Mona Stone

Q: What most notably stands out about your leadership style or what is an example of leadership success you can share with our readers?

I believe it is important to adapt one’s leadership style as circumstances dictate. Most often, I am direct, which people appreciate because they know where I stand. I encourage learning and I challenge my team to consider solutions and recommendations before coming to me with problems. I am transparent, clear and concise. I ask thoughtful questions to ensure we reach a common understanding of the parameters of what is influencing our successes or areas of opportunities. As a leader, I also understand that titles and positional power are a reality, but I intentionally try to bring a down-to-earth and team approach to all conversations and decisions.

Using this approach to encourage critical thinking has allowed Goodwill to grow effectively and efficiently across several areas of the organization. One monumental achievement within recent years I am incredibly proud of is the opening of the first no-cost adult high school in Arizona, the Excel Center, which also provides on-site childcare and transportation vouchers to adult students in need. By removing barriers to pursuing their education, we help all students achieve their academic and professional goals, thereby reducing poverty. The Excel Center is already changing the landscape for the future of education and workforce development in Arizona.

Q: What impact has any disruptions of the past 18 months had on you as a leader?

We acquired the “Goodwill of the San Francisco Bay” territory over the summer of 2024, which grew us to be the first bicoastal Goodwill nonprofit entity. As with any acquisition, I have been mindful to practice affiliative leadership and focus heavily on cultural integration and explaining the “why” behind many operational and leadership changes to ensure everyone has a vested interest in succeeding.

Building upon this cultural integration and achieving greater understanding and appreciation for the bases of decisions is what ensures that any merger, transaction or business objective of this size and scope is successful for the entire organization, from the executive leadership team to the frontline team members. When we are aligned both culturally and operationally, there is no limit to what our organization can achieve and the impact we can make.

Q: What do you feel we can be doing as a business community to empower economic growth here?

Economic growth requires increasing the size of a community’s workforce and growing that workforce’s productivity. We must invest in education all the way from pre-school to advanced degree programs, teach critical business skills throughout the pipeline, and offer families the resources they need in order to create generational wealth. The goal is to reduce scarcity and enhance human capital — the information and skills that people obtain through schooling, work experience and expertise.

Encouraging this desire to learn throughout one’s professional experience is also critical, and leaders within our business community must invest in our leaders of tomorrow. Instilling important leadership traits like those of empathy, integrity and learning agility will be crucial for the success and evolution of our businesses in today’s ever-changing world. A well-educated workforce increases productivity, yielding higher output per individual. The higher level of educational attainment will be vital to future economic growth.

Q: What is new and notable for your company’s near future that will impact our economy?

Goodwill is constantly innovating and examining ways to develop best-in-class sustainability practices and become an even stronger leader in the circular economy. We are committed to reducing waste and establishing both the highest and best use for donated goods.

Additionally, our growth as an organization, expanding to a bicoastal operation here in Arizona, Maryland and the San Francisco Bay Area, offers us an opportunity to operate at a scale that will increase our impact, both from quantitative and qualitative perspectives. This includes an increase in our retail footprint and the size of our workforce, opportunities to explore more valuable community partnerships, additional resources offered to those in need within the communities we serve and, overall, a greater step toward our vision of ending poverty through the power of work!