Estella Mims Pyfrom is an excellent example of a resonant
leader who displays emotional intelligence.
She has recently been nominated for both the L’Oreal Woman of Worth Award
and as a CNN Hero for her community technology project, which is aptly referred
to as Estella’s Brilliant Bus. Her resonant leadership and emotional
intelligence is characterized by her lifetime of service as an educator and
counselor, but Estella did not stop there.
She retired after forty eight years from the Palm Beach county school
district when her husband became ill; but after a few years of caretaking, she
realized that her passion to teach, to assist underprivileged communities, and to
reach students and families without access to technology had not been brought
to fruition (O’Connor, 2013). Therefore, she decided to get on the bus!
Literally, she created a mobile learning station technology bus for three fortunate
counties in south Florida.
Estelle working on her Brilliant
Bus
Estelle transformed values into actions
by purchasing her own bus and equipping it with state of the art technology. She has created a mobile training solution that
she enthusiastically employs as she travels to schools, communities and
businesses where she has provided eight thousand hours of instruction to
approximately eight hundred children
(O’Connor, 2013). Education technologists
are just now realizing the synergies created by tying technology into the
foundation of teaching and learning (Persichette,
2013). Working in the K-12
classrooms and as a guidance counselor gave Miss Estelle an appreciation for
what students really need (Women of
Worth, 2013). Her mission is to help
cultural and economically underprivileged children and their families; the bus
is the vehicle to help her achieve this goal.
Fun, interactive education software has been installed at the seventeen
computer stations to help children reach acceptable scores for reading and vocabulary
at their grade level; but it is her patient, kind insistence to keep learning that
encourages the children to get back on
the bus (O’Connor, 2013).
A leader’s authentic character can be
highlighted by enthusiastic charisma, and a leader’s style can be aesthetically
pleasing, but substance is what followers appreciate (George & Sims, 2007). Estelle demonstrates each of these authentic
leadership qualities. She is also a
woman of integrity that has been globally recognized for her hard work and dedication
in the 2012 Global Directory of Who’s Who (www.estellasbrilliantbus.org, 2013). Practices that define exemplary leadership
are: a) leaders who model the way for others, they b) inspire others to share
their vision, c) they are not afraid to challenge the status quo, d) they enable
others to act and e) they encourage others around them with heartfelt
authenticity (Kouzes & Posner,
2007). Estelle shines brightly as
she illuminates these exemplary leadership qualities.
Estelle’s early history did not foreshadow her ascension out of
poverty. Instead of being part of an invisible
poor statistic, she overcame oppression and achieved the impossible (O’Connor, 2013). At six years old Miss Estelle and her family
lived as migrant workers picking beans from New York to Florida. Her mother ran a sandwich wagon for the
workers while they were traveling. Her
father only completed four years of school, yet he wanted more for his six
daughters; his uplifting spirit taught her to strive and work hard (O’Connor,
2013). It is close to amazing that
Estelle was able to overcome her challenging formative years, following the long
arduous roads she had to travel, past years of sex and race discrimination that
stemmed from a then segregated United States. Still, Miss Estelle drives on; each day she
gets back on the brilliance bus to fulfill her life mission (O’Connor, 2013).
Individuals who energetically activate a vision that complements their
philosophy and competencies approach their leadership tasks and roles with
emotional intelligence and resonance to reintroduce passion into organizations
(Boyatzis, 2011). Estelle inspires
others passionately by illuminating consistency and longevity, and by her
positive proactive approach to life (Women of Worth, 2013). Students at Pahokee High School voted her the
most concerned teacher of the year (www.estellasbrilliantbus.org, 2013). Clusters of competency differentiate
exemplary leaders from the status quo; these clusters are: a) experience and
expertise, b) declarative, procedural, functional and meta-cognitive knowledge,
and c) cognitive competencies, such as memory and deductive reasoning
(Boyatzis, 2011). Education has been the
central theme of Estelle’s life. She
acquired a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, and several master’s
degrees in administration, supervision, and home economics; she is also
certified as a guidance counselor and a Supreme Court justice trained mediator (O’Connor, 2013). The totality of her life’s work is impressive!
Having the courage to
take risks requires a leader with steadfast calm under pressure; usually developed
during years of responding to both successful and not so successful endeavors (Gravells, 2012). For five years after retiring from teaching,
Estelle was forced to endure as her husband suffered from multiple surgeries
and illness; she never gave up trying to nurse him back to health, regardless
of the odds. However, even as she
labored, she kept hearing her inner voice telling her she was not done, that
she had more to accomplish. It is said
that home is where the heart is, and effective leadership can’t be developed
without compassion. Genuine appreciation
for the needs of the underprivileged stirred Estelle on to create a caring, compassionate,
empathetic home on wheels. Her authentic
and open communication skills encouraged students to do their best and she
taught them to respect the mobile vehicle that Estelle built to share her passion
for learning and teaching. Consistent
balance, judgment and preparation are needed to bring leaders dreams to life (Persichette, 2013). Miss Estelle is an alive, credible woman who
reminds me of why I am on the path to greater enlightenment and knowledge; like
her, my goal is to help others become exemplary leaders.
References
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