Facing Challenge & Change: WithIt and YHFE Announce Second Annual Leadership Conference

Furniture World Magazine

In today’s world of fast-paced change and ever-present challenge, effective leadership is more vital than ever. Women in the Home Industries Today (WithIt) and Young Home Furnishings Executives (YHFE) are presenting the second annual Leadership Conference to inspire and challenge members of the industry to expand their capacity to lead. “Facing Challenge & Change Through Leadership Excellence” will be held Feb. 4-5, 2004 at the Airport Marriott in Greensboro, N.C. All members of the home furnishings industry are invited to participate. The program will be presented by Staub Leadership Consultants (SLC), a Greensboro-based leadership development firm that has helped organizations develop more powerful leaders, organizational effectiveness, cultural transformation and team learning for 13 years. SLC’s “Whole-Hearted Leadership Model” will be the foundation of the program. “Education, particularly leadership development, is fundamental to the mission of WithIt,” says Jackie Hirschhaut, President of WithIt. “After the incredible success of our first leadership conference last year, we knew our members enjoyed this type of forum for building their personal management skills.” “A primary goal of YHFE is to provide our membership with opportunities for professional development. The leadership event, held in conjunction with the WITHIT members, provides YHFE members with such an opportunity,” adds Erick Ellsweig, President of YHFE. “We never questioned continuing this event in conjunction with our friends at WITHIT. Last year's conference surpassed all of our expectations. The feedback from participants was very positive. Adding to their understanding and practice of leadership was a unique and powerful opportunity for the attendees of the 2003 conference, which featured Stephen Covey’s 4 Roles of Leadership as well as exclusive consumer research on how Generation X views the home furnishings industry. “The leadership conference was great because it gave me time to really focus on improving my management and leadership skills. The main thing that I took from it was to spend less time on all the daily issues that always come up, and focus more time and effort on setting direction for the people I work with each day ... then getting out of the way and letting them do their jobs,” says Skipper Holliman, Vice President, Marketing, LANE. “The YHFE/Withit Leadership conference was an eye-opening event,” adds Zack Taylor, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Valdese Weavers “It was an amazing experience to witness the combination of new leadership concepts applied specifically to our industries. The joint perspectives from event coordinators, furniture retailers, manufacturers and suppliers offered a unique & invigorating learning experience." Early registration deadline is December 20, 2003 and space is limited. The price for the two-day conference is $500 per person for WithIt and YHFE and $650 for those who are not members of WithIt or YHFE. To register for Leadership Conference 2004, or for more information, contact Sara Lyke, WithIt Executive Director at 336-880-2188, or by email at www.director@withit.org. WithIt, founded in 1997, encourages and develops leadership, mentoring, education and career opportunities for women in the home furnishings industry. Young Home Furnishings Executives seeks to promote the growth and success of the home furnishings industry through a variety of means, including attracting and retaining talented young people and providing opportunities for professional development.