Leadership can be hard and exhausting. Leadership requires persistence, determination, resilience, high frustration tolerance; a good sense of humor really helps!
Yes- it can be lonely at the top but the trade offs are worth it..
P'alante!
Si se puede.

A lesson in leadership

My most recent lesson in leadership came from observing parents of the children served by the Grand Street Settlement Child and Family Center (CFC) in Bushwick , Brooklyn. When informed
that the NYC Agency for Childrens' Services (ACS) planned to dismantle the high quality services provided to low-income families and children by the Grand Street Settlement CFC because of a lease dispute between the city and a private landlord, the parents sprang into action. They gathered signatures on petitions, attended meetings, held a rally on the steps of City Hall and spoke to elected officials and the media. At a meeting with the Commissioner of ACS and members of his staff and others, the mom of a child with special needs (and a wise latina), who has benefited from the CFC and its services, spoke truth to power and did so eloquently - with a perfect mix of passion and reason. She spoke and everyone listened. She was poised, well- informed, well spoken and comfortable in her role. It was a wonderful display of grassroots leadership in action.
Si se puede!

Inter-generational learning

There are people of my daughter's generation - in their twenties- who show, and sometimes express, longing for a cause about which they can feel passionate. Sometimes they are drawn to stories and music from a time when "movements" were about finding common ground, about joining forces to combat bigotry and ignorance, about the pursuit of peaceful coexistence and not about "tea parties".
Those who were there before them, have a lot to teach and a lot to learn from a younger generation. Wise latinas help nurture and support emerging leaders.
Community-based organizations are natural meeting places and ideal settings for inter-generational leadership development. The Girls' and Young Women's Initiative of the Grand Street Settlement is one example of an incubator for future leaders and inter-generational learning. We learn from each other every day - from the seniors and teens and toddlers. I will share lessons learned with you.

Getting off the dime

A wise latina told me to get my blog started. That was yesterday and here we are! Rossana, do you recognize the person I'm referring to? Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
have a great day.