· What does it take to be a leader in the community?
· Is there a crucial point/incident in one’s life that drives one in that direction?
· How does one gain authority amongst one’s peers and become a leader?
· What characteristics do true leaders possess?
· What are some of the biggest challenges facing leaders today?
These were all questions the Orange Team posed while meeting with Ms. Dora Robinson, President and CEO of the United Way of Pioneer Valley and Mr. Hector Toledo, Vice President of Sales at Hampden Bank. These individuals, however, are not only leaders within their own organizations, but are leaders within the broader community as can be witnessed by the many groups that that they are involved with and represent: Springfield Chamber of Commerce, STCC Board of Trustees, MLK, Jr. Charter School of Excellence Board of Directors, and Baystate Health Finance Board, just to name a few.
Ms. Robinson met with members of the Orange Team the afternoon of October 22nd. In a bright, open meeting room of the United Way of Pioneer Valley’s offices, looking out onto the bustle of Springfield’s Main Street, Ms. Robinson graciously gave of her time, and enthusiastically shared her experiences with us. Ms. Robinson spoke of the qualities that one should possess to not only gain authority as a leader, but how to maintain that authority: understanding and giving value to the importance of the relationships one has; taking time to build trust; being kind and decent; listening to others; being honest and having integrity in all situations and at all times; and consistency in behavior, thoughts and actions. It was evident in Ms. Robinson’s exuberant and straightforward delivery of these core values that these are all qualities that she possesses and stands by firmly. One might think that these are typical qualities and easy to come by, but Ms. Robinson shared life experiences that helped shape the person she presently is, and helped her to develop these qualities over time.
Ms. Robinson spoke of being a child of the civil rights movement, and the impact that time had on the outcome of her life. As a young teenager, the civil rights movement played a crucial part of her developing her sense of identity. Ms. Robinson particularly reminisced on seeing a performance at Rockefeller Center by jazz singer, songwriter and pianist Nina Simone, who projected an image that Ms. Robinson had not been familiar with up until that stage of her life. She saw a woman of color who was proud of her heritage and displayed it to the world by way of her personal style; a woman who displayed strength, talent, and independent spirit and political activism.
In similar fashion, members of the Orange Team met with Hector Toledo, the morning of what was to be a momentous day, October 30th, with the Red Sox taking the World Series in Game 6 later that evening. We all learned quickly of Mr. Toledo’s sense of humor, as he warned us that he didn’t like to get into discussion of politics, religion, or those “damn Yankees!” Much like Ms. Robinson, Mr. Toledo was gracious with his time and views, and shared with us his thoughts on the characteristics that are important to develop into a leader. He too spoke of being a sincere and honest person, of being “human.” He further defined being “human” as simply being aware and cognizant of the fact that many people you come across may be dealing with some very serious life issues. So, to gain trust and develop positive relations and leadership skills, one must treat those they deal with in a “human” way, such as engaging in real conversations and actively listening. Mr. Toledo told us that in order to be a leader, one must be part of the greater community, be active and involved, engage with people, participate, and to let those actions of community involvement speak for you. Again, these are all qualities and characteristics that one might think would come naturally, but are sometimes developed as a result of one’s life experiences.
He recounted, that as a young man in his first year of college at AIC and on scholarship, he was on a fast track to nowhere. He shared that he was not in a place where he was ready to focus on his studies, and at the time was more interested in play. At the end of his first year, he was asked “not to come back” and then enrolled at STCC, continuing down the same path of all play and no study. One day, as he sat in a school lounge playing cards with a friend, a young lady approached him, kicked him in the leg and expressed her disappointment. The young lady was an old elementary school mate who, several years later, became his wife. Mr. Toledo expressed that this moment in time, getting kicked in the leg and having someone express disappointment in his actions, was what he needed to focus on his life plan and career path. From that moment on, he put a plan into place and accomplished what he set out to do – become a successful person and a community leader involved in projects and organizations that he truly believes in. Mr. Toledo expressed that one must be careful in what one decides to participate in, and that his life and family experiences has been what directed him to those organizations that he is committed to.
The process of interviewing both these community leaders shed light on recurring themes, and despite differences in background, race, sex, and age, the Orange Team walked away with the following core values, characteristics and qualities that one must possess in order to be an effective and trusted leader:
· Be a learner…all the time.
· Keep optimistic…all the time.
· See goodness in others…all the time.
· Be humble…all the time.
· Be authentic…all the time.
· Give your best…all the time.
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Orange Team, Class of 2014