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Devotion to Leadership in Rhode Island – Mary T. O’Sullivan
By Mary T. O’Sullivan, MSOL
“Providence Business News recognizes men and women over the age of 50 for their sustained success and leadership both in their fields and in the community.” – Providence Business News, August 2023
For many years, Providence Business News (PBN) regularly awards notable businesses and their people with recognition and honors for their contributions to the Rhode Island and Southern New England communities. The event list in long and includes Healthiest Workplaces, Women in Business, 40 Under 40, Best Places to Work, and Leaders and Achievers, etc.
This year, I was one of 27 Leaders and Achievers honorees feted at the historic Aldrich Mansion on Narragansett Bay in Warwick, RI. This honor, reserved for those 50 and older, acknowledges those people who have demonstrated their commitment to mentoring, supporting, and guiding others in their field as well as setting an example for leadership in their sphere of work and in their communities.
The environment at this year’s event bubbled with excitement, from the moment we entered the building and were handed glasses of wine. Many of us, surprised at receiving such an honor, giddily wandered the marbled halls and corridors of the Mansion, drinks in hand, cheerfully greeting and congratulating each other. Family members joined in the festivities, proud of their significant others, mothers, and fathers. PBN spared no expense at this event, with lavish food stations and three open bars. Each honoree walked away with a beautiful plaque and a Congressional Citation with a professional photograph taken with both. The PBN team positioned the honorees with the beautiful bay in the background, to remind us of our roots in the Ocean State.
For me, this culminated many years of work as an executive coach, working with executives, professionals, and business owners and my volunteer work with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). With the ICF, I performed pro bono coaching since 2014 with the Massachusetts Conference for Women, the Human Capital Institute and ICF’s IGNITE program, which supports non-profit leaders. In addition, I worked with Stand Beside Them, an organization devoted to military veterans and their spouses/caregivers who face obstacles during their transition back to civilian life. These opportunities have enhanced my coaching ability to continue to help others who need support in their personal and professional growth.
As Mike Mello, the editor of PBN puts it, “that often means investing in the success of others, through mentoring and creating opportunities for them to see themselves as leaders.” This is the charge of the PBN Leaders and Achievers honorees. Every person gives back, and desired to become a leader in order to make “substantial change”.
Making a difference and getting the best from people are common threads throughout the biographies of the 2023 Honorees. Jeffery Cascione of Navigant Credit Union said, “it’s listening to people to hear…what their vision is.” Stephen Colella of Job Club Rhode Island speaks of leading his clients to become more independent. “We can lead you to the border of Munchkin Land, but you have to go in and see the wizard on your own.” Marcelino DeSantiago of Hope Global maintains that “A great leader inspires confidence in other people and moves them to take actions that matter most.”
These 2023 honorees uphold the essence of leadership and encapsulate in a few brief words what volumes of textbooks, hours of classroom teaching, and the tomes populating the Amazon “management” category represent. A true leader knows that power is derived from those that are led. There are no leaders without willing followers.
“When you focus on what people do well, it makes them feel good about themselves.” – Ross L. Nelson, Cox Communications, 2023 PBN Leaders and Achievers Honoree
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Read all Mary’s columns here: https://rinewstoday.com/mary-t-osullivan-msol-pcc-shrm-scp/
Mary T. O’Sullivan, Master of Science, Organizational Leadership, International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach, Society of Human Resource Management, “Senior Certified Professional. Graduate Certificate in Executive and Professional Career Coaching, University of Texas at Dallas. Member, Beta Gamma Sigma, the International Honor Society. Advanced Studies in Education from Montclair University, SUNY Oswego and Syracuse University. Mary is also a certified Six Sigma Specialist, Contract Specialist, IPT Leader and holds a Certificate in Essentials of Human Resource Management from SHRM.
www.encoreexecutivecoaching.com