Name  Charlon Hibbard
Business Cosmetic Sales and Leadership    
Title  Ind. Premier Club Sales Director
Best phone for contact: 248-705-5479 cell  
Leadership Oakland Class: IX

Q. What is the most significant leadership lesson you have learned that has impacted your personal life? 

A. My business is one of teaching and mentoring women to run their own home-based businesses.  To do so I had to learn how to run my own business, which started with setting goals and priorities.  Learning to set goals, work until they were completed or reset the timeline, has been a life-changing lesson.  Most people go through life just drifting, as did I until Mary Kay came into my life.  While working for myself gives me wonderful flexibility to live my life as I choose, it does take discipline. The lesson of setting goals has been instrumental in helping me reach this point in my life.

Q. What was one of your finest leadership moments professionally?

A. While I have been honored numerous times within Mary Kay, being selected by Leadership Oakland for the 2004 Distinguished Leadership Award and recognized outside of my industry was one of my most cherished moments.

Q. Is there a leader that inspires you?  Why? 

A. Mary Kay Ash. Mary Kay Ash took a dream of enriching women’s lives and started her company despite every one of her advisors telling her how many businesses failed every year. She lead a group of nine women and built a company upon the Golden Rule, keeping her priorities: God first, family second and career third.

Q. How do you use your leadership for community building?

A. I believe that one of my strengths is the ability to work with many different personalities and to work as a team.  I use my people skills to be a connector of people.

Q. What is a mistake you have made as a leader and what did you learn from this?

A. In the past I assumed all people were self-motivated and would follow through on their own, being true to their word.  I was a hands-off leader.  I now maintain close communication with those on my team. This allows me to be aware of their needs to keep their goals in front of them so they can achieve the level of success they want.

Q. If you were to give advice to others in leadership during tough times, what would it be? 

A. I think Mary Kay Ash said it all- "The speed of the Leader is the speed of the team. Do not expect others to do what you will not.  Do not wish for what you are not willing to work."

Name:  Terry L. Poling
Business:  The Poling Group, Inc.        
Title:  Executive Business Advisor
Best phone for contact:  248.656.9298         
Website: www.ThePolingGroup.com      
Leadership Oakland Class:  LO XIV  (i.e. the “best class”!)


Q. What is the most significant leadership lesson you have learned that has impacted your personal life? 

I recently learned the virtue and value of patience … in all aspects of my life.  Prior to my six-month consulting assignment in Ethiopia last year, I had little appreciation for patience.  It was a foreign concept that didn’t fit with my ‘bias-for-action’ worldview and lifestyle. At some level, I believed that to be patient meant that I was compromising my own values and standards.  However, living in a culture very different from my own, I soon understood that patience was not only necessary but also enlightening.  I learned that my self-imposed expectations and proclivity toward action often blinded me to my deeper source of motivation.   Practicing patience allowed me to be in touch with the present moment and to reconnect with my real passion … to improve the quality of life for others … more fully.  David Whyte, poet and author, has written that, “A tragedy of living life fast as an answer to the complexities and responsibilities of existence, is that over time we cannot recognize anything or anyone who is not traveling at the same velocity as we are”. Amen!


Q. What was one of your finest leadership moments professionally? 

Having the courage to stand up to one of my worst bosses ever on behalf of the organization and the people I served at the time was one of my ‘finer moments’.  Although he was politically savvy, behind the scenes this guy was brutal and unscrupulous in his treatment of people.  His ego far outpaced any sense of integrity.  It all came to a head when I confronted him in private about his intentions of rigging an assessment process for a company layoff.  I challenged him to change his ways or I would ‘go public’.  He finally backed down. Although I left shortly after this incident for another company, I am confident that my resolve and actions removed others from ‘harms-way’ and ultimately contributed to my effectiveness as an external organizational consultant.  For me, courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to act in spite of one’s fear!


Q. Is there a leader that inspires you? Why?  

Mahatma Gandhi. For being the change he wanted to see in the world.  Period.  What else can I say??


Q. What is a mistake you have made as a leader and what did you learn from this? 

Oh, where do I begin with this one??  There are so many examples!!  I must confess, the larger mistakes/failures have been ‘sins of omission’.  In other words, not speaking up or taking action when I should have.  Indeed, it has been my experience that asking for forgiveness is much easier and admirable than asking for permission.  On the other hand, where do I go to seek forgiveness for those things that I should have done, but didn’t?  I’d welcome the advice of others on this one!


Q. If you were to give advice to others in leadership during tough times, what would it be? 

A few years back I had the great fortune of dining with James Lovell Jr., commanding astronaut on the incredible Apollo XIII Mission (think Tom Hanks!).  I asked him a similar question and his response has always impressed me, especially given the dire circumstances in which he led others to safety.  Consequently, I’ve tried to integrate his advice in my own life and have offered his words to many of the leaders I’ve coached over the past several years.  Lovell’s response to my question was:  “Don’t sweat the ‘small stuff’.  And, take my word for it; most of life is the ‘small stuff’.”  Again, Amen!

Name: Michelle P. Crockett
Business: Miller Canfield   
Title:  Attorney/Principal
Best phone for contact:  (313)963-6420    
Leadership Oakland Class:  XVI

Q: What is the most significant leadership lesson you have learned that has impacted your personal life? 

A: The most significant leadership lesson I have learned is that when you are placed or find yourself in a position to effectuate change and/or to help others achieve their goals and dreams; it is ABSOLUTELY your responsibility to take on a leadership role and become involved and committed to something that is greater than yourself i.e., the long term advancement of others.

Q: What was one of your finest leadership moments professionally?

A: My finest leadership moment professionally was becoming the first African-American female partner at Miller Canfield.  I knew that a barrier had been broken and that others would know (and could visibly see) that it was possible to succeed in a large law firm environment as a woman of color.

Pam Woodley, LOXIII, was honored as the ART of Leadership's Mentor of the Year at the Metro Detroit Mentor Collaboration's Mentor Celebration Gala on Thursday, January 25, 2007. The ART of Leadership Foundation, along with many other Metro Detroit mentoring organizations, will honor one outstanding mentor each who has exemplified the value of mentoring in the lives of young people. The Foundation's mission is to inspire vision and leadership in young people, giving them the skills to succeed in their lives and to be leaders in their communities. 

"There is always a need for volunteers. It's amazing the difference you can make by just spending a little time with these youths," explained Woodley, "I would really like to encourage folks to volunteer their time." 
The MDMC is a partnership between local mentoring organizations, along with Mentor Michigan. Working together with other agencies, it is their goal to strengthen mentoring in Metro Detroit and to celebrate the work of mentors. 

Leadership Oakland recognizes the need for successful leaders to be involved in the community. Please join us in congratulating Pam and keep looking for ways that you too can make a difference!

For more information about The ART of Leadership visit http://www.artofleadership.net/
For more information about The Metro Detroit Mentor Collaboration (MDMC) and ways that you can get involved visit http://www.mentorcollaboration.org/

Leadership Oakland is proud to share the good news about fellow alum Keith Cooley (LOIX) who was recently appointed by Governor Granholm as director of the Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG).  Keith is leaving his position as CEO of Focus Hope to assume this role in early March.  

"Keith Cooley is an outstanding leader with an innovative spirit and is strongly committed to serving the people of Michigan," Granholm said today.  "With his passion for connecting Michigan workers with higher education and good jobs, Keith will be instrumental in ensuring that we have a  21st century workforce to attract new jobs and employers.  He shares our commitment to see that every Michigan citizen has the tools they need to attain those jobs of the future."

Keith, a former Leadership Oakland Board member, will be one of the speakers at Taste of LO on March 1st.  We can all give him our congratulations and wish him well in this key role in the state.

You can read the full press release by clicking on the link below:

Keith Cooley Press Release (PDF)