The Leadership Development Institute (LDI) closed its year with speaker Debra Plousha Moore, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Carolinas Healthcare System. In this position, Ms. Plousha Moore “directs talent acquisition, workforce relations, compensation and benefits, education, organizational and leadership development, employee health, and Carolinas HealthCare System LiveWELL, a health and wellness program for the Carolinas HealthCare System workforce.” (carolinashealthcare.org) Chemere Davis and Nyema Mathis, two members of this year’s LDI class, offer their reflections on the final LDI session of the year.
Servant leadership was the perfect topic of closure for this year’s Leadership Development Institute (LDI) class. Debra Plousha Moore discussed the importance of using one’s personal influence to develop and inspire others to make a difference in the community. She charged us to develop our “followership” by being interested in others through serving and caring. Additionally, she reminded us that true leadership is determined by how quickly you get back up when you fail, your level of resistance to setbacks, and your persistence to overcome obstacles. This resonated with me as I reflected on my experience in LDI and the Junior League of Charlotte thus far. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to meet women who truly have a heart for others and a desire to change outcomes in the community. As I take the lessons I’ve learned from Ms. Plousha Moore and the other speakers from LDI and apply them to my service with the league and beyond, I am reminded to cultivate authentic relationships in order to create true community. ~Chemere Davis
If you have never been challenged or inspired to lead a group of people to make positive and influential decisions for the good of the community, then you must sit through the teaching of Debra Plousha Moore. Ms. Plousha Moore’s definition of contemporary leadership explains that “we must use our personal influence to develop and inspire people to achieve organizational goals and make a difference in the community.” There were so many things that Ms. Plousha Moore taught us in the LDI April meeting, but the most valuable lesson that I learned from her is to not fear failure because failure is a part of everyone’s lives. Whether it is in a personal relationship, a professional relationship, or a project that we are completing, challenges and setbacks will be common. What determines great leadership is the way we get back up! ~Nyema Mathis
~Blog by Kelly Near
