INSIDE LEADERSHIP WEBSTER | PART 1
What really goes on in Leadership Webster? For 20 participants in the 2026-27 class, the answer involves much more than sitting through lectures. From exploring local history and discovering how different personalities work together to participating in a social experiment whose details remain a closely guarded secret, the program offers a behind-the-scenes look at Webster Parish and the people who make it work.
The Greater Minden Chamber’s Leadership Webster program brings together participants for one full day each month, September through May, with sessions designed to develop leadership skills, build relationships, and provide a deeper understanding of the community.
The class kicked off September 9 with an orientation and history tour of downtown Minden.
Greater Minden Chamber President and CEO Stephanie Barnette welcomed participants and explained the Chamber’s role in supporting local businesses and promoting economic development.
“Those who are really involved with the Chamber say that their biggest takeaway is all the connections they make with other people, because those provide business opportunities in the future,” Barnette said.
She also shared some of the program’s history. Leadership Webster was established in 1992 under then-Chamber President Sue Gruber. In 2012, the program expanded to include high school students. Today, Leadership Webster alternates between adult and high school classes each year.
Following introductions, Minden Mayor Nick Cox led participants through the Myers-Briggs personality assessment, which identifies different personality preferences and approaches to communication, decision-making, and problem-solving.
Cox then divided the class into groups and assigned activities designed to demonstrate how different personality types interact and work together. The exercises gave participants an opportunity to better understand their own tendencies while learning to appreciate the strengths others bring to a team.
After lunch, the class headed to the Dorcheat Historical Museum, where participants met museum director Jessica Gorman and explored exhibits highlighting the history of Minden and Webster Parish.
The afternoon also included a walking tour of downtown Minden, although unusually high temperatures forced organizers to shorten the planned route.
Despite the heat, participants visited several downtown businesses, meeting owners and learning more about their operations. Stops included Brick Street Coffee and Under Dawgs, along with a behind-the-scenes look at the speakeasy under construction in the Drake Building.
Barnette said she hopes to find time later in the program to complete the portions of the downtown tour that were missed.
For longtime residents, the program offers an opportunity to see familiar places from an entirely different perspective.
“If you’ve lived in Minden or Webster Parish your whole life, you may think you’ve seen it all. You are guaranteed in this program to find something that you did not know about before, and the connections that you make with the people around you are going to be lifelong connections,” Barnette said.
The second monthly session took a decidedly different approach to leadership development.
Led by Dr. Steve Fowler, participants spent the day taking part in SIMSOC, short for Simulated Society, an interactive social experiment designed to explore group dynamics, leadership, and decision-making.
Exactly what happened during the exercise, however, will remain a mystery.
At the conclusion of the simulation, all 20 participants took a vow of silence regarding the experience, leaving future Leadership Webster classes to discover its lessons for themselves.
Those curious about what SIMSOC involves will simply have to sign up for Leadership Webster and find out.
The program will continue with monthly sessions exploring education, economic development, healthcare, nonprofit organizations, local government, and other aspects of life in Webster Parish. Participants will also attend meetings of local governing bodies and travel to Baton Rouge for a two-day visit to the Louisiana Legislature.
This is the first in a series of articles taking readers inside Leadership Webster, offering a look at the experiences, people, and places that help participants gain a better understanding of their community.