Dr. Theresa Robbins Dudeck

I am very proud to announce that Dr. Theresa Robbins Dudeck has joined the Lead2Goals team. Dr. Dudeck is a fantastic addition to our staff. She brings an element of fun into the intense work we do with our clients, and she is also a master in the art and teaching of improvisational theatre.

For some, improvisational theatre may seem like a stretch, when considering our mission and target market of business and nonprofit executives. However, I want to assure you that stretching is part of what works to develop our clients’ skills. Improv, or as Theresa calls it with the proper English pronunciation, impro, is a perfect vehicle in which to explore the core concepts of leadership and team building. It requires the players to loosen up, give support and receive support from others, in order to perform at peak levels. That sounds a lot like leadership in today’s business environment, doesn’t it?

Dr. Theresa Robbins Dudeck

Now, here’s a little about Theresa and why she is the perfect fit for Lead2Goals…

Theresa is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Chapman University, where she directs and teaches Improv for Actors and Impro for People Skills. Theresa also developed an Impro for Leadership course for Dr. Penny Bryan and Chapman’s Master of Leadership Development program, within the College of Educational Studies. This is actually where I met Theresa and found her infectious personality to be a perfect complement to the seriousness required in leadership training.

Dr. Dudeck is considered one of the foremost practitioners of the work of Keith Johnstone, the pioneer of impro theatre. She has even written and published a biography of Johnstone, which is available worldwide, in multiple languages. Currently, Theresa is working on her second publication, which will contain a collection of how impro can be applied in business, law, science, humanitarian aid and even healthcare.

As I mentioned, when I first met Theresa, I was her student. I participated in an abrievated course for my own leadership studies degree, and quickly realized that she would be a wonderful addition to the Mini-University workshop program I was developing for Entrepreneur Organization Orange County (EOOC). I booked her for a one-hour session, which was the hit of the entire day. Participants left of the session laughing, smiling and with renewed vigor. When I surveyed them, each and every participant came back with the same sentiments; while they had fun, the real point of the workshop was to quickly open up to others. This, in turn, developed trust rapidly and allowed participants to leave the workshop feeling like a team.

Based on the results of the Mini-University, I hired Theresa again, this time for a four-hour workshop for EOOC. Again, we had similar results. Because of the extra time allotted, the participants also reported recognition of how to apply similar techniques with their subordinates and peers at work. Theresa’s work with this group proved to me that she would be the right person to take our company a step further in our quest to support executives, help them develop teamwork with their intra-organizational groups, as well as affiliative leadership skills individually.

We will be utilizing Theresa and her skills, not only for open workshops, but also for private intra-organization learning events, based on the needs of our clients. Furthermore, when appropriate, Theresa will take part in our offsite retreats for organizations, both corporate and nonprofit. Please, help me welcome Dr. Theresa Robbins Dudeck to Lead2Goals!

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