Lessons of a Leader

Empathy... Listening... Healing... Awareness... persuasion... Stewardship... Commitment... Foresight... Conceptualization... Development... Intention... Growth of both others and yourself... Community Building... Appreciation... Demonstrative skills... Desire to Learn

What kind of Leader are you?

What kind of Leader do you want to be?

You may not know me... So hello, my name is Kaliyah Myers. I am a writer, I am an accountant, I am an employee and I am an entrepreneur, I follow few and I lead many. I aspire and I admire. These are just a few qualities of mine. These are small ripples in the river of who I am. If you do know me, you'll know the biggest complaint ever given of me, is that I move too fast. I promote quickly, I talk quickly, I write quickly, I establish quickly, I move on quickly, I even literally, move quickly. If I try to slow down, I am still "too fast."

I moved from Arizona, to Washington, to Michigan, to South Carolina, to Utah. I got in a car crash, I got married, I had a baby, I was a writer, Lumber Associate, promoted to Deliveries Associate, promoted to Coach, promoted to PRO Desk Supervisor, unemployed, self-employed, A life insurance Agent, an Actress, I went to LA for an international competition called IMTA, the International Modeling and Talent Association. I even won several awards and Medals, I watched as my friends that I made in that week, (which felt like friends of multiple years), got their scholarships and their share of medals and awards. I turned away four talent agencies and I am publishing two books. How long do you think that is?

Sounds like I just gave you a life story doesnt it?

How long do you think I took to accomplish all of that... at the age of 21? I turn 22 tomorrow.

That's my life.

That is everything I achieved without rich parents or any help. That's what I achieved through walls of doubt, even from strangers and guess what?

2 years.

That's only the last 2 years of my life. Would you like to know what I learned?

"Difficult Roads lead to Beautiful Destinations."

I didn't have it easy. Those same two years, I sued insurance for a car crash that shattered my wrist. I almost died giving birth. I had a postpartum hemorrhage and was unconscious for about 3 days and had to have multiple blood transfusions. The last thing I remember, was how quiet my baby was after she was born. When they laid her on my breast, I remember how pale my daughter was... How still she was. How quiet she was. How the nurses waited a moment and then rushed to grab her. How my worried husband followed as they tried to get her to breathe, I remember watching the color flood through her body and hearing her little scream. Bringing vibrancy and life to her beautiful face and I closed my eyes, so relieved... only to open them 3 days and about 3 blood transfusions later.

In those two years, I lost my grandmother, I lost my best friend both to death. Death. An endearing friend of mine who likes to pop in and poke me when I am happiest. Anyone close to me has seen me almost tragically die at least once. That's my life. Do you want to know how I make in my life it as well?

Keep reading.

"If you can't do anything about it, don't let it hurt you. Don't let it give you fear and anxiety. What is done, is done and it cannot affect you, if you don't let it." - My once dearest friend

"A leader is nothing without their team. Build them up. Grow them like a garden and they will flourish like your numbers." - My old boss

"The more friends you get, the more enemies will come out of the wood works, find them, know them, learn from them and they will never take you down." - My old supervisor

"This information is very important even in real life. You want to be an actor? Then all of your fears, worries, problems...? Act like you don't have them and even you won't be able to stand in your own way." - My Coach

"People upset me so much. Do you know what I do when they upset me? I go outside and I scream at the top of my lungs. Sometimes I watch birds take flight and my worries do with them... Don't laugh, try it. It really actually helps." - My old Assistant Manager

These are quotes that changed my life. These are words that stick with me when I begin to doubt and fear. These are small, valuable lessons I learned and with them, strangely enough, they are words that helped shape the Leader I chase being. As for the Leadership Method I chose, it focuses completely on growing and developing the skills and knowledge of each of your team members. It relies entirely on your ability to take care of your people and empowering them. It's called Servant Leadership.

Why would I deeply recommend you turn to Servant Leadership?

Easy, let me start by explaining what it is...

Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy in which the leader's primary goal is to serve their team members and empower them to be their best. Servant leaders prioritize the needs of their team members over their own needs, and they work to build a positive and inclusive team culture. They listen actively, empathize with their team members, and work to create opportunities for growth and development.

Being a servant leader can benefit both you and your team in many ways. By prioritizing the needs of your team members, you can build trust, foster collaboration, and create a positive and inclusive team culture. This can lead to increased productivity, higher job satisfaction, and reduced turnover. Additionally, by empowering your team members to be their best, you can create a sense of purpose and meaning in their work, which can lead to increased engagement and motivation. Finally, by modeling servant leadership, you can inspire others to lead with empathy, compassion, and a commitment to serving others.

Another reason to be a servant leader is that it can help you develop your own leadership skills. By focusing on the needs of your team members, you can develop your ability to communicate effectively, build relationships, and inspire and motivate others. Additionally, by prioritizing the growth and development of your team members, you can create opportunities for them to develop their own leadership skills, which can benefit the team and the organization as a whole.

Finally, servant leadership is a values-based approach to leadership that can help you align your actions with your personal values and principles, which can lead to a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment in your work.

... If you didn't catch it by my age, I am GEN Z. I am the workforce that is turned away and shunned. I am the employee shunned by Millennial and Boomer employers. Though I am not blind enough to blame their whole generation. Just wise enough to ask that no matter your generation, age, or background, you take a moment and change to be who you would aspire to have led you.

My first team, I had a very awful employer. She fired my supervisor for race and openly announced that was why. She told the company that she had to leave for two months for a lawsuit and her automated email actually claimed she was at Disney and provided the return date to be two months from that date. When she was expected back from her "lawsuit". She even came back and shared pictures with her favorite employees of her at Disney. She came after one of my employees. We'll call him Phil. After Covid, both of Phil's parents were unemployed and he couldn't afford anything. All his savings went into their mortgage and his parents bills.

He was an employee with us for all of two days before I noticed he was no longer on my schedule. When I confronted HR, she sadly explained that it was demanded of her to remove him from my team because he was on the younger side. Our company prided itself in being all-inclusive. This was unheard of. I confronted this leader and she sneered and groaned about it but added him back to my schedule that evening. The next day he came to me crying because he was told by that leader that he would be fired for not wearing a polo. Our dress code for males. He wore a T-shirt, nothing inappropriate and it was in our policy to provide him a polo on hire. But they did not. Claimed they were out and refused to get more for one employee.

I addressed it again. This leader is over me. This leader was a store manager but I was not going to back down. You cannot fire a person for race, age or a shirt and while she was getting away with it for others I would NOT have it with MY team. She backed down for a day again, the next, she told him to go home and if he couldn't return with a polo, not to bother coming back.

I told him, in front of her to stay. If she had a problem with my team, she could address it privately with me like a professional or take it to HR like a professional. She was enraged and promptly went to HR while I took my employee to a computer and let him pick out 12 company logo polo's from our company website. I spent $415.61 on my employee. I had it express-shipped to his home. I told him he would message me when it arrived and he owed me nothing. I showed him in that moment how much value he had in our company even when MY leader made that value hard to see.

I then printed that receipt out and brought it to HR and my Store Manager and clearly stated on recording that if I found that my associate was fired without my consent then I would expect that amount added back to my paycheck by that weeks end and district would hear of it all. He still has that job to this day and that was over a year ago.

That is what it is to be a Servant Leader, you protect, empower, and inspire your team.

That is what it is to protect your workers even if its against your employers...

That is what it is to be Gen Z. You stand against it all and you protect yours...

That is what it is to be me...

... This is what it is to be done. Eventually, if you wish to know, the district found out what was going on and that leader was promptly removed from the store. Those employees are in better hands from what I heard. So at this end, I will thank those of you who kept reading and request that you drop a like, if you enjoyed it. Hit subscribe, if you feel inclined. Leave a comment, it's always appreciated and I will return the favor. Giving another lesson for leadership lies within your community.

Thank you.