AUBURN, Ala. (AP) - Terri Williams-Flournoy recently took the stage at the Auburn University Hotel and Dixon Conference Center to push and inspire local women.
Auburn’s head women’s basketball coach was there for January’s Empower Women’s Leadership Breakfast sponsored by the Junior League of Lee County.
Flournoy said that she always works to push her team toward excellence.
“Before I could begin to talk to my team about being a team of excellence, the person in charge first has to be excellent,” said Flournoy, as women munched on danishes, yogurt, grits and eggs.
Using humorous anecdotes about her children, her life and her search for excellence, Flournoy attempted to encourage the women in the room.
Flournoy proposed excellence in three areas of one’s life: in the family, at work and in personal life.
“Let’s just look at the definition of excellence,” Flournoy said. “Extremely good. Outstanding. Very good. First-class. Superior. Sounds intimidating, is what it does sound like.”
EXCELLENCE IN FAMILY
Flournoy first discussed how the women in the room could be excellent in their life with their family and home by using herself and children as examples.
“Work harder than anyone else,” she said. “So in your family, to be excellent, you, you have to work harder than anyone else.”
There is a lot that Flournoy has to balance, from her own family to the thirteen players on her team, so she must master time management, she said.
“The one thing you can never say is ‘I don’t have time’,” she said. “Yes, you do. We have time to do everything that we want to do if we want to do it. And then we learn how to take our time and use it wisely.”
EXCELLENCE IN WORK
“The one thing that I want you to understand, in order to be excellent in your workplace, you have to be doing what you love,” Flournoy said.
Going through the motions of an unfulfilling job is a waste of time, Flournoy said. Once in a fulfilling job, take initiative.
“Do more before you’re asked,” she said. “Everybody comes in and everybody at your job, you have a checklist. Don’t just go by the checklist. Do so much more than what’s on there of your responsibility. Be willing to take on more responsibilities.”
One reason to promote excellence in the workplace, Flournoy said, is because people make commitments.
When people start a new job, many lose the excitement and passionate attitude they had before they were hired, she said.
“If we’re truly trying to be excellent, we’re going to do our job better every day,” Flournoy said.
EXCELLENCE IN ONESELF
The last of her three talking points, excellence in the personal life, Flournoy said is the hardest to conquer.
“We all came into this world average, on the same page,” Flournoy said. “And the problem with half of the people in the world right now, they’re still average. So how about we try to be excellent in our life?”
Flournoy provided practical examples that promote excellence, such as not pushing responsibilities onto others or putting out the best version of oneself.
“Take action,” Flournoy said.
“Be disciplined. Be disciplined in what matters to you.”
The Junior League of Lee County did recognize excellence in some of its members through the Distinguished Woman of Service honorary awards before Flournoy took the stage.
“The purpose of the Junior League of Lee County is to empower women to become leaders in our community through voluntarism and philanthropy,” said Noemí Oeding, vice president of fundraising for the Junior League of Lee County.“The league trains members in fundraising, grant making and provides volunteering opportunities within our community.”
Five women were awarded the honor including, Sidney James Nakhjavan, executive director of the Cary Center and women’s philanthropy board; Kim Hudson, attorney and co-founder of the Hudson Family Foundation; Dena Little, founder and executive director of Storybook Farm; Tina Evans, executive director of the Domestic Violence Intervention Center; and Elsie Lott, coordinator for the community market of the Food Bank of East Alabama.
“The awards recognize women in Lee County who have an outstanding record of service and commitment to the community,” Oeding said. “The women being honored this morning are an inspiration to us all.”
Sarah-Anne Blackburn, a member of the Junior League of Lee County, said the Empower Women’s Leadership breakfast provides awareness for what the honorees have done for the community.
“We’re just here to support the Junior League who’s actually recognizing women in the community who have been empowered to do great things in our community,” she said.
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