Dr. Kelly Stewart Kicks off First Brown Bag of the Semester with Powerful Positive Talk
Lebanon, IL (08/31/2022) — Dr. Kelly Stewart, associate professor of education at McKendree University, began the University's Brown Bag series for the 2022-2023 academic year on Wednesday, Aug. 31 with a powerful, positive, and interactive presentation called "The Power of Positive Leadership."
Attended by faculty, staff members, and students alike, Dr. Stewart's presentation focused on ways leaders can build a great culture, unite their organization in the face of change and adversity, develop a committed and connected team, and achieve superior goals by tapping into the power of positivity.
"Right now, we desperately need positivity," Dr. Stewart said. "Positivity can be transferred into leadership. You are a leader in some aspect of your own life, and you can still lead from where you are right now, even if you're not the leader."
Borrowing wisdom from Jon Gordon's The Energy Bus, Dr. Stewart emphasized that anyone can be a leader no matter where they are in life. "You are the driver of your bus," she said. She also stressed driving and constantly nurturing a positive culture, which helps employees or students feel safe enough to be creative and "fail forward" so they may learn and succeed.
"It's not enough to have a vision - you have to share it!" Dr. Stewart said. "You see the North Star through your telescope as a grand vision, but if you don't have a microscope - small actions you do every day to achieve that vision - then it doesn't happen."
Throughout the presentation, Dr. Stewart challenged attendees to confront and transform negative thoughts, help others be successful in order to succeed, communicate with care, listen intently, and be an encourager.
"Don't just be a bumper sticker - walk the walk. Be committed, believe in others more than they believe in themselves, and develop your own caring trademark," Dr. Stewart said.
Brown Bag events are held each Wednesday throughout the semester and include an array of topics from a variety of speakers. A complete schedule of upcoming Brown Bag topics can be found here.
