Leadership Prince William (LPW) is an independent, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization aimed at inspiring and engaging leaders in our community. The organization has become a network of local leaders representing governments, businesses, and the Prince William region’s nonprofit sectors. Its Signature Program brings together civic-minded adults for a dynamic 10-month leadership skills development program.

Part of a network of some 200 community leadership organizations nationwide, LPW came into being in 2008. Its mission is for the people who participate in the program to get a better sense of what goes on in the community; additionally, program participants find that they learn a lot about themselves as they take an in-depth look at their skills.

LPW alumni include CEOs, entrepreneurs, elected officials, executives, veterans, and dozens of community leaders who shape Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park. Sean Porter, Owner of Loveless Porter Architects, is a 2017 graduate of LPW.

Here are some thoughts Sean has on the LPW program:

How has Leadership Prince William helped you get to where you are today?

In Architecture school, they should have told us that if you plan on owning a firm, you need personnel management classes. Since they didn’t, I was winging it with my employees until I graduated from LPW. Although it is a challenge, I am trying to apply my quad Emergenetics to the management structure, which will allow me to react appropriately to my employee attributes.

Why would you recommend Leadership Prince William to businesses and emerging leaders?

I believe LPW is a space for developing leadership skills, which is all about learning as a holistic leadership management team to plan, practice, evaluate, correct and practice the behaviors that will propel the organization forward. It is this learned behavior that will determine the success or failure of an organization. Without great leadership, companies have difficulty staying competitive because it’s harder to develop ideas that fill consumer demands. What is learned in LPW is the balance of how to manage employees, workload, and hopefully growth both personally and professionally. 

What does leadership mean to you?

The motto we have in the office foyer is “It may be hard, but not impossible” To lead is to make mistakes and grow from them. No person or project is perfect; it is how you lead your team through challenging situations and arrive at a positive outcome.”

Loveless Porter Architects www.lovelessporterachitects.com is a proud Mission Sponsor of Leadership Prince William for the 2020- 2021 year. Learn more on their website: www.leadershipprincewilliam.org