It truly does not feel like year two is in the books, but with the culmination of our Annual Meeting and April 1st having come and gone this allows a moment to pause and reflect on the past year and really look at the three leadership learnings from year two.
Embrace the Opportunity of Change:
Change is something that is inevitable and at times uncomfortable, but change is also something to embrace and learn from. I believe in asking questions, assessing what we are doing, and learning from each other. This year our United Way went through multiple changes as we underwent a CRM conversion, a new website layout and new faces on our team. Each of these areas has made us a better and more responsive team.
Continuing a New Culture:
In a new world of hiring and working environments we have to embrace this change too knowing that the foundation is rooted in the culture. Team culture is a top priority for me, and I am inspired by each employee’s individual contribution to our United Way of Central Illinois team. It is amazing to see what we can do when collaboration and trust are foundational pieces of who we are as an organization. These are not just buzzwords for me, they are the very center of who I am. I am blessed and filled with gratitude for the amazing team that we have built here that is bright, curious, energetic, committed and mission minded.
The Key of Collaboration:
Whether it is our United Way team, Board of Directors, donors, non-profit partners or government officials, the willingness to engage together provides the steppingstones to impact change. My goal when I think about collaboration in this last year and moving forward is to be determined to build opportunities that connect individuals within their communities to resources that will help them thrive.
I want to thank you for being a part of my journey.
As I continue to settle into this position and evolve as a leader, I am always assessing where I can make the most impact, and how I can uniquely rally people around our mission. Being curious and having courage to do it differently allows all of us to unlock our full potential because at the end of the day we all want to thrive.