Kezia Benjamin

I love people, and I immediately look past their flaws and go for seeing what potential they have and trying to bring that out of them. That's something I really needed as a young leader - to be nurtured and have that pulled out of me, because I was kind of shy and wouldn't really come out in the forefront. I feel like that's something that is so valuable in the workplace, and we don't have enough of it. There is somebody there that you're working alongside who needs exactly who you are, and that's what's going to push you into your next role. I try to encourage my team no matter where you are, especially with young mothers, people just starting out in school, being more of a mentor and a guide to them. Even if I just ask you to clean a restroom, let's make sure that's the cleanest restroom anybody has ever been in. You want to make sure that that is the impact you leave them with, so they know you value people coming in, you value being around them, you value their opinion and their input, and who they are, what they bring to the company.

The best career advice I’ve ever received is to lead with purpose and integrity, because when you invest in people and make a positive impact, success and growth naturally follow.

My biggest piece of advice would be to stay authentic to who you are. God made each of us a different person for a reason. Sometimes when we go into a place and we're really trying hard to achieve whatever goal it is that we want there, we lose a piece of ourselves. You can admire certain people around you and certain ways and strengths and things that you see around you, but you shouldn't ever lose who you are in the meantime. God needs that imprint in the world, I firmly believe that, and you are here for a reason, and there's no one else who can do that job but you. It took me a really long time when I was a younger leader coming up to really value that. I'm a person who's very outgoing and I love people immediately. I look past their flaws immediately and go for seeing what potential they have and trying to bring that out of them, because that's something I really needed as a young leader - to be nurtured and have that pulled out of me. Bringing your authentic self to the workplace is so valuable, and we don't have enough of it. A lot of people who are climbing the ladder, especially in a corporate sense, are trying to emulate somebody else, and so they don't bring their authentic self to the workplace. There is somebody there that you're working alongside who needs exactly who you are, and that's what's going to push you into your next role. Know your moral standing, stand in integrity, if your faith is in God, that's where you need to stand, and you don't waver on that. You don't compromise your values, no matter what workplace you're in. That is what will set you apart from basically anybody else, and it doesn't matter what job you do.

The challenge for me as of lately has been jumping right in and being more of a worker bee, instead of holistically looking at the whole picture and kind of mapping out as you go what needs to happen, and then loosening the reins while you shadow someone else doing it. In this role, I have to make sure that more of the paperwork side is done, because the company is not local, and so that has a lot of deadlines. The time frame is different because we're on a different hour time frame out here, it's a few hours difference. Time management and making sure that I step back physically from doing all the physical work with the team, and making sure that I break away at a certain point to get paperwork and time management done has been a challenge for me. An opportunity would be a little bit more organization and communication-wise. Finding things out after the fact - I'm very much a person that enjoys being proactive instead of reactive, especially when it comes to serving the public. An opportunity is there for all of us when it comes to leadership, that everybody is well-informed, and not just the few people who are doing the traveling outside of the state. We're working on making sure that when corporate is able to communicate with us locally, that everybody gets those pieces of information so we're all on the same page.

No matter what field you're in, I find it extremely important to have a good moral standing. If you know what your foundation is, and for me, it's believing in God, knowing where you stand with God when you walk into any room, you can hold your head up high, you know who you are. Just being sweet and kind in your spirit - people really pick up on that, and they always remember how you make them feel through the day, no matter how little the task, no matter how big the task. If you have a good moral standing and you walk in integrity, no matter what room you go into, you can always make sure you encourage and impact that person that's right next to you. I try to encourage my team no matter where you are, especially with young mothers, people just starting out in school, being more of a mentor and a guide to them. You don't compromise your values. You walk in integrity, know who you are, and bring who you are to wherever you're going to work, because somebody needs that there. I raised 5 kids, and I have 2 grandkids now. I make sure I invest that time, and they know the same thing - you don't compromise your values.