This month, in honor of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, I decided to do something different: to feature colleagues and mentees on my LinkedIn. A colleague who saw my recent posts reached out and said that she wished someone had done that for her when she was going up the ladder; perhaps her journey to a senior position would have been smoother. The truth is I am showcasing others to pay it forward to those leaders who did advocate for me and those who saw potential in me that I couldn’t see in myself at the time.
Those of us who have the privilege of serving in a senior leadership position or serving at the helm of our institutions have a responsibility to reach back and pull others forward as we climb. We understand how arduous a journey it is, and how our self-esteem and confidence can be shaken, especially if we are first-generation leaders. We know first-hand the types of obstacles that others will face. We have a sense of the knowledge, skills, mindset, and dispositions that are needed to thrive in leadership. If we can spare others the trouble, if they can learn from our mistakes and successes, we owe it to those who pulled us forward to support those behind us because it is very likely that we did not make it to our roles on our own.
As President of a minority-serving institution, I also owe it to my learners, the vast majority of whom are first-generation college students or immigrants, to showcase professionals who look like them, who started off like them, and who have succeeded professionally. Some may have had a linear path, while others took the circuitous route, intentionally or because they encountered curves and derailments, but they persisted and succeeded. They need to know that their hard work and persistence will pay off.
You don’t need to wait for whatever XYZ heritage month to pull others forward. Make that part of your daily practice. You may not even remember a small gesture or even a risk that you took on behalf of someone else, but they will remember it. Who will you pull forward?
