Stay positive. Fill any need that arises. Expect cuts and bruises. Embrace your culture. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Get out of your own way.

This advice represents only a fraction of the guidance four leaders of color offered their LeadingAge colleagues during an Annual Meeting forum in Chicago. The Nov. 5 forum included two panels on leadership advancement in aging services. After representatives of executive and professional search firms shared current trends in senior leadership recruitment, the leaders of color told their career stories and offered advice reflecting the lessons they learned along the way.

Deke Cateau, a LeadingAge board member and chief executive officer of A.G. Rhodes Health & Rehab in Atlanta, GA, facilitated the wide-ranging discussion.

Advice for the Career Journey

During the forum’s second panel, leaders of color advised their colleagues to: 

Be positive.

“There has not been a job that I didn’t like,” recalled Charles Moore, president and CEO of Armour Oaks Senior Living Community in Kansas City, MO. “There were good and bad things (about each job), but there has never been a job I didn’t like. I focused on the positive aspects of that job. People noticed, and they invested in me.”

Be willing to fill any need.

Twenty-three years ago, Doug Cope began his career at Menorah Housing Foundation in Los Angeles, CA, with a temporary job that was supposed to last only two weeks. That job led to a summer internship that, in turn, led to a full-time job. Cope is now the organization’s president and CEO.

“They needed someone to fill a need,” he said about his first position at Menorah Housing Foundation. “So, I filled that need. I did whatever was needed. That was my mentality the whole time. I didn’t always know what I was doing. I’m still learning. But I learned early that you should never get too comfortable or complacent. It will cost you opportunity.”

Be guided by your purpose.

“Do the work because you are committed to the mission of the organization,” advised Erica Thrash-Sall, CEO of Horizon House in Seattle, WA. “I’m a mission-focused person, and that has carried me through. Focus on why you do your work. Let that ‘why’ be your guiding light.”

Use your culture as your strategy.

“I’m Chinese,” Tina Sandri, CEO of Forest Hills of DC in Washington, DC, told the group. “You don’t see a lot of Chinese leaders in this field because we take care of our own. To some degree, it’s almost a failure to institutionalize your elders. So, I was made for caring and respecting our elders. This comes from thousands of years of my culture’s history. If I could wave a magic wand, it would be to share that value with everyone. And that’s what I’ve done my whole career.”

Don’t be afraid to be yourself.

Cope, a Hispanic American, took the reins of an organization with a strong Jewish heritage after his predecessor retired. During his interview for the top position, Cope decided he had to tell the search committee that “I’m not my predecessor.”

“I didn’t want the board to compare us,” he said. “I had to be true to myself. (I wanted them to know that) they were getting a person who leads very differently. (The former CEO) was incredible, and she led her way. I had to separate myself and make it clear who they would be getting if they hired me.”

Expect cuts and bruises.

“If you’re going to be a trailblazer, you’re going to be the first one,” said Sandri. “You can’t blaze a trail without some cuts and bruises, so you really have to be prepared emotionally to have moments where you’re getting challenged. It’s a real skill to bump into those moments without getting discouraged. You must develop real resiliency.”

Be a problem solver, not a complainer.

“Every organization has its issues or problems,” said Moore. “Some people just complain about them. But if you find a problem, before you go to management with that problem, have solutions in mind. Don’t just come in with a problem. Even if you’re wrong, even if your assumptions are wrong, come with some ideas.”

Get out of your own way.

“If we all close our eyes and think of what a CEO is, we’re going to come up with the same stereotype,” said Thrash-Sall. “I will never fit that stereotype, no matter how many books I read or how many podcasts I listen to. Yet, I’m here. Right now, in most organizations, the boards are going to be made up mostly of people who are white males. If you let that be a barrier, you won’t do anything. I encourage you to show up authentically and get out of your own way.  Don’t put barriers in front of yourself that you don’t need to. Break down those psychological barriers and find ways to talk about who you are.”