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Leaders inspire and help others discover their path

Learn about key moments during the Discovering your Path to Leadership panel on Wednesday, Feb. 19, that inspired the audience to reflect on what it takes to reach the top.
Leaders inspire and help others discover their path

By Life@theU

When leaders from the University of Miami and South Florida gathered for the Discovering Your Path to Leadership panel on Wednesday, Feb. 19, their advice provided clarity and inspiration to those in the audience paving their own path to success. 

Moderated by Laura Kohn-Wood, dean of the University’s School of Education and Human Development, and hosted by the Human Resources’ Office of Workplace Equity and Inclusion, the event kicked off with remarks from Mary Harper Hagan, vice president of HR, before the panelists answered questions about their life experiences and lessons learned along the way. They also shared advice for aspiring leaders.

If you missed the event, we’re sharing key takeaways from the event that left everyone talking about what it takes to reach the top.  

A toolbox of skills

I chose a toolbox instead of a ladder. The toolbox focused less on the step-by-step progression through my organization and more about what skills I wanted to develop and what experiences I needed to grow. That allowed me to move vertically and horizontally throughout my career.

— Melvin Kirk , Former Chief Technology Officer, Ryder System, Inc.  

Not fearing failure

The pivotal mindset that has gotten me to where I am today has been not being afraid to fail. My life has been a series of events that have involved me taking risks to achieve a larger goal.

— Charmel Maynard , Associate Vice President and Treasurer, University of Miami  

Unpack your mistakes

Leadership is not for the faint of heart. Most of us, when we see someone about to make a mistake, we want to grab them and stop them. But leadership is about letting people fail and making it okay for them to fail. And after they fail, being able to sit down and unpack what happened.

— Stephanie Sylvetre , Chief Programs Officer/Chief Information Officer, Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County  

Authenticity is key

As a leader, I want to be authentic but also want to understand my people as individuals—who they are and what makes them tick. One thing may not work for everyone and leadership styles need to be responsive.

— Beverly Pruitt , Assistant Vice President for the Office of Workplace Equity and Inclusion, Title IX Coordinator, University of Miami  

Authority and autonomy

Touch the heart of the team that you’re working with, give them the authority of what you can give authority over, and give them the autonomy to perform. You’ll be surprised at everything you get back.

— Ryan C. Holmes , Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, University of Miami  

Did you miss the panel? View the livestream to hear the conversation and learn more from the leaders.


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