Kaltun Mohamud Abdikarani Log 3

My understanding of leadership has changed tremendously. I learned to embrace my role as a leader and quiet down my negative self-talk and self-doubt. I realized that as a Black, Muslim, immigrant woman, I had internalized much self-consciousness. Becoming a fellow affirmed my leadership and had me reflect and live the past two years in a way that nurtured the leader in me.

The first nurturing the leader in me needed was to learn to strategize and slow down. Yesterday was a Monday, a day of the week I decided to take as an off day when my children are also at school, so I am off from even my mommy role for a few hours. I sat in my car and wondered if I was forgetting something, if I had neglected something, because for a moment it seemed surreal that I had free time for myself. I started doing this in the fall of 2023 and it still seems new to me. I scheduled it off because I found myself working and tending to the needs of others almost daily and I needed a day of true winding down. My work has only gotten better because I’m not anxiously getting things done, no, I’m getting things done from a place of rest and calm. As a leader, your first responsibility is to lead yourself and sharpen your saw as frequently as possible.

Another important thing I learned about being a leader is how to work based on my values and continuously work towards alignment with my core values. Whenever there is friction, it’s probably because our values are being compromised and we must figure out which of our values and how to rethink it.

Finally, I learned that as a leader I don’t have to duplicate the work I want to get done and that there is a lot of value in collaborating with the correct organizations/individuals to move my vision and mission forward.