10 month mark: Major Victory

Today, I celebrate the completion of my work with Leadership Miami and my 10 month mark of moving to South Florida! I’m so proud of what I’ve accomplished in less than a year.

For the past 9 months, I have been involved in the annual program which is sponsored by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. The program is targeted towards men and women interested in making Miami a better place to live.

My group, More4Miami, worked with Chapman Partnership. Chapman’s mission immediately

More4Miami

resonated with me. I started Leadership Miami only after living in Miami for one month after relocating from Chicago. Joining the program was a way to get involved and educated about the issues of the community in which I work, much like my civic engagement in Chicago. Learning about Chapman’s mission and how they have single-handedly help decrease homelessness in Miami impressed and inspired me. Jumping into the work and making sure the team did an excellent job was my primary focus, but not the primary benefit I received. WATCH OUR PROJECT COMPLETION VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ygvmEFdwlg&feature=share.

What I gained from this program was a reevaluation of my own leadership strengths and weaknesses. I learned that I thrive when I have work with people who are self-starters and take initiative, like me. I tend to like them more.

This program also revealed my lack of patience for non-workers/self-starters. I set really high

expectations and when people don’t meet them, I dismiss them. Leadership Miami taught me that my approach as a leader should be to help my teammates identify their own strengths.

In all aspects of my life, I’m intentional. I engage in purposeful behavior. Developing my leadership and cultivating life-learning skills are my objectives in all of my work. Leadership Miami increased those skills. This program also helped me in my personal goals of being versatile and knowledgeable about multiple business sectors. I’ve served in corporate companies, marketing advertising agencies and the nonprofit world. The best brand strategists have a diverse portfolio. They think holistically, far outside operational silos. Being part of the Leadership Miami has sharpened those proficiencies which will benefit FIU and me. I will be better at directing FIU to communicate more effectively with integrity, excellence and tenacity.

In the words of DJ Khaled, Leadership Miami helped me discover “major keys to success.”