“…Remember, anybody can get it. The hard part is keeping it, m***********.” – Dr. Dre on “Wesley’s Theory” from Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 album, “To Pimp a Butterfly.”
People keep asking me what it feels like.
Even before the transition actually took place a little over ten days ago, people would ask me, “how does it feel?”
And every time they asked, I wondered which question to answer.
“How does it feel?”
…To become the next CEO of NEW?
…To follow in Yodit’s legendary footsteps?
…To now lead an organization I joined as the most junior member of the team?
…To work, for the first time in seven (7) years, without my mentor guiding me?
…To lead an organization that has changed my life in too many ways to name?
…To be the face of an organization that’s firmly committed to championing social and racial justice at a time when the idea of “diversity” has become weaponized?
…To become the principal steward of a team whose programs and services help enable the vital work of SE Michigan’s nonprofit sector?
…To be responsible for ensuring those programs and services still exist in a time of federal funding cuts, unprecedented political ire towards the nonprofit sector, and an incredibly unpredictable economic landscape?
“How does it feel?”
I’m feeling a lot of things these days.
Honored to have been chosen for such an important role – both for our organization and community.
Excited at the chance to more significantly mold the future of NEW, and infuse my own flavor into the organization.
In disbelief that this is where my career journey has brought me (2018 Will would never believe this).
Terrified that I won’t live up to the faith and trust that has been instilled in me.
Doubtful (not entirely, but certainly partially) that I have what it takes.
Grateful to have so much love and support surrounding me as I embark on this new journey. (Thank you again to everyone who came to Passing the Torch, and the folks who couldn’t make it but were there in spirit).
And to be honest, though I’m only ten (10) days in, it hasn’t felt that much different. I still don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. But so far, my day-to-day hasn’t looked too differently than it did in June. I’ve had a few conversations I wouldn’t have had previously, and I’m in a couple more meetings. Oh and I got new business cards, which certainly makes it feel official. But by and large, it has felt pretty familiar. I still “supervise” the same folks, and am in a lot of the same meetings. I’m still going into the office in Ann Arbor a couple times a week, and work from my house in Detroit on most days. I still try to wrap up at 4pm every day, so I can spend the evening with my family before the girls’ bedtime (and then get back to work after everyone is in bed). Maybe this is a testament to the year-long transition plan that Yodit and I put in place, and all the work we did over the year to get ready for this new normal…
That said, I know things will change the further we get into the month, the quarter, the year. I know to expect changes of all shapes and sizes. I know to expect some of those changes to feel good, others to feel challenging, and I’m sure a few will feel straight up bad.
That’s about it.
Because there’s just so much up in the air right now. The future of our democracy, our economy, and our sector are all unknown right now. Every day, we learn about some change in Washington that throws everything we thought we knew previously out the window. Add natural disasters and climate change, the threat of infectious diseases – some of which we thought we’d previously eradicated from this country – and global warfare into that mix…how can any of us predict anything with any level of certainty?
So I won’t try.
What I will try to do, though, is my damnedest to lead this team in ways that move us closer to our collective vision of a just and thriving society. To make sure that NEW continues to inspire, equip, and connect SE Michigan’s nonprofit leaders, their organizations, and the communities they serve. To keep learning, practicing, working, playing, and resting side-by-side as we continue the long journey ahead of us.
And in doing so, I’m making four (4) commitments in how I lead – because how you do something matters just as much, if not more than, what you accomplish. At times, I may stray out of alignment with them, so I hope you’ll help me stay accountable:
- I won’t apologize for prioritizing my family’s needs over everything
- I’ll lead by example – modeling for folks how I wanted them to show up for themselves, their teammates, and their constituents with my own actions
- I’ll honor the boundaries that allow me to do this work sustainably – including the importance of learning, practice, play, and rest as foundational to my success in this role
- I’m going to do things Will Jones’ way, while constantly growing and learning from and alongside people I respect
Hold me to it, y’all.
This is just the beginning of a new chapter. The true test, the hard part, the rest of the work, will reveal itself to us day by day. And though I don’t know what that future is going to look like, if you asked me right now, “how does it feel?” I’d answer with another Kendrick Lamar quote:
“we gon be alright.”
