Latrese Nicole Smith

The Power of Being Seen

As women, we often spend time talking about leadership, influence, and growth. We attend conferences, read books, and seek opportunities to learn from experts. While those experiences are valuable, some of the greatest leadership lessons I’ve ever learned came from the people standing right beside me every day.

I work for a small manufacturing company where resources may be limited, but opportunities to learn are endless. Looking back on my career, I realize I would not be half the team member I am today without the leaders and teammates who took the time to teach me, encourage me, and believe in me long before I believed in myself.

One of those leaders was our former Plant Manager, Rocky Creel.

Rocky Creel

Rocky had a unique leadership style. He didn’t simply tell people what to do—he taught by showing. Once he trusted your abilities, he invited you into his thought process. He shared why decisions were made, discussed better ways of doing things, and challenged people to think differently. More importantly, he spent time where the work was happening. You could often find him on the plant floor, working alongside the team, observing processes, and helping solve problems.

Some of the most valuable lessons I learned during my career came through conversations with Rocky. He taught me that leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about helping others learn how to find them.

Recently, I was reminded of just how powerful that type of leadership can be.

Isaiah Frazier

Nearly two years ago, I brought a group of high school students to tour our facility. After the visit, I returned to their school and interviewed students interested in joining our team. Among them was a young man named Isaiah Frazier.

Isaiah immediately stood out.

He was a standout wrestler preparing to finish his senior year of high school. He carried himself with respect, worked hard, smiled often, and seemed eager to learn. There was something special about his attitude that made people take notice.

After graduation, Isaiah joined our Maintenance Department. While he did well, it became clear that the position wasn’t the best fit for his strengths.

Many organizations would have stopped there.

Instead, our organization chose to invest in him.

Rather than giving up, leaders looked for another opportunity where Isaiah could succeed. Eventually, he transferred to our Shipping Department, where he came under the leadership of Shipping Supervisor Lisa Prioleau.

Lisa Prioleau

Anyone who has worked with Lisa knows she has an incredible gift for developing people.

She is confident, hardworking, knowledgeable, and deeply committed to her team. She understands every aspect of the shipping operation, but her true strength lies in helping others discover what they are capable of becoming.

I remember having a conversation with Lisa when Isaiah transferred into Shipping. We talked about communication styles, learning approaches, and ways to support his development. I told her to call me if she ever had questions.

She never needed to.

Lisa took ownership of Isaiah’s development and did what great leaders do—she invested her time, knowledge, and belief into someone else’s success.

Today, the results are impossible to miss.

Recently, while walking through Shipping, I noticed a truck loaded for one of our top customers. It was impeccable. The material was organized, secure, and loaded with care and professionalism.

When I asked who loaded the truck, the dock lead proudly replied, “Isaiah.”

Then he added something that made me smile.

“Isaiah loads all the trucks.”

The pride in his voice was unmistakable.

Later, I congratulated Isaiah on the outstanding work he was doing. His response stopped me in my tracks.

“If it wasn’t for Lisa, I would have quit.”

He explained how she encouraged him, coached him, and helped him believe in himself. She never made him feel incapable. She never made him feel like he didn’t belong. Instead, she helped him understand that he was capable of more than he realized.

I was thinking about leadership

At that moment, I wasn’t thinking about truck loading.

I was thinking about Rocky Creel taking time years ago to teach me through conversations and experiences. I was thinking about Lisa Prioleau pouring into a young employee and helping him discover his strengths. I was thinking about Isaiah Frazier choosing to work hard, remain teachable, and embrace the opportunities placed before him.

Most of all, I was thinking about the culture that made all of this possible.

The best organizations understand that people don’t always arrive fully developed. Sometimes they need coaching. Sometimes they need patience. Sometimes they simply need someone who believes in them long enough for them to believe in themselves.

There is something incredibly special about leaders who create environments where people feel safe enough to ask questions, learn from mistakes, and grow.

Isaiah’s success belongs to him. He earned it through hard work and perseverance.

But his story is also a reflection of the leaders who refused to give up on him and the culture that chose development over convenience.

• Rocky Creel taught me that great leaders teach by example.
• Lisa Prioleau reminded me that great leaders see potential before performance.
• And Isaiah Frazier proved what can happen when someone is given the opportunity, support, and confidence to grow.

Sometimes the most influential thing we will ever do is not achieve success ourselves.

It’s helping someone else discover that they can.

Teaching Without a Classroom: A Legacy of Strength

There are moments in life when we realize that the path we imagined for ourselves was not wrong—just different.

As a young woman, I always wanted to be a teacher. I pictured a classroom, lesson plans, and rows of desks. I believed teaching was confined to four walls and a chalkboard. What I didn’t yet understand was that teaching is not about location—it’s about impact.

That understanding was shaped early by the strongest woman I have ever known: my grandmother.

The First Lesson: Resilience

My grandmother raised me with quiet strength, unwavering standards, and deep love. She lived resilience long before I had a word for it. Life did not hand her easy circumstances, yet she never led with bitterness—only resolve. She showed me what it meant to stand firm, lead with grace, and do the right thing even when no one was watching.

She taught me by example that strength does not require hardness—that you can be soft and still unbreakable, consistent and still compassionate, grounded and still ambitious.

Though she is no longer living, her voice is present in every decision I make. She is the reason I strive to be a role model—not for recognition, but because someone is always watching and learning, just as I once did.

An Unplanned Beginning

My professional journey began with modest intentions. I took a summer job as a packer simply to earn enough money to buy a car. It was not part of a grand career plan—just a practical step forward.

That summer turned into twenty-two years.

Over time, I moved from packer to shipping clerk, from shipping supervisor to inside sales and customer service, and ultimately into my current role as Training and Development Manager and Project Manager. Each role expanded my perspective, sharpened my leadership, and deepened my understanding of people.

At no point did I lose sight of my original desire to teach. I simply learned to teach differently.

Teaching Without a Classroom

Today, I don’t stand at the front of a classroom—but I teach every day.

I teach employees that they matter. That their work has value. That growth is possible regardless of where they started. Sometimes those lessons are delivered through structured training and process improvement. Other times, they come through passing conversations, encouragement, or simply being seen.

I make it a priority to know each team member—not just their role, but something about who they are. A small detail. A shared interest. A conversation starter. Those moments build trust, and trust creates space for growth.

I learn the jobs alongside them. I teach them how to excel in their respective roles, but more importantly, I help them tap into the best version of themselves. When people feel understood, they rise.

Leadership in a Male-Dominated Industry

Working in a male-dominated industry has taught me another important lesson: leadership does not require imitation.

I do not believe strength demands loudness or dominance. I choose to remain soft—but consistent. Empathetic—but firm. Supportive—but unwavering in expectations. That balance is intentional. It is powerful.

Being soft does not mean being weak. It means leading with emotional intelligence, clarity, and purpose. It means listening before speaking, building before directing, and lifting others as you climb.

Raising the Bar by Lifting Others

True leadership is not measured by title or tenure—it is measured by influence. By the people who grow because you were willing to invest in them. By the standards you set and live daily.

My grandmother raised me to believe that character outlives position, and that lesson guides me still. Every role I’ve held has reinforced the same truth: we are always teaching someone something, whether we intend to or not.

So I choose to teach courage. Accountability. Self-worth. Possibility.

To the ambitious, accomplished women reading this: your path does not need to look like anyone else’s to be meaningful. The impact you make may not show up where you expected—but if you lead with integrity, resilience, and heart, it will show up everywhere.

That is the legacy I strive to honor.

That is the bar I aim to raise.

And that is the lesson my grandmother taught me long before I ever knew I was learning.