CSOM – Leadership Is About the People Around You

This year, I’ve had the incredible honor of being recognized in several ways: Most Admired Leader, Woman Agency Leader of the Year, and an induction into the Scottsdale History Hall of Fame.

While each recognition is deeply meaningful to me, they’ve also made me reflect on something important: leadership is never about one person.

In fact, if there’s one thing I’ve learned over four decades in public relations, business, and community involvement, it’s that success is built through relationships. Always.

I’ve often described myself as a connector. Even as a kid, I found myself bringing people together around a cause or an idea. That instinct shaped the way I built my career and eventually helped shape HMA Public Relations into the firm it is today.

But being a connector is not about networking for the sake of networking. It’s about genuinely investing in people, listening to them, learning from them, creating opportunities for collaboration, and building trust over time.

When you lead that way, results follow naturally.

Some of the most meaningful moments in my career have not been awards or milestones. They’ve been watching team members grow into leadership roles, seeing long-time clients become trusted friends, mentoring someone early in their career, or collaborating with community leaders who care deeply about making a difference.

Those relationships are the real reward.

Leadership is often misunderstood as authority, visibility, or having all the answers. But the leaders I admire most, and the leaders who have influenced me throughout my career, lead differently. They lead with curiosity. They ask questions. They make room for others. They create environments where people feel valued and motivated to do their best work.

Most importantly, they bring people with them.

That’s the advice I often share with emerging leaders: focus on relationships first. Leadership is not about titles. It’s about trust.

Be willing to listen more than you speak. Stay open to learning, especially from people whose experiences differ from your own. Invest in your team. Create opportunities for others to succeed. Celebrate collective wins, not just personal accomplishments.

Because in the end, leadership is not defined by what you achieve alone. It’s defined by the impact you make, the community you help strengthen, and the people who are better because you were part of their journey.

And honestly, that’s the kind of recognition that matters most.

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