The First Rule of Leadership

Shelley Valentini, Chisholm, BCLP 1996
Executive Director, Northeastern Minnesota United Way

Q&A. Listening to Learn
We tend to measure leadership in terms of action, focusing on the knowledge and skills that equip one to get things done. Shelley Valentini identifies another attribute of leadership that doesn’t get as much attention: intuition. Her success with United Way is linked to her ability to figure out what people need from the agency on an individual basis and in terms of community programming. She also pays heed to what keeps people giving to the organization. “I never lump people into one big group but approach them as individuals who all have different reasons to use our services or donate to our work. This means asking a lot of questions…and listening real well.”

Shelley has been listening for understanding for 11 years, responding to area needs with imagination and innovation. She does this by maintaining one of the lowest rates of administrative and fundraising costs in the country. That is something Shelley doesn’t mention often simply because she frames her work in terms of service. Her territory covers over 55 communities in an area daunting in size for most urban executives. But Shelley finds her motivation — and her reward — in identifying what people most need that United Way is best situated to deliver. Some of that emerges from the sharpened intuition she prizes as part of her leadership style; a lot happens because of her ability to build and sustain a network of relationships.

“This work is all about relationships, paying attention to how they are formed and giving the time needed to sustain them. For that to happen, I’ve learned not to make judgments on the basis of surface impressions because you never know who will be your ‘goldmine’ in terms of what needs to happen. I continue to be surprised by people and the ones who turn out to be our best resources.”

Inquiry Helps Frame Drug Initiative
Among Shelley’s many accomplishments has been her leadership role in addressing the methamphetamine abuse problem in northern Minnesota. Meth use turned out to be one of the area’s “best kept secrets” until agencies associated with United Way began to notice the impact it was having on individuals needing services and families suffering from the fallout of addiction. In 2004, Shelley began working with others to secure two grants aimed at ending the secrecy about meth use. “We all were hearing stories, but we needed to get facts. The grants helped us pull together focus groups, former users, treatment counselors and others to get real numbers, useable research data. We found that use was way beyond what any of us thought. This included the discovery that nearly 90% of the court cases were related to meth addiction.”

The initiative that emerged as a result of this fact-finding effort focused on education including public forums, sessions for teachers, training for medical and dental students, and work with businesses. The team also helped develop public service announcements based on the principle that being informed means effective action can be taken. Today, Shelley assesses the impact of these efforts on three levels. There is clearly greater public awareness of the nature and extent of the problem – the secret is out. More people are seeking treatment for their addictions. And finally, in communities across the area, there is a greater sense of hope about meeting head on this rapidly spreading dilemma.

Helpful Hands, Hopeful Heart
Hope is one of the leadership qualities Shelley brings to the area. She wants to be part of something that improves the quality of life for everyone. When talking about the importance of relationships, she recognizes that her success results from collaborating with two United Way colleagues as well as the generosity of three boards, five hundred volunteers who annually advance the work of the agency, and the businesses so critical to funding programs at the heart of the area’s social service infrastructure.

A lot of what Shelley knows about leadership she learned from volunteering during the 17 years spent raising children. She honed her people skills while running her own tennis program, paying attention to what interested participants and what kept them coming back. She has developed the capacity to face conflict in her current role by meeting it with a listening ear and a readiness to respond with action to what she learns. “Life changing,” is how she describes her opportunity to participate in BCLP. “It provided me with greater self-awareness and gave me insight into what makes other people tick. I came away with close relationships with others who share my commitment and values. No one person can move something good forward. We need to be networked; that’s the only way it is going to happen.”