Leadership & Self-Confidence
Together, leadership and self-confidence are powerful. They are outcomes from a bakery that is producing bread – and also, a dynamite, women-led work-force. That’s #breadpower.
As a social enterprise, TWB is an organization where our staff can learn and experience different skill-sets. One of the skills acquired at TWB is strong leadership. Leadership can look like a lot of different things, but I know for certain that it has improved my self-confidence, more than anything. Having a new perspective and attitude allows me to be positive, hold realistic views of myself, and to be mindful of our mission and women, no matter what happens. Too often, we imagine leadership to be one that improves the people around us, but leadership improves our own selves, too.
Leadership – and thus, self-confidence is not only something experienced by our staff. It’s happening with the women who work in our bakeries, as well.
Faith, who is a notable female leader within her community, has demonstrated immense leadership ability and growth while I have worked with her. She is our internal accountant at TWB, and helps us manage daily production and sales reporting. Recently, at a church event, Faith noted that it was at TWB where her leadership skills developed most. With a healthy and practical approach to decision-making, she is learning to lead our team of women effectively – and with confidence. Now, Faith has an expressed desire to even become a pastor within her community, something that could only be accomplished if she believed in herself. She does.
Leadership also involves the ability to believe in existing, innate skill-sets. One of our TWB employees, Jeanne D’Arc, is not able to read or write. Instead of letting this sideline her from opportunities to lead in her community, she is a visible advocate for herself, her family, and TWB where she lives. Inability has not stopped her – it’s propelled her.
Together, leadership and self-confidence are powerful. They are outcomes from a bakery that is producing bread – and also, a dynamite, women-led work-force. That’s #breadpower.
Leadership in the Community
To promote leadership, TWB provides education in Goal Setting and Personal Growth, Teamwork, Customer Service and Communication, Decision Making, Work Safety, Right and Responsibilities at Work, Marketing Skills, and Financial Planning.
A good leader is someone who influences people in positive ways.
Leaders should include everyone in decision making processes. I believe that higher education contributes to good leadership because it provides the kind of skills needed for developing respect, communication, and planning for communities.
I wish and believe that in the future, the women that TWB have trained will have sufficient knowledge and skills to lead in their own communities. Part of the reason I enjoy my work with TWB is that in addition to enhancing local leadership capacity, I am able to also grow in my own leadership abilities. To promote leadership, TWB provides education in Goal Setting and Personal Growth, Teamwork, Customer Service and Communication, Decision Making, Work Safety, Right and Responsibilities at Work, Marketing Skills, and Financial Planning.
In my role with TWB, I have received more experiences focused on leadership growth than those I got from previous job experiences. I have been with TWB now for 10 months and because of the TWB women we work with, as well as TWB staff, I have been encouraged to learn new ways to lead different groups of people.
Doors are opening for everyone now, and I look forward to my own personal leadership development in TWB as well as leadership growth among the bakeries with work with.
