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by Dr. David Roe
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The special focus in this issue of the Bulletin has to do with leadership, one of my very favorite subjects. I have studied leadership issues as both a practitioner and as a student virtually all of my adult life. I would like to use this space to briefly highlight what I believe I have learned and include an invitation to readers for a continuing dialogue on the issue.
First, I believe each one of us is a leader in her/his own right. We each face challenges daily in the four dimensions of leadership or four categories of people we are called on to lead. The first and most challenging dimension is leading ourselves. The second is leading our peers (spouses, siblings, colleagues). The third is leading up (supervisors, bosses, parents) and the fourth and easiest is leading down (subordinates, children). We need to be successful in the first dimension or we will not be able to meet the leadership needs and challenges in the other three.
| “...these axioms must be connected together in the minds and spirits of all people involved in pursuit of the mission or goals by the connecting principle of communication.” |
Second, we can achieve success as a leader in any or all of the dimensions above if we apply the four truths or axioms, with regard to leadership, and continuously unite these four axioms with the critical connecting principle. The first axiom is we must believe in ourselves. If we do not believe in ourselves, we fail in leading ourselves and will fail in the other dimensions as well even if we are very good actors. The second axiom is we must believe in the mission or goals we pursue. Absence of such belief saps our energies and renders us ineffective.
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The third axiom is we must have a plan to get us from where we are to where we want or need to go and the plan must be tailored to the challenges and realities confronting progress toward the goal. The fourth axiom is we need a means of determining where we are in executing the plan so we can revise the plan if it is not getting us where we need to go. In operational leadership, these axioms must be connected together in the minds and spirits of all people involved in pursuit of the mission or goals by the connecting principle of communication. As others are involved, the communication requirements and challenges climb, but the leader must continuously communicate the essence of all four axioms to all persons involved.
Third, the environment or atmosphere in which we pursue our missions and goals, is a vital ingredient in our potential for success in any or all of the dimensions. I have found that concentrating on four Cs produces the kind of positive environment that nurtures success. These Cs are caring, cooperating, communicating and complimenting. Caring begins with taking care of yourself physically, spiritually and emotionally and extends to others involved in pursuing the mission and goals. Cooperating recognizes that not one of us achieves success in any dimension totally on our own. Communicating demonstrates and reinforces caring and makes cooperating easier. The most effective forms of communication involve all our senses and our willingness to be open and even vulnerable. Finally, complimenting and using the magic words “thank you” work as a lubricant in building cohesion and trust and fostering improved performance in the other three Cs.
One of Central’s goals for the college campus is “to provide leadership and support for reform through dialogue with the broader communities of society, sustaining values while encouraging critical analysis of ideas and institutions.” I challenge all who read this Bulletin to accept as a personal goal to become a better leader in all four dimensions. I urge you to apply the formula outlined in this letter in responding to leadership challenges you face. The communities you care about will become better as a result of your leadership.
by Betsy Kane ’05, Melissa Miller ’05 and Carissa Sampson ’05
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| Kris Brandt Vaughn ’90, chairperson of Central’s Alumni Advisory Council, volunteers her time to several different organizations. Her involvement keeps her connected to Central College. |
Leadership is all around us. Going from ordinary to extraordinary, good to great, leaders guide and direct, motivate and encourage, lead and navigate to great heights.
There are several different
kinds of leadership styles. There are those who are presidents and
chief executive officers of major corporations, those who lead
on committees through volunteer work, and even those who are educators and
lead others to lead.
Leaders believe in themselves, have a clear vision of where to lead people,
believe in their mission, set high standards for themselves, are good listeners,
and
are team players.
Central College combines career preparation with programs to promote values essential to becoming responsible citizens, locally, nationally and internationally. Central seeks to cultivate the life of the mind, nurture the depth of character, and foster habits of the heart that prepare students for a lifelong adventure in learning, growth and service.
There have always been great leaders and Central College continues to mold leaders for this world for the present and for the future. Here are a few of their stories.
Adam Gregg '06
Junior Adam Gregg didn’t know what he was getting into. He was nominated as a Campus Compact Fellow by his professors, and decided to go for it.
“As part of Campus Compact I was invited to go to a conference in Philadelphia, so I thought, ‘cool,’” said Gregg.
Ironic, as COOL was the name of the conference.
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| Adam Gregg ’06 started Central’s Informed Young Voters, a project that supplies non-partisan information to students. |
Campus Outreach Opportunity League conference, or the COOL conference, is an annual event, focused on service, civic engagement and volunteering. It aims to bring students from around the country together, providing them with the opportunity to network with and learn from what other students are doing. About 1,500 students attended the conference, held in Philadelphia, Penn., in March. Keynote speakers and breakout sessions helped college students learn more about civic engagement and ways to mobilize students at their campuses.
“Adam was nominated as an Iowa Campus Compact Fellow based on faculty recommendations,” said Cheri Doane, director of community-based learning at Central College. “The program trained him to be a student leader. As a participant in the COOL conference, he learned about possibilities of things he could do here at Central.”
A political science major, Gregg had the opportunity to do an internship in Washington, D.C., last spring, which sparked his interest in the upcoming election. As part of Campus Compact, fellows are given the opportunity to use grant money for projects that interest them. Gregg applied and was awarded a grant from Campus Compact.
The project he chose for Central’s campus was Informed Young Voters.
Teaming with the Young Voters Project, Informed Young Voters is a non-partisan organization that aimed to arm students with the knowledge they needed to make an informed decision, registered student voters, and encouraged them to vote and be heard Nov. 2.
| “In the end, I just wanted to get Central students more involved.” |
“It’s a lot of pressure — the faculty had high hopes for Informed Young Voters,” said Gregg.
But, he is definitely living up to the expectations. In the beginning, he rallied support from a number of fellow students, held numerous voter registration events, and worked on bringing candidates to campus.
“In the end, I just wanted to get Central students more involved — I wanted them to realize how important it is to take part in the political process,” said Gregg. “Hopefully, Informed Young Voters gave Central students the information they needed to go out there and vote.”
Phil George, professor of education
Phil George’s subtle southern drawl is not the only thing that sets him apart in the small burg of Pella. Even though Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina were all once home to George before he accepted a faculty position in the education department at Central 18 years ago, George sets himself apart by the kind of person he is.
“My wife Kathy and I can still vividly remember the first day we rolled into Pella,” said George, a graduate of the University of Florida and Vanderbilt University. “I quickly recognized that life in Pella would be different than the large cities where I grew up. My wife’s experiences growing up in Paullina in northwest Iowa, are similar to the experiences my family has enjoyed in Pella. The community is clean, safe, friendly, and supports excellent schools. While the community ethos are sometimes a bit conservative in relation to my personal perspective, I always have felt welcomed in Pella. Living in Iowa has been a wonderful experience.”
| “There are always opportunities for all of us to enhance the lives of others as well as our own.” |
Though George has been an Iowa boy for nearly two decades now, he still upholds his roots of southern hospitality and kindness within the Central and Pella communities.
“There are always opportunities for all of us to enhance the lives of others, as well as our own,” said George.
During his teaching career at Central, George has served as chair of the education department for 12 years and licensure officer for 16 years. He now assumes the position of chair for the college’s applied arts division, which oversees the education and exercise science programs.
“Every faculty and staff member contributes to the welfare of the college in unique ways,” said George, who has twice served as president of the Iowa Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. “These roles have allowed me to support the goals of the college, while providing me with professional development opportunities through association with the Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners and members of the Iowa legislature.”
George
also has had his hand in the Pella Community school system. As a member
of the Council for Educational Excellence and several advisory committees,
George has provided input on teachers’ grants
for program development and for school bond proposals.
As a father of three, George has been involved with youth coaching for many years through the Pella Recreation Commission and the Pella Soccer Club.
“Many people make the decision to volunteer their time in order to help someone close to them,” said George. “Staying active in the Pella schools and youth athletics has given me another way to be involved with my children.”
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| Phil George, education professor at Central, has spearheaded CROPWALK in Pella and gets Central students involved in the project. |
As a community leader, George has served as director of the Pella CROPWALK for 11 years. CROPWALK is an ecumenical event held in more than 2,000 communities to raise funds for hunger education and grassroots development efforts in more than 80 countries. A part of Church World Services, CROPWALK is designed to reach around the globe while still touching local communities such as Pella.
“Our world is filled with people in desperate need and CROPWALK is a chance for a small community to make a big difference,” said George. “The event also benefits Pella. There are hungry people here, too.”
George also reminds us every community is filled with people who offer their time and energy in volunteer activities, “We continually need to find ways to acknowledge this service by so many volunteers.”
As an education professor, George believes his students are already of a mind of service.
“Teachers play a vital role in the development of a humane and just society,” said George. “Our graduates already are disposed to help others, and they have the opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of their students. That is what makes teaching such a wonderful profession.”
Judy Muyskens ’70
In 1966, Judy Muyskens ’70 entered the college world as a wide-eyed freshman. It’s 2004 and she’s still in college. Only now, she has a fancier title.
Since 1998, Muyskens has been the academic vice president and dean of faculty at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, N.H.
“I believe I started developing my leadership skills very early on,” she said. “As a tall person who was a minister’s daughter — my father also graduated from Central — I was expected to take a leadership role among friends and in church.”
The young Muyskens took part in numerous leadership roles as a Central student, including resident adviser, class officer and officer of other clubs on campus. After graduating from Central with a bachelor’s degree in French, Muyskens kept taking on leadership roles.
She spent the early part of her career as a professor at Virginia Tech, then taught at the University of Cincinnati for 20 years. In 1994-95, she shadowed several academic leaders for a year and decided to move ahead with her dream to lead in higher education.
| “Leaders
need warmth and consistency of character...” |
“I chose Colby-Sawyer College because I wanted to return to a small liberal arts college,” Muyskens said. “I realized how important Central had been to me and wanted to return to my roots.”
In her job, Muyskens believes it’s important to be creative, have compassion, organizational skills and energy.
“Leaders need warmth and consistency of character,” she said. “They need to focus on excellence and be collaborative while having the ability to make hard decisions.”
Muyskens’ leadership position can be fraught with challenges. One of the main difficulties she faces includes keeping tuition for students reasonable while providing competitive salaries for faculty and staff at Colby-Sawyer.
Colby-Sawyer, a co-educational, residential liberal arts college of about 1,000 students, strives to instill leadership skills in its students.
“Leadership development is mentioned in our mission statement,” she said. “Furthermore, we have clubs and organizations, resident adviser positions, orientation leader positions and athletics — all of which contribute to the development of leadership skills.”
A liberal arts education is the key to building leadership skills, according to Muyskens.
“My Central education gave me the base for all my learning, and the broad-based education Central provided helped me develop my leadership skills,” she said.
The perk of her leadership role involves interacting with the college community.
“The positives are the people. I sincerely enjoy getting to know faculty, staff and students on campus,” she said. “If I could, I would spend most of my day communicating and collaborating with these folks.”
Kris Vaughn ’90
Kris Brandt Vaughn ’90 may have left her day job, but the stay-at-home mother of two has anything but free time.
A former Principal Financial Group employee, Vaughn currently serves as chairperson for the Central Alumni Advisory Council (AAC), a role she was elected to when the council formed in 2002. The council provides support for the alumni staff at Central, and offers opportunities for alumni to remain involved in the life of the college.
As chairperson of the AAC, Vaughn leads the group in its specific areas of focus, serves as the alumni representative at Homecoming, gives feedback to the alumni office and helps organize an on-campus spring meeting for the council.
“I haven’t met an alum yet that gets tired of discussing memories of Central,” said Vaughn who has developed many friendships over the years through her volunteer work. “Meeting someone who also attended Central is like being introduced to a distant cousin. That common bond is all you need to stir up fond memories of your years at Central.”
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| Kris Brandt Vaughn ’90 stays involved with Central College through her position as chairperson of the Alumni Advisory Council. Vaughn jumps at every opportunity to volunteer her time. |
After graduation, Vaughn and her husband Trent ’90 moved to Des Moines where they helped start a Central alumni chapter. When the couple later relocated in Omaha, they started an alumni chapter there as well. The duo served as chair for their 10th class reunion and as class representatives for two three-year terms beginning in 1993.
“Staying connected with the campus helps keep that excitement from your college years,” said Vaughn, whose brother Don Brandt graduated from Central in 1987. “Our son Grant will be the class of 2019 and our daughter Grace will be the class of 2020. I can’t wait to hear about their experiences at Central.”
Now at home in Flower Mound, Texas, Vaughn is a board member of the Wellington Elementary PTA and has been PTA president for the preschool at her family’s church, Lamb of God Lutheran Church.
At Lamb of God, Vaughn formed Busy Moms and Women, a group aimed to lend a hand in the hectic lives of women within the church. Vaughn also developed a new member assimilation team while serving as Bible study leader and past member of the call committee for the pastor.
“My mother taught me by example the joy of serving others and I knew that I wanted to do the same,” said Vaughn. “However, I would never be able to do as much as I do without the support and help from Trent at home.”
Vaughn, a business management graduate, may be remembered as master of ceremonies at Homecoming coronation or the annual lip sync competition. While at Central, Vaughn was president of the society for the advancement of management and a member of the freshmen daze welcome committee as well as Central’s alcohol awareness committee. She served as house president while living in the honor houses and worked as a student ambassador for four years.
“Central truly felt, and still does, feel like a community to me,” said Vaughn. “This community was a safe place for me to make mistakes, meet new friends and develop confidence in myself. I was developing my leadership skills all four years, and I didn’t realize the impact it would have on so many different volunteer opportunities.”
Roberto Peón ’79
Roberto Peón ’79 came to Central with his mind set on success. Peón, who grew up in Mexico City, met several international businessmen as a young man and instantly knew he wanted to work in the international world.
After meeting George Ann Huck, director of the Central College Yucatán program, Peón decided to travel to the United States and pursue his goals in Pella.
“During college, I worked full time at Pella Corporation and struggled to perfect my English,” said Peón, a business administration graduate. “I was trying to survive.”
Peón now stands as chief executive officer
of Latin America operations for BellSouth International in Atlanta, Ga. In
this position, he leads BellSouth’s
growth in Latin America’s wireless communications industry by guiding
the deployment of new voice and
data services and applied technologies across 11 countries.
“Business always has its ups and downs, but my experience with BellSouth has been fantastic,” said Peón, who speaks Spanish, English, Portuguese and French.
Peón’s climb to the top began in Des Moines after graduating from Central, where he enrolled in graduate courses at Drake University and worked for Contel Cellular, Inc. Before Peón could finish his graduate work, Contel transferred him to Dallas, Texas. Prior to joining BellSouth International, Peón also worked for InteCom Inc., in Plano, Texas, where he was responsible for product management of integrated voice/data networks, as well as international business development.
“InteCom gave me the international telecommunications background that allowed me to move to BellSouth,” said Peón. “I had the chance to work in countries such as Canada, Italy and Switzerland.”
As vice president of business development, Peón’s first success with BellSouth was helping design and implement entry into Latin American, Asian and Israeli markets.
“Telecommunication in Latin America was controlled by the government in the past,” said Peón. “Today there is one-third more cellular phones than land lines.”
| “During college, I worked full time at Pella Corporation and struggled to perfect my English. I was trying to survive.” |
He was later promoted to vice president of Latin America operations, where he was responsible for business in five countries, including new business development in Brazil. Peón also oversaw the installation of 20,000-30,000 wireless phone booths in Venezuela and Ecuador, creating a clean, safe place to talk for the public who cannot afford cellular phones.
This fall, Telefónica Móvil, a subsidiary of the Spanish telecommunications group Telefónica, acquired all the assets belonging to Bellsouth in Latin America, committing to pay close to $5.85 billion.
“People often think of Latin America as full of sleepy, little villages,” said Peón. “But business in Latin America is booming in cities such as Sao Paolo, Brazil, the second largest city in the world with a population of 18 million people.”
When Peón’s not busy traveling around the globe, he spends his time as co-chairman of the Americas Gateway Strategy for both Atlanta and the state of Georgia and is a member of the board of directors of the Georgia Department of Trade and Tourism. He is a member of Compaq Telecommunications’ board of advisers and the Latin American Foundation, an organization that provides services for immigrants.
Peón also serves as an adviser to the board of MedShare International, an organization dedicated to collecting surplus medical supplies and distributing them to clinics and hospitals in developing countries.
“If you’re scheduled for surgery and suddenly your surgeon calls it off, your insurance company has already paid for all the medical supplies,” said Peón. “MedShare makes sure these supplies are put into good hands. The containers we ship contain about a half million dollars worth of materials.”
After years of getting down to business, Peón still holds the same sense of adventure he started with as a student at Central. He has had his pilot’s license for about two and a half years and owns his own small plane.
“We’ve flown to Canada and plan to fly to Cancun at the end of next summer,” said Peón. “I could even get to Pella in about two hours.”
Barry Griswell
Central trustee Barry Griswell didn’t know everything when he took over as president of The Principal Financial Group in 1998. He still doesn’t. But, he continues to heighten his knowledge daily through his work with others.
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| Barry Griswell, Central trustee, CEO and chairman of The Principal in Des Moines, believes leadership is about stewardship. |
“The higher up you are on the ladder, the greater the responsibilities,” said Griswell, chairman, president and CEO of The Principal. “You quickly realize you have to have others help you. This is by far the largest role I’ve had and the most complex. With so much to do, I make certain I surround myself with competent leaders and have faith in them — just as they have faith in me to carry out our mission.”
Griswell, a native of Atlanta, Ga., earned a bachelor’s degree from Berry College, an educational institution much like Central. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from Stetson University. Griswell began his climb to the top once he joined The Principal in 1988 as an officer and agency vice president. He became senior vice president in 1991 and executive vice president in 1996. Prior to his association with The Principal, Griswell served as president and CEO of MetLife Marketing Corporation, a brokerage and supplementary distribution marketing subsidiary of Metropolitan Life Company.
A leader’s success should be measured by more than the bottom line. A successful Fortune 500 company, The Principal is repeatedly named the best place to work in Des Moines and is listed in Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” for the second straight year.
“Receiving recognition for our industry leadership is always an honor but knowing our employees are satisfied is even more rewarding,” he said. “A large role of a leader is to articulate, motivate and stimulate people. I’m not sure I can explain how to do that exactly, but there are a lot of different ways. I think it starts with your inner belief. If you know where you want to go and where you want to be, it’s easier to lead. On the other hand, if you aren’t sure where to go, others won’t know either. I really just think of myself as a navigator for this company.”
Griswell said the popular image of “leader as boss” is backwards. It’s not about hierarchy.
| “...the popular image of ‘leader as boss’ is backwards. It’s not about hierarchy.” |
“It’s about stewardship,” he said. “Great leaders do well because they serve the organization. Every institution needs structure and order to work effectively, but levels and titles are really not necessary. People gravitate toward great leaders. Often the most successful organizations have little, if any differentiation in positions. Lines of responsibility are usually blurred.”
“One of the most amazing examples of this happened during the Iowa floods of 1993, said Griswell.
“There was no hierarchy when people are tossing sand bags around. Everyone pitched in. We all looked alike — you couldn’t tell a supervisor from anyone else and I think a lot of companies would like to replicate that same kind of focused execution in their organizations.”
For Griswell stewardship means more than serving The Principal and Central. He is also a board member of the American Council of Life Insurers, Herman Miller Inc., the American Council for Capital Formation, the S.S. Huebner Foundation for Insurance Education, Berry College and The Business Roundtable and is current president of the Federation of Iowa Insurers. In addition, he is actively involved in many community and social service organizations and serves as chair of the Greater Des Moines Partnership and co-chair of Alexis de Tocqueville Campaign to name a few.
Griswell said it’s not hard to balance everything.
“For me, I’m involved in things of interest and that I have a passion for,” he said. “It’s not a matter of a work-life balance, but work-life integration. They don’t have to be separate. In fact, it’s quite easy when you love what you do.”
by Melissa Miller ’05
For some Central College chemistry students, a transformation
occurred that had nothing to do with mixing chemicals.
Sept. 22 and 23, 2003, Vermeer Science Center became a crime scene analysis
lab. For those two days, Central students had a leader who is a nationally
known expert
in forensics — and, a Central alum.
“I was fortunate enough to give a couple of lecture demonstrations to specific chemistry classes and proselytize a bit for the nearly lost art of chemical microscopy and a general lecture of forensic science, complete with crime scene photographs,” said Hiram Evans ’75, supervising criminalist and deputy sheriff of the San Bernadino, Calif., sheriff’s department.
Central’s Alumni in Residence program, created by last year’s sesquicentennial speakers committee, made it possible for alumni like Evans to revisit their alma mater.
“The goal [of the program] was to encourage departments to invite alums on campus and incorporate them into classroom life,” said Jann Freed ’77, professor of business management and member of the committee.
According to Freed, each department was encouraged to invite alumni with tremendous leadership skills as well as successful career paths.
Evans likens his job to the hit television show CSI. His job description extends to the collection, preservation, analysis and interpretation of physical evidence in criminal cases.
Though Evans holds a master’s degree in criminalistics from California State University, Los Angeles, and attended the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Academy, he still remembers Central professors, Art Bosch and David Crichton, who stimulated his interest in chemistry.
“Every day I use practical chemistry, and the critical thinking taught to me at Central helps me translate questions like ‘who dunnit’ into questions of chemistry, and define what the answers to the chemical question mean in the context of a criminal case,” Evans said.
The opportunity for students to network and have role models through leaders like Evans, according to Freed, is precisely why the Alumni in Residence program was put into place.
“I would like to see this grow but we need more participation,” Freed said. “I think the [alums] who came to campus loved it. It was a way to reconnect.”
For Evans, the ability to renew his ties with Central made the trip from California more than worthwhile.
“Bright students, great campus, crisp Iowa fall weather and a made-to-order forum to talk about the subject I like most,” he said. “I definitely enjoyed the experience.”
Alums who participated in the Alumni in Residence program
include:
Rosalie Altena ’72, art
Marcia Engeltjes ’90, art
Ken Esveld ’72, art
Jeffrey Oliver ’79, biology
Hiram Evans ’75, chemistry
Hollis Skaife Ashbaugh ’79, economics/accounting/business management
Dr. Armando Baqueiro Cardenas ’70, economics/accounting/business management
Deborah Forssman Hill ’94, English
Amy Hakeman Johnson ’98, exercise science
Matt Scotton ’91, exercise science
Tara Wieringa Warren ’95, math/computer science
Dr. Lois Kuyper-Rushing ’77, library
Lori Westhoff ’88, modern languages
Dr. Shannan Mattiace ’90, political science
Julie Osland ’93, psychology
Gordon De Jong ’57, sociology/anthropology
Please direct questions or comments
regarding editorial content of the Central Bulletin to Abby
Gonzales, News & Marketing Writer.
Phone: 641.628.5157 | Email: gonzalesa@central.edu
For alumni-related issues, please
contact Sunny Eighmy, Director of Alumni Relations.
Phone: 641.628.5280 | Email: alumni@central.edu