I had the pleasure of listening to this panel of leaders from The University of Mississippi, Dr. Tony Ammeter, Dr. Shawnboda Mead, Dr. Lee Cohen and Dr. Melissa Jones. I want to share their words of wisdom:
- Be upfront. Tell it like it is, tactfully. Mean what you say and follow through with what you say you are going to do.
- Be consistent, kind and empathetic.
- Integrity and ethics are something that can’t be taught, and it is the most important thing. Lead with your internal compass. A leader once said, “Anything you mess up, I can fix as long as it is ethical.”
- A lot of kids these days want to get a degree and jump their way to the top. Take baby steps where responsibilities get greater and greater. Be present and focus on what you are doing in each role. There is always something more to learn. Seek opportunities. There is no substitute for experience.
- Bring solutions to problems. Get creative with it.
- Inclusivity is free. Everyone can reach their full potential to thrive. Everyone wants to feel valued. Find something to unify everyone.
- It takes courage and willingness to make changes.
- Say yes to conferences in your field and stay up to date with trends. There is lots of value in networking in your field and building genuine connections.
- Ask for feedback from your boss and direct reports and be receptive to constructive criticism.
- You can learn from people’s failures just as much as from their successes.
- Be willing to be vulnerable.
- Know your audience.
- When hiring, look for skills that can’t be trained and their willingness to learn. Are they trainable? Will they take the initiative to do things without asking?
- Give credit to people you learn from.
- Manage tasks, lead people.
- Grace is something that will carry you as a leader.
- “There have been a lot of fortunate accidents to get me where I am today.” Go with the flow with your career path because it will never go as planned.
- It is crucial to be data driven at this day and age.
- Physical and mental health has to be a priority. Take vacation days and encourage work life balance. (i.e. Schedule emails that you send late at night to be sent in the morning. Put your OOO automatic reply on your email). This sets a precedent.
