Leadership: The Courage To Lead

Pepe is currently the president for the National Society of Hispanic MBA’s Austin chapter, a member of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 

Membership Committee, and president emeritus of the Mexican American Comptroller Employees Association. He is a certified Mediator and holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from St. Edward’s University.

A story of leadership doesn't have to be extraordinary, famous, or wealth building; it just has to be your own.  In the last few years, I have come to love and appreciate my humble leadership journey, from a young kid working the fields in Mexico, to receiving a graduate degree in the greatest country in the world, the United States of America. This is my story, it is not flashy, it is not amazing, but it is mine.

As a six year old child living in Mexico in a fairly poor community, I spent a considerable amount of my time working in the fields picking jalapenos and creating lasting memories with my dad and two sisters. I was a happy kid with a very loving family. Our family struggled to make ends meet, but we were fortunate to have one another. My parents always maintained a roof over our heads and plenty of “frijoles (beans) and tortillas” on the table. 

When most of us think of Leadership, we tend to think of extraordinary things that create big changes within our community or the world. It is this mindset that doesn’t allow us to see the many leaders in our lives, as well as the leader within ourselves. I have to tell you that my parents are great leaders in their own right. I admire the exemplary leadership they showed my sisters and I while growing up. My parents came to this country with the high hopes of giving us a better opportunity to be successful and attain a higher education. This meant leaving their home, family, friends, and everything else they had known all of their lives to venture into the unknown, a country with a different language, no friends, no job, and no roof over our heads. 

This leap of faith exemplifies the daring leaders my parents were and continue to be to this day. They were willing to sacrifice their lives to venture into the unknown with one thing in mind, HOPE! It is through this HOPE that they found the strength to seek a better life. This courageous act of leadership did not change the world, nor did it create millions of dollars, but it did give three kids a better and brighter future.  

So what is leadership? Leadership can be defined in so many ways and it is very subjective. In the end, it is up to you to define what leadership means to you. My parents didn't realize that they were courageous leaders, because in their eyes they were fulfilling their duties as parents. 

In the end, I believe that the courage to lead is in all of us. We all have hopes and dreams, but it is the true leaders that take action to pursue them. Have you found the courage to pursue your hopes and dreams? If you haven’t, look around you and you will see other leaders that are pursuing their hopes and dreams. It is never too late, so find the leader in you, and go conquer the world. You are a leader! Go lead; the world needs you.

Today's post is the ninth 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!

Leadership of Abundance

Think about your leadership journey. As you grow as a leader, are you able to see more possibilities? Are you more open to change? Can you more clearly recognize the leadership around you? Do you hold yourself more accountable for the goals that are important to you?

Lately I've been reflecting on what it means to lead from a place of abundance. I often find that scarcity thinking limits my leadership growth. It causes me to stand still, sometimes like a deer in the headlights. It limits my beliefs about what I can accomplish. In short, when I'm leading with a scarcity mindset, I'm holding myself AND those who follow me back; I'm preventing forward motion.

I love this quote by Trent Haam of The Simple Dollar:

"To me, the biggest difference between the scarcity mentality and the abundance mentality is that the scarcity mentality cares what other people have, while the abundance mentality doesn’t." 

At times we can focus a lot of time and energy worrying about what other people have, what they're doing, and what they're accomplishing. It's a trap that some high-achievers fall into.

It is important to recognize and applaud the accomplishments of others, but we take it too far when we allow someone else's accomplishments to deter us from our goals and dreams. 

Tune into what motivates you. Pay attention to YOUR leadership progress, YOUR goals, and YOUR dreams. Continue to seek clarity about the type of leader you aspire to be. And then believe that you are well on your way to becoming that leader. 

Wayne Dyer reminds us that, “Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” 

How do you lead from a place of abundance? How does believing in the possibilities contribute to your leadership growth?

The Five Keys To Becoming The Super Leaders Within You

Sean Maguire is the Sr. Vice President, Business Development for the television show “The Outdoor Shopper”.  Sean is on the executive leadership team and is responsible for the sales & marketing strategy and developing and leading the sales team.  Sean is a native of New York and has resided in Austin since 2001.  He has successfully built and sold two multi-million dollar technology companies and held various senior level positions from upstarts to Fortune 100 companies.

During the 25+ years of my career I have had the opportunity to learn under the guidance of many leaders.  As a sales & marketing executive, I have naturally gravitated toward “motivational leaders”. People like the late Zig Ziglar, whose books and tapes I began reading and listening to when I was in my early 20’s.  Years later, as a member of the same church as Zig; each Sunday morning I attended his “Encourager’s Class” – which helped me to apply my faith into everyday life, and particularly into my leadership style.

In recent years, I've had the opportunity to work closely with New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, who last year delivered an inspiring message at the Republic National Convention and was considered a top candidate for Vice President.  

And most recently, I have worked closely with Kevin Harrington, a billionaire investor who you may have seen on ABC’s “Shark Tank”.  Kevin is a highly successful businessman and one of the strongest leaders I’ve met.  He has spent his career helping inventors and entrepreneurs to bring their dreams to life.

As I pondered all of the leaders I have encountered throughout the years, there is a common thread, irrespective of their styles, that I believe has made these leaders great and that you can apply to your own leadership style.

1.   Be a servant leader. Zig used to say “You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.”  I have found this to be true in all areas of life.  

2.   Strive for complete integrity. A single lie destroys a whole reputation for integrity.  Live your leadership life “in the truth”, and while it may be difficult at times to do the right thing, you will never lose self respect or the respect of others.

3.   Pursue your primary passion. I learned a long time ago that financial success should be a byproduct of pursuing your passion.  Don’t chase money.  Pursue your passion!

4.   Respect everyone. Respect others, no matter their race, color, creed, social or political standing, etc.  And don’t judge others.  You never know someone’s personal story and the challenges they have encountered in their life. 

5.   Touch people with Genuine Sincerity. Make it a point to look for opportunities to make a personal difference in someone’s life.  Mother Teresa said ““We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love.”

Leadership is a never ending pursuit and one that should enrich your life, as you seek to enrich the lives of those you lead.  I wish you well in your journey.   

Today's post is the eighth 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!

Happiness Is Contagious

“I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.”- Martha Washington

These are incredibly wise words from a, no doubt, an incredibly wise woman. Being a naturally optimistic person, it’s sometimes hard for me to grasp why everyone can’t have a cheerful disposition. Yes I know, not everyone is the same; my husband for, example, is extremely introverted and I, on more than one occasion, have gotten on his nerves for still being peppy and wanting to talk after an 8 hour work day. The one thing I have noticed, though, is that no matter how much of an opposite he is to me, I can still manage to put a smile on his face, even when he’s angry or annoyed with me. Point being, happiness and optimism are extremely contagious.

Being so extroverted all the time isn't always a good thing because I try to make light out of EVERY situation; but for the most part, I believe it does the soul good to be happy, and I believe it does others well to see other people smiling and being happy. I know there’s been more than one occasion where I've had a bad day, and try as I might I can’t pull myself out of it. What makes me feel better though is seeing others smiling, enjoying the day with loved ones, and also having a glass of wine. If these don’t work, take a moment of silence to think about your life, and to see that you truly can be happy.

All you have to do to be truly happy is to see the many blessings you have in your life at the moment. I've taken a step back when I've had a bad day and I think about my family, my husband, the amazing school I’m able to attend,  my amazing friends, and an amazing job where I’m able to do what I’m passionate about, and how can I not be happy?! All of us are guilty of feeling sorry for ourselves every now and then, but it’s how we pull ourselves out of it that counts. The Dalai Lama once wrote that “The purpose of our lives is to be happy,” and I couldn't agree more. Take the time today to reflect on all that you have, and just smile. I challenge you to smile at a stranger today, because you never know how someone’s day might be going, and it can all be turned around or brightened by one simple act of kindness. 

Accepting Yourself While Challenging Yourself to Grow

This quote has been ringing in my ears since I first came across it a few weeks ago. The challenges of personal development and leadership growth are many, but I would put this at the top of the list. How do you accept the leader that you are while recognizing your need to grow?

I find this to be a struggle for many of the women I work with through the SOS Gr8 Women Leaders Program. They are drawn to this program because they want to grow as leaders. In their hearts, these incredible women embrace the leadership roles in their lives; yet, many of them struggle with accepting the many ways they are making a difference. They don't always clearly see the leadership legacy they are creating every day.

I, on the other hand, can see their leadership, and I am in awe of it. I see the multitude of ways that each of these women answers the call to leadership, and I am humbled to be a part of the leadership journey that they are on. 

I relate completely to the struggle of accepting yourself, as it isn't always easy to look at my own weaknesses without cringing. Yet, I know that my leadership matters. And I've been on my own very personal journey to develop a strong sense of self, to understand the leader I am called to be and to say a resounding YES to that call.

It's a challenging balance, but it is possible to accept yourself, while challenging yourself to grow. You can do this in a healthy, positive way that builds your confidence and enhances your ability to lead effectively. Will you accept the challenge?

Leaving A Legacy

Dan Graham is the CEO of BuildASign.com where he oversees the growth strategy and plays a key role in the company’s philanthropic efforts and talent acquisition. He is also a winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2013 Central Texas award, a recipient of the Austin Business Journal's 2012 Best CEO Award, and was named 2012 Austinite of the Year and the Business and Entrepreneurship category winner by Austin Under 40, recognizing his success as a business owner as well as his commitment to philanthropic work. 

Quite literally, a legacy is defined as “something of value being left by a predecessor,” but do you know what it means to truly leave a legacy? Because I’m not so sure.

I’m 32-years-old, the owner of a company that employs over 250 people, the father to two adorable daughters (the second due any day now), and a husband to one hell of a woman. Based on that, one could consider me a leader.

But to whose standard are we to craft our leadership?  Our predecessors’? As a leader, you have an opportunity to both subtly and overtly influence others and expand your impact well beyond your organization. This opportunity is yours to seize, so seize it well.

As with most things, the way we lead is largely determined by our surroundings. Leadership really changes with the organization quite a bit depending not only on the individual, but on the state of the company as well. The ability to figure out how you should lead, in what role, and at what time is one of the key foundational elements to hone in on legacy-leaving leadership.

With a start-up  for instance, you have to be willing to roll up your sleeves, jump in, and do whatever it takes. In the beginning, the focus is wholly about how to get your business off the ground, and doing whatever work is needed to get there. As you grow into an established business, your leadership becomes less about doing anything and everything and much more about strategy. 

Now that you’re off the ground, it’s time to fly. You’ll find yourself actively pursuing the more external benefiting factors like community involvement, giving, professional development, as well as the hiring of brilliant candidates and the removing of obstacles so that you are comprehensively supporting your teams and their efforts to be successful.

When BuildASign.com was first emerging, I was completely out of my element. There I was, a young computer programmer attempting to rewrite the way standard manufacturing and production processes were being practiced. As an entrepreneur, seeing your idea come to life is everything. So, aligning with the aforementioned rules of thumb, I rolled up my sleeves, jumped in… and made a lot of mistakes. But what good is being a leader if you’re not leading by example? I wanted my employees to know no fear, be innovative, and plant that desire for continuous learning and improvement. It is our duty as business leaders to encourage our teams to find success and satisfaction in their efforts by being their whole selves, every day. Now, I have had the great privilege of working with an executive team who are bright, forward-thinking folks that carry an air of entrepreneur-ism with every decision they make.

So, when asked what “legacy” I hope to be leaving on the people who follow my lead, I say this: I’m still not so sure, but I do know that if I want to succeed as a business owner, I need to be a living example of what to do and how to be in order to achieve that success. 

Today's post is the seventh 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!

Sweetness - Laura's Dream is About to Come True!

Today's guest post comes from Laura Summersett. Laura graduated from Baylor University with a BA in Psychology in 1992. She served as head administrator for a missionary training program for 8 years, and then became a Master Cake Decorator in 2001. She began by decorating cakes as a hobby. Laura earned the title, Mom in 2001 with the birth of the most beautiful girl. She earned the title, Single Mom in 2004. Laura managed a dental office for 3 years, and took the leap into full-time business in 2008 with what has recently been renamed Sweetness Desserts. She borrowed/rented commercial kitchens long before that to do it, and has now opened/opening her first, very own bakery in September 2013!

Life has never been easy for me for very long.  I survived the tumult of my teenage years by wearing a shirt I received from church camp that simply said, “DON’T GIVE UP.”  It must have sunk in, because in spite of all life’s obstacles, including a failed marriage and the financial struggles of single motherhood, I have never stopped.  I have slowed down, cried buckets, chosen to forgive, and learned to see the good in every situation—eventually.  Though life has been difficult, it cannot stop my dreams; it only makes the journey take a little longer. 

In my early twenties, I adopted John Maxwell’s perspective: “Leadership is influence.”  Studying his book and learning that concept had a radical impact on my outlook.  I am not one of the most charismatic or outspoken people you’ll meet, but I never underestimate the power of influence or my position as an influential leader.  We all lead by influence, whether for good or bad.  When my life is over, I want those who swam through the wake of my life-stream to honestly say they have been influenced for good through my life: influenced towards God, influenced toward hope, influenced to be full of thanksgiving, influenced to dream and to pursue their dreams, influenced to persevere until the end.

The second most powerful lesson I have learned in leadership is that I NEED others.  American culture heralds the idea of the Lone Ranger: the one who always conquers, always rescues others, and never needs to be rescued.  That only happens in the movies!  

I had my own movie-like moment in 2010, and it drove this point home that I cannot succeed alone.  It was year two of full time baking for me, and I was low on energy, vision, and cash.  In addition, there were some very challenging family issues going on that had strained my emotions and further drained my energy.  My habit was to get up each morning and exercise on the treadmill while praying, and during this season, my daily prayer for breakthrough was, “Lord, I don’t see it, I don’t feel it, but I choose to trust You, and today could be the day.”  Each of those phrases was very true and very critical:  I did not see hope, I did not feel hope, but I chose by an act of my will to trust that God would make a way for me. 

After one such prayer on a Sunday morning, I went to church where our pastor was in the middle of a series on finances. He spoke about giving that morning: not merely tithing, but giving as there was need, and not just financial resources but time and talents as well.  In the middle of the sermon, he totally surprised me and called me up on stage, told the congregation about my business dreams and single parent struggles, gave me $60 towards my business, and challenged the congregation to make up the difference.  At the end of the service while we sang and individuals received prayer, people started coming up to me to hand me money.  There were children with coins, businessmen with checks, single moms with grown kids who knew the struggles, and even visitors.  I soon had too much money to hold in my hands, so a friend grabbed an empty tissue box for me to hold while people hugged me, encouraged me, and gave to me.  My tears flowed down as the tissue box filled up by person after person showing their support in a tangible way.  I have never sensed such love, affirmation, and an enormous “YES” for my business as I did that morning. 

I left church that morning with three tissue boxes full of cash, checks, and change.  I was so overwhelmed that I had to leave it all on my bed and eat lunch before going back in my room, seeing that it was actually still there, and counting it with my daughter.  In that morning, I went from loneliness, isolation, and despair to suddenly having $10,000 worth of affirmation for my business.  Wow! I still have people to this day ask about my business with vested interest because they were part of that very special morning.  Though you may not experience anything so dramatic, realize that in order to reach your dreams, you need the support of others as much as I do!

Aside from this financial boost, there is no way my business could have grown to the point it has without the strategic business coaching I have received from my SOS business coach, Bill Moyer.  His encouragement and input have been invaluable.  I have excellent skills when it comes to baking and decorating cakes, but I am on a journey of developing skills to run a successful business.  I would not be opening the doors of my very own bakery without his guidance. 

Every entrepreneur should adopt this philosophy I learned from a home sales company and have proven through my experience in growing Sweetness Desserts: you are in business for yourself but not by yourself.  If you’re in business by yourself, it’s time to get some help!  

Visit Laura's website at http://sweetnessdesserts.com/
Email Laura at laura@sweetnessdesserts.com

Chip Kelly: CEO and Leader

This is my favorite time of the year. It is football season. Being a huge Philadelphia sports fan, it is safe to say that I am excited about this season. It is the start of a new era in Philly with a new coach in Chip Kelly. I could spend this whole post talking about my love for the Eagles and my reactions to the recent win on Monday Night Football, but that is not why I decided to write today.

Chip Kelly, Head Coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

I was reading an article about the Eagles win on Monday when I can across this quote from Chip Kelly (new head coach): "In any organization, any business, any group, I think when you have total buy-in, when everybody is committed to the same visions and goals, you're ultimately going to be successful . . . We have a vision, a mission we're on. Our daily habits have to reflect the mission . . . Our job as a coaching staff is to make sure they understand what that vision is, show them how to get there."

That is what every leader of every organization should sound like. Chip Kelly is essentially the CEO of the Eagles. He is the leader and is responsible for communicating the vision, getting everyone on board, and showing them how to be successful. He must help his players creating winning habits. 

What would your organization look like if the leader made a statement like Chip Kelly did? What if they made that statement and actually meant it? Productivity would soar (like the Eagles did on Monday!) and results would be at an all time high. We need more leaders in organizations who understand their role.

Based on what I have seen so far, Chip Kelly has gotten people on board. He is relishing his role as a leader. The results were seen this week. Who knows what the results will look like the rest of the season, but I believe the foundation has been laid. The team understands the plan. Now they must go execute.

Lead Now, Not Later

When it comes to leadership, do you ever try to put it off? Many people believe that leadership has something to do with age and position. So they put off leading until some point in the future, when they are old enough, smart enough, and/or in the "position to lead." Have you ever been there?

"You already possess all the gifts you need to answer the call to leadership." Right now. Today. What are you doing with those gifts? Are you using them fully to answer the call to leadership in your life? Or are you delaying your leadership, waiting on some future time when you'll feel more ready to lead? What is holding you back?

Every leader is on a journey to learn how to lead, so you will continue to grow and develop as a leader throughout your life. But don't put off leadership. Don't wait. Be the leader you are today! The world needs you to lead.

Lead Now, Not Later! You are ready, and you can make a difference!

"The Buck Stops Here"

Dan Reynolds has been a high school English teacher in Baton Rouge and Dean of Discipline in Austin. He is now working on a PhD in Education at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Leadership often seems attractive because of the perks that accompany it.  A leader often makes a lot more money and is a lot more famous than ordinary workers.  A leader can change things that he/she finds ineffective.  A leader has the freedom to make decisions. Why wouldn’t everyone choose to be a leader, if it meant money, fame, power and freedom?

I quickly learned that there’s much more to it than that. The old maxim, “With great power comes great responsibility” seems sort of vague, but it became very real to me. In the spring of 2010, I became Dean of Discipline at San Juan Diego Catholic High School in Austin.  While the position is not quite as glamorous as a Fortune 500 CEO, I did appreciate the opportunity to shape school culture, but I had to bear some of the responsibility.

I had the responsibility to deal with the most unruly students in the school.  In fact, I spent most of my time dealing with the students whose behavioral problems frustrated their everyday teachers. When those teachers could not find a solution, it became my responsibility to work with the student, his or her parents, and the teacher to create a solution. Doing the job well took a lot of time.

I had the responsibility of helping teachers at our school carry out their jobs. Students and parents are quickly frustrated when a teacher struggles, and it became my responsibility as an administrator to do something about it.  This meant extra time meeting with teachers, observing classes, and offering constructive feedback to a teacher.

I had the responsibility of meeting with frustrated parents.  While the great majority of them were patient and understanding, at times, a parent would express frustration with something at our school.  Even in the cases where the parents were misinformed, it was my responsibility to show them patience and humility while we worked out the problem.

Being a leader means being responsible to all the stakeholders in your organization – especially the most truculent students, struggling teachers, and insistent parents.  This is probably true in other industries; leaders have to be responsible to all the customers and for all the employees. President Truman kept his famous “The buck stops here” sign on his desk to remind himself of that every day, and it’s something a leader should never forget.

Today's post is the sixth 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!

Leadership and Educators

Leadership is an important topic all around, but the leaders that make the most difference are the ones that are too often overlooked, and that is our educators.Educators are a huge part of our lives and the people that we spend the majority of our time with in our youth. From the time we enter grade school to the time we graduate college, educators are huge leaders and can often motivate or break down a students’ ability to move forward in life.

Everyone who has read my previous blog posts knows that I did not get off to a great start in my college career; I didn't know what I wanted to do and I wasn't the best student. However, I will never forget the one time that I went to a professor at a local community college, and asked for help. I believe it was in my second semester of college and I was having difficulty understanding the assignments for an online history class. When I called the professor and asked for help, her response to me was somewhere along the lines of, “if you can’t understand this material you have no hope of transferring to a four year university.” This statement alone from this professor could have brought me down, but I didn't let her, it was only one of my many motivations to strive forward. Needless to say I dropped her class and ended up taking it with another professor who wasn't so negative and was happy to help answer my questions regarding assignments. 

I’m not going to even begin to imagine what being a teacher is like and the frustrations that come along with it, but I do have the up-most respect for people who choose to go into the education field, because I believe they have the most difficult jobs. They are the ones that are there to motivate and ignite the flame of life's interests into kids and young adults. Aside from our parents, they are there to constantly aid us in making sure we make the correct decisions regarding our education and our future career choices.

Education, whether it comes in the form of teaching, mentoring, or counseling, is so important to a person’s life, no matter what their situation. “It is the supreme art of the teachers to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”-Albert Einstein