SERVING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH LEADERSHIP

Last Tuesday marked the conclusion of my 5-week New York Yankees Sports Management Mentorship Program #nyyatlehman, where each week I had the privilege to be mentored by a representative from various departments of the New York Yankees organization. I am filled with gratitude and exhilaration as I reflect on the encouragement, career development, and leadership skills provided by this opportunity, inclusive of the inspirational career journeys of each and every speaker. This week we were captivated by the wise and motivational words of New York Yankees Director, Corporate/Community Relations Kenny Leandry .

This was such a heartening conversation as Kenny Leandry shared his career journey, we comprehended he is the perfect example that with discipline, education, the right mindset, patience, and resilience everything is possible. I am delighted to pass on some of his counsel via this platform.

• Make sure you’re putting yourself in position to succeed, Kenny emphasized this throughout his presentation. Make sure you’re putting yourself in position to succeed by educating yourself; doing your homework, nothing comes to anybody; looking professional and polished, and managing your controllables.
• Always introduce yourself, always make sure you’re making a good impression, always make the effort to meet people.
• Transparency and authenticity are keys to success.
• You’re always, always making an impression.
• There are going to be elements of any job that come your way or anything in life where you’re going to have (blink) and be ready to adapt. Readjust your mindset, your willingness to adapt and do something different will take you to great places.
• Patience is imperative, sometimes things don’t work out when you want it to work out, that’s just the way life is.
• “You never know who you’re dealing with, and that shouldn’t be your motivation to be nice to people, which shouldn’t be your motivation to do whatever but that’s something you should keep in mind with you, you never know who you’re talking to and how that connection can frankly benefit you moving forward," said Mr. Leandry.
• Internships are highly suggested, hiring managers just don’t want to see that piece of paper they want to see what impressions you have make.
• Don’t get too caught up on those days where you might not feel as great as the other days.
• Don’t try to be the next, try to be the first. Strive to be the best version of yourself.
• Simplify things, anticipate, be proactive instead of reactive. Be ready with an answer, before you even know the question.
• “Luck is not a real thing in my opinion. You cannot expect something to just happen to someone. If you see someone you think is lucky you probably have no idea how much work they’ve put behind scene to get to where they are. That is not luck, that’s being smart, putting yourself in a position to succeed,” expressed Mr. Leandry.

In addition to Kenny Leandry distinguished guidance, I was fascinated and at the same time appreciative of his commitment to our community through his position with the New York Yankees organization. Kenny is the liaison between the New York Yankees organization and the community, and to achieve the goals of the New York Yankees organization to serve the community the pillars they proceed on are Education, Socio Economic Development, Social Responsibility, and Health and Wellness. I was also touched by his words as he demonstrated enthusiasm in providing us with tools for success. “I am you, in whatever step in life you may be at right now, whether it is because I dealt with it directly with my own family and some of the struggles, we had growing up here, or because I have friends or people close to me that went through anything, I am you all, use me as an example. I am of many that are trying to fight to kind of balance everything out, if you know what I mean in the workplace with people that deserve just as much as those that are from other areas. So, keep in mind you are in advantage, never forget that” said Kenny in relation to him being a Bronx native like many of the participants. Lastly, I would like to live you with a quote shared by Kenny Leandry and by which the New York Yankees organization tries to proceed on as much as they can, “IF MORE THAN JUST THE INDIVIDUAL YOU’RE HELPING AND YOURSELF KNOW ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE DOING, YOU’RE DOING IT FOR THE WRONG REASON” by George Steinbrenner.

A heartfelt Thank You to Andrea Huda, MSEd with the Lehman College School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) and Kenny Leandry with the New York Yankees organization for their commitment to serve the community. I also would like to express my gratitude to Madeleine Straley, SHRM-CP , Ryan Callahan , Kaitlyn Brennan , and Josh Goldblatt for their mentorship and time. Special thanks to Dean Jane MacKillop with the Lehman College School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) . A super special Thanks to Kenny Leandry for leading this program and his mentorship. I'm beyond grateful for this opportunity and I look forward to seeing other members of the Lehman College community taking advantage of this type of initiatives. I hope this is not a goodbye but an until then. Thank You!