ND ATD Bismarck Mandan
Using Book Studies for Leadership Development
A quick internet search of “leadership books” will result in thousands of titles. The content is out there, how are you using it? Book studies, long used in certain circles for camaraderie and intellectual discussion can be a great tool to develop leadership capacity in yourself and others. As a bonus, these studies require very little prep and reap large rewards. Jess Almlie, Vice President of Learning Experience at Discovery Benefits in Fargo has been using book studies on her team for years with great results and you can too! In this interactive session, Jess will share her own tips and tricks for successful book studies as well as the following:
- Why book studies work for the modern learner
- How to facilitate a book study for maximum development
- What books are best for your own book study initiative
Jess Almlie, Vice President of Learning Experience
Discovery Benefits
Jess Almlie is the Vice President of Learning Experience at Discovery Benefits. In this role, she is instrumental in developing and sharing the vision for effective learning both inside and outside the organization. Past roles include training and development, human resources, and higher education in Fargo-Moorhead as well as the Twin Cities.
Jess earned a bachelor's degree from Concordia College in Organizational Communication and a master’s in Educational Leadership from NDSU. She volunteers in the Fargo-Moorhead area as the Immediate Past President for the North Dakota Association for Talent Development and is the current Chair of the Fargo-Moorhead West Fargo Chamber’s Business Training Committee.
In her spare time, Jess writes a weekly blog called “Next Step Leader” (www.jessalmlie.com) focused on small, practical steps leaders can take to continue developing their leadership capacity.
Jess lives in Moorhead with her two teenage children, entrepreneurial husband, and old hound dog, Lucy. She is obsessed with polka dots, superheroes and sunshine. She also regularly participates in cycling challenges on her Peloton® bike.
Meeting location: The Great Plains Room of BSC's Student Union.
Details: Networking lunch from 11:30 - 11:55 am. You are welcome to bring your own lunch or to purchase one from the BSC Mystic Café. Session will begin at noon.
