Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • July 23, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 21 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Model the way for tomorrow's leaders By Andre Santiago "I f your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." This quote by John Quincy Adams rings true to me as an educator and as a leadership practitioner. I believe it speaks to business leaders and commu- nity leaders as well. All of us must un- derstand why it's important to develop and inspire tomorrow's leaders. It's also important to know how best to do so. Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, au- thors of the leadership classic, "The Leadership Challenge," tell us that "modeling the way" is the first step to becoming an effective leader. Model- ing the way means creating standards of excellence, set- ting the example for others, and leading with the heart. I have taught leadership development to high school and college students for a decade. I have learned how the younger generation views what it means to be a leader and how I can be a guiding light for them. I hold my stu- dents to a high standard of excellence within the programs that I direct. I provide students with opportunities to push themselves, to step outside of their comfort zones and to generate small wins. The same approaches, employed in the workplace, will have the same results. Personal connections are another key to young people's growth and development. Our programs provide space for students to learn about other cultures and to share who they are and where they come from. We often in- clude a cultural celebration, a pot-luck meal of favorite family dishes during which we share our stories. I model the way by going first and giving the students an intimate look of my values and beliefs and what I, a Puerto Rican male, hold most near- and-dear to my heart. As I reflect on inequities, injustice and violence in today's world, I think back to one of the best role models this world has ever seen, Martin Luther King Jr. He inspires me to dream more and to become more, and to continue to develop my own skills so that I can con- tinue to model the way for my students. Of course, we have contemporary examples closer to home. All of us, in- cluding leaders in business, can learn much from the examples set by three area leaders: • Candida Flores, executive director of Family Life Education, has dedi- cated her professional and volunteer energies to serving youth, particularly those in greatest need. • Olivia Ilano Davis, founder and ar- tistic director of Spectrum in Motion, has offered city youth with opportuni- ties to become more confident and col- laborative leaders through dance. • Judy Keane turned tragedy into triumph by starting a foundation that serves Wethersfield children in the name of her husband who died in the World Trade Center attack on 9/11. Leadership Greater Hartford will rec- ognize these women in October with its annual Polaris Awards. Their work in cultivating the next generation of leaders definitely models the way. Young people have "heart" in abundance. They have a high desire and need for social justice and inclu- sion. They want to impact change in a major way. They will enter the work- force bringing these same values and motivations. They will look for men- tors who will model the way and show them how to become leaders others want to follow. Leaders have an obligation to inspire the dreams of those who are following them. If we want our organizations, our communities and our world to be healthy, strong and yes, kind, we must model the way. Our values, beliefs and actions will shape the leaders of tomorrow. Andre Santiago is the senior program director at Leadership Greater Hartford. HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM POLL LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULT: Will you watch professional soccer at Dillon Stadium? NEXT WEEK'S POLL: Can Hartford become a hub for insurance technology (insurtech) startups? To vote, go online to hartfordbusiness.com BIZ BOOKS Tips for workplace conflict resolution By Jim Pawlak The Conflict Resolu- tion Phrasebook: 2,000+ Phrases for Any HR Professional, Manager, Business Owner, or Anyone Who Has to Deal with Difficult Work- place Situations" by Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem (Career Press, $14.99). All of us have encountered situa- tions where we miscommunicated, misunderstood what was said, let biases affect our responses, etc. The authors list phrases and sentences to address our communications faux pas. Here are some highlights from two closely related chapters (1 and 6): Chapter 1 — "What's the problem?" Before dealing with this prickly issue, answer this question: "What do you think will happen if we don't deal with this?" Realizing that a less-than-opti- mal outcome will result from non-reso- lution makes you think how to engage someone in a conversation that doesn't become defensive or argumentative. Open with an "I value your input" lead like: "I'd like to share an issue and get your opinion." As they speak, don't interrupt. An "If I understand you correctly … " response moves the conversation into other com- ments (i.e. I see your perspective.) about common ground (i.e. We can agree that … .) and facts versus opinions (i.e. Do we have the information we need?). Chapter 6 — "Don't draw a line in the sand." When positions are front and center in a conflict, mutual interests go unidentified as defending the position becomes paramount. Try this instead: "This is a tough situation, but we are creative people. Let's work together to find a solution." This type of response defuses and diffuses the "position" by indicating a willingness to explore op- tions and find common ground. This leads to a conversation cen- tered around "What might have we missed?" and "How could we approach the problem differently?" Note the emphasis on "we." A quote from the movie "Cool Hand Luke" sums up issues with dealing with conflict: "What we have here is a failure to communicate." 41.5% No 58.2% Yes READER COMMENTS: "Bringing another team to Hartford will be a great boost in foot traffic for Hartford businesses, especially restaurants. The venue could also be used for other events." "Not a soccer fan, but I hope the team and Dillon are as successful as the Goats/Dunkin' Donuts Park." "Can't wait for big time pro soccer to return to Hartford." Andre Santiago Jim Pawlak Book Review

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