Passion + Concentrated Focus = Far-Reaching Impact “What’s most important is the lasting impact.”

That’s how Greg Schopen, Group 7 alumna and current Board of Director, describes WRLP. “You can’t do it all, but you can do some things really well. When you’re a leader, sooner or later you have to decide where you can have impact and concentrate on that, without getting pulled away into every other matter. WRLP teaches you how to make that decision.” Unlike other prospective participants, Schopen didn’t know anyone who’d been through WRLP when he applied some 10 years ago. Yet, he was attracted to the breadth of the leadership development curriculum. Later throughout his two-year experience, Schopen recognized the significant advantage there was in direct, real-world exposure to state, national, regional, and international leaders. Schopen explained, “after WRLP, you appreciate the magnitude of a problem or situation in a completely different way.”

“You get a chance to experience how the rest of the world works beyond your particular community or area. You recognize there’s not so much ‘right or wrong’ as there is ‘different’.” Today, you have to be able to work with all types and groups. You must be more open and learn how to work with everyone. There’s a lot of opportunity for all of us to be more accepting, whether it’s applying a practice in a new way or making room in your organization to accept all kinds of people with different opinions or approaches.” Schopen noted some of the key leadership learning he applies to his personal and professional life every day includes: recognizing the diversity of effective leadership styles, using emotional intelligence in understanding people, building relationships based on trust and principled practice. “This is the kind of stuff that isn’t fully learned through a traditional classroom experience, but is gained through repeated exposures in various ways.”

“I came away from it (WRLP) knowing there were some things I’d do differently. And it made me want to be different.” Greg’s International seminar to Vietnam and Thailand had lasting impact on him – so much so that he’s traveled back to Vietnam several times in the past 10 years. Schopen also serves as a Flame of Hope Foundation board member (founded by another Group 7 alumna, Karen Dahl, as a culminating response to the need for improving the educational standard and living conditions in Thailand). More recently, Greg is spearheading a Badgerland program called Agriculture & Rural Community Business Project Funding. Projects can be public or private, but must be in communities of 50,000 or less. Examples of potential ARC Bond projects include: facilities for independent or assisted living, water treatment, rural business, fire station equipment, healthcare (such as outpatient surgery, physician, or dental) multi-family housing, processing or manufacturing, hotel or convention, communication towers and broadband, agribusiness, industrial development parks, etc. He’s excited about the impact of his work on Wisconsin communities.

(For more information about your locale, contact greg.schopen@badgerlandfcs.com). Although Greg was known by his Group 7 as a man who didn’t waste time making long, lengthy comments when a few words might be enough, Greg can’t really be described in only two words. But these might be close: passion + concentrated focus = far-reaching impact.