Practical Of or concerned with the actual doing or use of something rather than with theory or ideas. (of an idea, plan, or method) likely to succeed or be effective in real circumstances; feasible. Whenever I presented seminars or workshops in the past, I was always complimented on how “practical” my methods were. As a matter of fact, “practical” is the one word everyone who … Continue reading Reintroduction
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I recently conducted a webinar on what it means to be an ethical leader during a crisis. The participants were engaged, questions were asked, and we focused on practical steps to take, ensuring that the tenets of ethical leadership and crisis management become one. It was great to think about how these characteristics get implemented every day. From the small decisions to the large one, … Continue reading Ethical Leadership: AHHH!
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Mentoring is a topic near and dear to my heart. I wish I could say that it’s important to me because I had a great mentor, then learned how to mentor, and have been a successful one ever since. However, that’s not the case. In the words of Sophia from The Golden Girls, “Picture it, Greensboro 2004.” I was asked to be a part of … Continue reading Establishing a Mentoring Program
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I had a conversation with a good friend of mine about the wonderful world of adulting. It’s so interesting how that word turned from a noun to a verb. Adulting is something that we actually perform. It’s a task or a set of tasks that we choose to do, or choose not to do every day. After performing a series of tasks everyday for an … Continue reading Do it scared
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Is there such a thing? There might be. I met with a good friend years ago who told me to end my work days at 5 pm and make sure to have a life after that. He had a good point and talked about doing things for myself after work and on the weekends. Early in my career, I worked on following his advice; however, … Continue reading Work/Life Balance
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A while ago, my daughter decided that she wanted to try knitting. I should have known that this would mean that she really wanted me to do it with her. I never had an interest in knitting, but many people in my family have a gift of crafting with their hands. Things like sewing, doing calligraphy, crocheting, cross-stitching, painting, etc. all came naturally to them … Continue reading What I Learned Through Knitting
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For a while now, I have joined two organic groups. We meet virtually every week and sometimes every two weeks. One group is with two other professional women (Dr. Krishauna Hines-Gaither and Dr. Shana LeGrant). We all work in some part of education and we all have side businesses (aka “side hustles”). From our virtual conversations, we give each other ideas on ways to move … Continue reading Practice Gratitude
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So, we’re going to go in a different direction today and focus on taking some semblance of control in the house. When it comes to leadership in the house, I always think of ways to make things easier and give myself some peace. During this year with COVID, jobs adjustments, children doing school from home, and limited options for going places, easy is important. First, … Continue reading Home Life
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I kept trying to think of appropriate titles for this post: Leading through Discomfort; Dealing with Disruption; and Leadership and Disruption. Nothing fit. I finally settled on Leading and Discomfort because, regardless of the fact that we are living through a pandemic, that in itself is not the discomfort (it is but it isn’t). The truth is that leading in general causes discomfort. Keeping up … Continue reading Leading and Discomfort
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I knew it was going to be a problem soon after I announced my pregnancy. A colleague made it clear that I could not have it all: motherhood and career. This has to change. Continue reading Challenging the Norm
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Mentoring and mentorship have long been a part of career growth. From entry level jobs through executive roles, mentorship was something that either happened naturally or was built into a job. In many of my roles, a mentorship either happened through connecting with someone or happened through a mentoring program (which was a little more formal). However, now it seems to be harder for newer … Continue reading Invest in a Mentor
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Dear fathers, Today is the day to celebrate you. Thank you to . . . The ones who make life fun. The role model, working to improve himself every day because he knows the little ones are watching. The ones who coach sports just to spend time with their children. The ones who give great advice late at night and early in the morning. The … Continue reading A Tribute to Fathers
Dear leaders, As work through the rest of the year, it’s important to think about our priorities for the rest of the year. Whether you’re a leader in your home, in the community, at work, or elsewhere, it’s important now more than ever to stop doing things that are unnecessary. Now, this has nothing to do with what you like to do. There are many … Continue reading Purpose Over Time
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Over the course of my life, I have received some great advice from a variety of people. However, there is one piece of advice that I have received over and over, at different points in my life. It was often worded differently depending on who said it, but it was essentially this: Stop waiting for someone to create the thing that you’re looking for. If … Continue reading The World Is Waiting on You!
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Don’t you just love surprise posts? This topic is too good to miss. With women businesses on the rise, especially minority women businesses, it’s important to know the who’s, why’s, and what’s. Let’s talk about women owned full-time and part-time (aka “side hustle”) businesses. Continue reading Let’s Talk Women Owned Businesses
For those of you who know me, you know that I’ve always wanted to play the piano. If ever there was an instrument that I loved, it was the piano. I loved the way a person, with just two hands, could create an orchestra. What intrigued me even more was the way a musician’s eyes would close as they felt the music and played flawlessly. … Continue reading Piano Playing and Leadership
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In light of recent (and collective) events, it’s important to know how to be a supportive leader. Oftentimes, support is seen as something a leader does to help an employee. However, the situations are pretty common: letting an employee leave early to attend a parent/teacher conference, allowing an employee to flex their time during a time-crunched week, helping a team member with his work when … Continue reading Be a Supportive Leader
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For this week’s post, I’ve decided to focus on leadership within parenting. My post below was originally published on Triad Moms on Main. It was 2 am when my eyes popped open. I could hear a faint moan coming from the other room and I knew that I had to get in there quickly. If I waited too long, that moan would turn into a … Continue reading Quality Time is Everything
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In our next feature of everyday leaders, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mrs. Wanda Allen-Abraha, JD. Mrs. Allen-Abraha serves as Director of Human Relations for the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She has served in this role for 19 years and works in legal areas such as Fair Housing Law, Landlord/Tenant Mediation, and Title VI (Limited English Proficiency compliance), in addition to the program … Continue reading A Leader in Her City and Community
Dear Mom, This isn’t a letter about your wonderful attributes during a pandemic. As a matter of fact, this is the last sentence you will read from me that references COVID-19. This is simply an appreciation letter to you and all that you do. A dear friend of mine once told me, “You are exactly the mother that your children need,” and it made my … Continue reading Happy Mother’s Day!
“Another way to be prepared is to think negatively. Yes, I’m a great optimist. but, when trying to make a decision, I often think of the worst-case scenario. I call it ‘the eaten by wolves factor.’ If I do something, what’s the most terrible thing that could happen? Would I be eaten by wolves? One thing that makes it possible to be an optimist, is … Continue reading Be Prepared
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I shared this same post on my RokAdviser blog and found it to be beneficial for career transitioners and leaders as well. Many times, as professionals move forward in life, they decide that it is time for an advanced degree. Regardless of the profession, there seems to be a rise in talk about getting doctorate degrees. Everyone has his or her own reason for getting … Continue reading Doctoral Studies Checklist
