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Leadership at its core is about what we do for others. I know that sounds simple, but the term leadership is defined as “the action of leading a group of people or an organization,” not oneself. Too often in the modern era, we see leaders focus on image, wealth, brand, or some other individualistic value. That core focus became my true north in 2011, when I began to ask myself daily “what have I done for others?”

At 5:37am on September 19, 2011, I was walking from my home in the Bronx to catch my bus to work in the city when my life paused. Crossing the street, I was hit by a car doing 40 miles an hour and my forehead went through the windshield breaking my nose and causing a concussion. As the driver stopped, I was then thrown 40+ feet through the air with the back of my head hitting the pavement. This caused another concussion, a four-inch skull fracture, and eventual brain hemorrhage. Two days later I woke in the ICU. Recovering from a traumatic brain injury meant no technology, reading, or work, and lots of walking to build back my strength and coordination. It was during these walks that I began to think about my life and my legacy. I began to ask the many family, students, friends, and colleagues that visited me over three months the same question I had been asking myself, “what have I done for others?” Those conversations helped me to reflect on my career with a specific focus on leadership and my impact.”

Using that question as my true north, I decided to focus my doctoral dissertation (started in 2010) on leadership, specifically team cohesion. It was during this period that I began to study and explore the different traits, skills, and theories associated with leadership. While no one leadership theory is absolute, I found myself drawn to and identifying with TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP. First introduced by James MacGregor Burns in 1978, transformational leaders focused on change and growth in individuals as well as systems. Throughout my career I have developed a systems thinking approach to leadership - focusing my resources, talents, and time in challenging conventional strategies while developing innovative mission-focused solutions for people and organizations. Being mission focused means connecting the organization’s identity to that of the student affairs team and ultimately our students, transforming lives as an educator. Impacting individuals or systems is a heavy lift during the best of times, but now more than ever we as leaders must work to develop talent in our staff and students while aligning our systems to reflect our goals and mission.

My success throughout my career has a direct correlation to my ability to build genuine RELATIONSHIPS with individuals, communities, and organizations. True relationships take time and effort to develop and are built on trust. Much of my day is spent listening and talking to others engaging in both social and meaningful dialogue on varied topics. In-person dialogue that is transparent and caring has significant impact in an age of social media and virtual communication. Our best ideas and innovations come from casual conversations that start with open ended questions. These individual discussions lead to broader relationships with organizations and will build trust through the many communities that our institutions serve. Make no mistake, students and staff will quickly discern the difference between genuine intent and ulterior motives. A key component in developing those relationships as a leader is VISIBILITY. I have always believed that leaders do not lead from behind a desk, trust is developed through actions and being visible. This does not mean that you must be everywhere or looking over shoulders. It does mean that in order to understand what is going on in your organization one must be present. Visibility also demonstrates support, accessibility, and commitment. My team and students have a saying for me, “invite Erik and he will be there, don’t invite him and he still may be there.” I believe in attending programs, eating where students and staff eat, and sharing my home family with my work family.

The ability to be STRATEGIC is a necessity in a leader’s toolbox, particularly with transformational leadership that focuses on growth and change. It is important to note the difference between strategic and the term that is used most often, strategy. Strategy is focused on a plan that drives individuals or organizations to achieve specific goals, while being strategic is focused on the thought process along the journey toward specific or broad goals. Being strategic as a transformational leader means thinking steps ahead about processes, people, outcomes, and consequences as well as how people and communities are surviving and struggling while being conscience of how our decisions affect them – DETAILS matter! Leaders must have an eye for details. From language to imagery and everything in between, details demonstrate not only a leader’s skills and professionalism but also their commitment to inclusion, equity, and access.

A few months into my recovery I recovered the watch I was wearing from the NYPD. As I inspected the damage to the metal band and face, I noticed that the watch had stopped working on the exact day and time of my accident. I keep this watch on my desk to remind me of not only how precious life is, but also why I continue to work in higher education. We transform the lives and communities through empowering and influencing change. As an educator and leader, I work each day for others, and my watch reminds me of that – my true north!