9 JANUARY 2026THE REAL OBLIGATION OF LEADERSHIPbe a leader of people. I was confusing getting the work/task done with what it means to be a real leader. Most of the time when it came to work, I was non-negotiable. I wanted to win and I wanted to win right now. I was going to compete and show everyone what I was capable of. I was fortunate that many people in the organization saw my potential and wanted to support my growth and development. This point in time in my career became a pivotal moment, I knew I had to introduce different elements to my leadership and make adjustments. The feedback provided was easy to understand and I didn't challenge it. The real question was whether or not I was ready to make the change. The purpose of leadership is to create more leaders, not more followers. I learned this quote when I was in business school and it has resonated with me ever since. A mentor reminded me, "Your job is to help other people be successful and if they're successful, it will always reflect on you". As I've grown through my career and been exposed to different leadership opportunities, I never take it for granted that in leadership we have a real responsibility of helping, mentoring and coaching today's leaders to be ready for tomorrow's challenges. My job as a leader is to ensure that my team has the tools, resources and support necessary to achieve their day to day goals in addition to helping them grow into their career ambitions. I incorporate coaching in each of my interaction as much as we talk about the business. Milton Hershey once said, "There is not a person alive who should not plant a tree, not for the shade you will enjoy, but for those coming after." It's often said that to whom much is given, much is expected. I couldn't agree more. The roles that we occupy are temporary and therefore, our obligation to society at large is that we do everything we can to support and nurture someone with potential to develop and grow into their own. If we, as leaders, do this enough times, the impact will be far larger than anything we could have ever imagined. My measure of success will always be determined by how much I did to help someone else. THE PURPOSE OF LEADERSHIP IS TO CREATE MORE LEADERS, NOT MORE FOLLOWERS.
< Page 8 | Page 10 >