Leadership Greater Topeka 2022: LAUREN EDELMAN

Photo by: Braden Dimick

DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE.

My leadership style is largely relational. I believe that leaders can motivate followers by developing meaningful relationships and forging personal connections that inspire people to achieve more than they believed they could.

YOUR ADVICE TO YOUNG PROFESSIONALS?

I think young professionals feel a lot of pressure to have it all figured out early on. The reality is that there is more than one way to reach a destination, and putting too much pressure on yourself to make the “right” decision, whether that relates to a career move or where to spend time and energy in organizations or the community, is wasted energy. Every experience is an opportunity to learn, so we should focus more on constantly growing and less on hitting a certain milestone by a certain time.

WHAT’S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?

I would like to run a marathon. While I have run several half-marathons, the thought of 26.2 miles is really daunting. However, I love a personal challenge, and I love the idea of pushing myself both physically and mentally to achieve something that I know I would be proud of.

YOUR THEME SONG?

Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I’ve always been a dreamer, and it’s such a hopeful and optimistic song about believing that anything is possible.

WHAT’S YOUR LIFE #HASHTAG?

#lifelonglearner. It may not be original, but learning is my number one strength. As an educator, I love to learn and am really inspired by the idea that we will never stop growing and improving if we are willing to learn and embrace new ideas.