Leadership
#throwbackthursday - Today, I am throwing it back to the answer of an essay question I wrote in the year 2000 for my International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation Fellows nomination. These words are all still true today and I hope you are able to gain valuable information about leadership through this blog post.
“I am, and continue to be, blessed… So many angels have crossed the path of my life’s journey.
One of my personal heroes is my mother Goldie M. Royal. She set the tone for all four of my sisters, by demonstrating determination and resilience. My mother modeled the value of spirituality as well as education by finishing her undergraduate and master’s degrees over a twenty-year period, while working to support her family. At the age of 61, after retiring as a professor at Bates College, my mother applied, and was accepted into the Berkeley School of Divinity to study theology. A constant view instilled by my mother is: Principles are deep, fundamental truths, classic truths, and generic denominators. They are tightly interwoven threads running with exactness, consistency, beauty, and strength through the fabric of life. Personal power that comes from principle-centered living is the power of a self-aware, knowledgeable, proactive individual, unrestricted by the attitudes, behaviors, and action of others or by many circumstances and environmental influences that limit other people.
Dr. Mimms
Another hero of mine is Dr. Maxine Mimms, who in the purest form of the word, is phenomenal. Dr. Mimms is the founder of Evergreen State College, Tacoma campus. Her primary focus is in the development of critical thinking skills. She helped mentor, guide, and more important, re-define with tenacity “purpose”. She always focused on the convictions of honor and good sense. Dr. Mimms instills that leadership is about integrity. Her philosophical principle regarding leadership is that one sees core vales manifest themselves through other people.
My Daughter Royal and I
The single most influential person in my life today would be my two-year-old daughter Royal. And the title I cherish most is “mom”. Royal inspires me to be the very best of whom I am. In order to pave the path of unlimited possibilities for her, I must walk my talk.
Collectively I have blended many of the strengths referenced above to successfully thrice in my personal, as well as my professional, life. I believe that all people should be self-differentiated (valuing human diversity), true to their values and “try not to blend yourself into what others think you ought to be.” Be able to laugh with yourself and others… to not get caught up in the value system of an organization, rather, be principle based and have your own values. So when life’s challenges are a bit hard tp bear, I fall back on my grandmothers words… “I’ll wipe my face, strengthen my back, hold my head high and survive.”. “Take those traumas and tragedies and turn them around. The testimony is what you have left when the test is over”.”
“My grandmother, Ms. Elnora Royal, who passed away in January of 2000 at the age of 86, is, and will always be my rock. Grandmother was married to my grandfather, James D. Royal, for forty-five years. While my mother worked two jobs and went to school at night, my grandmother was our primary care taker. I learned to shop at second hand stores, re-upholster sofas, grow fresh collard greens and tomatoes in the garden, play Dominoes, which developed exceptional mathematical thinking skills. and every afternoon sing gospel spirituals. Grandmother always stated that everything is possible through God. Throughout my childhood I recall my grandmother adopting physically and mentally challenged children. She would always state that my sisters and I — her “babies” — should never have an excuse for not “making it” in this world because we had so much more than other children do. She’d admonish, “The last excuse I want to hear is that you did not make it because of the color of your skin.” All of Grandmother’s children learned to look at the weaknesses or ignorance of others with compassion., not accusation. It’s not what they’re doing or should be doing that’s the issue. The issue is your own chosen response to the situation and what you should be doing. Know that you are responsible for your life’s journey - “response-able” is fundamental to driving results and effectiveness. My grandmother is my inspirational leader, and strength.”
Let me know how you liked this Throwback Thursday post in the comments and/or what else you want me to write about.
With Grace,