North Dakota's Next Generation of Servant Leaders

An executive leadership program in North Dakota has been a dream of many of the state’s leaders and top employers for numerous years. “The concept was great, but no one was taking charge and making it happen,” said Vern Dosch, ’75, ’88, longtime CEO of National Information Solutions Cooperative, and the 2021 University of Mary honorary doctorate recipient. “Three years ago, the University of Mary raised their hand and said, ‘okay, let’s do this.’ They put the people behind it to figure out the logistics, and I was honored when they asked me to be a part of it as CEO-in-Residence,” Dosch said. “I wasn’t sure if I would have time, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Mary, so I jumped on board.”

The program, which began as an idea and a dream, is now Leadership North Dakota, the only executive leadership program in the state. The program, created for established professionals with the desire to be effective leaders in the state, aims to enhance participants’ careers and expand their networks. Participants meet once per month for six months in different communities in North Dakota to gain advanced leadership skills, explore major issues facing leaders today, and participate in high-level networking opportunities.

“We think of Leadership North Dakota as a four-legged stool,” said Dr. Robert Martin, a member of the University of Mary Workforce Development team that helps plan Leadership ND. “Participants get advanced leadership curriculum that changes every year. We also do industry exploration in different communities across the state, such as manufacturing in Dickinson, oil and gas in Watford City, government in Bismarck, entrepreneurship in Fargo, and so on. We also look at societal issues, explore them, and find resolutions to various issues in the state like homelessness, criminal reform, tribal relations, and more. We have a concentrated effort to recruit a diverse group of individuals from different industries and different parts of the state. By participating in this program, they get to meet people, network, and form relationships with leaders they wouldn’t otherwise meet.”

“Our main goals are expanding relationships and expanding understanding, not only of the opportunities throughout the state, but also of some of the issues that the state is dealing with, and trying to develop effective, well-rounded leaders,” said Dosch. “Most of these leaders have great academic backgrounds, and this program gives them real-life experiences, real-life relationships, and it’s pretty amazing how it comes together.”

The program’s foundation is in servant leadership, a concept familiar to alumni and friends of the University of Mary. Participants get to learn from leaders across the state, including Gary Tharaldson, North Dakota’s first billionaire, and the namesake of the University of Mary's business school.

The program has graduated two cohorts, one in 2020 and one in 2021, and is quickly becoming one of the premier leadership programs in the region. “We’ve seen amazing growth,” said Martin. “Up to this point, we’ve recruited participants through referrals, but now we are switching to an application process because the demand is so high. Word spreads, and people know this is a good program.”

As the program continues to grow, so will its impact on the state. “North Dakotans are hard workers, but they need leadership skills,” Dosch said. “Leadership skills need to be experienced.”

“In the short-term, we are going to see our program’s alumni going back into their organizations and communities and make a difference,” Martin said. “In the long-term, we are going to see some major changes happen through this network of people. With servant leadership as the backbone, we are going to change and improve leadership throughout the state.”

When I first heard about Leadership North Dakota, I was excited. It was a great opportunity to meet people from all over the state and I knew that it would be a good program because of who was planning it. We had an amazing group in the first cohort. I was extremely impressed with the programming and all of the unique opportunities we had. I’m excited about the future of this program because as more people complete the program, the alumni network will grow and accomplish some pretty amazing things. It’s invaluable to be in a room with leaders from across the state you otherwise wouldn’t get to meet. It’s important that leaders understand each other, get to know each other, and start to trust one another. Even if they disagree on some things, they can still work together and appreciate each other’s strengths and weaknesses. North Dakotans are hard-working, genuine people, and by continuing to invest in our leaders, we are setting ourselves up for success.

Kate Black, Vice President for Inland Oil & Gas, 2020 Leadership ND Alumna

Kate Black, Vice President for Inland Oil & Gas 2020 Leadership ND Alumna