The LightHeart Institute

First Edition

Rochester Leadership Digest – Lisa Hill DiFusco

By

Dear Readers,

       In August of 2017, Laslo Bock, former Senior VP of People Operations at Google, shared a story at the Global Leadership Summit about the amazing customer service for which Wegmans is known. In front of more than 445,000 people from 135 countries, he spoke of sitting on a panel with Bob Wegman. Mr. Wegman told the story of one of his bakers who, one Saturday morning, received a call from an excited bride in desperate need. Her wedding cake had been ruined and she needed help, badly. Feeling sorry for her and quick to please, he closed his bakery for the day, prepared her cake and drove four hours each way to deliver the rich tiered dessert. Mr. Wegman spoke with pride about how his baker handled the situation. Mr. Bock ended the story by asking the audience, “Did the baker do the right thing by closing the bakery and losing all that money simply to please a bride?” Apparently, Mr. Wegman thought so.

       In August 2018, by pure coincidence, another story was told about Rochester at the Global Leadership Summit. Only this time it was about the Eastman Kodak Company. A faculty member spoke again in front of 445,000 leaders from around the world. He discussed the critical role of mission in organizations and pondered the challenges of the great picture and film company. “Kodak,” he said with concern in his voice, “thought it was in the film business, when in actuality it was in the memory business.”

       Two different stories, told one year apart, in front of hundreds of thousands of leaders, both about Rochester. And of all the 1300 premier host sites around the world, Rochester alone was mentioned twice in two consecutive years. I can’t help but wonder if there isn’t a message here for us: the opportunity to grow in our leadership capacity and ability to influence others, is vital.

The LightHeart Institute has sponsored the Global Leadership Summit for three consecutive years for the purpose of improving leadership throughout western New York. This 100% volunteer effort has occurred as a result of the dedication of many who wish to see Rochester grow and thrive. Our purpose is to establish a leadership culture that enables leaders to effectively address our unique challenges. Imagine a thriving community!

       Everything rises and falls on leadership, writes prolific author John C. Maxwell. We face very serious challenges in Rochester at this time: 18,000 homeless; the third poorest city in the nation; a dismal high-school graduation rate; far too many preschool children going to bed hungry every night. And we have yet to leverage perhaps the richest God-given resource on the planet – fresh water, and lots of it!

This year we were very blessed to welcome author and leadership guru Ken Blanchard, live, at the DoubleTree for the Summit. A NY Times best-selling author of over 65 books, Dr. Blanchard has inspired audiences around the globe for decades. And his appearance at the DoubleTree was no exception! Additionally, forty Rochester leaders joined us for a VIP luncheon to hear more on his leadership lessons – in particular from his most recently published book: Servant Leadership in Action: How You Can Achieve Great Relationships and Results. It is the editor’s pick this quarter.

       The Rochester Leadership Digest is a publication of The LightHeart Institute and an outgrowth of the 2018 Global Leadership Summit. Each quarter we’ll be inviting area leaders to share their best leadership thoughts and practices. Since our goal is to establish a leadership culture, we’ll be inviting individuals of all ages to bring their best thinking to the table and communicate what has worked well.

Our fearless leader and Editor is Mikal Brown. Assisted by Advisor Frank Crombe, we welcome you to our inaugural edition. We hope you will feel inspired and equipped in reading it and will pass it along to colleagues that we may become, as pioneer John Winthrop would say, a shining city on a hill.

With gratitude,

 

 

Lisa Hill DiFusco
President & Founder
The LightHeart Institute

 

* The Global Leadership Summit is a two-day leadership event which provides fresh, actionable and inspiring leadership content delivered by a world-class faculty. Now in its 25th year of success, the Summit is anticipated to draw over 450,000 participants from 135 countries speaking 69 languages. Simulcast LIVE in HD from Chicago, experts from every sector of society – business, faith organizations, education, government and entertainment – will take the stage to inspire and equip audience members.

Rochester Leadership Digest – Dr. Jona Wright

By

Intentionally Grow Everyday!

By  Dr. Jona Wright

Director for Human Resources, Garlock Sealing Technologies

“I learned about serving others, everyone, regardless of marital status, gender, ethnicity, background, or economic status.”

—

       As a child growing up I would sometimes walk to my grandparents house afterschool, especially if what I heard announced in the morning for evening dinner was not quite appealing. My grandparents did not live far from my grammar school, and around 4:30 p.m. I would hear the phone ring and my grandmother answer, “Yes, she is here. We can bring her back after dinner or why don’t you join us?” My mom was one of seven and my grandfather supported his family with the ownership of auto service stations. It was through stories and stopping by “the station” I became acquainted with servant leadership, yes, at a very early age. I learned about serving others, everyone, regardless of marital status, gender, ethnicity, background, or economic status, especially economic status. I recall stories of my grandfather fixing a
single woman or widow’s car and telling them to pay when they could. I did not understand what this meant until much later in life when I would think about his own need to feed eight mouths at home – servant leadership, putting someone’s else’s needs in front of your own.

My grandfather was my first teacher of my own leadership alignment. As I reflect on the Global Leadership Summit (2018), Criag Groeschel opened with a statement, “a humble leader can learn from anyone.” I have continued my commitment to be a “leader as lead learner,” and have sought different ways to continue my development as a servant leader. Kouzes and Posner’s (2017) Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership are foundations I use every day: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart. While I am inspired by others everyday and the wisdom I gain by serving, I find energy keeping these practices in mind. The five practices help me align my work with others, and keep me positive on a daily basis. As servant leaders, sometimes we need to find ways to knock down obstacles and remove barriers for others for each one to be able to attain his or her goals.

When I learned about the Global Leadership Summit and the fantastic line up of speakers, I was very excited to hear that Dr. Ken Blanchard was going to be a key note live for a lunch program! I was given the  opportunity to join the Rochester-located simulcast for this world-class learning event, and firsthand enjoyed listening to Dr. Blanchard, a leader in the more formal teachings of servant leadership. Dr. Blanchard continued to model the way and challenge our thinking, sharing his thinking on the continued development of servant leadership. He called all leaders to action in a world that needs more leaders serving! John Maxwell shared his passion for learning and it is a lesson I like to carry with me everyday, “intentionally grow everyday.” As leaders we need to be more intentional, in our own learning, growing others and serving to build stronger organizations and better communities. Together, we need to model the way!

Dr. Jona Wright is the onsite Director for Human Resources at Garlock Sealing Technologies in Palmyra, NY. She is a lifelong Rochestarian and enjoys all the Rochester and Finger Lakes area has to offer to support a community of learners, professionally and personally. She recently completed her own learning journey, obtaining her doctorate in Executive Leadership from St. John Fisher College in August 2017. Her research centered around creative problem solving and innovation and impacts for individuals and teams. She invites you to consider one simple practice, changing “can’t” and “don’t” to “how might I?” and “in what ways might we…?”. Questions open opportunity!

Rochester Leadership Digest – Dr. Deana L. Porterfield

By

Leading for the Betterment of Others

By Dr. Deana L Porterfield

President, Roberts Wesleyan College

“A leader doesn’t have hidden agendas. She or he is clear, honest and transparent, and strives to create genuine relationships both internally and externally.”

—

       John Maxwell states that Leadership is Influence, and I believe our goal in desiring influence should come from a desire to better serve people and our organization. The degree and attitude with which one uses one’s resources to serve others is critical to the impact you can have. If your motivation for influence is self, people will see  through that and you will have less influence. If your motivation is for the betterment of others, people will likewise see that and your influence will expand.

A leader doesn’t have hidden agendas. She or he is clear, honest and transparent, and strives to create genuine relationships both internally and externally. As a purposeful leader, it is important to be an avid promoter of the mission and purpose of the organization, to be completely invested in its success and to communicate  regularly with one’s team. Whether the communication is through a town-hall-style gathering, a community-wide email memo, or simply being personally present.

When it comes to building relationships, engagement is key to developing long-term commitment. The Roberts and Northeastern family of alumni numbers more than 18,000, and they are an important component of our long-term success. Not just as potential donors—they represent a foundation of support through their past  experiences on campus, their years of professional expertise and their broad network of connections around the world. We need their input on many levels, so it is important for me to attend alumni events held throughout the year and set aside January and February for travel to visit alumni, particularly in Florida and Arizona. Although I go as an ambassador for sharing good news and campus updates, it is equally important to hear their stories and their reflections on our work. I learn so much from these interactions and am so grateful for the opportunity to see things from their perspective.

Maya Angelou notes, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” If we honestly esteem the value of all people as created in the image of God, we will reflect that dignity back to them to make them feel good, valued and important. These connections can happen regardless of one’s official position or title, so truly one can become a leader—a person of influence—at every level of an organization. My hope is that my service as leader will demonstrate that principle to each member of our campus community through empathy and authenticity. In keeping with our founder, B.T. Roberts, our faith is our primary motivation for an attitude of vigilant concern that all people, especially those who are oppressed, underrepresented or unfairly treated, deserve our attention, activism and advocacy.

Another important way to empower the people around us is through a strength-based work ethic. Using the Strength Finder inventory tool with our staff and administration has made a huge difference in our ability to grow as a team, develop and maximize each person’s potential and understand each other’s unique slate of strengths. This kind of self-awareness and understanding of one another’s contributions builds trust, confidence and hopefulness as we lean into our future together. Finally, I believe that it is critical for any who would lead to learn to listen well. Having the humility to hear and consider what others are saying is the best way to begin to serve others as their leader. Whether through a formal mentoring relationship or in a casual friendship, a leader will earn respect, foster genuine relationships and steer an organization through all kinds of situations if she can hear and receive input from those around her.

Dr. Deana L. Porterfield has served as president of Roberts Wesleyan College and Northeastern Seminary since 2014. Prior to Roberts and Northeastern, she served at Azusa Pacific University and Azusa Pacific Online University for more than 26 years in various roles, including vice president for enrollment management, chief of staff, senior vice president for people and organizational development, and executive vice president. She holds a master’s degree in organizational management and a bachelor’s degree in music from Azusa Pacific University.