Main Story:
Diversity Seminar

Most business people will view themselves as leadership material. Some may manage large groups of staff members, some entire organisations or companies, but what is it that makes a good leader?

It’s fair to say that a leader must be leading somewhere! Without a vision and a plan even the best intentioned of people can be rendered ineffective. In business we talk about strategy and objectives and we for the most-part work as a team to reach set goals, but what about our community objectives?

What about the world around us?

The Chamber’s Leadership Cayman programme was developed in answer to a need to ensure men and women of all types of backgrounds could access the information and experience to help them develop as leaders within our community. The six-month programme is designed to allow participants a deeper understanding of social, economic, business and political issues affecting us all, whilst they develop their own personal leadership styles and nourish their community spirit.

Class members interact with diverse, high-level community leaders and decision makers by organising and attending a series of seminars and retreats in areas ranging from business, government, education, media, social services, criminal justice, diversity, the arts and more. A trip to the Sister Islands also introduced the group to some of the unique issues facing Cayman Brac and Little Cayman as our smaller and less developed communities. Meeting typically every other Thursday of the month (5– 9pm), the group forges strong friendships as they take this inspiring journey together. Each graduating class will be invited to join the LC Alumni Association and use it to network both here in the Cayman Islands and with similar overseas programmes.

What is particularly special about LC is the calibre of speaker made available to the group. From the governor, premier, ministers, CEOs and other community heads, participants will be able to hear them speak openly and frankly about the many issues that are affecting everyone and question them. The opportunity of such a broad spectrum of topics, speakers and experiences is very unique to the LC programme. One particularly special aspect of the programme is the Community Service Class Project.

Each year, LC class members will select a non-profit organisation from applications and design a project to benefit that organisation.  After the planning and fundraising class, members join together on project day to create immediate and tangible results for their chosen charity. This year’s project was the repainting and refreshing of Bonaventure Boys Home. The group painted the entire interior of the building, replaced doors and power washed the exterior of building making everything cleaner, fresher and a much more inspiring environment for the young people living there. It was a great success.

Every thought has gone into making this an exceptional professional and personal development experience. You will be exposed to the kind of people and education that can make not only a real difference in your life, but the lives of others too, as you share your new found skills and knowledge in the areas of the community that matter to you most.

 “Leadership Cayman has been an informative and positive experience. Nothing happens without personal transformation and this program provides you this opportunity. The importance of interaction was acknowledged which resulted in many new friendships.”

Shayne Howe,
Managing director, Phoenix Construction

“Theorist Gregory Bateson defines information as ‘a difference that makes a difference.’ This nicely sums up what participation in the Leadership Cayman programme has offered me, greater insight into our community built on cultivated knowledge.”

Stacey VanDevelde,
Director of Human Resources, KPMG

“What impressed me most about Leadership Cayman was the realisation that leadership qualities exist in all of us. The leaders around us chose to take that first step and we can make the same choice if we want to.”

Jarard Blake,
Head of banking operations,UBS Fund Services (Cayman) Ltd.

“It has been a wonderfully enlightening and rewarding experience; one that has allowed me to learn a little more about the Cayman Islands, and a lot more about our roles and responsibilities for the future of them”.

Simon Garnett,Manager of finance,
Royal Bank of Canada Trust Company (Cayman) Ltd.