If I have learned anything from my ISBLI experience, it is that leadership is not stationary—it is all about action!

Currently, I work for the federal government and I am in active pursuit of personal development and professional excellence. When I was presented with the opportunity to become part of ISBLI, I saw that I would be able to take my next step as a true community leader.

Through ISBLI, the members of my team – the Blue Team- realized that leadership is all about taking that “next step.” For our team that next step was to make a positive impact in the lives of others while coordinating efforts with a well-established community leader. However, our task was not that simple: there would be riots, protests, city-wide school shut-downs, mass lay-offs, violence, and unemployment, but on top of all of that there was a pandemic.

Our team’s effort was well organized and efficiently executed. We were able to achieve what we set our minds to, despite the COVID- 19 challenges. The Blue Team recognized the rapid shift in the needs of our community, and looked upon this “problem” as one of many “opportunities” to put the precepts taught in ISBLI into action and pave the way for our leaders to usher in the era of a “new normal.”

If I have learned anything from my ISBLI experience, it is that leadership is not stationary—it is all about action! Diversity, equity, inclusion, and activism are the indispensable cornerstones of the platform on which my leadership will build its foundation. ISBLI has taught me that organizers and visionaries will approach each task with their own set of skills and make an honest assessment of their capabilities and the risks before engaging in doing the work. As an ISBLI grad, I now have a greater understanding of what “doing the work” is all about, and would recommend future leaders to take these components very seriously before committing to a new venture.