At CHCI: Learning from other leaders

After watching Drew Dudley's TED talk on Lollipop Leadership, my main takeaway was not about taking action to give away "lollipops" (so to speak. That is to say, to quietly lead others through everyday enthusiasm). My most meaningful insight was to thank the people who have given me lollipops over the years. If the woman in Drew's story had not thanked him, he still today would not have realized that he changed someone's life that day he was digging through a bucket of lollipops. He was just being himself. One day he was told how much this meant to another person, and it is this insight that changed his approach to his everyday actions.

So I have dedicated myself to being more grateful, and to expressing this gratitude. I reached out to my nonprofit finance mentor. I thought that I tell him often how much I appreciate him, but I made special contact just to say it again. I had lunch with one of my most inspiring friends and as we embraced and said farewell, I told her that I cherished her. I mailed a card to the former business partner who still provides clarity for me as I face professional questions and challenges. These people are my "brain trust" and I hope that at least once or twice a year I will remind them honestly and earnestly how important they are in my life.

In the midst of this outreach, a long-lost aunt (long story! I am Latina and adopted, so my family tree is a family forest) called me. It was the second time we had ever spoken on the phone. She offered me her last-minute ticket to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's national conference. I got to meet Latino leaders from around the country, to hear speeches by Congressmembers and Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and tonight I will attend the gala where President Obama will address this gathering of Hispanic leaders at an important time in the national narrative of our race. I believe that this gift is a sort of blessing, the kind that we are open to when we have the generous and welcoming spirit that is called for through "Lollipop Leadership."

At a workshop seminar for Latino leaders at the CHCI conference, the facilitator said, "The greatest gift you can give someone is gratitude." To me, this summed up this lesson perfectly. I intent to strive for gratitude in the big and small moments. It's the small moments that can change our lives most profoundly, if we remain open to change and insight. And I hope that through my actions, I might offer (accidentally or intentionally) such a moment to the people I interact with throughout each day and throughout my life.

#CongressionalHispanicCaucusInstitute #Leadership