Latina Leadership Lessons: Let Yourself Be Nurtured

When we are very young, we are completely vulnerable and helpless. We depend on others to take care of us and we are at their mercy. It’s interesting to me of all the women I’ve interviewed how many of them speak of taking care of others, of being the “responsible” one and learning how to defend and be the protector of or advocate for the family or of others less fortunate. Eva Plaza, former Assistant Secretary of Fair Housing, was one of the women who talked about being the advocate for her family while she was still very young. That was her role.

But how often do we truly allow ourselves to be taken care of? I don’t know about you, but although as women we may complain about not being taken care of well enough — or at all! — it at times is also very difficult for us to let go of our control of situations long enough to actually allow others to take care of us.

Part of being a leader is also learning to let go, to delegate and to build around you a team that is supportive and can help you and take care of you, too. For example, Diana Gomez, President of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers said, “I don’t make myself successful; it’s the people you surround yourself with, the people you hire make you successful.” Diana went on to say that her staff takes care of her because she takes care of them. She’s learned to delegate in some important ways and it’s made it possible for her to accomplish some amazing things.

Several of the women talked about the importance of having supportive mates in their lives and how this made their work easier — and even possible! For example, Rita Jaramillo, Senior Liaison, Community Outreach, Office of Governance and Policy, for the National Education Association discussed how her husband’s support and help had made her career path so much easier and how much gratitude she had for his place in her life.

Other women spoke of the roles that friends and a strong network have made in their paths to success. Allowing someone to be there for them, to give them guidance and to open up and be vulnerable with has been important in many of the women’s lives. Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch, Founder & President of Educational Achievement Services, Inc., for example, spoke of her circle of mentors that she could talk to about difficult career decisions.

The bottom line: No matter how responsible you are for other people, it is also important to let others take care of us at times. This release, this relaxing into the knowing that others will nurture and tend to you allows each of us to refresh, renew and come out of the difficult times with a better perspective.

So know that the “bebé” in each of us needs that coddling at times and prepare for that. It’s part of our past, and an important part of leadership going forward…