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The Rock

Writer's picture: Vernita BrownVernita Brown

I'm not sure if I've ever told her, but I always thought of my former boss, Laura, as sort of "a rock" within our organization.  When difficult situations would arise, as they often do, there was always calmness about her, an inner peace that was outwardly contagious.  When I came to know her, I was walking through a transition in my career from one company to a nonprofit organization she'd been a part of for about 3 years.  I remember her being graceful and welcoming and we quickly forged a friendship.


A few years later, when the scope of our work grew to the point where a shift in the organizational chart was necessary, it was evident that she was an unspoken leader among the staff and she was consequently (and smartly) promoted to Chief Operating Officer.  A part of me worried that this shift would cause a major change in the dynamic of our relationship because she went from being my colleague, with whom I'd had equal footing, to my supervisor and indisputable boss...Eventually things did change between us, but only for the very best.


As Laura took on this new role, her strong leadership traits were only amplified. She was an amazing boss and a leader who was easy to follow.  Part of what made her so easy to follow was the fact that she was steady, and honest, always operating with a strong sense of integrity. She might have been having a panic attack on the inside, but the attitude Laura exemplified and promoted was one of thoughtfulness, strategy, perseverance and calm.


One example of a time her leadership steadied our team was during a trying financial season in the lifecycle of our organization.  We'd gotten word that we'd lost a couple of large grants, and the funding landscape was not at all what we'd budgeted for.  Given the brunt of the Great Recession, we'd all have to take a 10% pay cut in order to keep our jobs.  Most of the team was despondent, yet we all agreed that this was best to keep our team functioning and tried to brace for continued impact.  But rather than retract, Laura rallied.  Rather than sulk, she did what winning leaders do and pushed past what looked like an insurmountable obstacle and singlehandedly created a donor campaign to increase financial gifts.  She started with her friends and family members, and as they opted to recommit to our mission and vision, we were all encouraged and began seeking out similar support.


To this day, I'm not certain of how much money was raised as a result of her individual response to our financial drought.  As a team, and with a tireless Executive Director at the helm, we eventually made it out of that rough period and in the coming years, the organization experienced unprecedented growth and success.  But the effect of Laura's leadership was far beyond money; I could share countless examples of times I was amazed at her steady thought process, her ability to provide constructive feedback, and her ability to communicate in a way that made those of us around her view situations from a completely different lens.  Her habitual decision to respond to challenges rather than retreat or react swayed team morale in such a way that we were all more confident about our jobs, the path we'd chosen, and the mission we were fighting to protect.


As a leader, does your style bring harmony and strengthen your team or are your contributing to chaos?  Is steady, thoughtful leadership rolling down your hill?


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