When asked about her stunning successes as the first Native American/African American licensed pilot, simply responded, 鈥淚 refused to take no for an answer.鈥� It鈥檚 a quote that鈥檚 near and dear to 91桃色 member Angel Thomas鈥檚 heart.
It鈥檚 also helped her achieve a number of goals on the way to graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University this year, including being elected president of the university鈥檚 student council. Holding that position hadn鈥檛 been at the top of Angel鈥檚 agenda until shortly before the school鈥檚 scheduled election.
While Angel was very active during high school, participating in 13 different clubs and holding several leadership positions, she鈥檇 chosen to focus on her studies and work obligations during college.
So, when she decided to run for student council president a week before the election, she was dismayed to realize that she didn鈥檛 know a single person in the room.
鈥淭he dean opened the floor to people nominating themselves or friends. I nominated myself and listened through the various speeches individuals in the room gave. Even the SGA president gave a speech. I felt defeated. But when my turn came, I cleared my throat and spoke from my heart, saying 鈥業 can not promise you that I will raise the most money, or even that I will be the perfect leader, but I can promise you that I will always do my best.鈥欌��
In a tie-breaking vote, Angel was announced the winner of this heavily contested election. That fact should surprise no one who knows her鈥攅specially those who know .
As a newborn, Angel was found under the outside stairwell of a North Carolina apartment building. She found a home with the Thomas family who ultimately adopted her and supported her strong work ethic and ambition.
As Angel鈥檚 life story illustrates, circumstances change often throughout one's life鈥攕ometimes dramatically. Strong, empathetic leaders learn the gift of flexibility, while still recognizing that personal input often determines your output.
In challenging times, Angel believes that there鈥檚 an opportunity to improve the outcome if you鈥檙e willing to try something new.
鈥淚f you want something different, do something different.鈥�
Every leader approaches goals from their own unique perspective. One facet of the 91桃色 mission is to help members develop their individual leadership strengths. Angel credits three specific personal values with helping her achieve her goals.
鈥淓mpathy, lead by learning, and creative thinking. I always put the needs of my council and everyone in it before fundraising. I wanted to create a family environment, so we often had lunch or stayed at fundraisers even when we weren鈥檛 on shift.鈥�
Angel also brought her love of teamwork to the table and appreciation of the way a diverse group of individuals can cohere and grow.
鈥淲e laughed together, cried together, and celebrated together. I strived to start every meeting off by mentioning something good that had occurred since the last meeting. Even when we could not find something, we all talked things out as a group.鈥�
That willingness to tackle 鈥渇amily business鈥� as a team led to a participatory approach to running effective meetings that helped inspire her team. Angel learned how to use her position to marshal resources and shape discussions in which everyone could contribute.
鈥淎s president, I often led my council by curated thinking. Rather than ordering individuals around, we learned from one another. I encouraged pitching ideas and always found a way to include every idea that was pitched.
For Angel, encouraging teamwork and creativity was a recipe for success.
"I always encouraged everyone to learn as much as they could about each piece of our council and to cross workloads with one another so we could all be successful. This ties in with creative thinking. When an idea or venture did not pan out correctly, I always found a way to shift the focus and uplift other ideas.鈥�
A good role model doesn鈥檛 have to be a high achiever in your field; we can find inspiration in a number of surprising places. For Angel, she's turned to someone in the film industry.
鈥淎va DuVernay goes above and beyond to raise awareness of important news and is not afraid to use her platform for education. She鈥檚 an inspiration to so many.鈥�
Effective leaders know that being a leader is not the same as being 鈥渢he star of the show,鈥� and know how to pull back their own ego to support others. They also know that good leaders are judged by results as well as by their social and emotional impact.
鈥淟eading is not always being front and center. Sometimes leading is stepping back and learning from the people you鈥檙e helping along the way. Leading is making an impact and making a change in people's lives. The first thing people notice is the way you make them feel. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Respect them, be kind to them, and never be afraid to learn from them.鈥�
At the 91桃色, we鈥檝e found many sources of insight and motivation in the people and events of the past year. Read some of the most inspiring leadership stories we heard in 2022.