Navigating Life’s Sling Shots & Leading From Within
A Woman’s Leadership Journey
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am humbly grateful for the opportunity to share the lessons that I have learned on this life’s journey. This book would not be possible without the guidance and support from my many life teachers who paved the way for this project. I truly stand on the shoulders of Giants who blazed the trail for me to be a Woman in Leadership. I would like to acknowledge the following: 1. To my ancestors who sacrificed so much for me to have an opportunity to have a seat at the table. 2. To the women who have served as formal and informal mentors for me. 3. To the women who have lived their lives as an example for me to follow. 4. To the women that have been transparent enough to share their successes and failures to help me navigate the trail. 5. To the women who prayed for and with me through-out this journey 6. To the women who have been on my side and on my case helping me develop personally and professionally 7. To the women who have served as sponsors and spoke my name in rooms my feet never touched 8. To the women who choose to Lift Me Up Instead of Tear Me Down 9. To the women who believed in my vision and joined me on the journey Because of each of you I strive to continue to Navigate the Sling Shots and Lead from With-in. Thank you for your leadership, love and guidance Dedication Although this book is about a woman’s plight to navigate this world system of having “it all” being a phenomenal woman who excels in climbing the career ladder, balances taking care of a family, and maintaining personal health and wellness, the concept of the title came from a man. My Uncle Donald Craddock provided this analogy of “the sling shot” when I came him for advice for navigating a very toxic work environment. Although he does not have any advanced degrees, he is one the most highly educated person that I know. This book is dedicated to him for the many hours of providing a listening ear and providing me with sound advice to Navigate Life’s Sling Shots and Lead from Within. Introduction: Life will Teach You What I Been Trying To Tell You "A woman is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water." -Eleanor Roosevelt Growing up I can remember my grandmother making the statement “Life will teach you what I been trying to tell you”. At the time I could not comprehend in my immature mind the meaning of this statement. Although my grandmother was not highly educated through the formal lens of college degrees, she was very wise. In her infinite wisdom she was preparing me to accept the realization that although she was trying to help me navigate through the lens of her lived experience, there were somethings that I would have to experience directly to learn life’s lessons. Because of this teaching, I have made it a practice to be very introspective and question what the lessons are that life is trying to teach me. In 2011, I published my first book “Why Did You Choose to Get Pregnant”. This book chronicled my journey navigating through how to function with-in the dysfunction of being a teenaged mother. In the final chapter of the book I listed my pearls of wisdom of lessons for growth. Lessons for Growth 1. Examine yourself on a regular basis. If you are not willing to examine yourself and grow you are bound to repeat the same cycle of mistakes. 2. Re-evaluate your friendships on a regular basis. If these relationships are not adding value to your life, consider limiting your contact or communication with these individuals. 3. Clearly identify and communicate your expectations to yourself and others. 4. Ask for exactly what you want. 5. Be open to everything but attached to nothing. 6. Accept responsibility for everything you do and experience. 7. Choose to see situations as life lessons instead of disappointments. 8. Seek God the giver of wisdom, knowledge and direction. 9. Encourage yourself. Be your biggest cheerleader. Develop a winning mentality. A decade later, I still consider these lessons for growth to be the foundation of my personal and professional development, as I have traveled this Journey of Learning how to Navigate Life’s Sling Shots. The purpose of this book is to shine a light on the challenges that I have endured being a Women In Leadership. It is my hope that through my transparency it will provide other women the comfort of knowing that although leadership can be a very lonely and isolated experience that they are not alone and provide the encouragement to continue to “Lead from With-in” with a high moral compassion regardless what sling-shots come their way.
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About the Book
This project was birth out of the desire to bring awareness to the plight of women in leadership. The concept of the sling shot is used as a metaphor for life. When we think of a sling shot we think of a toy sometimes used to teach students about physics. In this book, the concept of the sling shot provides the premise that all the negative situations we face in life act as sling shots. Although being pulled and stretched by people and situations can be viewed as negative during the experience, in retrospect it can be viewed as preparation designed to maximize our impact and influence. “The amazing thing about this concept is that upon Breaking Free from the Grip of Life Sling Shots, just like the ball in a sling shot experiment, one’s life has the opportunity to propel at a high rate speed toward one’s destiny and the individual is provided the opportunity to achieve at levels that seem impossible to others. The challenge is how to maintain one’s moral and ethical values when faced with the adversity of dealing with Life’s Sling Shots.”
About the Author
Dr. Lateshia Woodley is a counseling psychologist and educational consultant. She specializes in transformation initiatives and change management. After obtaining her master’s and doctorate degrees in counseling psychology, she found Dynamic Achievement Solutions, LLC, which is a counseling and consulting practice. Since 2005, Dr. Woodley has worked in the academic, public, and private sectors to help bring about positive changes. Dr. Woodley has exhibited a proven track record of designing programs and interventions that increase productivity and performance. She has worked on several special projects, which have included middle school to high school transformation, new teacher mentoring programs, district wide advisory programs, school based mentoring programs, school improvement and high stakes testing intervention programs, college, readiness initiatives, and school improvements grant programs. She has served on both Georgia Department of Education Alternative Education Transition Committee and the National Alternative Education Planning Committee. Dr. Woodley has worked with organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Youth Truth Project and Small School Transformation Initiatives. She served as the counseling director for the Morehouse College Upward Bound Program. She has facilitated courses with the Youth Entrepreneur of Atlanta Program. She has also facilitated workshops and trainings with the institute of Student Achievement and the National Dropout Prevention Center. Dr. Woodley has served as the keynote speaker at both state and national conference. She has presented at numerous educational services and homeless education programs. Additionally, she worked with the Georgia Department of Education to revise the Georgia Alternative Education State Standards. Dr. Woodley’s life principle is to be a catalyst that ignites, motivated, and encourages individuals and organizations to reach to their full potential. She is fulfilling her life’s principle by serving as the Executive Director of Student Support Services supporting at promise youth and communities and serving on the boards of Nelson Atkins Museum Incentive Advisory, The Center for Family and Community Wellness and Empowering Lives, Inc. She is the author of three empowering and captivating books titled Why Did You Choose to Get Pregnant?, Issues of the Heart, and Transforming Alternative Education.