Know yourself – it’s a critical skill for leaders who want to make a greater impact.
“If you know yourself and are clear about who you are as a leader, you can then understand how you engage and come to your community every day,” said Hollie Velasquez Horvath, a 2018 Colorado’s Civic DNA Fellow and director at Xcel Energy.
And that’s just one skill that Fellows like Velasquez Horvath worked on during the inaugural class of Colorado’s Civic DNA Fellows – focusing on leadership skills through the lens of the values that compriseColorado’s Civic DNA™ – inclusivity, diversity, collaboration, shared vision, responsibility and leadership.
As part of her journey as a Fellow, Velasquez Horvath was paired with executive coach Doug Miller.
“Hollie got clear about her vision and the impact she wanted to have on the world. She discovered what was holding her back and how to overcome those obstacles,” said Miller, who is also a senior director for DaVita.
An outside viewpoint can be critical to moving forward as a leader.
“All leaders, no matter where you are in leadership, have roadblocks and you may not be able to define what those are,” Velasquez Horvath said. “Having somebody help you work through what those are and give you different exercises and perspectives on how you can overcome them was amazing.”
Velasquez Horvath was overcommitted and stretching herself too thin. Prior to Fellows and working with Miller, Velasquez Horvath said yes to everything, even if it didn’t always align with her passions. Now “I want to make sure that I am fully engaged and present in the things that I am committed to,” she said.
Executive coaching is just one of many tools used to improve Fellows’ leadership skills in the community and in business. Are you ready to become a Fellow? Apply for Colorado’s Civic DNA Fellows by Monday, Feb. 4.
Want to learn more about the impact of Colorado’s Civic DNA Fellows? Watch more from Velasquez Horvath and other Fellows, in their own words.