A Reflection Of My Leadership Journey

Originally from San Antonio, JC first came to Austin in 2002 for school and has never left. Since graduating he has worked for some best of breed in their industry; GSD&M, Wells Fargo Bank and Dell. Currently he is pursuing his MBA at Concordia University and devotes much of his spare time to making an impact in the community.

Looking back on my leadership journey, I am inclined to say that the turning point that made all the difference originated from a 7:00am call on Monday, August 2^nd 2004. I remember this call because I wondered who on Earth could be calling me at this hour after the week I just had. Just last week, I had a partial thyroidectomy, lost my father figure to widespread cancer and attended his funeral. To say I was depressed would have been an understatement, so a call this early was the last thing I wanted to do; But a voice from within said to answer it, so I did.

It turned out to be my doctor’s office and within minutes I was up and getting dressed to head over. I rushed over in record time because I kept thinking to myself that this sort of thing just doesn't happen. Before I could finish signing in, I was escorted to a room where within minutes the doctor arrived. He quickly sat in front of me, swung his tie over his shoulder and leaned forward. After a brief moment, he calmly said “You have cancer.” It was at this moment; this inner voice of mine roared from within and instantly replied “What do we need to do?” He looked at me with astonishment because he must have expected a completely different reaction. After he got his bearings, he proceeded to lay out the plan to beat it as soon as possible.  

Within eight months I was cancer free and possessed a whole new outlook on life. If it was not for this experience, I would have never learned to back my inner voice with a can do attitude to achieve a desired goal. I learned that when an opportunity or challenge arises, we must have faith in what our inner voice tells us and the confidence to act on it.

As leaders we must remember that challenging times are meant to strengthen us and help us grow into bigger and better individuals. We must never forget this because as James Allen said: “Circumstances do not make the man, they reveal him.” 

So the next time you are face to face with something in your way, ask yourself what is the goal, what can I do about it and are you willing to start immediately. 

Connect with JC via e-mail here.

Today's post is the second of the SOS Leadership Men Who Lead Blog Series. The purpose of this blog series is to share the stories and insights of men who are answering the call to leadership in their lives. Come back each Friday to read more!