“Don’t let your surroundings limit your vision.”
“Leave things better the way you found it.”
I’ve had the privilege of listening to many inspiring quotes from our executive leadership team during my seven-year career at Lowe’s. Every time I hear a powerful one, I transcribe it into my iPhone. These are just a couple that remind me of my career and experience with the Emerging Business Leaders program.
Don’t let your surroundings limit your vision
My career aspirations might have begun in the fifth grade when my family moved to Omaha, Nebraska. It only took my first day of school to realize I was literally the only minority in my class. It gave me a false sense of, “I don’t belong.”
For the next 20 years l lived in an environment where the majority of the population was a certain demographic. I routinely saw that individuals in leadership positions did not look like me. When I think back, I truly believe it gave me an unconscious vision that I shouldn’t be one of those leaders. As a result, I had limited aspirations when it came to career growth.
My career journey began on June 27, 2014. I was happy then, but very complacent with my job. There wasn’t opportunity for job advancement, so I just took it day by day. June 27, 2014, was the day my first-born came into the world. At the time, I worked 2:30 to midnight and my wife worked 1 A.M. to 10 A.M. Totally fine when you’re DINKS (Dual Income No Kids) but not sustainable when you’re raising an infant. It was later that year when my wife (probably on two hours of sleep) and I made a commitment to try and put ourselves in a better position to care for ourselves and our young family. It meant making a career change for the both of us.
I was willing to take the leap, but I lacked the confidence. Do I have transferable skills? Do I have the business acumen? Can I adapt to the corporate world? The thought, “I don’t belong,” which I experienced in elementary school, reared its ugly head when I was trying to make that leap.
All it took was one person. One person that believed in me. One person that took a chance on me. That one person saw my potential and hired me. I still never take for granted the opportunity he gave me.
Seven years later, I’m still hungry to grow. I’m still asking myself, “How can I be a better leader?” That’s why I applied for the Emerging Business Leaders (EBL) program at the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. It’s an opportunity for me to engage with other leaders while getting authentic feedback from some of the most influential people in the region.
Leave things better the way you found it
This quote can be applied at any age. I say it to my sons all the time. They can apply it to their messy bedroom, I can apply to the city of Charlotte.
Since 2006, I’ve been fortunate to get a front row seat watching this city thrive. I’ve also witnessed the growing pains that come with it. A session at EBL reinforced the upward mobility challenge this city faces. The class asked us, “What can we do to make a change to improve?”
One of the many things I’ve learned during EBL is the fact that building your community is just as important as building your career. Leadership goes beyond the workplace. I learned that regardless of where you sit at the table, we all add value by tapping into the civic and economic environment. EBL taught me to maximize myself within the community where I work and live, because my employer expects it. Now, I expect it.
So, what can we all do to make this city better than the way we found it?
