The LightHeart Institute

Blog

Rochester Leadership Digest #4 – March 2020

By

Building a Leadership Culture in Rochester

Table of Contents

Copyright 2020 The LightHeart Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Valuable Leadership Lessons

Ty Hookway

Ty Hookway

The first time I heard about Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, NY, I was sitting in a conference in Philadelphia for the annual Conscious Capitalism gathering. I couldn’t help but feel drawn to the presentation on Open Hiring™ – a business model which affords applicants, regardless of history or personal circumstances, gainful employment, with multifaceted training to succeed. I was sold!

The motto of Greyston is simple: Eat Brownies, Change Lives. This is because, along with producing 10 million pounds of baked goods a year, they bake 35,000 lbs. of brownies per day for Ben and Jerry’s. And they do it while empowering many. Mike Brady, the CEO of Greyston explains it this way, “We don’t spend money to screen people out. Instead, we invest to bring people in who are often systematically excluded from the mainstream economy.”

Greyston has graduated 1,200 people over the past 10 years, and they, in a single year, have generated up to $18 million in wages.

Prior to learning about Greyston, Open Hiring™, and its unbelievable social impact, I spent 25 years as a serial entrepreneur. These years were laden with healthy doses of successes and failures. I often tell my customers they should hire me because there isn’t a mistake I haven’t made!

Here are some of the most important leadership lessons I’ve learned…

Failure can be your friend. Failure crushes the ego, and frees the mind. It allows the needs of others to come forward. It has allowed me to listen to others more fully, learn from them, and build the type of trust that helps others believe in themselves even more. This in turn encourages them to better use their gifts and skills.

Purpose Driven Mentality Increases Momentum – My focus and personal mission statement for both CleanCraft and my life are the same: seek to provide a high quality of life for others and the peace of God to all I encounter. Applying this tenet to all the stakeholders of my company – employees, customers, vendors, and the community-at-large, has been a significant, success pillar in my experience. While our team members understand they must meet goals and metrics, they also understand the value of being purpose-driven throughout their decision making.

Lifelong Learning Is More Valuable than Traditional Training – I’ve discovered over the years that learning through daily interaction with others is perhaps more valuable than traditional business training. We can learn from each person we come into contact with. I urge my team to reach out to others when looking for input.

Humility Opens the Heart – There’s an old saying, “The path to success is lined with failures.” Failing is tough! But it’s taught me humility. This has been critical to my leadership development. It has opened my heart to become a better listener and really hear other’s opinions.

Trust and Forgiveness Are Integral to Relationships – Both are easy to say but hard to do. In my organization, we forgive and forget fast, and focus on catching people doing things right. We talk about what we are grateful for and what we believe in and steer away from the negative. We focus on one another’s strengths and support each other while we both succeed and fail endeavoring to fulfill our mission.

Coaching and Mentoring Are Non-Negotiable – I have been blessed with amazing coaches and mentors my entire life. Now my most fervent goal is to be a coach and mentor to my team. I am resolute to talk less and listen more. With effective mentoring and coaching, my leaders have the skills to successfully manage the day-to-day activities of the company.

Sometimes I feel like an accomplished business leader but more often I consider myself to be early in the journey toward becoming a great leader. I have evolved into an effective leader by using what I have learned from my experiences.

I have purposely assembled a team with similar values. We have collaborated to make a financial profit as well as to create an extraordinary work environment.

This is what has led me to spearheading Greyston in Rochester. In collaboration with numerous local non-profit and for-profit businesses we will be implementing the Open Hiring™ business model this spring. People here are very jazzed! Mike Brady who is originally from Greece, NY is thrilled to have a Rochester hub… “It’s going to be transformative – for people, for business, and for the community.”

Ty Hookway is a serial entrepreneur, and Founder and President of CleanCraft, a commercial cleaning company in Rochester which employs over 300 people. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from the College of the Holy Cross, and serves on the Board of Directors of Conscious Capitalism, BOMA, and Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, NY. Ty is married to the love of his life, Liz, and together they have seven beautiful children.

Leaders Build Community

Dr. Marcia Bornhurst Parkes
Founder, Insightful Music Leadership
Music Director, Melody Masters Big Band

Astute leaders know that every team member’s efforts drive their organization’s success. When team members are trusted, respected, and appreciated as colleagues, they value their work and perform better.

Dr. Marcia Bornhurst Parkes

Imagine a loving, warm embrace from parents and grandparents who lived by The Great Commandment. Imagine deep gratitude from children who developed mentally, physically and spiritually as a result of so much love. Indeed, my family was fortunate, and the desire to help others was instilled in us at an early age. When mother became a Cub Scout leader, it was me, the eldest and a Girl Scout, who helped at meetings. A family inquired about their boys joining my mother’s den since they valued the benefits of scouting, and they lived not far from us. Eager to help, mother welcomed them warmly.

Scouts held newspaper drives to raise funds; all were expected to help. Imagine that family, with a sweet, younger sister, arriving to our home with a wagon piled high with newspaper. They didn’t own a vehicle, and the trek on foot was a mile. Each person was grinning from ear to ear about their grand and surprising contribution to the drive. Soon, we were dismayed to learn that newspaper insulation taken from their home, a run-down shack, was donated to the cause. What they gave certainly was a sacrifice. From that moment, my family took a special interest and helped the family to feel they belonged. This enduring lesson demonstrates how leaders strive to recognize a need, lift others up, appreciate peoples’ gifts and talents, and build community.

Lessons learned throughout my life have helped shape my personal mission to strive daily to be a good person and serve others. My field is music, and currently I serve as a music director and a consultant. Following decades of teaching, conducting, and leadership while serving in higher education, community music, and k-12 schools, and through leadership roles with professional organizations, I continue to support others through consulting and leading a community big band.

Music directors have a unique perspective of leadership. Following years of training, we have learned how to: set the tone by sharing the vision and values; tune in by observing, listening and considering when to respond; and “harmonize” the ensemble by building a community. Success in business as well as in music and other arts organizations is a result of strong, forward-thinking leadership and a capable team that meets and satisfies customers’ needs. Leaders, who articulate their vision and emphasize values as well as performance, recognize that the team will be more likely to embrace the company’s mission and purpose. Astute leaders know that every team member’s efforts drive their organization’s success. When team members are trusted, respected, and appreciated as colleagues, they value their work and perform better.

As strong artistic leaders of professional and amateur ensembles, music directors, and their musicians, know this well. All accept the music industry’s high standard of excellence as well as a culture of mutual respect to ensure united, high quality performances. To reach that standard in rehearsals and concerts, music directors engage their acute listening abilities and powers of observation. While “reading” their musicians they instantaneously adjust and monitor the performance via non-verbal communications.

The wise music director knows that her musicians are people, first. They have families, personal needs, and career goals. While able to persuade her colleagues to commit to the organizations’ vision and values, which she helped to shape, the music director is also empathetic and offers genuine support as appropriate. Musicians are encouraged to grow in their work and responsibilities. The result is a high level of satisfaction for all, and an amazingly rich and strong community which the music director fostered and everyone chose to build together.

For more information, please go to:
https://www.musicleadership.us
https://www.melodymastersbigband.com

Marcia Bornhurst Parkes, Ph.D., is the founder of Insightful Music Leadership. Key areas of focus include leadership, engagement-service learning, musicianship and performance anxiety. Also, Marcia is the music director for the Melody Masters Big Band. Both organizations are based in Rochester, NY.

Opportunity Awaits

Bishop David J. Singleton
Senior Pastor of Ark of Jesus Ministries
President & CEO of Celebration of Life Community, Inc.

Since there was no organized effort in Rochester that I was familiar with and because it was in my heart to see this gathering materialize, I felt, at least I should try to see if we could do this.

Bishop David J. Singleton

Leadership has been critical since the beginning of time. It’s been said that everything rises and falls on leadership. I couldn’t agree more.

I often say we need a bus driver when talking about getting something done. You can have a bus full of folk but the bus will not move without a driver. The leader is the driver of the bus. Many will be willing to take the journey with you when you are clear about where you are going, and are doing something constructive, beneficial and worthwhile.

Take the National Day of Prayer for example. I felt a call in my heart many years ago to form a human prayer chain around City Hall and the Monroe County Office Building. My vision was one unbroken chain with a diverse group of people praying for an increased God-consciousness in our community. This came from a desire to see the Body of Christ come together and pray. It was based on the belief that God hears prayer and answers prayer. There was no organized event in Rochester at the time and I felt a strong desire to see such a gathering materialize.

When I started this event in 2012, I didn’t know what the outcome would be. I just knew I needed to trust God for the outcome.

By God’s grace, eight years later, it has evolved into a staple of Rochester. Clergy, government officials, business leaders and a vast array of community members come and join hands each year with one single intention.

This is what happens when you take a risk, venture out and do the one thing inside your heart you feel called to do. Leaders lead! They reach out beyond themselves and make a difference in other people’s lives. A wise person once said, “You don’t need to be able because God can make you able. You just have to be available.”

“I felt a call in my heart many years ago to form a human prayer chain around City Hall and the Monroe County Office Building.”

People often say “opportunity knocks.” I don’t believe in that submission. I believe opportunity stands silently by, waiting to be noticed. It may seem like an unfair exchange. We are asked to invest ourselves in something before we receive anything in return. But it is part of the sowing and reaping principle. The seed is sown before it produces. But it always produces larger than itself. We need to sow our investment of time, energy and whatever else is required. It pays over and above the investment when we are doing what we believe God wants us to do.

You may be waiting for someone else to do something that you believe really should be done. Could you be the one who should be doing it? Sometimes we are bothered because we are the one who ought to be doing the one thing we wish someone else would. Could you be that someone else?

Bishop David J. Singleton is the Senior Pastor of the Ark of Jesus Ministries and has been serving in this capacity for 36 years. He is a retired professional firefighter after 22 years of honorable service and is the Chaplain for the Rochester City Fire Department. Bishop Singleton is the President and CEO of Celebration of Life Community, Inc. and serves on several boards including the Board of Directors for The Unified Mission of Rochester, Inc. and Flower City Habitat for Humanity.

National Day of Prayer

Please join Rochester leaders Thursday May 7, 2020 outside Rochester City Hall, 30 Church St, Rochester, NY at 4:00pm to pray for our city and our nation. We will form a human Christian prayer chain, holding hands in prayer.

Please go to https://prayerinitiative.org to register for this free event.

Best Wishes Mikal!

Mikal Brown

Join us in extending well wishes to our Editor, Mikal Brown, as he carries his message of leadership excellence forward.

Not too long ago a group of us were sitting around a table discussing the best way to inspire conscious, intentional leadership in our community. We had just experienced a fire-hydrant drink of content from a world-renown, faculty of leadership experts at the annual Global Leadership Summit. Mikal, with the encouragement of another one of our leaders, Meredith Bullock, drove home the idea of the Rochester Leadership Digest and its potential for impact in the Rochester community.

As we publish our 4th edition we are so grateful to Mikal for his hard work in initiating this publication and getting the ball rolling for all to benefit.

Best Wishes Mikal!

Visionary Leadership

Lisa Hill DiFusco
Founder and President
The LightHeart Institute

Lisa Hill DiFusco

The lens through which we see the world determines what we experience in life.

In his book, The Art of Possibility, Boston Philharmonic Conductor, Benjamin Zander, along with his wife Rosamund, write the following:

“A shoe factory sent two marketing scouts to a region of Africa to study the prospects for expanding business. One sent back a telegram saying,

SITUATION HOPELESS STOP NO ONE WEARS SHOES

The other wrote back triumphantly,

GLORIOUS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY STOP THEY HAVE NO SHOES”

Visionary leaders are called to see possibilities where others don’t and hold that vision for the benefit of their followers. Holding a vision goes beyond feeling the success of a dream already playing out. It includes eliciting and internally celebrating what is hoped for before the eyes can see the manifestation. A famous physician spoke to a crowded room of cancer patients. “Faith,” he said, “is proclaiming the mountain-top when you’re lying face-down in the dirt.”

A visionary leader holds a picture of the future for those he wishes to inspire, elicits the feeling of the dream taking place before it is manifested, and internally celebrates the accomplishment of that dream before it is seen.

Many of us are familiar with the words, “Seeing is believing,” but visionary leaders hold fast to “Believing is seeing.”

Youth Corner – A Valuable Leader

Will Barrett
Public Safety Committee
The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council: Youth Voice One Vision

Will Barrett

A good leader is valuable in today’s society. Youth leaders are needed to effect change in our community. A leader is someone who is able to work well with others in order to achieve a common goal. Qualities of a valuable leader include being able to communicate well with others, while practicing professionalism. Maintaining professionalism is important to express to your coworkers that you are serious and that you want to achieve success. It’s imperative that youth step up, to make sure that their voices are heard. A valuable leader needs to know when to step up and when to step down, when to let others speak, and when to speak up. Leaders are needed today more than ever. It’s time that the youth step up, and speak up because our voices matter.

Many thanks to our featured Rochester Leadership Digest contributors-to-date for making a difference in Rochester!

Major General Robert W. Mixon, Jr. (USA retired)
Leadership Consultant, Level Five Associates

Dr. Jona Wright
Director for Human Services, Garlock Sealing Technologies

Dr. Deana L. Porterfield
President, Roberts Wesleyan College

Nelson Leenhouts
Chairman, Home Leasing & Home Leasing Construction

Rehnuma Karim, Ph.D.
Founder, Heroes for All Inc.; Faculty, The College at Brockport, SUNY

Heidi Macpherson, Ph.D.
President, The College at Brockport, SUNY

Lovely Ann Warren
Mayor, City of Rochester

Dr. Ehsan Hoque
Assistant Professor of Computer Science, University of Rochester

Dana Miller
Director of Development Services, City of Rochester

Ty Hookway
Owner, CleanCraft

Dr. Marcia Bornhurst Parkes
Founder, Insightful Music Leadership; Music Director, Melody Masters Big Band

Bishop David J. Singleton
Senior Pastor, Ark of Jesus Ministries

Announcements

  • August 6 & 7, 2020 – Global Leadership Summit
    Hilton DoubleTree on Jefferson Road
    Register Today! RochesterWins.com
  • March 18, 2020 – Between the Summits – Magnificent Diocese
    7:00 – 8:30 pm; The LightHeart Institute; 21 Prince Street,
    Rochester, NY 14607
  • May 5, 2020 – GLSNext with Chris Voss (FBI Negotiations Expert; GLS 2019 Faculty) & Sheila Heen (Navigating Difficult Conversations; GLS 2018 faculty). Location TBA
  • July 22, 2020 – Global Leadership Summit By Youth For Youth. Location TBA

People don’t leave organizations. They leave leaders. To strengthen your organization, help your people to be needed and help them to be known.

The Global Leadership Summit

The Global Leadership Summit is your opportunity to access a wealth of leadership insight from a world-class faculty ready to equip and inspire you—no matter where you have influence.

When you grow in your leadership and use your influence for good, you can strengthen your relationships, maximize the impact of your business or organization, and ignite transformation in our community!

Join other Rochester leaders for two days of fresh, actionable and inspiring leadership content from a world-class faculty.*

Multiply your time. Increase your impact. Discover your influence.

When leaders get better, all of Rochester WINS!

Register Today!
RochesterWins.com

Rochester Leadership Digest Table of Contents

By

Rochester Leadership Digest 3rd Edition LetterDownload
Rochester Leadership Digest 3rd Edition TabloidDownload

Rochester Leadership Digest Lisa Hill DiFusco

By

Lisa Hill DiFusco

A Shared Leadership Language

Dear Readers,

       Ultimately it is service of others that leads to our happiness. It seems to be in our DNA. We know that endorphins increase when we engage in an act of kindness, and they do so for the recipient of our kind act as well. What is really interesting is that they increase most of all, not for the giver or receiver, but for the observer watching.

       Horst Schultz, co-founder of the Ritz- Carlton Hotel Co. and Capella Hotels & Resorts, states his job is to create consciousness of excellence in people. He goes to work every day for 2 reasons:

  1. To be with his friends (his employees)
  2. To practice excellence

The work culture he has established at the Ritz focuses on service of others as busboys are authorized to spend up to $2000 per incident to resolve customer problems. The intention is excellence, not mediocrity or complacency, in serving others. You may recall their mission statement: “Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” Service of others elevates the giver and receiver, and releases hormones which make us more trusting, more generous and friendlier. It also lowers blood pressure.

       Mr. Schultz was a recent presenter at the Global Leadership Summit. His passion for excellence became part of something called a “Shared Leadership Language” – words and phrases that effortlessly instruct.

       A shared leadership language holds the possibility of uniting a community. It allows people from different sectors, backgrounds, and belief systems to share something in common. It

Tears down walls. The truth is, most are drawn to becoming a better leader. A shared leadership language helps people do just that. Here are a few examples taught at the Global Leadership Summit…

Play to people’s strengths – Marcus Buckingham, a renowned thought leader widely recognized as the world’s leading expert on talent, encourages his readers to align employees with tasks that energize them, rather than tasks in which they are strong.

Vision is defined as “a picture of the future that produces passion in people” – The first step in leading others is to identify a vision, and powerfully inspire others to follow it. Bill Hybels explains that leaders need to be constantly inspiring followers. It doesn’t happen just one time.

Humble, Hungry and Smart – Several-time NY Times best-selling author, Patrick Lencioni, provides a roadmap for hiring ideal team players, principles outlined in his recent book, The Ideal Team Player.

Leadership is solving problems – The retired four-star general who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin Powell, believed in pursuing excellence… and that was all about solving problems.                                               

Failure is not an option. Oh, yes it is! – Colin Powell exhorts leaders to remember the  importance of intentionality.

These and other leadership principles foster a shared leadership language in a community, and are presented each year at the Global Leadership Summit. Leaders from all sectors assemble to hear cutting-edge research and experience on what works best and why.
       I began attending the Summit in 2004 and have gone almost every year since. What I’ve observed over the years is that 100% of the individuals and organizations who apply the presented principles get better. They thrive. No exceptions!
       In fact, what began as a resource to help church pastors around the world become more effective 25 years ago, has become so successful that 70% of the 410,000 attendees from around the world now come from the business sector. It’s an interesting dynamic.
      Today over 2 dozen cities leverage the Summit as a catalyst to solve community challenges and form city movements. People from different ethnic and economic backgrounds with differing perspectives work together to solve community challenges.

 

Click to Listen to One City’s Success
 

       In our third edition of the Rochester Leadership Digest we welcome our featured authors who wish to make Rochester a thriving beacon. We especially wish to thank Mayor Lovely Warren for her contribution, Dr. Ehsan Hoque from the University of Rochester and Dana Miller, Director of Development Services from the City of Rochester. 

       Your wisdom motivates others to pursue greatness.

With gratitude,

Lisa Hill DiFusco
President and Founder
The LightHeart Institute

                   Lisa Hill DiFusco is the President and Founder of The LightHeart Institute, a for-profit, 32 year-old Rochester-based company whose mission is to foster an upward spiral of health and prosperity. Through a holistic lens it offers services in leadership development, holistic/integrative psychotherapy, functional medicine consultancy-care and spiritual growth.

Rochester Leadership Digest Mayor Lovely Ann Warren

By

Mayor Lovely Warren

Leadership – A Means to an End Mayor of The City of Rochester

A leader must have courage, must listen to diverse ideas and be willing to do the right thing.

       Leadership, to me, is not a goal but a means to an end, and I continue to be motivated by the people I’ve grown up with, or met throughout Rochester who are creative, hardworking and full of potential.
       As a child in the 19th Ward, I saw people in my city who lacked access to opportunities. As I got older, I saw a tale of two Rochester’s – neighborhoods that were growing after an era of decline while other neighborhoods remained neglected. Not everyone was benefitting. If I was going to take the lead and work to usher in a rising tide, I wanted it to lift ALL boats.
       I ran for Mayor to fight for jobs, safer and more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities for all of Rochester. Our city is once again becoming a place our young people are proud to call home. While we talk a lot about development – and I am truly excited about projects like the Inner Loop and ROC the Riverway – ultimately, it’s not about infrastructure, it’s about making life better for the people who live here. My goal is a vibrant, healthy city for people of all ages. To lead that effort, I focus on three things:

       Collaboration: Healthy partnerships are crucial to a city’s success – and that means cultivating and building relationships with leaders in the public, private, nonprofit, academic, citizen and neighborhood sectors. As a leader, I owe it to my community to advocate on its behalf and ask for the resources my city deserves. When we work together, we all rise as one.

       Objectives: I manage by objectives and put great faith in the people around me, trusting them to accomplish the goals we set as a team. Picking the right people is one of the most challenging responsibilities of a leader – but also the most important. A leadership team must operate with integrity and be visible in the community. My team knows I also expect clear and measurable progress toward our objectives.

       Innovation: I will not accept “because that’s the way we’ve always done things,” as a response. Often, old problems demand new solutions. Our community is program rich and results poor. I am looking for new ideas and identifying initiatives that have been successful in other cities, in other communities. I am willing to take risks and try new things. I believe that change can be hard, but change can happen if you keep pushing forward.
     

When I remain focused on the people I serve, it’s easier to confront the challenges. A leader must have courage, must listen to diverse ideas and be willing to do the right thing even in the face of opposition.
       For example, as Mayor, I have little say in how our public schools are run – but I refuse to be silent. Too many children in Rochester are stuck in failing schools and that’s unacceptable. A child’s zip code should not determine their fate. Meeting the needs of children has been a primary goal of mine from the first day of my administration, and we’ve significantly improved pre-K enrollment, modernized our school buildings and expanded programs at our libraries and R-Centers to support our youth.
       But I can no longer sit back and wait for change from within the school district. This is why I’m advocating for a referendum vote to disband our dysfunctional school board and initiate the complete “reset” that Distinguished Educator Jaime Aquino recommended in his report. I want our families to have a say in fixing our schools and to give our kids a fighting chance at life.
       Taking on these challenges may not make me popular with everyone, but I’m not running for Homecoming Queen. I’m leading the third-largest city in New York State, and I take my responsibilities to our people seriously. I became a leader to make a difference.

       Mayor Lovely Ann Warren is Rochester’s first female, second African-American, and youngest mayor in modern times.
       She is currently serving her second four-year term, having been re-elected in 2017. Her administration continues to focus on job creation and improving educational opportunities for Rochester’s residents.
       Prior to becoming mayor, she was a Rochester City Council member from 2007 to 2013, and was elected as City Council president in 2010. She holds a bachelor’s degree from John Jay College and Juris Doctor from Albany Law School. She is married and the mother of a young daughter.

Rochester Leadership Digest Ehsan Hoque, Ph.D.

By

Ehsan Hoque, Ph.D.

Being An Authentic Leader

For me, taking the time to establish rapport and express a sincere desire to get to know colleagues is as important as the work to be done.

       What is your leadership style, and what practices do you follow that have helped you to grow into a better leader over time?

       Leadership, to me, is all about listening. One of the best ways I can show that I care is by listening with an open mind. In terms of strategy — listening, when done right, gives one control of the conversation redirecting the talker to the common shared goal. Ever wonder why many thought leaders from Japan, despite knowing English, often use a translator? It is to avoid a quick reaction and spend more time listening. 

        Introducing efficiency is an important metric for any leader. To achieve efficiency, it could be tempting to shorten social interaction and focus more on the agenda. For me, taking the time to establish rapport and express a sincere desire to get to know colleagues is as important as the work-to-be-done. Getting the small-talk right in a sincere manner can be tricky, awkward and messy. As a result, it may be tempting to shorten face time and use the  “like”/“retweet” button with excess. I find it rewarding to embrace the uncertainty of human interaction and through repeated practice, make it as fluid as possible. 
        I make it a priority to remember the smallest details of the individuals with whom I work. For example, when I was given the assignment to advise 30+ undergraduate students I knew it would be difficult to remember all of their details. I resorted to maintaining a  Google doc where I could add details about them over the years which I occasionally reviewed. This allowed every brief interaction with those students to be fulfilling and satisfying. 

       We do not realize that the most important word for any individual is their name. A simple practice like using   people’s names helps us build rapport. Even when I order a cup of coffee at Tim Horton’s drive-up window, I      always read the attendant’s name tag and thank them using their name. The genuine smile I receive back for being acknowledged gives me a sense of joy every morning. 
        It may be expected for a leader to know everything. I find it very liberating to admit as often as appropriate ‘I don’t know.’  Similarly, being vulnerable when investing in a relationship that may or may not work, and trusting people, is very important. I find addressing situations with statements such as “I trust you in …,” “I was wrong, you were right,” “I am sorry,” and “I am grateful” help cultivate relationships, and build trust.


   
       What are some of the challenges you face in your leadership position?

        Having a team that embodies and appreciates diversity of thought will always put us ahead. Building a team that truly represents diversity, broadly defined, is a challenge, and we always feel we can do better. For example, as innovators, our inventions should be applicable to everyone regardless of their gender, age, culture, language, and ethnicity. It is important that our team equally represent all the appropriate stakeholders to better understand the blind spots that our invention may miss.

       What impact do you want to have in Rochester as a result of your leadership experience?

       As we prepare students at the University of Rochester with skills in data science and Artificial Intelligence, many look to explore careers post graduation. We are working to help local aspiring business owners and entrepreneurs understand that having access to local talent from the U of R and RIT can cost them a fraction of other tech hubs, and therefore be a significant competitive advantage. 
       As a leader, I always highlight the importance of work-life balance and how it positively impacts one’s quality of life. 
       I also hope that we will be able to continue to attract talent from outside of Rochester given our economic opportunities, cultural amenities, and excellent education.  
       We may, however, have to help students get started with winter sports though to truly appreciate the …umm… energetic winter of Rochester. 

       Ehsan Hoque is an Asaro-Biggar Family Fellow and Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Rochester. He holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 
        Dr. Hoque’s research focuses on computationally modeling many facets of human communication, with the goal of improving the lives of the disadvantaged, ill, and disabled. He is one of  MITs top innovators under 35 and a recipient of the World Technology Award (2016). He has been listed on Science News “10 Scientists to Watch” for 2017.
       Dr. Hoque is also the primary caregiver of his younger brother, age 19, who is nonverbal and has severe social difficulties.