Learning to Lead from Others
Written by: LaToya Larkin, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
To operate a successful organization, there has to be a level of respect for all positions to make things possible. Let’s take the example in education. The bus driver is one of the most important roles in a school district because the driver not only picks up students but in most cases, they are the first and last person that the students see. Every school district or public transportation organization should update the job description to mention the essential key things about the character and importance of the driver. They should be ready and willing to provide friendly and quality customer service.
Get Involved In Things Outside of Comfort Zone
One of my favorite sayings, "you have to get uncomfortable to get comfortable." Many people are only comfortable with doing things that are familiar to them. They talk about stepping outside of your proverbial comfort zone. One thing that was unanimous across the board was fundraising. Most people tend to be uncomfortable with fundraising, but the reality is that you should challenge yourself to be better at fundraising because, in all honesty, there is never an abundance of too many funds.
Maintaining Talent/Long-Term Leadership
Excellent workers and employees are hard to find. Therefore, there should be work put in to retain the talent that is on hand. On average, most millennials will change jobs every 2-5 years, and Baby Boomers are retiring. It is cheaper to keep and retain because it costs around 20% of the salary of the person you are getting rid of. Implementing continuing education, providing opportunities for advancement, networking events, industry news, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and any positive milestone in an employee’s life are all a few examples of effective ways to engage employees.
Creative Compensation
Outside of direct compensation such as salary, bonus, and commissions, there should be some creative compensation in place for the sake of retaining employees. A good benefits package should be in addition to the salary because entry-level to mid-level salaries tend to be lower and offset with offered benefits. Insurance plans (health, life, dental, vision, long-term care, short-term disability (STD), paid time off leave (PTO-vacations, holidays, sick leave ), educational reimbursements, retirement savings plans, company events (picnics, holiday parties, and such). The work environment and climate with ½ days on Friday or the ability to work from home. Technology incentives such as laptop, tablet/iPad, or company cell phone. Alternatively, even paid continuing education incentives with allowing employees one company paid a trip for professional development.
Communication is Key
Any message delivered to the organization needs to be addressed to reach everyone that may receive and process messages differently. Conveying the news the same way as you would with other essential details to the organization. However, make sure that everyone will be able to take in all the information coming their way to keep everyone on one accord.
Strong and Supportive Board
Strong board/CEO relationships put the organization and its mission first and recognize what they can achieve through joint efforts. Like any winning team, successful boards and their CEOs demonstrate mutual respect and support for one another's roles and responsibilities. Micromanaging can become a problem when trustees pay too much attention to details and not enough attention to the “big picture” strategic issues and implications.
LaToya Larkin, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Chef LaToya Larkin, CCE, is the Program Coordinator of the Culinary Arts Program at Spring High School while being the first African American Female Chef in the district (Spring ISD) in Spring, TX. Her 20 years of expansive knowledge and culinary passion have led to lifetime achievement opportunities. She received her MBA (Nonprofit Management) from Springfield College, BS (Culinary Management) from The Art Institute of Atlanta, and AAS (Culinary Arts) from The Art Institute of Houston. Besides the education field, Chef Larkin operates three businesses that reflect her passions in life. Tamale product line “Black Girl Tamales” of signature fusion tamales, Not Enough Thyme Personal Chef Services, a personal chef/catering business, clothing line Divah Chef Apparel of shirts & aprons, and It’s Thyme 4a Change, is a non-profit organization catering to at-risk youth to mentor and guide while planting the positive seed to exemplify the vast opportunities of culinary. She’s devoted to inspiring the youth to be all they can be so that everyone can connect to eternal love, which is the reason for our existence, and reach their full potential. Sharing her wisdom, knowledge, life experiences, and triumphs commits her to making a difference in the lives of others. She’s happy to embrace the opportunity to take part in the uplifting and happiness of others.
