The Coast News Group
Caption: Leadership speaker and author Ken Blanchard is set to speak at the Great Life, Great Leadership Luncheon at the Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe on Oct. 22. Courtesy photo
CommunityRancho Santa Fe

Leadership author to headline Village Church luncheon

RANCHO SANTA FE — Author and leadership expert Ken Blanchard is scheduled to speak at the Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe on Oct. 22 at the Great Life, Great Leadership Luncheon. The event gives residents an opportunity to hear an inspirational talk from the renowned businessman.

Blanchard has authored more than 50 books and is best known for his novel “One Minute Manager,” which teaches managers to be highly effective and successful through mindfulness and kindness.

“‘One Minute Manager’ is about valuing people for who they are,” Pastor Jan Farley of Village Church said.

The idea is that employees will do their best when they know they are appreciated.
“Ken is a wonderful, engaging speaker and he is a great storyteller,” Farley said. “One of the things our church really wants to do is to have people be effective leaders.”

Farley said that Blanchard and his wife, Marjorie, established the Ken Blanchard Companies®. The consulting and training firm incorporates his nonprofit ministry, Lead Like Jesus, with the help of Blanchard’s friend, Phil Hodges.

At every level of the company people are encouraged in a way that is positive and helpful.

Farley said Blanchard is excellent at encouragement and identifying those good ways. Old management techniques of intimidation are no longer recognized since employees will burn out eventually, he said. The goal of Blanchard’s technique is to prioritize collaboration and camaraderie.

“In the church, we believe everybody has an important role and is significant,” Farley said. “It’s good to have some words of encouragement, but also some handles on what that might look like — and that is what Ken is doing for us.”

Farley said Blanchard and the Village Church are graciously offering individual ticket prices for the luncheon for only $15.
Lara Pauley will cater the luncheon.

Farley said what she is looking forward to the most is to see how people are encouraged by how Blanchard navigates his talk.
“It’s about being the kind of leaders that are inspiring, influential and positive,” she said. “Ken will really help people understand.”

Farley said the applications from the presentation can be applied to all parts of someone’s life. She hopes that people will feel mentally invigorated and challenged. Attendees will have the chance to reflect on how they can utilize their skills to be better leaders.

The goal is to toss aside the old ways of bully management styles and instead embrace a positive concept of cooperative and collective leadership.

To register for the Great Life, Great Leadership Luncheon with Ken Blanchard, visit www.VillageChurch.org/ken-blanchard.