Leader Spotlight- Sherie Cornish Gordon
I just have to start this week by saying, "My friends are Dope!"...Awesome, fabulous, phenomenal. Through one of the toughest seasons of my life, I met this powerhouse leader. Honestly, I would do it all over again if that is what it took to establish this relationship. Sherie Cornish Gordon is a strategist. I have watched her create strategy out of chaos as leaders grapple with tough challenges. She's a mother which explains her intuition. She's an athlete which explains her competitive edge, and she's a leader in every arena of her life. She's a connector of people and a motivator. Today, I have the honor of introducing you all to my friend, Sherie Cornish Gordon. Check out our interview below.
PBJ: Briefly tell us who you are.
Sherie: I am Sherie Cornish Gordon, a daughter, mom, sister who is very passionate about life, family and higher education. I am so grateful for my mom's early encouragement to pursue a pathway to an academic or athletics scholarship to earn a college education. Through sport participation, mentors and champions in my life, I have been able to evolve into a better daughter, mother, sister, friend and professional. I stand on the shoulders of my family, incredible friends and champions who invested in me both personally and professionally. I genuinely strive to use everything that I have learned and will continue to learn in life to invest in my son, family and others the value of education, growing as a leader and the power of believing in oneself to do and be whatever you want in life.
PBJ: What does your leadership look like on a daily basis?
Sherie: Currently, I serve as the Chief of Staff at Humboldt State University. Recently, I accepted the opportunity to also serve as the Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance/Chief Financial Officer. Everyday, I try to show up as a visionary and servant leader. I have very high standards of excellence and work effort for myself, teams and organization. I strive to lead by example everyday. I believe in valuing all people on the team and organization, communicating often, being clear on expectations, ensuring collective engagement on establishing priorities, investing in your team and celebrating individual and team success.
PBJ: How would you describe your style of influence?
Sherie: My style of influence is a bridge builder. I work very hard at listening, bringing the right people/teams together in an effort to collaborate for the better good of the organization.
PBJ: What is the greatest leadership lesson you have ever learned?
Sherie: “Failure is not fatal” and “Dream Big”; It is so important to know that mistakes or failures are opportunities to learn or to serve as teachable moments.
PBJ: What advice would you give to a new leader?
Sherie:
Listen: Listen to your team, peers and stakeholders.
Engage: Develop a strategy for consistent engagement.
Communicate: Develop consistent and effective communication strategies for internal and external stakeholders. Always be first to tell your own story.
Celebrate: Be the chief cheerleader for yourself and team. Track successes and tell the story; Celebrate successes (small and big).
Pace and Boundaries: Set your tempo and boundaries.
Ask for help: Be okay asking for help. Do not feel the pressure to know it all.
PBJ: Love that strategy. One of the things I have always appreciated about you is your practical approach to life.
Talk to us about the power of female leadership in your experience.
Sherie: Oh wow! My female leadership experience has been the most influential part of my journey in life. From my mom, grandmother and female mentors have been very instrumental in my personal and professional growth and my WHY! I believe in the power and value in women leadership. I am dedicated to recruitment, support and development of future women leaders.
PBJ: How can people connect with you?
Sherie: People can connect with me via
Email- Sherie.Gordon@Humboldt.edu
Instagram- @scgordon0409
Facebook- Sherie Cornish Gordon
Hear from Sherie on the One Question Leadership Podcast (Collegiate Coaching Consortium): https://athleticdirectoru.com/audio/sherie-gordon-1question/