Legacy and Leadership | Rebecca Byrne part 1

David was fortunate to sit down with Rebecca Byrne, a longtime voice for improvement in Mobile, Alabama.  She has solid advice on leadership and humble thoughts on legacy.  More on her background below.  Enjoy!

Rebecca Byrne has been serving as the President & CEO for the Community Foundation of South Alabama for twelve years, leading the foundation in its mission to bring together and direct philanthropic assets to make southwest Alabama a better place.  The Foundation has grown to over 500 funds and has awarded over $98 million in grants and scholarships throughout the eight counties of southwest Alabama since its inception in downtown Mobile 50 years ago. To support community dialogue and connect organizations, CFSA offers its community center as a convening place for nonprofits, businesses, and civic groups and hosts community events. 
  
Rebecca has served in leadership roles for numerous civic, cultural and church organizations, including serving as Chair of the Mobile Public Library, Downtown Mobile Alliance, Beckwith Camp and Conference Center, and Baldwin County Trailblazers. A member of the Society of Sponsors of the United States Navy, a graduate of Leadership Alabama and Leadership Mobile, Rebecca is a member of Mobile Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow. 
 
Rebecca and her husband Bradley enjoy their involvement in the community but most of all their time with their four children and three grandchildren.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome to Legacy and Leadership. I'm David McKee. Join me as we talk to leaders in their field regarding their thoughts on leaving a legacy and impact in their families and in their community. I am super excited to have uh Mrs. Rebecca Byrne join us today. Rebecca and her husband Bradley Byrne enjoy their involvement in the community, but most of all, their time with their four children and three grandchildren. So welcome, Rebecca Byrne. We appreciate that. So I want to just remind our audience that uh Rebecca's husband Bradley, former Congressman uh Bradley Byrne, was our first guest on Legacy and Leadership. So uh if you haven't watched that episode yet, please be sure to go back and check it out. He was so gracious with his time, and there were a lot of great leadership content in those episodes. So thank you for for that. So um, well, great. Well, uh love to just get to know you a little bit and understand more about your background. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Montgomery. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:04

So, but now I mean I've been here um 45 years and this is home. It's much I've lived here longer than anywhere else. So I'm I this this is home for us.

SPEAKER_03 1:14

Yeah, that's great. So, what was it like growing up in Montgomery for you?

SPEAKER_02 1:19

It was a it was a great place to grow up. We actually lived a little bit outside of Montgomery on some property and had some acreage, and but we did a lot of things, of course, in the city of Montgomery, went to school and did church and so forth. So uh it was a large family. I was one of six. Great place to grow up. We had a a lot of um great times there. Like I say, we are a large family, and we were sort of a center, a hub for other people in our family to come to. So it it was a a good community, a strong community, um, but we love it here now too. So I I couldn't be happier.

SPEAKER_03 1:55

Sure. Did you play any sports? Or were you involved in the arts growing up or anything?

SPEAKER_02 1:59

A little bit of both. Okay. Um had the opportunity to play a lot of team sports growing up. Um basketball, volleyball. Um, you know, it's uh some other sports as well, but uh you wouldn't think I'd be a great volleyball player because I'm awfully short. Um, but you know, there's a place for everybody, and so I was a good setter-upper. But um loved it, loved that. It was a great way to get involved with teams. Yeah. And um really learned a lot in that, in those efforts, which is why it seems so important that we expose others to have those opportunities.

SPEAKER_03 2:33

Absolutely, absolutely. Sports uh dramatically changed my life for the better as well, and that that team concept and getting to work with people. Um was perhaps the first time, if if you can think back, that you thought of yourself as a leader?

SPEAKER_02 2:49

I don't think there was ever one aha moment that I said, oh wow, now I'm a leader. Um, I think that I was given opportunities, uh put in positions that allowed me to um to get into a leadership role. Um, actually, in my youth, particularly when I was in school, there were great opportunities for me to get involved. Like student government was a great training ground. Um, is when you learned how to work with other people.

SPEAKER_01 3:15

Right.

SPEAKER_02 3:16

Um, and also it, you know, it became um clear to me that in in those opportunities, even civic community activities that we got involved with, that it was a lot more fun to be a part of a team, a group of people.

SPEAKER_00 3:31

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 3:31

Um, a lot more engaging, interesting, inspiring if you're around other people who had the same sense of purpose. And so I found that because I enjoyed it so much, that I began to choose to be a leader. Not because um that I was a better person than anyone else to be in that role, but but because I wanted to be a part of something bigger than I could be by myself.

SPEAKER_03 3:56

That's great.

SPEAKER_02 3:56

And and that's where that's that led me to become just stay in that in that role um and continue to to work with other people.

SPEAKER_03 4:04

Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. So so shared purpose is what I what I heard you say was was the driving factor there. So so how over the years have have you tried to to create in your in your various leadership roles that that shared purpose that you mentioned that was so important early on?

SPEAKER_02 4:21

I think it's absolutely essential to be successful and that you surround yourself with other good people. Um, and I've made it a conscientious effort to get people who are smarter, um, more creative, um, just people that have that same sense of I'm here for another reason. I'm here to do something good, no matter what the role is, but I'm gonna give it my best. They have the right stuff. And I've learned that if you do that, it's so much better than if you try to do it by on your own. In fact, you really can't do it on your own. So I have found that I have a great team. I would not be successful in where we are today were it not for those individual people that have that have been a part of this organization. I read a book years ago, early on in starting my career, that from good to great, I may be I'm dating myself a little bit, um, David, but I'd I read that book. Um, it was Jim Collins was the was the author on that, in which he said that you've got to get the right people on the bus. Now I'd always heard that expression, but after I read the book, I realized it was a lot more strategic than that. It was not only do you need to get the right people on the bus, you need to get the right people on the right seat of the bus. Love it. And if the person who's on the seat is the wrong person, then you need to remove that person so that you have a very cohesive group of people that are like-minded and are doing it for other reasons besides whether it's for incentive or compensation or whatever. Right. And if you get the right people around you, that no matter what direction you go in, right, no matter what your vision, you're gonna be successful. Because if down the road maybe the direction changes, you're around people who can adapt, who are comfortable with that, who still want to be a part of something also bigger than they can be by themselves. And you're successful. And I've found that to be absolutely true. I think looking back even more recently, I thought, wow, this is the best that I felt about a group of people that I'm working with, um, both within my team, my board of directors, um, the people in the community, that it really does work. That if you're surrounding yourself with other people that want to accomplish something, you can be far more successful than you can be on your own.

SPEAKER_03 6:54

I love that. Yeah. I love that. Was there ever a moment when when you made that shift to, as you put it, to add people that that are uh more intelligent or more creative than you to your team? Was there ever that uh moment of doubt of, oh, they may push me out? Or uh, you know, I I'm gonna be uh uh classified an imposter, right? Because I have smarter or more creative or or more skilled people around me. Was there ever a moment of doubt for you as a leader before you started doing that?

SPEAKER_02 7:26

Not really. I don't think so. Uh honestly, I think if you get the right people, they're not motivated to do that necessarily.

SPEAKER_01 7:33

Right.

SPEAKER_02 7:34

Um, I think um what has been very important for me to remember is that if you do get the right people, you need to empower them. And so I gave them um I'm very intentional about making sure that I want them to run with it. I want them to be in charge. Um, they were, they have certain skills, certain talents. And if you put them on the right seat, they can lean into those skills and those talents. And they become more successful too because of the team members around them. And they recognize that that team is important.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Right.

SPEAKER_02 8:09

So I've never really felt worried. Um I I will say this, I feel assured that the day that I'm not here, it'll be great. It will be fine. And I and that makes me feel good.

SPEAKER_01 8:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:21

Um, I I'm I feel great about that. I mean, you always want to leave something better than when you came, and you always want it to be as successful, even more successful when you leave, because that means you've set it up well.

SPEAKER_00 8:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:34

So I'm I'm not paranoid, I'm not in, you know, I'm not intimidated.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 8:40

I'm I want to be supportive and I want I want people to know that it's it's their job and empower them to do it.

SPEAKER_03 8:47

Yeah. Yeah. I love that word empower. A lot of leaders are are scared to do that because when when you when you truly empower those around you, uh you lose control, right? You you you lose control of the entire process. And and uh I I've said many times uh before to to those closest to me that I'm a recovery and control addict, right? You know, a recovery control freak. Um so so what was that? Was that very natural and easy for you to empower uh those around you, or was it something that that you had to dip your toe in the water and and take it step by step?

SPEAKER_02 9:24

Uh a little bit of both. I mean, and honestly, you know, I've you you you you read something academically and say, yeah, that's what I need to do. And you're right, when you're when you're leading something, you also have a sense of responsibility where you should you should be commanding, right? You should be in charge. And so there is a little bit of that tension there between at what point do you let go? Right. It's just that I found that delegating was a part of being a good leader. Absolutely. And that as if I didn't delegate, I didn't have the time, I didn't have the energy. Right. Um, I could not be as successful. Um, and that if the people around me also wanted to be a part of the team, um they were, they also were doing it for the right reason. So it became even more evident that it was the right thing to do, and that I needed to be assured that that I was in a good place, um, that I served a purpose, um, and that as time went on, that you know, it would all work out. And I I will say now, because I'm at the at the end of my career or nearing the end, and and that I've now had many years of experience under me that this is like it's a sweet spot. Yeah, it is really nice. Um I feel good about it, I feel very positive about it. Right. And I like having people around me that I feel like they're colleagues. Um, you know, I'm not I'm not giving them orders. I may give them direction, we'll share a vision and we'll discuss it.

SPEAKER_01 10:52

Right.

SPEAKER_02 10:53

Um, but they can take it down a path um that makes it better.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:57

I have never been more keenly aware that if a situation comes up, say in a committee, you have we have committees here.

SPEAKER_01 11:09

Right.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

And oftentimes you may think, oh, I know the clear answer. This is the way it should be done, to get from point A to point B. This is the most expeditious way, it's the fastest way we can do it, most efficient. This is what needs to happen.

SPEAKER_00 11:21

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 11:22

But you have groups in place, committees in place, and you go through that process. There's never been a time that I didn't walk out after having gone through that process that I did not realize and appreciate that the end result was far better than what I thought when I walked in.

SPEAKER_03 11:38

Wow. Wow. And it was from that delegation, from that collaboration, and from having uh the those highly intelligent and skilled people around you.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

They bring input that many things that I didn't think about or paths to take that I didn't think about, um, creative things, ways to approach it. I mean, just yesterday I had um someone here on the team that came to me and said, Well, you know, she and another person have been thinking about ways that we could make something really special. And I'd given them some ideas before. And they said, Well, can we can we come back to you know next week when we get together? I said, Well, you want to meet now? No, no, no, we're not quite ready. We're gonna wait well next week. We've got some things when I said, I'm excited about it. I said, This is great. This is exactly what I think that book intended to happen, that it really is coming to fruition. I think there's that is there's truth in that.

SPEAKER_03 12:31

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 12:33

So um anyway, no, it it's a great place to be.

SPEAKER_03 12:37

That's phenomenal. That's phenomenal. I um I w you you mentioned the word delegate, right? And and that is so important as a leader. How do you define from from a a higher view what to delegate and what to hold on to as a leader?

SPEAKER_02 12:56

That's a really great question. Uh there is uh there's a balance there. Um, I think um everyone on my team is is much younger. Um so I I do know that what I can bring to the table is more experience. Right. Um, and even in some situations, more knowledge about the fabric of the community to where I can provide some information, some knowledge, some things that would help them before moving forward and in their own direction. Right. And I think that's my role. I do think it's very important because I one, I I want to go ahead and and make things smoother for them. I mean, I always appreciated when I had mentors that I couldn't be in the place I am now without having that mentorship.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

Right.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

So I think that's key. That's very much a part of being a good leader is being a mentor.

SPEAKER_01 13:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

Um, and but yet also realizing when it's helpful to provide some support, sure, um, some information to make them more successful. Um, there's nothing that pleases me more that something's better than it could possibly be if I were trying to do it by myself.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 14:10

And there's never been a a situation where that hasn't been the result.

SPEAKER_03 14:14

Right. Right.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:16

So so if I could summarize what you said, and please step in and correct me if I'm wrong. You you start on the process of delegation by by really taking a look in the mirror and understanding what your strengths are and and what you you uh bring to the table first and foremost, and and then you try to to uh delegate in a way that that it brings out your strengths, right, while still empowering those around you. Is that a fair statement?

SPEAKER_02 14:45

Yeah, and but it also pulls out the strengths of others.

SPEAKER_03 14:48

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 14:49

And that's what's very important, and that's what makes it successful, is because you're you're counting on the strengths of the other individuals uh to come out to grow. And and you, you know, our my role is to nurture that. Um, and everyone on the on our team has has got there maybe a lead on an effort, and they have certain skills and talents and and things that they can bring to the table, but they work with others, and there's a chemistry that comes about being a part of a team that helps crystallize efforts. Um, and so you know, I think, I think we all recognize that we can't do things by ourselves. And in this particular um work that we do with with regard to philanthropy and encouraging people to be donors, to give back, um, there isn't anything that we don't do that we all don't touch here in in this office. We're all playing some role. Some person may take the lead, others may assist. Sure. Some others may step back for that particular occasion, but another particular occasion, they're taking the lead, and the others step forward, and there's always a point with that we're all touching it somehow. So all the successes that we have are results of the full team effort.

SPEAKER_03 16:09

A true team effort. Yeah. That's fantastic. You you mentioned one of your roles as a leader is is to nurture others' strengths. Can you maybe mention some ways that you very practically try to do that?

SPEAKER_02 16:22

Um, I think it, you know, having very frank conversations, um, both individually and collectively.

SPEAKER_01 16:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:29

Collectively, we meet um once a week and talk about um what we've done in the past, what we want to do in the in the, you know, in the coming days and months and years. You know, we have a strategic plan in place.

SPEAKER_01 16:44

Right.

SPEAKER_02 16:44

Um, we talk about how we're gonna make that happen. Sure. Um, what we need to do both individually and working with others to make sure that we're accomplishing what's been set forth. I mean, our board comes up with a strategic plan to give it to us, and then it's incumbent upon us to make it happen. And we determine how we're gonna make it happen by sitting around saying, okay, what can we do to ensure that happens?

SPEAKER_01 17:06

Right.

SPEAKER_02 17:07

So one of the most important things that I can do is to listen.

SPEAKER_03 17:13

Love that. I love that.

SPEAKER_02 17:14

So listening is extremely critical. I've got to make sure that I do not want to be the only one talking. I want to hear what others have to say. I want to hear what they say, and then say, oh, well, this is maybe how we can make it better. But a big part of I think of a good leader is listening to others.

SPEAKER_03 17:32

That's fantastic. That's fantastic. One of the things you mentioned earlier in the conversation um is having the right people in the right seat. Um that that can be difficult as time as a leader. How how have you how have you managed that over the years and and currently?

SPEAKER_02 17:52

Um, it's been a slow process. Uh I sometimes I look back and think, well, maybe when I first came, but you don't know. You think, oh, should I have ripped the band-aid off? And say, okay, let's start with a clean slate. Yeah. We're gonna get 10 people. Yep. We're gonna do this great, we'll get 10 people together. I didn't do that. And I don't think that's the best way to do it anyway, because it's a process. And you grow as an organization, you grow as a team, you gradually add more people. And there's, you know, you add one more person, it changes the chemistry.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

Right.

SPEAKER_02 18:25

So you have to ensure that the the chemistry that you have is still positive when you make those changes. And so it takes some time.

SPEAKER_01 18:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

Um, and I think you have to be patient. And that's a very difficult thing to do, to be. I know for me, it's like I want it to happen.

SPEAKER_00 18:42

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 18:42

I want to be successful quickly, but it it does take time, and I think it's important that you allow that time to get that the right mix, the right team, the right people working together. Um, and then it becomes you get more efficient, and then you're more effective.

SPEAKER_03 19:01

So um it's that's great.

SPEAKER_02 19:03

It is, it's a process.

SPEAKER_03 19:05

Sure. Yeah. Sure. Did did that patience as a leader develop over time, or was it something that you that you had from an early age?

SPEAKER_02 19:12

I think it it it developed over time. I would think, you know, uh earlier and more naively, I thought, oh, just you just need to do this.

SPEAKER_03 19:21

Rip the band-aid off.

SPEAKER_02 19:22

Yeah, you just need to do this, you need to do it. This will make it better. I know that this is if I this is have this in place, it'll be better. Um, but I have learned, and it's proven to be true, that if you're a little more slower in in that process, you push when you need to, um, but you need to allow things to uh to come to pass, to, to bubble, to, you know, to come together and um and be to be a stronger to be a stronger team. It just takes that.

SPEAKER_03 19:54

Hey, if you like this episode, please stop right now and share it with the friends so they too can benefit from it. Please join us in a couple of weeks as we drop the second part of this episode. I promise you won't want to miss it.