This Convergence Spotlight features Rebecca Galloway, our newest team member! Rebecca joined us in May of 2021 as the Marketing and Program Coordinator at ConvergenceCoaching®, LLC. Her responsibilities range from managing our website to coordinating logistics and communications for our Leadership Development Program for Seniors and Supervisors™ (LDP-SS) and our Client Advisor Program™ (CAP) and so much more.

Rebecca brings an energetic presence and fresh perspective to our team and I’m excited to share Rebecca’s leadership perspective with you:

ConvergenceCoaching: What is it about a leader that you believe makes others genuinely want to follow them?

RG: Great leaders can be anyone. I believe people choose leaders that inspire or motivate them to be unstoppable. Influential leaders understand and know how to inspire others to grow in their abilities and prosper. We gravitate toward leaders who are trustworthy and who tell us the truth regardless of how difficult or unpopular it may be.

ConvergenceCoaching: Whose leadership style do you admire most and why?

RG: I am drawn towards charismatic leadership. It’s difficult for me to choose just one, so I have two: Abraham Lincoln and Father Tom Hurley from Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago, Illinois.

What I admire about Lincoln was his ability to lead a room with his eloquent and motivating speeches. Although not all of his opinions are necessarily correct in current society, his progressive nature during the time in which he lived was admirable. His communication skills were extraordinary. He spoke with a carefully crafted and honest approach, especially during tense situations, always finding common ground for those who opposed him. He maintained his integrity, even through stiff opposition. He also took responsibility for what he did and shared responsibility for other people’s mistakes, even when it was a challenge.

Secondly, my pastor, Father Tom Hurley, knows how to connect with the public, bringing such a welcoming presence. He speaks with such poetry and clarity, and with such a universal message, that I feel as if he is talking specifically to me every time he delivers his message. Not only is he a great orator; he is also a master listener and has a gift to know how to relate his message to his audience but not compromise his core principles.

ConvergenceCoaching: What is the most challenging part of being a leader? What is your advice for successfully overcoming this challenge?

RG: I think the most challenging part of being a leader is overcoming impostor syndrome and managing stress and anxiety – the “I must not fail in front of others” mentality. These are natural feelings and challenges that many of us face. The best advice I could give you is to be kind to yourself. Notice when you start having these fears, take a deep breath - learn to react, address, and grow from those experiences. A great leader realizes that failure is inevitable and it’s not the failure that defines your value, but what understanding it gained and the actions or changes happen afterwards.

ConvergenceCoaching: Do you believe that great leaders are born or made? Why?

RG: They are made, of course! Great leaders are not born but developed and, more often than not, come with a background of struggle, practice, and perseverance. Leaders do not step away from the battles. They embrace them and learn from their mistakes. That’s how experience and wisdom is collected.

ConvergenceCoaching: Do you have a favorite movie or book that you feel exemplifies what it means to be a great leader?

RG: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. I'll be presumptuous and say we all want a happy life. Take this quote from Carnegie, "Any fool can criticize, condemn or complain - and most fools do." He hit the nail on the head when he explained that it takes character and self-control to forgive: Take a moment and breathe. Don't speak out of anger. Slow down and listen to find a common ground and move forward together.

ConvergenceCoaching: What would you like ConvergenceCoaching blog readers to know about you?

RG: I am honored to work with a team of ambitious women. Their guidance has aided in my professional growth and development and has inspired me to be a better, unstoppable woman. Thank you, team, from the bottom of my heart!

Aside from my professional life as a Marketing and Program Coordinator, I am a passionate foodie! One of my main missions in life is to help eliminate food waste and encourage others to eat healthy, whether through blog writing, tasty recipe creations, engaging social media posts, or promoting my Twinning Around the House website.

I appreciate and would like to emphasize Rebecca’s suggestion of slowing down and listening to others to find commonalities to move forward together. Too often, we can become transactional or lost in the long list of duties or responsibilities. But when we slow down and listen to others, especially those with differing views, we can create a firm culture where all can thrive. Plus, unique viewpoints can increase problem-solving and innovation in our ever-changing world.  We are so happy to have Rebecca’s unique viewpoints on our team.

Until next time,

Emily