Balancing Act
For Ryan Ebner, being a good leader boils down to one simple understanding: everyone comes to the table with different backgrounds, ideas and personalities.
A good leader can identify those qualities and use them to make sure everyone is working together to achieve a goal. Or in Ebner's case, dozens of goals per year.
The 30-year-old is the development director at Lutherlyn in Butler. Or, in layman's terms, Ebner is responsible for fundraising, marketing and advertising for the retreat facility.
The facility is primarily used as a summer camp for religious organizations, although it also offers retreat centers for businesses and other rental options in the winter.
It also caters to and frequently hosts youth groups and other special needs groups, such as those that cater to burn victims. There is also a night camp program and events for various arts and crafts like quilters.
The site has 660 acres, two lakes and 17 miles of trails.
In his career, Ebner is constantly setting new fundraising or marketing goals. It's his job to set those goals, and also to mobilize co-workers and community members to meet them.
“You as a leader are not someone who sits and simply tells people what to do,” Ebner said. “You are the number one resource people look to in order to mutually come up with a solution to accomplish your goals.
“I see it as a balance of leading by example but also understanding you can't do everything on your own.”
Ebner also is enrolled in Leadership Butler County, which he said instills a great sense of what it means to be a strong leader.
Just recently, Ebner got the chance to polish his public speaking skills in a team-building exercise designed to introduce participants .
“The program teaches me about learning about people and how and why they think and work like they do,” he said.
“I see so many different personality types and it helps me to work better with my co-workers here at Lutherlyn, but it also helps me to possibly be able to connect with potential donors and other people who might not think like me.”
Ebner added that it's not hard to bring a natural passion to his leadership at Camp Lutherlyn.
He first came to the camp in 1991 as a young camper. He then joined on as a summer staff member for eight years, while he got a full-time position there in January 2012.
When asked to define a person who exemplifies leadership, Ebner didn't hesitate. His answer is Maj. Richard Winters, the World War II military leader portrayed in the television show “Band of Brothers.”
Leading a group of men into battle is obviously a much different scenario than working a 9-to-5 job, Ebner said, but that doesn't mean he can't learn a thing or two from Winters.
“I see how he understood how to connect with the people he led, but he also understood not to lead from the sidelines,” Ebner said. “He was a leader, straight up. He got in the pit with the people he was leading, by example.”
It's a leadership style Ebner hopes to emulate.
<B>Age: </B>30<B>Family: </B>Single<B>Education:</B> Bachelor's from Kennesaw State, master's from Indiana (Pa.) University<B>Employment: </B>Development director<B>Company: </B>Lutherlyn<B>Address: </B>500 Lutherlyn Lane, Butler<B>What it does:</B> Lutherlyn is a summer camp that also provides a retreat center and other rental facilities<B>Employees: </B>11 full-time, 50 part-time in the summer<B>LEADERSHIP IS:</B>"You as a leader are not someone who sits and simply tells people what to do. You are the number one resource people look to in order to mutually come up with a solution to accomplish your goals. I see it as a balance of leading by example but also understanding you can't do everything on your own."<B>INSPIRATION:</B>Maj. Richard Winters, the World War II soldier portrayed in the television show “Band of Brothers.”“I see how he understood how to connect with the people he led, but he also understood not to lead from the sidelines. He was a leader, straight up. He got in the pit with the people he was leading, by example.”
