#theDREAMinitiative Of Thought Leader Rashida Hodge
When others need the shoulder of a giant, she wants to be that giant…
Shortly after graduation from NC State, Rashida Hodge — who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial engineering, worked to organize The Young Alumni Council (YAC). With a goal to convince other young alumni to contribute financially, stay connected and get involved, YAC was Rashida’s first community-focused move towards her lifelong goal.
In a recent NC State article featuring Rashida she said, “Growing up, my mom always told me that to be successful, you have to have skills and capabilities, but you also need to know that you’re standing on the shoulders of giants,” Hodge said. “I want to help someone be successful. I want to be a giant for them.”
Rashida Hodge is a strategic thought leader at IBM. With diverse global experiences leading supply chains in Asia and Europe, her skill-sets span from manufacturing engineering processes to strategic and financial planning. She is currently pursuing her Executive MBA from Duke University.
Dreams can come true when we are passionate about them, but how many of us realize it all starts with writing them down?
When I was little… I wanted to be a one of the senior business leaders from a Fortune 500 company on a leading news channel discussing the impacts and trends in business. Simultaneously, I wanted to come back home to the US Virgin Islands and truly make a difference for our community by providing development opportunities for students and young professionals.
Now that I’m grown up, my dream is… to provide my mother the opportunity to see my childhood dream become a reality. As she often says, “my dreams are also some of your dreams.“ I view my career as two fold – first as a general manager, and secondly, providing an avenue of mentoring to others. I would like to build a non-profit organization to help give someone else a dream, a story, a start on becoming a successful thread to the fabric of world. It is my belief that all good leaders have a responsibility to coach and let others in on their best practices.
My new dream in one word: Resilience.
Growing up, I had the privilege of witnessing my mother as a young parent juggling work, college, play and parenting. Through her resilience, she was determined to prosper and this was reflected through her work ethic. She instilled in me to never give up and to always try my best. To quote my mother, “Rashida, you cannot fail if you do not try and if you try, you will not fail.”
The challenges I am afraid of – the challenges I need to overcome… I fear disappointing my family. I am living the dream of my grandmother, my mother, and so many others. I want to ensure that I not only have the “will to win, but also “the will to prepare to win” because this is what matters, each and every time. I do believe fear can keep you back and it is important you fear nothing but run confidently through the yes and no’s to achieve your success. I realize that I can’t fixate on what others think or the expectations I think I need to live up to.
Can my dream be a reality? Yes! My reality date is… when I am interviewed by Squawk Box discussing the Top 10 Trends in business AND successful delivering career placement of future leaders by my non-profit in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Oh wow, two amazing dreams from one remarkable person! What jumped out at me first was her strong sense of purpose. Rashida’s mother certainly has been impactful and prominent in her life. How lucky she is to have her family. But oh my goodness… Rashida, you can’t possibly ever disappoint your family. When you choose to walk the earth lifting others above your shoulders, your family will always be there lifting you.
But who is that “influencer” who will be by her side on this professional journey? Most of us can’t achieve our dreams alone. We need help from influential, inspiring and connected people in order to convert our dreams to reality.
Who out there can help Rashida with “the will to prepare to win”?
Rashida has already begun to climb the ladder towards her success… but there are many many more steps for her to take. Does Rashida have a voice coach to help prep her for television interviews? How will Rashida keep up with the top business trends? And what are the specifics of that nonprofit she wants to develop?
Rashida is young. She has plenty of time to impact the U.S. Virgin Islands and be a regular on CNBCs Squawk Box. But hmmm, how can I help her streamline her approach? How about you? Who can help Rashida? Is there a voice coach or business trend expert out there who can mentor or sponsor her? How about a nonprofit startup fund? Can YOU influence what happens next?
What do you think? Can YOU help Rashida achieve her dream? Have you already ‘been there’ and can help her get past her challenges? As always, let me know what you think in the comments, or tell me on Twitter.
Sleddogg launched “the DREAM initiative” in September 2013 as a spin-off from an event sponsored by Sleddogg: SPARKcon’s my BIG fat secret event. Spark a professional dream — People all over the world have dreams of realizing career and organizational aspirations beyond what they are currently doing.
Lea-Ann approached people from all over the world and challenged them to share. She gave them some fill-in-the-blank questions. “I find that writing it down gives us clarity,” shares Lea-Ann.
“With clarity we see where we are going and can then determine how to get there. Posting it online here at Sleddogg…well, that feels more like a pledge now doesn’t it?”