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2021 Leadership Retreat challenges mindset to harness collective intelligence

Southwest President Tracy D. Hall kicked off the College’s third Leadership Retreat August 16, 2021, with the theme, Out of Adversity Comes Opportunity: Harnessing Collective Intelligence. The phrase, “Out of Adversity Comes Opportunity,” is attributed to Benjamin Franklin and perfectly sums up Southwest’s transformative journey since Dr. Hall joined the College as president in 2015. When Dr. Hall arrived, Southwest was facing enormous challenges, including a 7-year enrollment decline, bogged down internal processes and a fractured culture. Southwest joined Achieving the Dream and ushered in an era of transformation that saw the College reinvent the way it does business and reimagine the student experience. The results were Achieving the Dream Leader College status in 2020 and the Bellwether Award for Planning, Governance and Finance in 2021. In her remarks, Dr. Hall referenced Peter Senge’s seminal work on harnessing the collective intelligence as the core feature of how Southwest has transformed itself and what it must do to continue to thrive and grow. “What we have done at the College is phenomenal,” Dr. Hall said. “However, we have to challenge our mental models and become even more focused and strategic because we are living in unprecedented times.” Hall urged the group of leaders from every sector of the College to work together to increase the College’s institutional capacity and fuel its recovery from the effects of the pandemic. “It’s not about one smart person, it’s the collective.” Dr. Hall said. “We have to engage every segment of our community to move forward. Great ideas can come from anyone.” While the College’s mission remains student success, Dr. Hall also encouraged the group to sharpen its focus to three key areas: recruitment, retention and compliance and safety. Keynote speaker Roquita Coleman- Williams The event also featured keynote speaker Roquita Coleman-Williams who echoed Dr. Hall’s call for collective action and to challenge one’s mental model. A business development professional, civic leader, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) advocate, Williams is recognized as one of the most impactful corporate leaders in Memphis. She has managed logistics giants UPS and CN Rail over the past 25 years and currently serves as Executive Vice President of Partnership Development with KPower Global Logistics and Pharmaceutical 3PL Phoenix Assurance. During her presentation, Williams introduced a framework for shifting mindsets to create a college that works through supportive leadership. The first step, Williams said, is to understand that everyone is capable of genius. “We are all born with genius-level brain that is adaptable and allows us to master to any skill in any domain provided we go about acquiring that skill in a particular way.” She explained that unlocking our genius includes mind-shifting from automatic habits to the intentional practice of asking what can be done today to have a maximum impact on tomorrow. “The highest calling of a leader is to make a positive change in someone’s life,” Williams said. “To do well and do differently is to show up intentionally, listen authentically and create a culture of feedback.”
Southwest President Tracy D. Hall at the 2021
Leadership Retreat

By Diana Fedinec

Southwest President Tracy D. Hall kicked off the College’s third Leadership Retreat August 16, 2021, with the theme, Out of Adversity Comes Opportunity: Harnessing Collective Intelligence. The phrase, “Out of Adversity Comes Opportunity,” is attributed to Benjamin Franklin and perfectly sums up Southwest’s transformative journey since Dr. Hall joined the College as president in 2015.  When Dr. Hall arrived, Southwest was facing enormous challenges, including a 7-year enrollment decline, bogged down internal processes and a fractured culture. Southwest joined Achieving the Dream and ushered in an era of transformation that saw the College reinvent the way it does business and reimagine the student experience. The results were Achieving the Dream Leader College status in 2020 and the Bellwether Award for Planning, Governance and Finance in 2021. 

In her remarks, Dr. Hall referenced Peter Senge’s seminal work on harnessing the collective intelligence as the core feature of how Southwest has transformed itself and what it must do to continue to thrive and grow.  “What we have done at the College is phenomenal,” Dr. Hall said.  “However, we have to challenge our mental models and become even more focused and strategic because we are living in unprecedented times.” 

Hall urged the group of leaders from every sector of the College to work together to increase the College’s institutional capacity and fuel its recovery from the effects of the pandemic. “It’s not about one smart person, it’s the collective.” Dr. Hall said. “We have to engage every segment of our community to move forward. Great ideas can come from anyone.”   While the College’s mission remains student success, Dr. Hall also encouraged the group to sharpen its focus to three key areas:  recruitment, retention and compliance and safety.

Keynote speaker Roquita Coleman- Williams
Keynote speaker Roquita Coleman- Williams

The event also featured keynote speaker Roquita Coleman-Williams who echoed Dr. Hall’s call for collective action and to challenge one’s mental model. A business development professional, civic leader, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) advocate, Williams is recognized as one of the most impactful corporate leaders in Memphis. She has managed logistics giants UPS and CN Rail over the past 25 years and currently serves as Executive Vice President of Partnership Development with KPower Global Logistics and Pharmaceutical 3PL Phoenix Assurance. 

During her presentation, Williams introduced a framework for shifting mindsets to create a college that works through supportive leadership. The first step, Williams said, is to understand that everyone is capable of genius. “We are all born with genius-level brain that is adaptable and allows us to master to any skill in any domain provided we go about acquiring that skill in a particular way.” She explained that unlocking our genius includes mind-shifting from automatic habits to the intentional practice of asking what can be done today to have a maximum impact on tomorrow. “The highest calling of a leader is to make a positive change in someone’s life,” Williams said. “To do well and do differently is to show up intentionally, listen authentically and create a culture of feedback.”