I grew up in New York City, a true melting pot of cultures. From an early age, I was surrounded by people of different races, ethnicities, languages, lifestyles, and sexual orientations. Being raised in such a diverse environment broadened my perspective and gave me a deep understanding of the richness of human differences. It created a sense of familiarity that naturally replaced fear or discomfort with acceptance and openness toward others.

Respect — I believe that everyone we encounter is both deserving and in need of respect, and I expect the same in return. When you’re in a leadership role, sharing ownership with those you lead is essential to creating a well-functioning and collaborative organization.

I served as the Alaska Marine Highway System Support Services Manager, overseeing all administrative operations. The scope was substantial: a $70 million operating budget, $25 million capital budget, a workforce of 1,000 employees across two states, and seven different bargaining units. I directly supervised a team of 40 people.

When I stepped into the role, it quickly became apparent that morale among the administrative staff was low. Through one-on-one interviews, I learned that this group felt consistently disrespected and undervalued by other departments — despite the fact that their work was critical to the organization’s daily operations.

I met individually with each team member to understand their view of their responsibilities, gather suggestions for improvements, and learn about their professional aspirations. With that information, I restructured the team, provided targeted training, and created clear pathways for individual growth.

This approach fostered a culture of mutual respect and trust. As a result, productivity rose, morale significantly improved, and employees began to take real ownership in the success of the organization as a whole.

Patience — Everyone has a story — a unique origin that shapes who they are and how they operate. We may never fully know that story, but as leaders, it’s our responsibility to take the time to understand how individuals learn, communicate, and interact. This requires adapting our leadership style to foster a relationship that is supportive, respectful, and mutually beneficial.

One of the most challenging yet important aspects of leadership is not giving up on an employee. Throughout my career, I’ve made it a priority to understand each team member’s strengths and areas for growth. With that insight, I created detailed flowcharts of administrative processes to assess how responsibilities could be adjusted — sometimes significantly — so that an employee could remain in a role rather than face termination simply because they didn’t fit the existing structure. In some cases, I even identified individuals with the potential to take on more responsibility and promoted them into roles where they could thrive.

Listen — Truly effective leadership starts with listening. It’s essential to hear the voices of the people you lead — especially those on the front lines doing the day-to-day work. Often, they have the clearest understanding of how things actually function and where improvements are needed. Many of the best ideas come from these team members, not from the top.

At the Alaska Marine Highway System, the reservation clerks were the first point of contact with customers. Yet for years, no one asked them whether the reservation system was functioning well, what could be improved, or what customers were saying. That changed when a new System Director came on board.

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