Dr. Eric Kaufman is a Professor, Extension specialist, and associate head for Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education. He developed and now coordinates Virginia Tech’s graduate certificate program in Collaborative Community Leadership. He also supports an academic major in Community Leadership and Development, as well as an undergraduate minor in Leadership and Social Change. Eric’s research investigates and promotes collective leadership, with special emphasis on followership, problem solving, and leadership-as-practice. He is a past president of the Association of Leadership Educators (ALE) and a past chair of the International Leadership Association (ILA) Followership Community. His professional recognitions include the Distinguished Agricultural Leadership Educator Award from the American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE).

Brian Zimmerman has served as CEO of Cleveland Metroparks since 2010, overseeing more than 25,000 acres of parks, trails, golf courses, and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Under his leadership, the organization has added more than 4,000 acres of protected land, expanded access across six counties, added 60+ miles of trails, and revitalized hundreds of acres of Cleveland lakefront. He has also guided major investments in Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, including nationally recognized animal habitats and conservation initiatives. Zimmerman’s work has earned numerous honors, including the 2021 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park Management and recognition as one of Ohio’s most influential civic leaders.

A Couple of Quotes From This Episode

“You cannot control every outcome and you cannot control every person. You have to empower your people to get there.”
“If I'm surrounding myself with the right people, and I'm empowering them to be successful, we can accomplish great things together.”
“We need to stop thinking about leadership as something individuals do and start seeing it as something communities build together over time.”

About The International Leadership Association (ILA)

The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.

About Scott J. Allen

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