When Leadership Matters Vol 2 2025 New - Flipbook - Page 15
When Leadership Matters
the course of those years, we stayed in touch and saw each
other at various conferences, had lunch periodically, and
became friends. She quickly advanced in her career and is
today the President at college in WA State. She used her
influence and privilege as a VP to be a Champion for me
and encouraged me to apply for an Executive Level
position, of which I would have thought myself
unqualified for. She pushed back on my fear and
highlighted all the reasons why I was ready. So I applied,
and lo and behold, I was the candidate selected for the
role. She made it clear that I had the tools, but I needed to
compete for it as all other candidates. In academia, degrees
and titles oftentimes matter more than experience, but she
made key introductions with other leaders and advocated
for me in ways that I had not seen. Even today, I’m the
least credentialed among my colleagues and yest one of the
most respected. To top it off, I get to serve alongside my
mentor and friend as an equal at a table she helped to set.
She introduced me to my future self as a leader long before
I was ready to meet him.
One of the most vital aspects of leadership is knowing.
Knowing yourself, knowing your limitations, and knowing
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