My Personal Experience With Propel Program

The Propel program is an aspiring leader program designed for team members to discover their leadership potential. The 3-month long program explores the foundational principles of leadership through a series of videos, instructor-led trainings, mentorship pairings and reflective readings. The program is just one of the ways Rocket Mortgage^® helps evolve team members. 

As a retired elementary educator who is new to Rocket Mortgage^® and the mortgage industry, I was immediately interested when I heard about Propel. Naturally, I love to learn and having been an assistant principal for a couple of years, it just seemed like a no brainer. What I didn’t realize is how much my perception of leadership would change because of what I learned through the program. As an assistant principal, I learned that I had to come under the vision of the principal and my duties were to make sure their vision was accomplished, whether I agreed with it or not. After participating in Propel, I realized that leadership with Rocket Mortgage^® is more about coaching and inspiring. I learned that true leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.

Rocket Mortgage^® leaders drive the culture, develop people, build trust, think strategically and communicate effectively. Through the various classes, I was able to learn how to develop these traits in myself.

The culture of Rocket Mortgage^® is built on the ISMs and we spent a class taking a deep dive into what they are, connecting with them personally and seeing how they integrate not just in our work life, but in our personal lives with family, friends and our communities.

We learned about giving radically candid feedback and how to identify when our feedback is impacting those around us in a positive manner or when it’s actually doing more harm than good. Being nice is great, however, being too nice can be enabling and prevent growth. Another facet of this was handling conflict. Learning how I personally handle conflict and identifying that about myself helped me see how I handle conflict with others. Most importantly though, I learned how to “read” those around me and identify the method for handling conflict that grows people, rather than punishes them. It’s similar to the porridge in the story of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” Great communication and conflict resolution are the porridge that’s just right – they develop people and build trust.

Another portion of the training is devoted to the many learning metrics available to team leaders that can be used to strategize and develop systems and work procedures for team members that help them be the best they can possibly be in the role they are in. 

Finally, we learned about effective communication. Have you ever sat through a meeting or class you thought would never end? Clearly the conductor of those had never gone through Rock the Stage, which is a training we provide to team members that gives you the skills needed to present in an engaging manner and not have your audience falling asleep in their chairs. 

Personally, I enjoyed being part of a group of people who are invested in the company, who desire to see it grow and be better, and who were candid and open in their thinking and participation in the group. I’ve also enjoyed watching many of them move into positions of leadership and embrace their roles. However, I’d say this training isn’t just for folks who want to pursue an official leadership position, it’s also for those who just want to understand what leaders do and develop skills to lead from their current position or identify if leadership is right for you. We’re all leaders, some have a title, some don’t, some want the title, some don’t. No matter where you are on your journey, you’ll benefit from this class, so that when it’s completed, you can lead from whatever position you’re in.

If you’re interested in joining Rocket Companies^® and getting involved in programs like this, visit MyRocketCareer.com to view open positions today!