop for the 20 attendees.

“One thing you have to learn is yourself,” Riemer said. “Are you good with men, women, or both when figuring out who’s BS-ing you?”

Working backwards, Riemer began with the 12th hurdle, which is part of the pinnacle and includes marginal performers such as parents.

“Parents are performing on stage every day,” Riemer said. “They’re no longer themselves, but more o playing the role of mom and dad.”

Parents are similar to being a manager or leader because when they speak, their position is speaking, according to Riemer.

“Embracing failure, taking feedback seriously, and delegating realistic expectations are a must for the building hurdles,” Riemer explained. If mistakes are made, Riemer suggested leaders admit wrongdoing, then find a solution to the problem.

Later, Riemer described the motivational hurdles: allowing negative information to surface; staying connected with big names and the front line; and building relations with effective people while taking leadership roles in meetings.

Finally, according to Riemer, foundation hurdles refer to selecting the right talent, strategic planning, proactive versus reactive, and measuring results that count. “Look for people who like to assess,” Riemer said.

Following the workshop, all attendees received a Leadership Certificate issued by Campus Life.

“Is this something you always wanted to do?” asked Tayler McGuire, a business administration major at DCCC, before the workshop ended.

“Not really,” replied Riemer, who also teaches part time at Temple University and The University of Montana. “In human resources, I was always coaching someone.”

Contact Theresa Rothmiller at communitarian@mail.dccc.edu