My Dream Gig Has Come True—What I've Learned

There is no question that I have been extremely fortunate to meet and collaborate with talented and inspiring people throughout my career. But this last year has topped it all: serving my first year as Chair of the Board of Governors of Boys & Girls Clubs of America has exceeded every expectation I had going in. It has helped me grow not only as a leader but also as a person, in ways that I really couldn’t have imagined or predicted. With the hope that others might be encouraged to expand beyond their usual network of colleagues and test their professional skills in a new arena, I’d like to share some of the highlights and what I’ve learned.

Overcoming my hesitancy

To be honest, when I was first asked to serve as the Chair, I had a full-fledged “Holy smokes!” moment. Was I up to the task? How could I successfully follow in the footsteps of the CEOs of Fluor and Revlon? Or the president of U.S. operations?at UPS? How would I provide leadership to the largest and arguably most impactful youth organization in the entire country?

But once I let myself take a deep breath, I knew I wanted to do it. At that point, I had been involved with Boys & Girls Clubs for almost 20 years, first as we collaborated to develop our Money Matters: Make It Count financial literacy program, then as a Pacific Trustee, and eventually as a member of the Board of Governors. With every year, every new role, and exposure to more Boys & Girls Club kids and leaders, my respect for the entire organization had expanded exponentially.

I thought back to the young woman from Arizona experiencing homelessness who did her homework under the street lights. With support from a Boys & Girls Clubs leadership program she went on to the University of Arizona with scholarships and now has her own clothing line. I remembered the strength and commitment of a young man from Compton, whom I still mentor. Nurtured by Boys & Girls Clubs, he went on not only to college but also earned his Master’s degree—all while raising his siblings along the way.?After a stint at a Fortune 500 company, he switched course to become a senior leader at a large social services agency that focuses on homelessness.

So, with the vision of these and countless other kids in my mind, I said yes. Has it been scary at times? Yes. Challenging? Yes. Have I had to summon up leadership strengths I didn’t even fully know that I had? Yes. But have I also grown as a leader and been rewarded with an extraordinary sense of achievement? A resounding yes!

My bond with Boys & Girls Clubs of America runs deep

Charles Schwab Foundation first decided to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America back in 2002. At this point in my career, financial literacy had already become my passion, and as President of the Foundation I was determined to rally our resources to educate all Americans—regardless of their age, gender, or socioeconomic status—about money. I quickly learned that financial literacy is sorely lacking in our schools, so was determined to find the best partner to reach more children.

After an extensive search, we landed on Boys & Girls Clubs of America. With their broad reach and focus on holistically serving kids with the greatest need, Boys & Girls Clubs seemed the best choice—although at the time I must admit that I didn’t fully appreciate their impact or power to change lives.

That clarity probably didn’t arrive until I was asked to help select the Pacific region’s top candidate for the coveted Youth of the Year award, the culmination of a leadership program that helps young people build essential skills and discover their passions. To put it mildly, the kids blew me away. Their achievements in school and in public service, their strong sense of values and caring for others, their desire to lead other kids, their sheer grit in the face of almost unthinkable adversity was overwhelmingly powerful. With the help of the skilled and caring Boys & Girls Club staff, these kids were beating the odds, paving their own success on their own terms.

The very least I could do was help them build a strong foundation in financial matters. In collaboration with Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s programmatic team, we developed the Money Matters: Make It Count program, which over the last 20 years has educated over a million Club teens in over a thousand Clubs around the country.

Following my instincts (as a leader)

As a leader, one of the toughest challenges is learning to trust your instincts. When I first joined the ranks of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Trustees, I was frankly a bit intimidated. I was sitting at the table with luminaries like Condoleezza Rice, for goodness sakes, totally in awe. ?

I was able to rise to the occasion not because of a superior IQ or experience leading a mega corporation, but because I was somehow miraculously able to relax and be myself. I am by nature someone who is most comfortable being collaborative and inclusive. I think the best results come from working with a team of people with different points of view, backgrounds and experiences. My role as a leader is to listen closely and bring out the best of what each member of the team has to offer toward a shared goal. Perhaps the greatest compliment of my tenure came from a fellow board member who told me “You ask people what they’re thinking. You don’t interrupt and as a result you get us all to think.”

Now that’s not to mean that anyone else should emulate my leadership style. In fact, quite the opposite. I encourage others to share their views because I’m interested in what they have to say.?By being respectful, I was just being myself. And in the process, I became that much more effective.

My ultimate goal

There’s no question that 2020 and 2021 were years of unparalleled challenges for almost every nonprofit. Because of the pandemic, we had to suspend many of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s in-person activities, pivoting instead to virtual classes, food deliveries, and personal outreach—including partnering with medical facilities to administer vaccines.

As our country recovers from the pandemic and Boys & Girls Clubs are able to return to more normal operations (and I face my final year as Chair), I am determined to continue to support this extraordinary institution with every resource at my disposal. By the time I leave my post, I want the country to appreciate the role Boys & Girls Clubs play in transforming the lives of youth in under-resourced communities, and as a training ground for future leaders. I want the country to understand that any child who has excelled at a Boys & Girls Clubs is then positioned to excel in life and at work. I want employers to have to fight for the right to hire them.

Lessons learned

As I reflect on the last year, there are several takeaways that I would like to share with anyone who is asked to take on a leadership position with a non-profit:

1. Be bold—When asked to do something new it’s natural to be a little uncertain.?But dive in and embrace the opportunity. You may not get a second chance.
2. Find your superpower—We all have different strengths that make us unique and lead to different leadership styles.?Use your strengths. Challenge yourself on areas where you aren’t as experienced. Don’t be too self-critical. What might feel like a “weakness” may in fact be a strength. Chances are, you’re more powerful than you think.
3. Make allies—You may feel like you have to do it all, particularly in a leadership role, but you can’t and you shouldn’t. You’ll just burn yourself out. Learn to rely on talents and skills of other members of your team. When it comes to leading a team or project, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
4. Take time to listen—I mean really listen. This means asking follow-up questions, not interrupting, and taking time to better understand the problem/challenges that you’re working on from different points of view.
5. Be yourself—I’m not a big fan of “fake it until you make it.”?I think that being true to yourself, asking questions, and asking for help when you need it are better ways to learn, engage and add value. By being open and approachable, you invite others to participate and contribute more toward any shared goal. My father taught me that being humble, vulnerable, and authentic is a superpower.

Go for it

My parting message is plain and simple. Serving Boys & Girls Clubs of America has been a privilege of a lifetime, and I hope that sharing my experience encourages every one of you to find your own way to harness your unique skills and follow your passion. Yes, it’s required a lot of time and hard work. But I’ve grown as a person and as a leader. And quite honestly, I’m having a blast and don’t want it to end. It’s a gig I’ll never forget.

(#0422-2MBT)

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