My 10 Takeaways from the 2024 LeadingAge Leadership Summit

This week was my second time attending the LeadingAge Leadership Summit in Washington DC. I wanted to share my major takeaways, thoughts, and observations as a millennial leader in the field.

1. There was a strong theme of community and the benefits that result from creating and living in community. The support, meaning, fulfillment, and purpose we get when we are part of a community. As someone who is all about aging in place, its one of the hardest challenges. How do we keep people at home and also create a sense of community? Always a question I get from the older adults I talk to about Continuing Care at Home. We have found some creative ways but its not the same as living in a retirement community. However, I wonder how this will change as my generation gets older. During the session when they were talking about the benefits of being in a community, I turned to my colleague and said "What about all of us millennials who would prefer to be left alone and not interact with our neighbors." I've lived in my house for 2 years and I still do not know any of my neighbors, I hardly see them and I sort of prefer that.
2. People don't like/want new; they want better versions of old stuff.
3. Don't sell people your solution to their problem, sell them the desired outcome they are seeking.
4. AI will break what is already broken!
5. The importance of succession planning for yourself but also your board officers. I may also be in a dependent relationship with my board of directors that I am going to have to work on, but I am starting to think that most boards are a bit of a cluster... or maybe we all just like complaining about our bosses.
6. Ask your board, supervisor, co-workers, and staff: What is 1 thing I should keep doing, what is 1 thing I should start doing, and what is 1 thing I should stop doing.
7. Creating a culture of ownership can make people step up in amazing ways to help others.
8. Leadership development is a lot of introspective work and you are never done.
9. It is important to develop a personal mission statement about what I do that ties to things that do not easily change. This hit hard because I struggled so much after having my son in September about my identity. I was always so wrapped up in work and school and all of a sudden none of that mattered and all I had to focus on was taking care of this little human being that was completely dependent on me. So after thinking about it, what I do is educate people to help them build a better future for themselves.
10. The best conversations happen at the hotel bar after the sessions are over!