Lessons in Leadership: Spotlight on Angela Minor, Esq

By Vanessa Escarfullet

When one thinks of a leader, many things come to mind. A CEO, for instance, a director or even a professor you admire. The person I had the pleasure of interviewing is all of these things and more! Attorney Angela Minor, the new CEO and co-founder of Law Offices of Minor & Willcox, LLC, is whom my leadership profile is dedicated to.

It all started in Little Rock Arkansas on a college campus, her parents met and eventually became one, later adding her to their unit. By three years old she was living in the state of Virginia in the home she was raised in with both her parents. Eventually moving to Richmond, Virginia, it was there she attended Mills E. Godwin High School. During her high school years Attorney Minor was a Q94 Rockers, a sponsored professional cheerleading squad. There, she began her first leadership role as the squad’s captain. After high school, she attended Hampton University for an under-graduate degree and later attended North Carolina Central University with plans to complete her Master’s Degree in Library Science with a concentration in Law Librarianship. She eventually left North Carolina before the completion of her post graduate degree and ended up in the Nations Capital at the David A. Clarke School of law at the University of District of Columbia. After being accepted into the David A. Clarke School of Law, she was fortunate enough that her new Graduate Degree Program accepted her first year law courses as electives from NCCU and she graduated with her Master’s while completing her first year of law school.

My favorite interview question to Attorney Minor was if she had always desired to be an attorney? Her response to that question was that she gave herself opportunities to venture into multiple careers paths before finally deciding to become an attorney. First, she researched Pre-Med. She discovered that the field was not for her when she took notice of her dis interest in blood and the smells of hospitals. Then, she began to research the psychology field and decided that it wasn’t for her either. She finally decided that she simply wanted to help people. Which ironically is the commonality of all three of these career paths, to help (Pre-Med, Psychologist and Attorney). Thus, she wanted to help people just in a different way, her own way and this is exactly what she has set out do since the day she became a member of the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, Maryland Bar Association and the District of Columbia Bar Association. In doing so, she found out she had an affinity to lead and speak on behalf of people and that it came naturally. On top of that, Attorney Minor has previously taught law at the University of District of Columbia School of Law as well as Georgetown University. Moreover, she is a Certified Mediator in Civil Litigation in the state of Maryland.

My favorite fact about Attorney Minor is that she was always rewarded and adhered to leadership positions. Whether it was in the church where she led the youth association that was statewide or her position at Howard University as a professor or even being the captain of her cheerleading squad, she found her self always teaching and serving as a figure to others. Most importantly, her parents respected any decision she made when it came to choosing a leadership position. So, though her mother was an attorney she did not force her into becoming one, and I quote her “it came naturally, she let me figure it out”.

Before concluding the interview I asked her a few other questions in regards to her future goals, first if she would ever consider doing something else in the future, she immediately answered, “I would get into, broadcasting, I also want to write a book and broadcasting in terms of being a legal analyst”. In other words, anything else she would get involved with in regards with her career she would always relate back to law “this is my life I am dedicated to it, I’m happy about it”.

Currently, she is her own boss as a solo practitioner. The motivation came from her mother who was also an attorney. In her firm, she has an assistant and works exclusively with a private processing company. Her schedule does vary due to court dates. Attorney Minor is very hands on and makes all of the decisions pertaining to the firm. Her mother was the founder of the firm that she now runs. Her father, also a leader, is a Supervisor Technology Specialist for the state of Virginia as a supervisor technologist where he governs both high school and elementary schools throughout the state in that aspect.

In brief, after interviewing Attorney Minor I am now familiar with why so many people look up to her as a leader, both on and off the Howard University Campus. Through her many degrees and versatile leadership positions she has proved herself beyond credible. I asked her what she did to have gotten this far and she first gave credit to God and of-course her parents whom she describes have served as great examples to her every step of the way. She mentioned that coming from a good household, made a great impact on her. She titled her parents “educators and leaders” because whether it was at work, in the church or in the community they were in leadership positions. Just like her. I concluded the interview by asking her what advice she had for someone trying to be in a leadership position much like the one’s she’s been fortunate to embrace. Her answer was “believe in yourself and no matter what leadership position, research your respective jurisdiction, know the law and be honest to all people!

View the interview in its entirety.

Just Give Me Five: The Rules of Engagement for Women in Networking

I received a group email from an associate whom I had collaborated on several projects.  We run in similar political, business and social circles. The email shared some job opportunities available within her network.  She closed her correspondence by stating if anyone was interested in any of the opportunities to contact her directly and she would make the appropriate connections.  I immediately responded by thanking her for including me, expressing interest, including a copy of my resume and asking about next steps.  That was a month ago.  I never heard back from her.

I began to think, even second-guess myself.  Maybe she hadn’t received the email. Perhaps I didn’t click send; OH NO, I thought. Could it be sitting in my drafts folder?  I double-checked my email, and then re-read her email. Maybe she was just passing info along and I misread that she was willing to do introductions to the other party. Then I thought back to all of our interactions. Had I done or said something that offended her? But all I could think of was that time when she was in a jam with a client and I bailed her out and saved the day, no questions asked. Or that time she wanted career advice on starting her own consulting service and I lent an ear, words of encouragement and career counseling, something I am usually paid to do.  So, what could it be? Why wouldn’t she respond if she initiated the email and offered to be a liaison?

Then it hit me. It made me stroll down memory lane, thinking of the number of times that I’ve heard women share the same type of story. Thinking of the number of “networking for women”, “sister circle”, “girl empowerment” events I’ve heard of and attended. Understanding that most opportunities are filtered through the networks and circles in which we travel, but realizing that many of the opportunities that have come my way were never through these pipelines. The days of cold calling and job interviews just from submitting a resume were over, if they every really existed. A large part of leading in the industry is about who you know and how you make application of your network more specifically for women and minorities.  It goes without saying that there are more than enough well qualified, well versed, extremely educated and exceptionally talented women in government as well as many other fields.  However much of the discussion about the proverbial glass ceiling focuses on the systemic oppression but rarely do we address how we as women might contribute to our own struggle. Therefore it is important to evaluate a small yet critical role that we could be playing in our narrative in our quest for leadership.

So, below are 5 rules of engagement for women leading in government and other fields. If we as women want to crack the glass, in order to shatter that ceiling, let’s start by giving each other five.

1. Show Don’t Tell

All it takes is five minutes to send the introductory email, group text message or make a quick call on another woman’s behalf. We often talk the talk but do we really walk the walk? How often have we met for coffee, drinks, lunch or dinner with a female friend, colleague or acquaintance and said we’d refer, introduce or connect her with someone who could move her forward; then got back to the office or home and didn’t follow through.  Sometimes we’ve gotten too busy, sometimes we just forgot and sometimes, we’ve had second thoughts about our offer.  Whether it is consciously or unconsciously we’ve been apart of the problem of reinforcing the glass ceiling instead of lending our stiletto to help crack that glass. If we plan strategically by making it apart of our to do list, we can better stay committed to the process. If we’ve had second thoughts about our offer, we should evaluate why. Why do we want to no longer honor our commitment and why did we make the offer to begin with. If you find that the other party isn’t a match, not in alignment with your principles or detrimental to your brand, then at best being honest with them is the key and at worst, a simple follow up to let them know that you are unable to assist as previously planned. All it takes is five minutes.

2. Reciprocate

You won’t always get something out of it but do unto others as you would hope could happen for you.  Receivership is great but it is important to pay it forward.  Relationships have to be mutually beneficial in order to grow and help expand the female ecosystem within any industry.  The Good Ole Boys Club didn’t become a club by only receiving. Advising and counseling is great but don’t just talk about it, be about it. Something as simple as picking up the phone, shooting a text or an email is such a small yet big step in cultivating your network. The key take away is networking has to be reciprocal and it starts with just five minutes of effort.

3. Convene a Board of Advisors

In doing so, begin to create and convene a circle of trust.  What about the Good Ole Girls Club, Sister Circle or whatever you want to call it? Show and tell and reciprocating has its pros and cons, but the concept often lacks strategy.  I often encounter women who say they’ve been shunned, burned or stepped on by other women.  They became jaded, disgruntled and super competitive in a negative way.  But one red bottom shouldn’t spoil a bunch.  Be smart and strategic about your professional and personal community by surrounding yourself by people who will tell you better; who will help you to become better; who are interested in you becoming your best you. This group should be your own personal board of advisors AND they should include men. As a matter of fact, they should include a body of people who aren’t necessarily just like you. However, they should have the same system of ethics.  How can you grow and blossom if you remain with the same group of flowers or weeds? Your group should be diverse by age, race, nationality, and work industries.  This will widen your outlook, perspective, your access AND your opportunities. But be wise and beware, you shouldn’t always fill your circle with the same people that you are having wine and sharing personal secrets with.  It’s okay to have professional friends and personal friends but people often confuse and or cabinet the two.  You have to give yourself room to mess up, to learn, to grow in any relationship without messing up another one or the entire network. Convening a board of advisors and serving in a reciprocal role, can start with just five people.

4. Looks Do Matter, So Look the Part

YES. THEY. DO.  But it’s not what you assume.  Don’t focus on the obvious.  It doesn’t necessarily mean be dressed for a runway debut, though investing in that chic pump and signature dress, wrap or pant suit is a must. But rather, be well groomed, packaged, polished and unforgettable.  There is a whole lot of truth in the importance of the messenger.  If you want to be taken seriously then look, act and sound serious.  Be appropriate in your presentation.  Class, fashion and functionality don’t have to be compromised or sacrificed for career advancement, instead they go hand in hand. It takes just five extra minutes to add a finishing and unforgettable signature touch.

5. Titles Do Matter, So Act the Part

If a title, rank or salary didn’t matter, there wouldn’t be such a disparity of women in leadership roles, a gender pay gap, or the basic need for discussions like this. So it’s simple, if you want to be a leader, then act like one. Start by distinguishing yourself from the pack and leading through example. A person in charge is a free and independent thinker. They avoid the herd mentality, group think dynamics and aren’t interested in duplication in order to go along to get along. Exhibit innovation starting with that first look. Update, polish and upgrade your LinkedIn page, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or whatever social platforms you are using. If you dedicated just five hours per month to updating your image on paper (or on line), you will begin to present yourself in the manner in which you want to be received. And if you want to be someone else in your down time, then embrace that alter ego by making Facebook, Twitter and Instagram private; always remembering that your social media image should mirror who you really are but most importantly what you aspire to be.

While 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 days, months or weeks is not enough time to shatter a glass ceiling that took 5 eternities to construct; incorporating these 5 steps into your career strategy and outlook will definitely change how productive the next 5 years of your overall career plan can be.

Check out the original post at League of Women In Government.

A Lesson in Servant Leadership

Howard University is undisputedly home to the best and brightest students in the global community.  Students who apply, are accepted and attend the Mecca come here as leaders in their own right; but it is through its motto of Truth and Service that the Howard University student is trained in transformative leadership.   

Within the Department of Strategic, Legal and Management Communications in the Cathy Hughes School of Communications, Howard University students receive leadership theory and development as apart of their academic experience.  In the Introduction to Leadership Management course, students have the opportunity to learn from the most competitive industry experts through a guest lecture series.  This semester the course featured lecturers from the Women of the Washington Redskins, The NFL Players Association and our very own Howard University.  Focusing on the importance of ethics, diversity, public service and leader development, the guest lecture series provided students with best practices on public service and servant leadership from professionals in some of the most competitive leadership roles 

“When leading a team, it is important to commit yourself to improving and developing your skills.”  Glen Vinson, Howard University alumnus and Associate Dean of Religious and Civic Engagement shared with students in the introduction of his lecture.  In his respective role, Mr. Vinson is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Rankin Memorial Chapel and the annual Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program initiative.  Since it’s inception, ASB has cultivated thousands of student leaders and have had a profound impact on supporting and transforming some of the most disenfranchised and underrepresented communities spanning across the US and abroad.  The stewardship of the ASB program and commitment to the academic, social and spiritual growth of participating students, are just a few ways that Mr. Vinson and the team of the Office of the Dean of the Chapel actively build a community of students who not only speak the motto of Truth and Service but exemplify it through their work on and off campus.  This is all apart of the systematic approach to helping the Howard University student understand and embrace the power of influence they possess.  It is through this work that Mr. Vinson is representative of what is required in order to be a true servant leader. 

“As a fourth year student at Howard University I have always admired the work of the individuals in the Chapel. They coordinate weekly services on Sundays with great speakers and annually send hundreds of students to various cities across the nation for Alternative Spring Break (ASB). Everything was put into perspective when I found out that Mr. Vinson was the man behind those acts of service.”  “In a guest lecture in my Leadership class, he outlined five levels of leadership. For his presentation, he connected his experiences to each one of the levels to help us understand leadership growth and how to progress in our abilities and the importance of expanding our platform of influence. ’’
-Darnelle Casimer, Howard University Senior 

Mr. Vinson shared that ‘people development is a critical component in leadership’…“as a leader you become great not because of your power but because of your ability to empower others.” It is through this level of leadership that students who participate in ASB truly begin to transform the people in the communities that they support but experience self-transformation as well.  “You must use your positions, relationships, and productivity to invest in your team and improve everyone's performance.” stated Vinson.  “I learned so much about myself and my approach to leadership from listening to Mr. Vinson’s talk. In order for me to develop as a leader I must continue to invest in myself and my peers to achieve overall greatness” said Casimer.

Programs like ASB serve as a training ground for effective leadership and afford students the opportunity to learn about themselves while investing in others.  Throughout the lecture series, students learned that through building relationships, credibility and production, the natural born leader becomes a change agent.  Leaders like Mr. Vinson are those change agents that have helped navigate thousands of students in transforming the campus and global community alike.
To learn more about the Alternative Spring Break program and ways that you can contribute, while developing your servant leadership, contact the Office of the Dean of the Chapel at 202-806-7909.