Phoenix (STN) – Sustaining momentum on big, long-term goals means learning to celebrate the small wins along the way. That was the message from three Valley leaders who opened Season 5 of ‘It Happens at STN‘ with a ‘Leading in the Moment’ conversation on positioning organizations for growth.
Monique Lopez, CEO of UMOM New Day Centers, said the work of building something lasting rarely happens all at once.
“It’s important to sort of pay attention to progress, celebrate milestones along the way,” Lopez said, pointing to UMOM’s recent close on Salamanca Square, a 192-unit affordable housing project that can take as many as 30 months from application to move-in. She also pointed to the newly unveiled lobby at UMOM’s shelter as a milestone worth celebrating in its own right.
“The space that you walk into represents hope,” Lopez said, noting that many families arriving at UMOM are in the middle of the toughest time of their lives.
Watch the Season 5 premiere of ‘Leading in the Moment’
Bryan Madden, president and CEO of Valley of the Sun YMCA, said positioning an organization for growth often means positioning its leaders first. He described adopting a situational leadership style across the YMCA’s 12 Valley locations.
“Some people need a little bit more pushing. Some people need a little bit less,” Madden said. He added that celebrating success also includes celebrating the decision to pass on opportunities that don’t fit the organization’s mission, not just the ones it says yes to.
Christina Spicer, co-CEO of Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus-Pine, said developing future leaders starts with emotional intelligence.
“How can we guide our folks, especially when we’re thinking about girls in a space where they’re sitting in a troop setting,” Spicer said, describing how young girls learn to recognize their own actions and impact, a skill she said carries directly into the workplace.
In the season-opening call to action, Madden urged leaders to keep moving forward even through setbacks, Spicer pointed to joy as fuel for hard work, and Lopez challenged the room to pick one thing to build this year, whether a physical space, a team, or a relationship.
“It’s not about doing it all at once,” Lopez said, “but being patient with yourself and focused on what’s next.”
