Colin's Column: The Influencers That Shaped My Leadership Values
In my writing, speaking, or any other related efforts, a lot of my time is spent dissecting leadership from well-known figures in sports or other industries. They are public figures and I have public access to their interviews, books, seminars, and any other platform they can use to spread their knowledge. It's pretty easy for me to learn from them.
Today I want to spend a little time talking about my personal leadership influencers. These people may not be as highly visible, but they are just as impactful to me as any Yankees manager or player has ever been. I won't embarrass my people or get too public on their otherwise private lives, but I do want to take a moment to showcase what I learned from these people and why I consider them to be role models. Additionally, all of these people showcase at least one, if not more, of the core values I practice on a daily basis: family first, always be learning, be early, always compete, and have integrity.
So without further ado, here are my personal leadership influencers (in no particular order).
My parents: John and Maureen Cerniglia
I can pretty confidently say that I would not be here if it wasn't for my parents - yanno what I mean? Seriously though, my parents were the first people that I looked up to for guidance and leadership and they delivered over-and-over again. They still do! They are both hard-working, fun and loving people originally from Scranton, PA (shoutout). I remember one of my baseball coaches once told me that he thought I had the best support system he had ever seen. My parents have always been supportive and treated me fairly, even if at the time I didn't think so. There was usually a democratic approach to my interactions with them, although I knew if I was out of line my Mom would pull the Commision card on me without hesitation. I think the biggest thing I learned from my parents is having a "family first" attitude. I have two younger brothers, Danny & Timmy, and I have a pretty large extended family. The fact that I am relatively close to most of them to this day is a testament to their simple value that I hope to pass along to a family of my own someday. Thanks, Mom and Dad.
My grandparents: Frank and Angie Cerniglia, Bob and Ann Judge
My grandparents spoiled me and my brothers so much that I still get nostalgic each time I go back to visit Scranton. Some of my favorite memories of all-time come from my far more innocent days as a child when I could walk down to Nickies Hoagies or to the neighborhood playground with my cousins. I am fortunate to still have two of my four grandparents, and I'm grateful that I also got to know Nook and Papa (as we called them) before they both passed away. My grandparents were all big on family values and Nook even went so far as to tell me multiple times that we had to keep the family together after she was gone. So far, mission accomplished. I also learned from my grandparents the value of hard work. All four of my grandparents came from much less than I had growing up, yet they always found ways to succeed and live fulfilling lives. They fought through a depression, world war, terrorist attacks, personal health issues - and yet I can barely remember any of them ever complaining about their situation in life. Maybe they shielded it from me as a kid, but in doing so they taught me the power of positivity and how good things come from living a reputable, family-filled life. Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa Ziggy, and Nook and Papa.
Chris Ross
"Coach" as I still call him today was a huge influence on my life, especially between the white lines of a baseball field. He was my coach and he was a teacher. He was also the coach that told me about my parents as a great support system. Coach always believe in me and I even remember him going so far as to tell me - in the midst of a huge early season struggle - that I would always be his leadoff hitter. Well, the vote of confidence paid off because it relaxed me, gave me a boost of confidence, and I went on a tear at the plate to finish the season. There are so many other things I learned from Coach, but I think the biggest takeaway I got from him is the value of team. Coach always had us setting goals and writing them out to keep in our back pockets as we played, which served as a really great reminder in times of struggle. I still have them all saved and when I reflect back on them I keep noticing how he was always asking us to define what "team" meant to us. It's hilarious to see my interpretation of "team" change over time, but I always believed I was a team player and I think a lot of that came from what I learned from Coach as a leader. Thanks, Coach.
Matt Root
Rooty is probably the person that will most dislike being on my list, if only because he is the classic case of a leader that doesn't want to take credit for anything. That's only one of his good traits, and while his bad traits include his irrational thoughts when it comes to the Yankees, I still have learned quite a bit from a friend I made in high school. Rooty actually introduced himself to me - a "cold walk" if you will. Somehow he knew who I was, walked over to my locker in 9th grade, and the rest is history. From that time on I found another guy that truly values his family, even as he's been away from Syracuse for the past ten years. Rooty was captain of the Liverpool Football team and he was our class valedictorian. He went to Case Western University and now is the Plant Manager for Scotts Miricle-Gro. None of these wonderful accomplishments came by mistake. Matt is one of the hardest working individuals I have ever met. He knows how to work smarter, with a team and that has allowed him to be successful in a number of different opportunities throughout his life. He might be the person I know with the most integrity - and as my wife likes to point out, "he is the nicest friend you have". Thanks, Rooty.
Jake Champagne
Jake is the best example I can think of a person who is a "giver" and has become so successful as a result. He is a hard worker and successful sales representative for Brooks, he recently started his own side biz, and he has a great family. I know because I've been fortunate enough to meet his parents on a couple of occasions and a lot of Jake's values come from his upbringings as a child in Texas. He has overcome some bumps in the road, he has an awesome wife, Kathy, and he is now the proud father of a 9-month old daughter. I say Jake is a giver because he is always looking to help. I referenced in a past column how Jake has helped me in the past and I didn't even have to say a word to him - he just did it. He brings positivity to every conversation you have with him while even competing in just about everything that he does. Even if he is an Astros fan, he's still a role model to me and I will let him enjoy the last few months as reigning champions before the Yankees rule supreme again. Thanks, Jake.
Melissa Wilson
What haven't I learned, especially from a professional point-of-view from Melissa? She was my first mentor when I got into the recruiting industry, even though it wasn't a part of her job description and she really didn't stand to gain anything by doing so. Melissa is an awesome teacher and that's one of her greatest attributes. From Melissa, I learned the importance of doing the work that doesn't want to be done - phone call, after phone call, after phone call - and learning to deal with the rejection that came with the job was a huge turning point in my evolution as a professional. In a lot of ways, Melissa became a second mother to me. She is my work mother. All these years later and she is still looking to help me, offer advice, and make me laugh when things get frustrating. Melissa is also mother to a baseball player and fan and we are able to connect in many ways when it comes to the ballfield. For her, family also comes first. I am forever grateful that Melissa took a chance on me because without her support I'm not sure I would have gotten to where I am today. Thanks, Melissa.
Allison Smith
I connected with Allison as a result of my first attempt at "networking" a few years back. I was bold and sending random cold letters to LinkedIn connections and when I shot one to Allison's colleague, Sally, we got connected and she has been such a wonderful resource for me since then. On a number of different occasions, Allison has taken time out of her day to meet with me at her office, for lunch, or to chat on the phone. Each time I walk away feeling more confident because she is really great at helping me obtain clarity. I think Allison is also a great teacher and is a giver. I've learned from Allison that figuring out what you like and don't like is sometimes just as important as any of the work you may do. She is a truly genuine person with a huge amount of integrity and I couldn't be more grateful. Thanks, Allison.
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If you took the time to read a little about any of my leadership influencers, you will notice they are all pretty similar. I don't think it's any huge surprise that as a result, I am pretty similar to them. That's not to say that I've stayed in my comfort zone all these years and never learned anything new. I think the opposite is true as they have all pushed me to be the best version of myself on a daily basis and never settle for anything less than I'm capable of. I hope to take the leadership qualities I've learned from them and continue to apply them in my life while being able to teach others the value of those skills and attributes.
Think about who may be a leadership influencer to you? Why do they stand out? What message resonates with you? How can you emulate their qualities and help others?
These are questions I ask myself on a daily basis. I've given you a look into my life and I hope it will inspire you to take a closer look at yours. It's great to look towards public figures for guidance and advice, but always remember that you usually have someone close in your own life that can be just as influential.