Leadership Seminar Series shares career advice for emerging leaders

Brent Corbett (from left), Dr. Heather Williams, Dex Alexander, Dr. Amy Stumpf and Dr. Gaynell Vanderslice participate in a seminar.

Riverside, Calif. (March 23, 2022) - A panel of diverse men and women with years of experience in the private and public sectors shared their career advice for emerging leaders at California Baptist University on March 22.

The event, titled “What I Wish I Knew in My Career,” was part of the Dr. Paul and Annie Kienel Leadership Institute’s Leadership Seminar Series, co-hosted by the CBU Leadership Society. The panel consisted of Dr. Heather Williams, executive director of personnel services at the Riverside County Office of Education; Brent Corbett (‘20), mental health practitioner at UCLA Health; Dex Alexander (’21), founder of Black Roses, a brand strategy firm; and Dr. Amy Stumpf, professor of society and religion at CBU. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Gaynell Vanderslice, assistant professor of business management.

The seminar explored perspectives on the power of resilience, the value of networks, vision casting, leaning in with confidence and more.

When someone is a leader, all eyes are on them, and it is important to have qualities that others can look up to, Williams said.

“You have to be resourceful, have grit, be resilient and calm,” Williams said. “But if you have a spirit of power, love, self-control and serving others—that makes a great leader.”

Alexander discussed the importance of vision casting in leadership, and that it really means to establish the vision of one's values. He used Patagonia, an outdoor clothing company, as an example of a brand that promotes their values rather than just advertising products.

"If you’ve ever received a mailer from Patagonia, there’s really nothing in there about the products,” Alexander said. “Instead, they are reinforcing their values over and over again. Vision is very important when it is influenced, informed and inspired by values.”

Corbett said that networking is a key element in being a successful leader and leaning on others is essential for success.

“When I look at an individual, I look at what they’ve been through first,” Corbett said. “I’m not too big on the trophies, but I am looking to see what they went through as a person. I don’t want the spotlight on me, I want it to be on my team and the ones who have helped me get to this position in my life.”

When asked about leading with confidence, Stumpf said that she wished she was not asked that question because she has struggled with her own confidence over the years.

“I might look confident, but it’s a fight for me every day to say, ‘I can do this,’” Stumpf said. “I find that I need a reality checker. I have people in my life who I can call and ask if my insecurities and lack of confidence is clouding how I’m perceiving something. They can double check me and let me know if I’m way off base.”

To be an effective leader, panel members said failure is part of success, and that students should not be afraid to take risks.

“Don’t be afraid to fail in your endeavors,” Corbett said. “Failure creates successes. People might look at me and say, ‘You’re doing great in your life,’ but I want people to look at my failures and the things that challenged me first. That’s where I get my success from.”

To view the schedule for future leadership seminars, please visit this link.