Being intentional in my reflections of the past year has been a healthy way to help me grow and prepare for the new year and beyond. My mantra is that everyday I want to be a better version of myself than I was the day before, in all things, personal and professional. Below are some of the reflection questions I’ve been pondering with answers. They are not intended to be all inclusive but an opportunity to share a snippet of my reflections as I think about the new year and plan ahead.
What is the most important lesson you learned this year? Living the convictions of my faith and core values while striving to empower and inspire others, instead of telling them what to do, through leadership development (individuals and teams), mentoring, and coaching in the public education space.
What challenges did you overcome? Like many of you, I’ve been fighting the mental fatigue of COVID-19 and all its variants in the global pandemic while trying to stay safe. It’s natural to feel mentally weary or stressed at a time like this but also important to take the necessary precautions by prioritizing our physical health and safety along with our mental wellbeing.
What did you do for your career growth? As a leader, I’ve continued to spend considerable time reading, networking, and virtually attending industry events to learn as much as possible about public-school education as a profession. However, my biggest growth accomplishment was achieving certification on the use of the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i 2.0) and EQ 360 assessments.
What are you most proud of this year? Successfully managing an independent consulting practice as a nationally sought after thought leader that has sustained lasting client relationships by meeting the varied needs of school, district, and state education agency leaders, and national non-profit and philanthropic organizations. A key ingredient to our success has been through knowing our value, delivering on expectations, taking care of existing client relationships, and new network connections.
How did you live your core values? It starts with differentiating purpose from passion while making sure my core values like faith and family; teamwork, trust, and mutual respect; servant leadership and paying it forward; and excellence (not perfection) guide my decisions and actions and are a natural part of my authentic self.
How did you fail? Everyone fails. It’s a natural part of life. I once read (Dare to Succeed) that the goal is to “learn the lesson and forget the details.” In other words, don’t dwell on it and hopefully you won’t make the same mistakes twice. One area I’d like to improve upon is in certain aspects of interpersonal relationships (e.g., understanding what causes the struggle, extending grace, and not giving up on others prematurely in today’s divisive climate). It’s a work in progress and I’m committed to being better.
Who or what had the biggest impact on your life this year? A professional colleague, protégé, and one of my best friends, Dr. John Barker, from Memphis, TN. We share an affinity for improving public school systems, particularly in urban districts. Our families are close, we embrace a growth mindset, and we share our faith. We’ve pushed each other’s thinking and learned from one another on the regular — “Iron sharpens Iron.”
What are you thankful for this year? Family, friendships, health, opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others and living my dream.
Here’s wishing all of you a happy and safe holiday season and a healthy and prosperous New Year!