Mario Ramirez on LinkedIn: #tcufrogs #bigxll #fortworth #highereducation #fraternityandsororitylife… (2024)

This past Saturday I had the distinct honor of delivering the Commencement Address to the graduates of UConn's School of Business. A summary of my speech is below. My original phrase that titled the article: "Change happens when one person makes a bold move and others are inspired to follow." #UConnSchoolofBusiness#Pursueyourpassions#Walkboldlyintoyourpurpose#prioritizeyourmentalwellbeing#Jettspeaks

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For anyone going through a life transition (starting work life, professional setback, retirement, etc) , this article from DavidBrooks is a must read.

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At some point in every group experience with adolescents we find ourselves as leaders helping young people navigate a balancing act of hope, expectations, and the uncontrollable. Read more in today's blog post - A New Year's Reflection: Balancing Hope, Expectations, and the Uncontrollable https://hubs.ly/Q02f1q6S0

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As we pass the midpoint of the week, we begin to see the sprouts of rhythm and routine that will sustain us through the Fall Term. We find our friends, our paths from class to class, meeting to meeting, and begin to recognize the opportunity a new year provides to define ourselves both as individuals and as a community. Read more in Rhythms, Routines, and a Mission in Action https://hubs.ly/Q0227fL00

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This weekend I'm thinking a lot about something my brilliant friend and colleague Jason Craige Harris at Perception Institute shared at our recent conference for NYSAIS Heads of School: "Most people assume that others have moral gaps, when in fact it is almost always a skill gap, not a moral gap." What might happen if we made a practice of stopping ourselves before we made assumptions about others -- what their intentions are, what they believe, why they do what they do and say what they say? But here's the thing: stopping to get curious about others takes time. Time we think we don't have. Stopping to get curious about others can't be done behind a keyboard. We need to look one another in the face. We need to hear one another's voice. It is hard to hate people up close.I see so many of people getting tangled up in a world (often a digital world) that is spinning way too fast right now. We're so busy with transactional behaviors that we don't spend enough time interacting. And when we move too quickly, we act and say things that enact harm. Let's slow down so we can build community in this challenging time. And let's remember that a community is not a group -- it's a group of people who have mutual concern for one another's well being. Two questions for all of us leading schools and organizations to ask:1. Where in my leadership am I slowing down to make space for interacting over transacting? How are we making space for relationship hygiene in our school community? Where could I / we be doing more? What I / we need to give up to make this happen? 2. Where in my leadership am I making space for telling stories and hearing stories? How are we making space for storytelling in our community? Where could I / we be doing more? What I / we need to give up to make this happen?Thank you, Jason, for your ongoing partnership, your brilliant mind, and your heart of gold.#community#healing#education

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New Years brings many of us to a space of things we might do differently. While we may start a variety of things, what we might also consider is what we could STOP doing.This article is a story about "setting things down," else the things we carry often become more burden than benefit.A very happy new year to each of you.https://lnkd.in/gRNmn3mN #newyear2024 #stopdoing

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Today I take the courage to share about my success through overcoming adversity. Over the years, I've overcome a lot of obstacles and adversity across the span of life. Oftentimes I've been ashamed to talk about the places I come from, not so much because I'm personally ashamed but because of the stigma that comes with it. But I've learned that my experiences have made me who I am today and have given me a unique perspective on life. (If you're looking for someone who can inspire others to overcome their own obstacles, connect with me for training and facilitation 😁). This is an aspect of perspective that is dear to me. I’ve been homeless, engaged with the Justice system, and impoverished. These challenges have produced unquestionable drive, ferocious tenacity, and unwavering compassion in EVERYTHING I do. Despite this, these accomplishments are NEVER made alone for ANYBODY. Some of the biggest influences to my ability to overcome are those often forgotten gatekeepers who opened doors that had previously closed. Whether through institutional access or mindset elevation, there are specific individuals and organizations I can list out if I had the time. For simplicity here are 3:1. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University 2. TRIO SUPPORT SERVICES3. BETHEL CAMPUS FELLOWSHIP These organizations challenged me, inspired me, ACCEPTED me, and afforded me the opportunities to change. They gave me access that was otherwise restricted. #NCAT encouraged me and pushed me. #TRIO gave me leadership and community involvement opportunities PLUS much needed support. #BCF gave me the freedom to explore my gifts without limitation to build and establish momentum. #NCATROTC (honorable mention) instilled discipline, structure, and showed me the values I stood on were well placed. There are several more individuals, organizations, and programs I could list but these are some pivotal ones. For the decision makers reading this, never forget the ability you have to CHANGE A LIFE (and those attached to them) with a simple yes. What doors have you opened lately?

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"Modern life is oriented around the meritocracy, which implies certain values—that life is best seen as a climb toward the top, that achievement is the essence of a good life, that successful people are to be admired more than less successful people. But this overreliance on our work identities is unhinging us."I know it might seem odd to post about thinking beyond our work identities on a work-based platform, but David Brook's article touches upon the importance of examining our inner lives and thinking beyond our careers and jobs to find deeper meaning and purpose in our lives (which in turn help us in our careers). Read more to learn how using narrative mode thinking, and sharing our stories, helps us navigate change, to step into new chapters of our lives and career. I'd would love to know your thoughts! https://lnkd.in/gRfD_Fis

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Twanna Hardy Tawanna A. Normanique Preston Covell Adams Dionne Adams (She, Her, Hers) Karen Ashley Karen Nelson, EMBA Maureen Darcey, CCI Darcy Pierson (She, Her)I invite you to join me in a fireside chat I am hosting with two of my best friends and colleagues, Erica Colonero and Robin Pedrelli, at VisionSpring, Inc. onOctober 25 @1:00 PM ET.Topic:The Real Risk of Dialing Back on DEI: How to Maintain Momentum and FocusRegister Here: https://lnkd.in/dP8AtZx7During this session, we will:1. Discuss the current state of DEI and why there are other answers than dialing back.2. Explore solutions for overcoming pushback and resistance.3. Uncover opportunities to build community and collaboration.4. Tour theInclusion Learning Loop,where we share tools and resources to stretch limited DEI budgets, maintain momentum, and maximize impact.I have known Erica and Robin for over 20 years, and they share my passion and commitment to creating a more equitable world where everyone has an equal opportunity to grow, contribute, and succeed. I look forward to talking with you about the current state of #DEI and #strategies for managing pushback and maintaining momentum.#letsdefygravity #hrexecutives

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Last week, I had the honor of hosting my dear friend Laura Schrader Thrall at the Chicago Club to discuss “Rupture/Recovery/Reinvention.” Throughout her career, she excelled in disruption and transformation, which she now realizes helped her through a challenging life crisis.On August 3, 2011, Laura was in the prime of her leadership career. Following five years as CEO of the YWCA, she was two years into her tenure as CEO of the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. But on that fateful night, she suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. Given a slim chance of survival when she arrived at Northwestern Hospital that night, it was expected that if she did survive, she would likely be left with severe physical and cognitive impairment. Years later she wrote in a memoir to be completed soon, "if I had known that my short bike ride home from the office would be my last solo ride, or if I had known my brisk walk to the restaurant would be my last unassisted trek, maybe I would have relished them more or taken time to appreciate the physical ability to ride that bike and walk those streets. But I didn't know, and I didn't take the time to cherish the experience."Since that day, she not only survived, but has thrived. Defying the odds, Laura went on to lead two more national nonprofit organizations, and is currently a Fellow at the University of Chicago in the inaugural class of the Leadership and Society Initiative. Though her career as a four-time CEO was bifurcated by a near-fatal health emergency, it was also enriched by a hard-fought journey to get back to her life and to grow from the many lessons she learned along the way.During the discussion, she imparted great reflections on leadership and life, such as the value of humility, the strength shown in asking for help, the understanding that helping those in need and needing help are part of love, and the value of not accepting jobs with work overload and unnecessary stress.Please share leadership lessons life has taught you.#CfHP #TheChicagoClub #highperformanceleadership #courageousleadership #resilientleadership #brainaneurysm

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