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Leadership Without A Title · AccessCo Leaders Career Conversations

• speaker-0: As we wrap up the Access Co Leaders Summer Leadership Series, we're ending with a topic that touches every conversation we've had this summer. So many students think leadership begins after the promotion, when you become the manager or when somebody finally gives you authority. But the leaders we admire didn't wait for permission to lead. They built trust, they took initiative, they served others, and they influenced people long before they ever had a title. Today's conversation is about becoming that kind of leader. So we have two guests on with us today, Steven Noel with Palyt, and then Cindy Serrano, Executive Director and Founder of Global Freedom Group. Cindy, let's start with you. Tell us a little bit about what you're up to today and what leadership looks like in your role. speaker-1: Thanks, Vinessa. So I am the founder and executive director of Global Freedom Group. one thing that I found as I was kind of coming up through the ranks in the military is that when I saw something, I always spoke up. And yeah, I got in trouble a lot for, you know, kind of maybe speaking up, you know, maybe not at a great time, even though, you know, I had the best intentions. But over time that was kind of refined. And so when I retired from the military, you know, I decided to take my experience in education and create a nonprofit to teach advocates how to use their voice effectively. And advocate for gender equity within the United Nations Human Rights Council. So we make formal comments orally and written before the UN Human Rights Council Council with the intent and hope that they will adopt our recommendations, which they have in the past. And so they take them, they ratify treaties, they will take our recommendations and take them to countries so they can ratify their laws, you know, all in the name of gender equity and gender equality for women and children. speaker-0: That's beautiful. And we are honored to have you on, AccessCo Leaders, especially for this session. Thank you, Cindy. Steven, coming over to you. Tell us a little bit about what you're up to today, your leadership, and who first showed you what leadership really meant. speaker-2: Sure. So I started a business called Palyt in the hospitality area. So think of your restaurants and hotels. Trying to create a system in this day of AI and this season of a lot of data forward companies and technology, but trying to bring it to the to the human level and the personal level of understanding our taste buds and being able to give suggestions to people who might be trying to figure out what to order or what they're in the mood for, or if someone's coming to visit, what they should prepare for their guests in their home. So it it's a it's a fun problem. Someone asked, you know, how how can a a computer or a system understand what I like, what's in my what's in my taste buds, what my profiles are. And I said, I responded with if if you can say it, then it's data. And if it's data, then we can process it. And if we can process it, we can give you that recommendation. So that's the the foundation of of what I'm building. when it comes to leadership, I spent several years in the US Air Force, learning from great leaders, being being mentored, being brought up in those in those ranks. So I had some great cultivation there. And now I get to practice it, building my company, interacting with various people, being in this role. So it's great. speaker-0: Love that. Cindy, looking back at eighteen, you spoke about how vocal you've always been. Did you consider yourself a leader when you were speaking up about things early on? speaker-1: No way. No, not at all. Not at all. I didn't. And it really wasn't until I actually, you know, got promoted into a formal supervisory position and started, you know, I guess earning the title of supervisor and manager that I start viewing myself as a leader. and then as I started, you know, going to more I guess formal education within the military and I started learning more of what leadership looks like, you know, and how to influence and what team dynamic looks like and how to strengthen your team. when I really started learning and understanding that and would look back and I would dissect, office dynamics and leadership styles, I would look back and see like, wow, I guess I was leading So I did a lot of self reflecting It I took a lot with me. And then I would find myself in situations where perhaps I wasn't in charge or wasn't leading, I wasn't supervising. and it really gave me a great sense of self awareness to really know my role, you know, and to just kind of try to be a bit more measured as someone who has a natural inclination to advocate for inequities and and for, you know. marginalized communities, if you will, or just someone that may maybe not have a voice or not know how to use their voice. Like, hey, there's not enough snacks for this person. And they're like, hey, listen, I'm okay. I'm like, no, no, no. We need some more chips. You know, and they're like, is that right? You know, it's just there, it's a balancing act. It's a balancing act of knowing, you know, when you're in charge, when you're not, how to use your influence, when it's worth it, measuring the risk. you know, measuring the impact and, you know, allyship as well. So it's I mean, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and you always learn. speaker-0: Yeah, so hindsight is really 2020. So you realize you were leading from an earlier age. your definition of leadership has kind of changed through through more wisdom and lenses and experience. Steven, we'll come over to you. when you were 18, what did leadership mean to you? speaker-2: Or so at eighteen, I s still young, you know, I look back at that time and just coming out of of adolescence and my teenage years. So I I reflect back even before eighteen of of gathering my friends and saying, Hey, we should build a ramp and we should make it really high and do speaker-3: Shop off. speaker-2: it with our bikes and I would cultivate these like, you know, large groups of friends to go do just outrageous things and And I was able to to to encourage and motivate and and you know to to have fun. And that was my goal back then. And so I didn't realize what I was doing besides just trying to make a ramp and just go, you know, really high and really fast off of it. and by the time we got to 18, I started to learn about another term called a manager, which is a title that's given to somebody and it has some responsibilities. And so I got to focus on what that meant and and learn from. managers at that time. And it wasn't until I was older and I I started to look at at the world at a macro level, at a bigger, higher level that the the term leader started coming up a lot more. And so I I was trying to delineate leadership versus management and and there's courses on it and I I went to school and and so I I started to tease it apart and and learned that that managers or management is is is a title, it's something you interview for, it's something that you have to apply for and someone has to approve them, then you're given something. But but leadership is is is a role and it's a role that you can fulfill at any point in your life and and it's good to know what leadership means, but it's it's something that we can all do at any stage, at any step. And it's great to have great mentors well like you all here on this on this Zoom to to learn from from you all so that we can you know, teach it to the next generation, they can look up and see what good leaders are and how they can fulfill those roles at whatever age and stage that they're in. speaker-0: So Steven, can someone be a manager without being a leader? speaker-2: absolutely. I I think it's a reality that that we have to be aware of so that when we're in those positions, when we're interacting with a manager that that may not have that leadership role or capability, these are cards that we're dealt and and it can be tough and and we have to navigate it so so we can be aware of it and and adjust accordingly. Because if we don't, we'll we'll become frustrated and and you know, we may not know how to adapt to that. But it's also an opportunity for the leaders around them to say, Hey, let me help you become a better leader so that you can be a manager and a leader. So there's opportunity there as well. So trying to look at situations like that as glasses half full and not half empty. speaker-0: Cindy, can someone be a leader without managing anyone? speaker-1: Yeah, I think so. when I think of a a manager, I think of someone who is responsible for programs, processes, assets. and when I think of a leader, I think of someone who is responsible for just the caring, the nurturing of people, you know, the emotional side of, you know, the responsibility there. And I think somebody can be, you know, very well in tuned with what people need. you know, and maybe not so great at managing tasks and programs and getting things done in a timely manner. yeah, I think so. And that's why you alligate. speaker-0: Yes. I was gonna ask what qualities make someone worth following and you're kind of already speaking to like emotional intelligence being one of those bigger ones. is there anything else you wanna add on there? speaker-1: Think, I think if you have a heart for people, you know, and I think you're starting from a really great place. And let me just say this. I learned very early on that there was kind of I had kind of had this gap, right? I was very task-oriented. And then if you caught me maybe at a different time of the day, I was very people oriented. And then I learned that I would. like shift gears without popping the clutch. And they were like, whoa, whoa, whoa, what is happening? I'm like, what do you mean what is happening? This is due. They were like, but we were just talking about this. And and so it took time for me to understand myself and understand that I was both task oriented and people oriented. And there was a bit of a transition that I had to work on in within myself and and how I was communicating and connecting with others. So I want to share that because I think you can be both. And in saying that, I think you can be task oriented and learn how to cultivate that heart, right? Because I think some people really care about people by getting things done on time and trying to get a project done so that they take care of an organization or get the grants in so people can get paid to pay their bills. Right. I think that that is a sort of a, you know, an attribute of someone that has a heart that it may not look emotional. It may not look, you know, kind of like a warm hug. So yeah, I I I think it's important to understand that emotional intelligence doesn't all it doesn't look the same. speaker-0: Totally. I totally agree. And Eileen's giggling over here because I do that with her all the time. We'll be chumming it up and then I'm like, but wait, back on task. Let's go. so you both told us about some leadership that you were demonstrating early on. What's one small active leadership students can demonstrate this week? speaker-2: So what I hear, I I I'm I'm very much in a student position right now. I I trying to surround myself with successful mentors, veterans in in my industry and what I'm trying to build with my company. So I I can easily place place myself in that student position. and what I notice as well is my peers. there's peers that are further along and they're you know an upper upper tier classes and and I want to get there. I want to graduate from my position to their position so we can keep going to become these veteran mentors that that oversee you know all of us. And the trend that I've I've noticed and I try to mimic is that when we get together, I mean the initial questions that I that are asked are what can I do to help? And you know, what what what do you need? And so I think that kind of goes along Cindy's empathy of Or, know, her what she was explaining with the the high EQ, the emotional quotient, there for understanding our needs. you know, I think Maslow's hierarchy of need talks talks about something about inclusiveness or or the the need to to be to feel just validated as as a person. don't quote me on that. That's undergraduate. That was years ago. I forgot exactly what with Maslow. There's like seven or eight things there, but just that human aspect. So for students with peers, those that they see, you know, that are needing help, there's a perspective of what can I just do for myself so that I can get better and get further along and and go forward. But I think the the empathy part is saying, hey, what if I stop here and and who is around me that I can help and and people notice that I think for students, you know, their their their teachers, professors, other peers, the the upper tier peers, they'll they'll notice those who wanna help. and and so it it it it's it's it's great you're helping your peers, you're learning how to lead and and you're positioning yourself and and and to becoming a leader for the future that people will notice. So I think that's a a way to to you know start learning where those muscles are and stretching them in in any position that people may be in. speaker-0: So it's it's that initiative and that inclusivity as well. speaker-2: Yeah. I think there's also a what what's the saying? Something you can become an expert when you teach it. So so even if it's something you feel that you already know and and you know it well enough, right? You can score a ninety-eight on the exam. Well, if you can teach it to someone and they can start teasing out maybe those last two percent, you can become a you know, one hundred percent master once you can teach it as well. So I mean I mean it's it's a multifold win there. to be able to to help. I mean, helping your your peers, your your colleagues, learning how to lead through doing that and and it's it's just it's a win win either way. speaker-0: So an initiative, include and inspire you're adding on as well. I love that. Cindy, what did you have to add to that? speaker-1: the first thing that comes to my mind is solve somebody else's problem. Solve somebody else's problem. It's that is such practical advice. Be a problem solver because it does two things. It gets you outside of yourself. It reminds you that it's not about you every day. And three, it exercises that muscle and it develops this habit every day. It's not about you. Then when you actually t start taking on more responsibility in the workforce, it becomes a natural habit. It just becomes just a a very it becomes a trait of someone who's just very successful, you know, and that's what begins to set you apart from your peers. You become selfless, you develop that keen eye for, you know, being a strong teammate and colleague. And, you know, there's nothing like someone. that will help you solve a problem. speaker-0: is it fair to say that leadership starts with trust? Think? speaker-1: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. When I think about the people that I work with that I trust, this sounds very silly, but I think about a time that I had a very tight suspense and I had to print something out for a runner that was going to bring something back to the wing commander. And the printer got jammed. Of course the printer got jammed. Of course it did. And so somebody had to come help me, right? Like, my God, help the captain. Right. And so the runner helped me, you know, and helped it just helped with everything and went back. And all I kept thinking was like now I just have to wait and see how they're gonna treat me when I go back. You know, like I'm sure they're talking about me and how incompetent I am and you know but that didn't happen at all. And that was such a big trust moment for me. Not only did this person see, you know, a problem that they didn't have to help me with, because they could have went back and said, Well, I guess the printer won today. You know. And, you know, it it could have gone completely different, but that was such a significant trust moment where they protected me and my my reputation and, you know, me in that moment. And it just became a this building block of trust that spurred on a stronger relationship where of course there was another, you know, another thing that came down the road where of course they needed me, right? It's it's only a matter of time before you need one another, you know, when you're in that trust building relationship. And, you know, and I had their back too, you know, and I think it was Nick Saban. I'm not an Alabama fan, but it was Nick Saban that did say last week at a presser, you know, be kind to those that you pass going up because they're gonna be the same people that you're gonna run into on the way down. You know, you're gonna see the same people. And you need to get those blue chips in the bank, you know. speaker-0: That's an interesting caveat though that as a leader you were nervous to show any vulnerability. But that also is part of what makes you a great great leader is having that for for your team. So I like how we brought that full circle there. Steven, how would you say that you earn people's trust? speaker-2: Ooh. Yeah, so this is where I think knowing your audience and and what people value will help you start to learn how to to do that effectively. I I I think there's some minimum beared entries there. if you say you're gonna be somewhere or or someone holds you know, you you you schedule a time to to show up. unfortunately, you know, there's times where where that doesn't happen and that's where the stuff the trust starts to diminish. So being a person that that you know you keep to your word is is a big one. but besides that scene where what people what what they need are are are they audible learners are they you know do they learn by doing if you're gonna help and show them to you you know is is presence valued more or just you know just some some empathy of of understanding where they're at and validating those those feelings with them. so so I think it it depends on the individual and where they're at and what their journey is to and and what they need for support. but then a a large part of that is listening. So a fundamental skill there is is active listening and not going in assuming that everyone is the same shape and you and you can have a template of of how these shapes should go through because if you come across that next person that's a different shape, it's not going to work for how you know, if you already have a template of how you, you know, want to help because you have to be able to adapt and and and mold to various people or groups or audiences, I think that's what makes a good leader and can help establish trust. speaker-0: So honoring individualism. I like that. Cindy, what's the fastest way to lose trust? speaker-1: think showing favoritism, showing favoritism, I mean, that'll kill it so fast, you know, because everyone will know like it just doesn't matter. You know, it doesn't matter what they do. They can perform, they can knock it out the park. But, you know, if if they don't have the secret sauce, if they're not rooting for your favorite baseball team, or if they're not going to your house on Sunday for, you know, whatever football, you know, they're not gonna be, you know, in the in crowd with you, you know. It's just sh favoritism will kill it quick. speaker-0: And so countering that, what's one habit you've intentionally developed to build trust with others? speaker-1: so it's how you cultivate relationships. You know, you have to be very mindful of the proximity in which you get close to people, especially that work for you. and you have to be mindful of of the optics of that, you know. I was actually talking to my mom the other day about when I worked in the Pentagon and Ilyne, you worked there too. there there used to be a service, like a church service that was in a restaurant where you first walked in. And a lot of my airmen used to go there. And I would walk in and I would hear it and, you know, I would I would listen and I'd be like, okay, yeah, you know, that was a good that was a good word. and they would invite me. but I would never go because I never wanted my airmen that did not go to ever walk by and see me sitting with a handful of folks and think that, you know, if something happened, it's because I go to this service with them because it was out in the open, you know what I mean? And we just all sat together. And it looked it, I I think it can easily be perceived as a very personal relationship because it was before office hours. And as much as I wanted to go and listen, I mean, it just sounded, you know, just like, I mean, a really good you know, service before before work and in a pr and logistically living in the DC area, you're kind of knocking out two birds with one stone, quite honestly, like just going to work and being in the building and, you know, but I had to be very mindful and I just said, you know, I'm not, I'm just not gonna do that. You know, because if something happened and they got in trouble and maybe the other people felt like they should have gotten, you know, dealt with a little more sternly, they're gonna say, that's because she hangs out with them, or that's because they're all the same religion, or that's because they're all the same whatever. And so I had to be very careful of the proximity of my relationships. And even though we had a lot in common, you know, and some of us were we were from the same state, the same neighborhood. And I even learned one of them, his cousin married my neighbor that I grew up with. Like it was crazy. But I had to be very careful in the proximity of relationships so that the perception wasn't there and everybody was treated the same and there was just no perception of favoritism. speaker-0: Okay. Yeah, thank you for that story. That really encapsulated it all and brought it back to the favoritism as as the killer and and how you were able to draw those boundaries to avoid that. and then you talked a little bit earlier too about like the escalator up and down within leadership. So let's talk a little bit about leading your peers. Students may think I can't lead because everyone is my age. Can you lead your peers, do you think? speaker-2: I think you can help lead your peers and I think there's the that that can be filled with different roles at different times. right now I have a lot of peers that are that are entrepreneurs, they're they're early stage companies trying to make big impacts in the world and in this specific cohort, we were all veterans, so there was a film area. familiarity out there for us. And I I made a post, a social post, and someone commented about veterans and helping each other out and and having that camaraderie and everything like that for for us as entrepreneurs and my response was something along the lines of being veterans, we have that what we call OPSE OPsec, right? Operational security and it's being vigilant and scoping the landscape as as you move through your environment, in this case the business environment, and then pointing out the landmines to each other. So at any given time, there may be someone who has experience and if they're willing to lead the rest for that experience, that that specific scenario, they can, you know, put on that that that shirt that says, you know, or that hat that says, I'm a leader. I I've been here before. Let me help everyone through that. it doesn't mean that, you know, they necessarily have to wear the hat. Some people like to wear the hat and some some don't. and so for those who might have that fear to to grow from that and say, hey, I'm gonna put this hat on because I actually do I have navigated this before. I've seen this all here. Let me help us all get through it and I I can help, you know, each person step over this river one by one. and then I'm gonna take the hat off when I'm done and and pass it to, you know, there there's another obstacle down the road who who's got experience there, you know, here wear the leadership hat and help me out now. So there's some humility there and and there's some ownership. but yeah, I could see scenarios like that today for myself and I'm sure others do as well. speaker-0: Yeah, definitely. Have you ever been influenced by somebody younger than you? speaker-2: I have. I have. it's it's great to see people, entrepreneurs, leaders that that are younger than me, and get that yeah, just just be able to to see them and watch them and understand how they they develop their leadership skills, you know, early. I I mean for me, I had no problem being immature adolescent, you know, a and trying to figure my life out at a early age. So there was a lot of growth I had that had to happen before I could get anywhere remotely close to where I'm at today. So others had that evolution, they had that growth early on. So I admire that because you know, maybe I wasn't there at that time at that age, but I have no problem saying, hey, you know, this is another situation, you know, do you mind sharing some insight there? I you know, I I don't mind humbling myself and and saying you're you're the expert. You you can you guide me through through the leadership you have in some some area and and yeah, happy to learn from from that. So you can definitely be younger and and be a leader. speaker-0: And give give credit where credit is too, right? speaker-2: Exactly. speaker-0: Cindy, how do you lead without coming across as controlling or how do you encourage people instead of just managing them? speaker-1: Well, before I answer that, I think I think it's important to state that everyone's personality is different and you can have the best intentions and it can still be misperceived. And so I don't want anyone to be discouraged, you know, when they offer help. And I think the other thing too is it's okay if somebody declines help. Like I think like it is okay because we all have to get to a place where, you know, maybe we say, you know what, I've declined about 82 offers and I'm on the 83rd offer and I probably need some help. We just need to understand, you know. but I I think I I think it just I think it really comes down to trial and error, quite honestly. You know, I think you can take a suggestive approach. I think you can take a storytelling approach. I think you can, you know, perhaps say to a peer, you know, one time when this happened to me, this is what I did and and it worked, you know. maybe pause, see if they're picking up what you're putting down, like you're suggesting a solution. And if they're not, maybe you say, what do you think? Do you think we should try this? But what you know, I I don't have all the answers, sway, but what I think you don't do is put on a managerial hat and start telling them this is what we're doing. Because I think, you know, the way that I go about some of these dynamic situations, and I'm still learning, is what am I not going to do in this situation? I'm not in charge. I'm not gonna tell them what to do. I have a strong personality. They have a strong personality. Sometimes I just call it out. Okay, listen, what do you think we should do right now? Because I'm a little afraid that if we turn the water on, it's just gonna go everywhere. What do you think we should do? And maybe they'll say, I have no idea. And then I say, How do you feel if we try this? And now there's this, everything's out in the open. I'm not trying to take control. I don't have the answers. What do you think? Now I'm trying I'm bringing them into the problem solving process. And there are times where I have overthought it and it doesn't go well for me because I do have a strong personality. And there are times where I go in without a plan and I just say, look, I have no idea. But what do you think? Because I think that if this happens, it's not going to go well. Do you do you think we should try this? I think coming in very kind of open. I don't know. I think sometimes for me in my personality, and everybody's personality is different and everyone can approach it differently, it works. If I were soft spoken, I think I can say a lot of stuff. I think if I had like a very soft, gentle voice, I think I could probably be like, I don't think that makes a lot of sense. I think perhaps we should do this. And then They might agree with me. But I think it is important. I think because it's not a like a cookie cutter approach. And I think Steven said that earlier. I think it's very important to understand your personality, their personality, because every scenario you find yourself in, you're probably going to be interacting with someone with a different personality and a different scenario. And so what worked here may not work there. And I just think that's really important because you you may want to say, Well, it worked. I don't understand. Maybe I'm not a leader. You're evolving and you have to pull out different tools it it out of your arsenal every time you run into something. speaker-2: You know what? Marriage. That that will break a horse a one trick pony real quick. And yeah, sorry I didn't mean to interrupt there. Yeah. speaker-0: You'll do it all the time. speaker-2: I'm like, yeah, you know, I I think the tactics that worked just for Steven his whole life, his whole career came to a screeching hole halt when they when I got married and and and so I I had to to learn what what the you know, what what the needs of others were, how they wanted things delivered, what what communicated best. I I'm a shoot from the hip. you know, I I I come from a engineering and building background. So I I'm used to doing things myself, where my spouse has this analytical, you know, let's stop, let's let's analyze the the the situation when I'm you know, I was ready to shoot, you know, ten steps behind. So Yeah, just it and it applies in the real world too. When you when you get employees, when you get a different colleagues, even different managers with the whole, you know, can you lead up kind of thing? so being able to understand that yeah, there's there's different shapes and and the shape that worked for maybe the majority of your life or career. you can only grow by learning there's more shapes out there and and adapting to that and and working with what you have. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah, so like the framing and then the inclusivity and then also the wisdom of like I could say the same thing to five people and it's gonna resonate differently with each of them. But there is gonna be conflict that is a part of leadership. So can you tell us about a difficult conversation that helps you become a better leader? Sure. In in the knowledge that everything is not gonna land just perfectly each time. So there will be conflict as part of leadership. speaker-2: Sure. So I I think I I had a very r run and gun type of leadership approach. you know, I had this this mindset that I would be at the front of the lines type of leader. when you see the the war movies, the the the the guy on the horse at the front of, you know, the big fleet of people there that that, you know, starts the charge and I'm I'm there and and so When you come across issues, if if someone isn't actively there running and you have an issue, while you want to handle it out there, you know, on the field and and we have something to do, we need to like nip this in the bud so that we can go forward, you you you might realize that that that's not the approach that the person will receive very well. so so definitely a conflict conflict environment there. So to take a step back and say, hey, I I I think if if this person is impacted, then their colleagues are impacted. So therefore the you know, our whole team, our whole group is impacted. Let me stop. Let me go back, handle this quickly. Let me let me empathize, let me listen and figure out what they need, what type of leader I need to be for them right now. And and there may be some sparks. But you know, as they say, iron sharpens iron. So you're wanting them to grow as you help lead them. And then you want to be growing as a leader as well. So it the ability to adapt quickly. I I as I say that it's a bit sounds a bit philosophical. Yeah, just I had a a conflict with a with an employee before and I had to stop and we had to have meetings and you know, representatives and it and I felt like it was halting the whole process. but it ended up giving me an opportunity to to figure out their their fears and the issues they were having that was impacting performance. you know, and we had support from from others that were there while we sat down and talked. so being able to get outside perspective as I've you know, I I would you know will admit at certain times I didn't fully understand. So someone was able to advocate for them and say, I think what they're trying to say is this. Is that right? And they would say yes or no. And it would help us all understand. So just taking those opportunities during conflict to to take a step back and maybe again get some help and say hey could someone come in and facilitate or assist because there there's a problem here. We need to resolve it because we need to be successful. We need to be sharp. and it it needs to be resolved. So it was all a growing experience. I learned a lot through experiences like that, specifically the one I'm thinking of. so those are great opportunities to grow. speaker-0: a pretty poignant poignant part in your in your career and your transitions and growth in leadership. So can disagreements actually strengthen relationships, would you say? speaker-2: absolutely. I I think I think disagreements are great because they they they're opportunities to to see the same situation or object through a different lens and and and to be able to to to share that, have other people look through it. I think there's a line yet to walk as a leader to say, hey, we're we're going to take opinions and and you can take opinions all day and and maybe you don't progress. So maybe at some point you have to draw a line and say, you know, we can take some amount of time to talk about this and look, but let's have a decision by X amount of time. So time management and and items like that kind of help you know, well round the the the scenario for leaders and and yeah the all all of these things are little characteristics for for everyone to grow in. That I I had to grow in. I'm still growing in. speaker-0: Yeah, mediators help. Cindy, we'll come it over to you. What's the difference between influence and authority? speaker-1: Authority is something that is it's formal. It's given to you. It's typically attached to a position or like a seat that you sit in. And influence is something that you garner, you know. you kind of you build with your character and your decision making and your response and your reputation and your consistency. and it's something that you can lose as well. you can. for the most part, maintain your authority as long as you sit in that position, as long as you're stewarding it in a way that's not illegal, immoral, or unethical. as long as you're sitting in that position. but your influence is something, it's it think I think of it as currency, you know, currency in the bank, you know, once it's spent, it's spent, you know, once you start kind of you know, misusing it, you know, you become inconsistent, you start mistreating people perhaps, or you start deviating from, you know, your kind of high character, solid character, you know, it starts depleting. But, you know, your influence is something that you garner. It's your currency. It's your s like sterling reputation. speaker-0: Love that. have you ever followed somebody simply because of how they treated people? speaker-1: All the time. I follow Ilyne. I follow her on Instagram. I follow her on LinkedIn. I'm about to follow Steven when we get off of here. No, honestly, I honestly, yes. Yes, yes, and yes. You know, there are there are some people that when you watch their decision making and you you watch them make decisions and you watch how they handle things when they can benefit by perhaps maybe throwing someone under the bus for lack of better words and they don't that's someone I want to follow. That's someone that doesn't benefit from somebody else taking a fall or responsibility for, you know, kind of making them look better. Like that is someone that, you know, Someone I would follow all day, you know, and being outside of the military now, those are the people that I still keep in touch with. The people that, you know, took care of me. when, you know, the paper jam happened, like paper gate, you know, and things like things like that, you know, when I couldn't find, you know, the keys to the office and you know, they had to run interference for me when my SES couldn't get in in there. You know, it was like make another meeting for him. I gotta find the keys, you know. yeah. speaker-0: Those are speaker-1: People that I'd follow anywhere. speaker-0: I think that resonates with all of us on the call here. So thank you for that. Steven, what characteristics would you say naturally inspire people? speaker-2: Characteristics that naturally inspire people. I think the obvious one and and the the easiest one to see is the charisma. you know, the to the people that most people naturally gravitate to. and it's a unique skill. I I'm trying to figure out what that what that means. you know, but we see it in in certain leaders. And and I think that's a great you know front door to to connecting with a leader. but beyond that, it's it's seeing if they lead by example, you know, so you can be brought in by a charismatic leader, but when the when the work you know actually happens and and when we're in stride, can they continue to operate and and and motivate example or or teach or or you know manage effectively so being able to to to keep to their word saying, hey, you know, here I'm gonna deliver something and it's gonna be great, charismatic, but also I'm gonna I want you to hold me accountable to that so that I follow through. I'm I'm gonna be trying my hardest and and I will be there, you know, with you the whole way through. and and I think that kind of goes back into the trust thing that that if you know we all have grace and and you know extending grace is a great characteristic for the leaders themselves but but as you know the the students or employees or or or whatever you know to see our leaders if they can't follow through with what they deliver at le you know you you lose trust for them so if you're in that position of leadership you don't want to lose that trust so you gotta make sure that you remember you know, what you what you said you were gonna do, that you follow through, that you show up, and and that will maintain that that that trust and that'll be a characteristic that they see that they continue to follow and and w want to you know want you to lead them. So speaker-0: Yeah, I feel like that charisma can be a little bit of a trepidatious aspect of it, but definitely like honoring and doing exactly what you say gonna do, all of that, I would definitely back up with the charisma as well. All right, so we are starting to round out. So imagine you're speaking to a student who says, I'm not a leader. What would you say to them? speaker-1: You're leading yourself and that's where it starts. You're holding yourself to a standard right now. Did you show up? Did you show up on time? Do you are you prepared? Do you have the things that you need to participate? That's where all leaders start. You're holding yourself to the standard. So that's yeah. speaker-0: Steven, how can students begin developing leadership skills before college or their first job? speaker-2: I I I think along the same lines of of the last question as well, being able to self-reflect. it's it's better to get that skill earlier than later, you know, and not being able to self-reflect on fifteen, sixteen, eighteen years of life versus, you know, thirty-five, forty plus years of life when you you know start doing that. So being able to do that early on and and see and and and ask like, hey, I I d I maybe don't think I'm leading right now, but but am I? And and so like Cindy said, I you know, I show up to class, I you know, I'm prepared, I I show up to my my summer work, my internships, and you know, but I don't think that I lead the those can I I know I just want to encourage those students that that other students see that, that that your intern managers, your professors, your teachers, they they see that. And so you may be leading without knowing your your colleagues, your peers, your you know, and other people. So don't sell yourself short. I I think if you're showing up in the ways that Cindy said and you're prepared and you're trying, you you'll you'll be able to see and and look around and and see who's kind of following you when you stop and turn around. So be encouraged. speaker-0: Self-reflection. All right. Cindy, one what's one habit you believe every future leader should start practicing today? speaker-1: I have a quote. I actually don't have one thing. And I have a quote, not because I am that deep. It is because I had to repeat it for eight hours one day. And so the quote has never left me. And it's by General George S. Patton Jr., United States Army. A leader should be doubly careful of their dress appearance and deportment. They are always on parade. Always be aware of how you present yourself. And how you carry yourself. You are always being watched. You are always being presented. You are presenting yourself whether you want to present yourself or not. And you're always leaving an impression. So speaker-0: Love that. All right. And now we'll switch gears to some fun stuff. So we like to do a rapid fire to to end these sessions. So you guys will both just just shoot out whatever whatever you think it is. So let's jump in. Leader you admire. speaker-1: Gloria Alred. speaker-2: Steve Steve Jobs. speaker-0: Most underrated leadership quality. speaker-1: Humility. speaker-2: Listening. speaker-0: most overrated leadership traits. speaker-1: Sorry, Steven, charisma. speaker-2: Oof. speaker-0: Lead by example or lead by vision? speaker-1: Example. speaker-2: I would say example as well. speaker-0: Trust or talent? speaker-1: Trust. speaker-2: trust. speaker-0: One word that defines great leadership. speaker-2: To understand in speaker-0: Character and understanding. Beautiful. All right. So couple more fun things. Finish these sentences. Leadership begins when speaker-2: You step out. speaker-1: People follow. speaker-0: People trust leaders who speaker-1: Have confidence in themselves. speaker-2: Show up and deliver. speaker-1: Ooh, I like that. speaker-0: I do too. The best leaders always. speaker-1: Inspire. speaker-2: Stay sharp. speaker-0: Okay. Read up. Students should never wait to speaker-2: Take a risk. speaker-1: Be asked. speaker-0: Yes, yes. Make your own path. Real influence comes from speaker-1: Development. speaker-2: yeah. yeah, I was gonna say something some synonym along the same lines. Yeah. Development's a good one. speaker-1: You can second the motion, it's okay. speaker-0: Here, here. All right. So to close this out, imagine every student listening today leaves with one belief about leadership. What do you hope that belief is? speaker-2: No one's restricted from being a leader. speaker-1: You're a change maker. You are a change maker. You don't have to be changing the world today to be able to change the world in 10, 20, 30 years. You're at the beginning of your journey. speaker-0: All right. so students, leadership isn't waiting until someone calls you a leader. It begins the moment you choose integrity over convenience, service over recognition, curiosity over ego, and responsibility over excuses. You don't need permission to encourage someone. You don't need a title to solve a problem. You don't need a promotion to make a difference. The leaders our world needs tomorrow are practicing those habits today. Thank you so much for joining Access Co Leaders Summer Leadership Series. And remember, your career is built one decision at a time. Your relationships matter. Your setbacks can become your strengths. Your character will carry you further than your resume. And leadership begins long before someone gives you authority. We'll see you next time.