Friday, June 17, 2011

Authentic Leadership

Joseph Castro is a tall, robust man with dark hair smoothed back off his forehead. Young for his position as Vice Chancellor for Student Academic Affairs, he carries an old world elegance, simultaneously appearing both charming and wise. This is what one sees on first meeting Joe. But what is so compelling about him, what inspired me to write this profile about him, is something else entirely. It is his heart, the giant muscle which guides Joe in everything he says and does.

I first met Joe many years ago. He was new in his role at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and had discovered a scholarship fund for Native female medical and nursing students which was being underutilized. Calling a meeting with the Native American Health Alliance, of which I, as a Native staff member at UCSF, was a member.  We spent an hour together, Joe, a first year Native medical student and I talking about the ways in which UCSF could best utilize the scholarship funding and advance participation of more Native people in the health sciences. Later, Joe covered the expenses for my attendance at a meeting at UCLA, where Native staff across the UC system were working toward the creation of system-side Native American Staff Development Conference. The conference was recently held for the third year and UCSF, more accurately Joe, sponsored the event.

These are small examples of the kind of care Joe takes in his relationships with students and staff, with following through on his commitments and priorities. These are minor examples of the authenticity of Joe’s leadership. When I asked Joe what he considers his strengths as a leader, he indicated four things: good listener; open and accessible; creative; and focused on serving others (staff and students). But I would describe his strengths differently. I would say he listens with his heart and he problem-solves with his eyes on the best outcomes for everyone involved. His words are worth their weight in gold. As for weaknesses, Joe is comfortable naming these as well. He avoids conflict. He struggles with self promotion. He has a hard time turning down projects that align with his values and thus finds himself sometimes overcommitted.

Recently I heard Joe speak on the topic of leadership. He told the audience that much of what he learned about working with others came from the grandfather who raised him. He also indicated he had learned a great deal from childhood adversity. From his grandfather he learned how to get things done by building positive relationships with others and from adversity he learned resilience and the ability to focus on long-term outcomes rather than short-term concerns. But the most important leadership lesson that Joe ever learned was not to focus on himself. In his words, “It’s not about me.  It’s all about whom I am serving." That is something else Joe learned from his grandfather, the value of service. It isn’t always easy, he acknowledges, but he is committed to this principle.