The Southern Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments recently convened the 13th annual Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS), a leadership development program for new and mid-career state executive, legislative and judicial branch officials.

The 2019 program convened in Little Rock, Arkansas, and included leaders from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The interactive sessions focused on topics including communication styles and group dynamics; managing conflict and difficult discussions; leading across generations, and building a culture of ethics and excellence. 

Brandon P. Fleming, assistant debate coach at Harvard University and founder/CEO of the Harvard Diversity Project, delivered the closing keynote on how debate empowers emerging leaders.