“Someone may hold a position that entitles them to “lead” people, but that doesn’t mean that they are a leader within the community. They may have POWER over the community, but that’s not the same as being a true leader.”

“As we move into the new year, I encourage you to think about taking a moment to celebrate the successes.”

“Accepting responsibility may seem something we all do, but the reality is that most people don’t actually do it.”

“While most people may take notes on what is being discussed in a meeting, leaders take notes and then take action.” -Faris Alami

“Leaders that will face challenges head on, admit their mistakes, and figure out a way to overcome or learn from them. Sometimes you can’t overcome the challenge but you can learn from it.” -Faris Alami

“One of the key insights I’ve gained over the last 30-some years is that leading leaders starts with questions about what the requestor is saying — clarification of the idea.”

“When surviving, you hold on to whatever you have, when you are in growth mode, you want to spend everything you have or invest it. Your attitude colors your surroundings and the decisions you make.”

“None of us expect a crisis to hit, but when it does, the question becomes What can we do with what happened?”

“If you choose to think about your attitude, you can keep your thoughts and ideas positive, and make an impact.”

“In the process, I’ve learned that to support a minority business requires being plugged in to different energy and resources.”

“As long as you continue to compete with yourself, you’re going to find your way to compete with the big players and maybe tackle them and earn first place.”

“There are a few key components you want to consider when launching a program in a community that is not accustomed to this way of thinking.”

“Questions allowed me to have a bigger and deeper understanding of culture and human interaction — knowledge that is important in building community.”