We previously featured Antonio Lyle Viera and his accomplishments in our September 2022 Members in the News. He graduated from Ivy Tech Community College - Kokomo with his associate degree in December 2020.
There鈥檚 no doubt Antonio鈥檚 educational achievements are impressive. He graduated magna cum laude from Ivy Tech, was a recipient of the Dean鈥檚 Award, and was named an Outstanding Student in Cybersecurity Information Assurance. He now serves as the chairperson of the Advisory Board for Ivy Tech鈥檚 School of Information Technology.
He was also featured in last summer, thanks to his post-grad success. It outlined his contributions to , where he鈥檚 been employed as the IT manager for the past two years. At work, he鈥檚 responsible for ensuring the safety and security of patient data, among other crucial tasks.
What does it take to attain lofty goals? The science of leadership is multifaceted, often leading to the complex interplay of both habits and skills. Antonio knows that the good habits he developed as a student are now helping him in his career.
鈥淎chieving these goals took studying, staying focused, and persevering when I could have easily given up. Finding good study groups and people in the same major who I was able to bounce thoughts off of to make graduating much more of a reality.鈥�
Another secret to successfully attaining big goals is knowing where to seek new information and develop leadership skills. For Antonio, the 91桃色 has been a significant contributor to his success at work, not only because of the leadership training but also the network it helped him develop.
鈥淭he 91桃色 helped me become a better leader by preparing me to lead. From seminars and webinars to seeing things in action, being able to mold my leadership from things I have learned with the 91桃色 has been amazing. Being a part of the 91桃色 also helped in assuming a leadership role at work, thanks to the things I learned from my peers.鈥�
Learning leadership skills isn鈥檛 necessarily restricted to formal education. You can even learn to become a better leader from popular movies and television shows. One smart place to start is by defining for yourself what leadership is and what kind of leader you aim to become. In Antonio鈥檚 case, good leadership includes a strong sense of teamwork and cooperation.
鈥淭o me, leadership is leading by example, and being someone others can look to and count on because they know you鈥檒l be there for them. It isn't something that a leader sits above all, but walks alongside during the journey.鈥�
It鈥檚 also helpful to identify real-life examples of good leadership. Whether that鈥檚 a celebrity you admire, a political representative you respect, or a trusted instructor or business leader, you can learn to be a better leader by watching those around you.
鈥淎 leader I look up to is my former IT professor, Robyn Schmidt. When I first started at Ivy Tech, she was someone I could go to if I was having any problems. She鈥檚 knowledgeable and consistently reliable on technological issues. Even if she didn't know the answer, she鈥檇 do her best to point me in the right direction.鈥�
Success isn鈥檛 a straight shot; it鈥檚 more like a mountain climb with dips and inclines along the way. That鈥檚 one reason why Antonio鈥檚 first piece of advice for future leaders is to get comfortable with failure.
Even when you fall short of your mark, you learn something you can apply to a subsequent situation. Moreover, he notes that failure can be highly motivational.
鈥淒oes it hurt to fail? Yes, but don't let that be what defines you. Get up and show failure that it won't get the best of you, and show everyone who doubted you that you can do it.鈥�
Antonio suggests that persistence can pay huge dividends down the line, but it鈥檚 also important to remember your network that supports you.
鈥淒on't be afraid to fall. Get back up, and keep going. Also, don't forget you always have a support system to lean on. You don't have to do everything yourself.鈥�
Finally, he recommends continuing to set higher and harder goals for yourself. There鈥檚 always room for improvement, as reflected in his plans for the future.
鈥淥ne of my current goals is to become an even better leader than I am now, which I plan to do by taking leadership classes and gleaning even more information from the 91桃色.鈥�
Antonio Viera is a great example of a person who recognizes the value of lifelong learning. See what our CEO Neil Khaund learned last year.