Featured Alumni - Michelle P. Crockett
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.
Q: Is there a leader that inspires you? Why?
A: I think we all have been inspired most recently by President Obama. He is clearly the voice of change that our country needs and has responded to during this most recent election. His uncanny ability to tap into the pulse of people’s needs and encourage everyone to keep hoping, dreaming and striving to become the people and the country that we long to be is unprecedented. However, for me, it is his wife Michelle that inspires me the most. She is an African-American female who is educated, dedicated to her family and supportive of her husband in every way without seemingly losing herself/own identity in the process. As women, we all struggle with the sometimes overwhelming task of juggling the many balls that we have in the air at various times in our lives. Michelle shows by example how the juggling act can be maintained, not necessarily easily or without sacrifice, but nevertheless efficiently, gracefully and lovingly. She is everything I hope and strive to be as a leader, as a woman, as a mother, as a wife, and most importantly as a human being!!
Q: How do you use your leadership for community building?
A: There are so many causes and issues that need to be tackled within our region. If I could, I would be involved with each and every one of them. However, I have chosen to serve on the Board of Directors for the following non-profit organizations that, in my opinion, serve as a voice for those who are not often heard and are many time overlooked: Detroit Central City (servicing the needs of the homeless and mentally ill in Wayne County); The Fair Housing Center of Metro Detroit (dedicated to ensuring that every person in the metro Detroit area has access to housing and is not discriminated against on the basis of their race, sex, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, religion, etc..); and Motherly Intercession (providing services (including mentoring and tutoring) to children in Genesee County who’s parent(s) or caretakers are incarcerated). By serving on these Boards, I feel that in a small way, I am helping to shape the services, communicate the need, and long-term, effectuate the change and bring the help that is needed to the individuals that benefit from the services provided by these non-profit organizations.
Q: What is a mistake you have made as a leader and what did you learn from this?
A: The biggest mistake I have made is failing to delegate effectively. What I have come to realize is that I am incapable of being as effective as I’d like to be, and cannot fully serve those that I am trying to help without delegating some of the responsibilities associated with furthering certain causes to others.
Q: If you were to give advice to others in leadership during tough times, what would it be?
A: The advice I would give to others in leadership during tough times is to never waiver. One of the true signs of leadership, in my opinion, is being consistent and unwavering in your commitment. This is especially important in tough times because it is during trials and tribulations that people are most hungry for leadership. Moreover, leaders must be strong enough to risk unpopularity and ridicule and remain steadfast in their beliefs and goals. The ability to do this in my opinion separates true leaders from those who simply want the title. As Martin Luther King Jr., so eloquently stated: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.”
