While I’ve always found adages inauthentic, my History Day experience with Leadership Frederick County taught me why. During my tour of Frederick County’s faces and places, I experienced interactional leadership at its best. This type of leadership is not a “motivational” trait hanging on the conference room wall. Instead, it’s an organic occurrence between leaders and followers.
The stops along our tour varied by setting, but the itinerary tied together the narratives of the leaders that make the County fascinating. Offering a preview of the day ahead, the LFC Team and Hood College created a podcast emphasizing that transformational leaders are “change agents” powering progress in the past and present. With this lens, our opening session at the Frederick Visitor Center framed the day ahead.
A Road Trip Back in Time
Our itinerary, which included stops at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, around Downtown Frederick, Catoctin Furnace, the Frederick County Fire & Rescue Museum, and the Seton Shrine, introduced us to leaders who improved life for those who followed. At a glance, Major Jonathan Letterman, the Civil War surgeon who created the first ambulance corps, had little in common with Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. But a deep dive revealed that they were transformative leaders, motivating others to work toward a common goal. They were driven by what was right, not what was easy, and it’s this mobilization effort that matters. Engaging people in a shared purpose and doing so with structure gives an initiative staying power.
Future in Focus
I enjoyed this journey through Frederick County’s past, and I also enjoyed seeing how it’s tied to today. A Frederick County native born and bred, I’ve visited local sites of significance but didn’t fully appreciate their magic. The energy of transformational leadership is in the air at Catoctin Furnace. The board members, volunteers, and donors leading this effort are change agents, sourcing new revenue streams to advance the impact. While they’re preserving an 18th-century village, they’re also advancing the narrative by sharing the stories of enslaved African Americans who perished there. Piecing together this story is painful but purposeful.
A similar commitment to shaping the future fuels Visit Frederick. Frederick County, which generated $426 million in tourism revenue in 2019, offers experiences that keep visitors returning. To quote Hood College’s Adam Cubbage, whether leaders “come here or are from here,” a coordinated effort among businesses, nonprofits, staff, and officials keep tourism offerings fresh and engaging. The goals are ambitious, but coordination and focus go a long way.
Looking at where I’ve (literally) been in Frederick County makes (figuratively) clear where I want to go as a leader. I want to move my goals ahead with intentionality and passion, rallying others around my purpose.
Ellen Buchanan is a member of the Leadership Frederick County Class of 2021-2022 Cohort. She is a marketing professional with a passion for growing communities and enriching lives through digital storytelling. As a Communications Specialist at Platinum PR, her responsibilities include developing and implementing multi-channel advertising and marketing strategies, conducting media outreach, creating social media, website and blog content, assisting clients to reach their communication goals, and conducting virtual meetings and events. Given the opportunity, Ellen also goes behind the lens of her camera to highlight communities through photography.
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