Fearless Leadership in Your Words

World-class hurdler Landria Buckley, MBA ’15, trained fearlessly for the Rio Olympics. She packed up her life, moved to Arizona and started hurdling, lifting and sprinting six days a week at an elite training center in the desert.

“You have to get into game mode like you’re going to war,” she said before the U.S. Olympic Team Trials July 1-10, 2016, in Eugene, Ore. “Then just run as if it’s the last race of your life.”

Buckley advanced to the semifinal round in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, but ultimately missed a spot on the U.S. team. “I am so proud of myself,” she posted afterward on Facebook. “I took a leap of faith, and even though I didn't make it to the finals and I won't be competing in Rio this year, I learned a lot and gave it my best.”

Like many Smith alumni, Buckley embodies the spirit of the school’s new ad campaign, launched in February 2016. Metro stations, bus shelters and airport banners around the Baltimore-Washington region invite prospective students to “Lead Fearlessly,” a variation of the University of Maryland’s “Fear the Turtle” and “Fearless Ideas” slogans.

Buckley pushed herself to excel on the track, but the same principles of preparation, hard work and passion apply equally in business. “I advise finding whatever it is that keeps you grounded and holding onto it,” she says. “It will get you through your successes and your failures in life in general, not just sports.”

Other Smith alumni share their own keys to fearless leadership. Share your opinions on Twitter and Instagram at #LeadFearlessly.

“EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN, accept the vulnerability that comes with change, and convert those feelings into transformative actions that will influence, benefit and serve others.” —Kareemah (Weans) Woodard ’98, Director of Executive Consulting at Randstad Professionals …  “ASK QUESTIONS to get data you need to make decisions.” —Paula Haiwick, MBA ’00, family business owner, Haiwick Heritage Ranch … “DO THE RIGHT THING without attachment to outcomes. Understand that how you lead in the present moment matters far more than endlessly hoping for future gains or worrying about potential losses.” —Chris Harbert, EMBA ’11, Director of Information Quality at Resonate … “LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE.” —Elissa Kravetz ’99, Co-Founder of Kravetz PR and the Farley Project… “KEEP SHOWING UP.” —Evelyn Hartwick, EMBA ’10, Senior Financial Officer, International Finance Corporation… “Fearless leadership is the ability to develop and implement a plan that motivates and maintains the interest of one's followers. The fearless part is to NEVER COMPROMISE YOUR BELIEFS to get the task done.” —Sidney Sclar ’76, Business President/CEO at Sid the Security Pro … “DON’T WAIT TO BE ASKED. Don’t wait to be recognized for your achievements. Speak up so you get credit where credit is due.” —Andrea Brody ’87, Senior Vice President, BravoSolution … “Fearless leaders DON’T REACT TO THE WEATHER. They actually make the weather by persuading everyone around them to jump on board without hesitation.” —Jigar Shah, MBA ’01, President and Co-Founder of Generate Capital … “LEAN IN, be confident and take action.” —Xinge Zhang (Gloria), MBA ’16, Marketing and Social Media Intern, Shelters to Shutters … “Have courage to make the right decisions to UPHOLD THE PEOPLE YOU LEAD AND SERVE, even when those decisions might not be popular in the moment.” —Nora Cobo, OMBA ’17, Associate Director for Development, President Lincoln's Cottage ... “BE AUTHENTIC, bold and compassionate, earning your colleagues’ loyalty and respect. Make tough and not necessarily popular decisions that protect and advance the organization’s mission.” —Andy Burness, MBA ’81, Founder and President of Burness … “Fearless leaders are infectious risk takers, but they can also BE VULNERABLE with the ability to embrace their own failures and weaknesses without excuses. Fearless leaders also develop people by challenging them to fulfill their potential.” —John Masoudpour ’01, MBA ’07, Finance Director, Geller & Company … “Don't be afraid to be forceful to get what you want, but always BE POLITE.” —Floria Volynskaya, OMBA ’16, Director of Instructional Design at the Smith School … “BE PRESENT. Be prepared. Be open to opportunities and unique points of view.” —Rose Cohen, MBA ’03, Managing Director, Citi … “Fearless leaders aggressively DRIVE INTO UNKNOWN TERRITORY. They constantly assess risk and take mitigating actions while attacking their target. When remaining risks outweigh benefits, they stop and reassess until conditions improve.” —Cris Parcelles ’92, SAP Technical Architect and Project Manager, OpenText … “HAVE FUN along the way.” —Adam VanWagner ’11, Regional Logistics Site Manager, Amazon … “LIKE WHAT YOU DO. Do what you like. If your number one motivator is money, then you most likely won’t find happiness in your career.” —Sarah Kroncke, MBA ’00, Smith School finance lecturer and faculty advisor of the Mayer & Senbet Funds … “MAKE PERSONAL CHANGE A DAILY HABIT.” —Tiffany Chang, MBA ’16, Recognized in Poets & Quants “Best and Brightest MBAs,” Class of 2016 … “QUOTE insert final quote” —Albertina "Tita" Brett, MBA ’98, MS ’98, Lead Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton.