If you're leading in this field, chances are you already know: there's no real playbook. No one handed you a map for the exact situation you're in right now.
Amanda Elder and Kim Champney lead in rural Alaska, where that's not a metaphor — parts of their state aren't even on a road system. But the bigger truth is one you'll probably recognize: they've had to build the way forward themselves, one hard decision at a time.
You'll hear what happened when Amanda got kicked, hard, by someone she supports — and why she says it's the best thing that ever happened to her leadership.
You'll hear how a promotion gone wrong became the blueprint for a completely different kind of job, and the $250 benefit that came out of it.
And you'll hear how direct support professionals in Alaska got something almost no one in this field has: an actual seat at the table when policy gets made.
No map. No excuses. If you're figuring it out as you go, this one's for you.
🔗 Frontier Community Services — https://www.fcsonline.org/ 🔗 Alaska Association on Developmental Disabilities (AADD) — https://aaddalaska.org/ 📥 Free resource — 7 Warning Signs Your Supervisors Are Burning Out Their Staff: iddleader.com/burnout
Timestamps 00:00 – Why the standard workforce playbook doesn't work here 01:13 – Meet two leaders working without a map 02:26 – What made them choose a different path 03:15 – "There's not even a road system" 03:55 – The conference that changed how Kim saw her career 08:55 – Why Amanda never wanted this job in the first place 11:11 – Giving yourself permission to innovate when the house is on fire 14:23 – The moment that changed everything about how Amanda leads 19:42 – Meet Kyle — hired for the hot dogs, not the job 22:07 – The promotion that didn't work, and the job that did 23:40 – "I think that's a cop out" 25:17 – The $250 benefit that came from one hard conversation 28:21 – How Alaska gave DSPs a real seat at the policy table
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Do your frontline supervisors sometimes unintentionally contribute to staff turnover? It happens so easily because... Most supervisors were never trained to lead. Get The 7 Quiet Danger Signs Your Supervisors Are Burning Out Their Teams and learn how high-retention agencies spot — and fix — these issues fast. https://iddleader.com/burnout
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