Question: As a former Women of Achievement honoree, you’ve been recognized for outstanding leadership. What do you feel are the most important leadership qualities for the times we are in now?
Lauren Bailey
CEO and Co-Founder
Upward Projects
Sector: Restaurants
Right now, it is more important than ever to have positivity, creativity and flexibility, but also grit. Inspiring your team with the vision of what’s on the other side has never been as critical as it is today. You need the grit to be able to endure rapidly changing tides and the creativity to come up with new solutions and ways of doing business. Lean into this new environment and focus on what you can do versus what you cannot.
For example, it takes positivity and creativity to constantly keep people coming in and create a consistently great experience. But equally important is the ability to come up with the best laid plans, then the flexibility to ditch them when the situation inevitably changes.
The best leaders demonstrate perseverance and grit when overcoming adversity. Put simply, the secret to Upward Projects’ success is encapsulated in my favorite quote: “It’s hard to beat someone who never gives up.” The restaurant industry requires discipline, never settling for substandard, tolerance for risk and waking up excited to do it again the next day to be successful.
Lauren Bailey is CEO and co-founder of Upward Projects. Named to the Nation’s Restaurant News “Power 50” list in 2019, Bailey focuses on strategy, conceptualization and development for 17 restaurants over five brands in three states. Upward Projects places an emphasis on preparing high-quality food and adapting and reusing historically relevant buildings that are an integral part of the neighborhoods they serve.
Katherine Kemmeries Cecala
President
Junior Achievement of Arizona
Sector: Nonprofit
Leadership during these multiple crises is more important than ever. Leaders need to help guide employees, donors and the people we serve through the uncertainty and into the new reality. I believe that the three most important leadership qualities for these times are:
Communicate with transparency. Communicate frequently, share what you know and do not know, update constantly, be open and honest sharing the bad news as well as the good, share your thinking and ask for their ideas.
Empathize. Provide support and understanding, be sensitive to the impact on employees’ work and personal lives, promote work/life balance and flexibility, and continually demonstrate that you truly care.
Envision the future and inspire. Provide hope, remind people why your mission is so important, communicate your long-term vision and current priorities, rally everyone to work together, help everyone see their value, acknowledge the uncertainties and empower employees to be part of the solution, encourage innovation, be flexible, make it safe to fail, and celebrate successes.
Katherine Kemmeries Cecala is the president of Junior Achievement of Arizona, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing young people to succeed in work and life by teaching them financial concepts and about the working world. Cecala has a background in industrial engineering, business and law. She has a passion for community service and has served on more than 40 nonprofit boards.
JP Martin, Ph.D., M.A.
President & Founder
Positively Powerful / Triad West Inc.
Sector: Business Consulting
Frustration with the challenges of racism, injustice, discrimination and inequities ultimately led me to my commitment to change lives and businesses for the better through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Transformational Leadership Development. Why? Because the more diverse and inclusive leaders we have, the more problems will get solved. Leaders choose to be alive, awoke and engaged changemakers rather than numbed out and shut down.
Leaders make stronger communities and businesses happen through their actions, the examples they set, the words they use and the way they listen. They have a magnificent capacity for treating individuals with respect and authentic connection.
They are known to be honest, kind, empathetic and caring — caring for themselves first and then for others. They are responsible individuals who know they must stay healthy physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually in order to create solutions, contribute, build and pivot — which is vital right now. Even when exhausted, which can happen, they accept support. They are resilient and they will rise, take a stand and be someone’s sheroe or hero. And … they will vote.
DEI and leadership consultant Dr. Joel Martin provides culture change initiatives, transformational coaching, training and development, events and presentations. She is also the founder of Positively Powerful Woman Awards and Education Summits. Dr. Martin is dedicated to changing lives and businesses for the better. Her PosPowLearnOnline programs are set to launch soon.
