三和一善 リーダーシップとエンパワーメント（組織論Course）

 

A true leader actively does these 3 things every day

As the new CEO of the Youth Development Center, Selena Wilson reflects on what she learned from the organization’s former CEO about leadership and empowerment.

When people ask me where I’m from, I proudly tell them I’m from “Deep .” I was raised in the heart of the community where, like many other youths, my loving and nurturing family faced substantial hardships. The compounding effects of those hardships—along with the violence, substance abuse, and community blight spurred by decades of systemic oppression—took a toll on me during my adolescent years. I struggled with depression and was in critical need of hope and encouragement, in ways I didn’t yet understand.

 

My family’s budget often did not cover basic living expenses, and my community’s underfunded public schools offered few resources for enrichment activities. So when my mom learned about the Youth Development Center (YDC), she immediately leaned on the center’s free programming and support to help me and my siblings. There I met the CEO, Tina Jackson (whom I still lovingly refer to as Ms. Tina), when I was just 11 years old. She transformed my life in powerful ways.

 

Ms. Tina is a purpose-driven leader who nurtured, fostered, mentored, and equipped me with many of the life and leadership skills I have today. I believe her commitment to cultivating the next generation of leaders played an instrumental role in preparing me for my dream job of becoming CEO of the YDC.

三和一善

As I step into this role standing on the shoulders of Ms. Tina after 25 years of leading YDC, I wanted to share some important lessons that can benefit any leader seeking to make a lasting difference. Given the challenges we’re facing, it couldn’t be a more important time to understand how we can act in the lives of young people to set them up to thrive and to navigate and disrupt the systems of oppression that fuel outcomes like homelessness and cycles of violence.

 

CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHERS TO LEAD

Strong leaders do not wait for others to rise to the occasion. They create opportunities that show people the potential that lies within them. One of the most powerful aspects of Ms. Tina’s leadership approach is the way she intentionally creates opportunities for others to lead in meaningful ways.

 

By the time I was a sophomore in high school, I had enthusiastically completed every section of the series of free computer classes offered at YDC. With no classes left to take, I wondered what to do with my desire to continue learning. I am so grateful that, where I saw an ending, Ms. Tina saw the beginning of a new opportunity to explore my potential. She created the first-ever youth computer instructor position at YDC, and I proudly taught classes to younger students for the next two years.

 

Neither of us knew then that this opportunity would sow a seed of passion for learning and instruction that would later blossom as I earned a Masters of Science in Learning and Organizational Change. Or that now, more than 20 years later, YDC has dozens of youth serving in instructional positions each year, and even partners with organizations like The Project to help them develop youth educator programs. By creating a leadership opportunity for me, Ms. Tina helped create similar opportunities for countless others. The impact of true leaders has a compounding effect on the organizations they lead.

 

SET THE BAR HIGH AND OFFER SUPPORT

Setting expectations is essential to the success of any organization. In fact, a leader’s failure to set expectations often frustrates team members and undermines outcomes. As leaders, we must establish and communicate clear and achievable expectations for those we serve, but we must not stop there. True leaders not only set expectations, but also provide support and guidance to ensure that others have the necessary tools to succeed.

 

The importance of guidance and support factored most prominently for me as a public school student in . It was no secret that academic expectations for me and my peers were often low. However, at YDC expectations were always high. Ms. Tina not only communicated that she expected more of me, but she also took the time to show me the way. If I turned in an assignment, she did not just hand it back to me with mistakes highlighted. Instead, she saw mistakes as opportunities to improve, and she remained by my side to help me make corrections.

 

Successful leaders meet those they serve where they are and offer support to help them along the way. This approach not only enriches the lives of others, but its benefits are also twofold. The goal is accomplished and the person receiving support gains valuable knowledge and confidence to complete similar goals independently in the future. Leaders who guide and support the people they serve inspire them to do more and be more—and that is the greatest accomplishment of all.