The class of 2010 recently had our second program day—Power, Influence and Leadership. Despite having our ranks thinned by the flu, we came back to the table ready to learn. I’m beginning to suspect that the whirlwind of activities, panels and walking tours will be the norm rather than the exception. I’m not complaining, and I doubt others are either.

Our very full day included:

• A lecture on the history of Portland’s power players by preeminent local historian Chet Orloff,
• Tours of the KGW Studio on the Square and downtown, and
• A panel with media specialists and another with senior staff from two of Portland’s leading public agencies (TriMet and the Port of Portland).

With more than half of our class being imports to Portland, the lesson on the history of the community was particularly helpful in understanding the context for what made Portland successful in the first place, and provides clues about how we can apply the lessons of the past to our future.  On this, of all days, I suspect that we each walked away with different ideas about the most valuable thing we learned.

For me, the day’s core takeaway was related to the time it takes to move a plan from its early stages to full fruition. In 1904, the Olmsted brothers designed a plan for Portland’s parks. More than 100 years later, that plan is just coming to its full realization. While not everything takes that long, it was a ringing reminder that leadership means coming to the table and planning for the future you want to see, even if you might never see the full impact of your work.