Women2Women - Summer 2018 - 13

bring about the change needed so that women
can realize their full potential in whatever
fields they choose. And women need to do
more to support other women! That's why I
like the W2W program...it does just that!
Stay true to your values and convictions
and never compromise those in order to get
ahead. Character and integrity are two of the
most valuable assets you own and you should
always value them. Living a life of character and
integrity will gain you the respect of others so
that you can lead and make a difference in the
lives of others. Be real, genuine and authentic!
Give back...pay it forward and look for
ways to expand your world to include others
so they can benefit from your experiences,
gifts, talents and passions. It takes time and
energy but it's worth it.

If you were receiving the
"Lifetime Achievement Award"
what would you want that
award to represent?
The award should represent the life of an
imperfect person that lived an imperfect life
but saw her life as a classroom of learning...
learning to be the best person she could be,
learning from her mistakes, learning from
others and learning to make life more about
others than herself. Having not yet won the
prize of achieving it all...she continues to strive
to find ways to learn, live, give and love more.

Describe your definition of
leadership.
Leadership ...easy answer...bringing people
together for common goals and purpose.
Real answer...serving others first! It's about
having a vision and being able to share and
communicate the vision and make it a reality.
It's about influence, and motivating and
inspiring those you lead to be the best version
of themselves so that together we can achieve
great things. Good leaders care and listen
while promoting a positive work environment
that then encourages others to grow and
develop and respect each other. Leadership
is not about a position but about earning
and gaining the respect of others so that they
want to follow you along for the journey.
Leadership requires some risk taking and the
courage and confidence of your convictions

"I believe in servant leadership. It's a philosophy
that espouses the concept of putting the needs of
others first and by doing so helps others develop
and perform at their highest level... No job should
be too small or beneath the leader. It's about leading
by example. Servant leadership requires investment
of time and a higher level of emotional intelligence."
in order to make the best decisions as well as
the courage to admit when they were wrong
and then make it right. Leadership is a lifelong journey and it's about coming to more
self-awareness, learning from good things and
bad things, learning from others and from
their experiences. Leaders don't know it all...
they learn from others and must realize that
their learning is never over.

How do you describe your
leadership style?
I believe in servant leadership. It's a philosophy that espouses the concept of putting the
needs of others first and by doing so helps others
develop and perform at their highest level. I
think it is important to serve others first and
for the people I lead to witness this...not just
talk but words put into action. It's about letting
them know that you care for them as a person
not just as an employee and for the work they
do. No job should be too small or beneath the
leader. It's about leading by example. Servant
leadership requires investment of time and a
higher level of emotional intelligence.

What has been your
most difficult decision,
both professionally and
personally?
Personally - Deciding to live courageously
after my husband and I lost our only child
(21-year-old son) 12 years ago. It meant
deciding to walk through the darkness of grief
and realization that life as I had dreamed of
and hoped for would never be the same...it
meant finding the courage to breathe again
and find new joy and purpose. Grief is hard
work and I decided that living with grief,
regrets and what-if 's was robbing me of joy

and I had the opportunity to use this trial and
adversity to make a difference in the lives of
others that may also be hurting.
Professionally - I have always advocated for
women in the workforce. That meant acting
courageously and using my voice to effect
change in the business world where women
struggled to get the same opportunities for
position and pay as men and use their voice
for change. I also had to make a difficult
decision to speak the truth and confront
directly when I faced my own "Me Too"
moment, fully understanding that confronting
it could have cost me my job, my career, my
livelihood and security.

What last words do you want
to leave with our readers?
It's always been very humbling for me to
receive any awards or recognition because I
have always preferred not to be in the limelight,
rather, just graciously serve in the background
without worry about who receives the praise
and accolades. I'm just an abnormally normal
woman that despite many trials and adversities
in life has never given up. They have helped
me to have more courage and confidence. As
I have gotten, hopefully, a little wiser as I have
gotten older, I have realized more and more that
my life is not just about me. It's more about
finding ways to do more for others whether
at work, church, in my volunteer activities
and in my relationships. It's about making a
difference one life at a time because everyone
matters and deserves to be heard and loved.
And sometimes we just need someone to
believe in us like my mother believed in me.

Thank you, Toni Miller -
leader, mentor & community advocate!

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Women2Women - Summer 2018