Charles Peterson, program manager at John Deere, founded V Formation Leadership earlier this year to provide encouragement to local leaders in partnership with Valley Community Center. Peterson said he created that business name to reflect the heart of what he is trying to accomplish after watching geese flying overhead as a kid and knowing now that “the wings of the lead geese create rotating air currents so that the followers experience uplift from their leaders.” The V Formation Leadership hosts “Foundations of Leadership” quarterly breakfasts, a series of leadership discussions that gather community members from large corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, public service and education. The first leadership event took place in May, and the second is scheduled for Thursday Nov. 9, beginning at 7:30 a.m. at Valley Community Center located at 4444 Fuller Road in West Des Moines. The topic is “Foundational Lessons to Succeed and Uplift Others.” More information about the event, including a list of the speakers, is available here. The third leadership discussion is scheduled for Feb. 22, 2024.