Mayor discusses leadership skills at WINR banquet

By Jennifer Mills/reporter

Women should be empowered in both leadership and education, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said at the Women in New Roles anniversary banquet Oct. 11 on NE Campus.

“Unleash the potential that lies within each of you,” she told the diverse audience of WINR students, alumni, staff and friends. “Education is what made America strong. Without education, our business doesn’t exist.”

Celebrating its 35th anniversary, the WINR program is a six-hour college credit program that assists women returning to school. Its mission is to empower, encourage and support women as they enroll in college and attempt to reach their personal, educational and career goals.

The mayor focused on women’s successes and gave advice on becoming a leader in today’s society. Women are strong leaders and make great business partners, she said. It is hard to juggle career and family, so women need to take the time to stop weekly to balance their work and remember what matters to them, she said.

“It was unusual for women to own a business,” the mayor recalled of starting her own business in the late ’90s and early 2000s.

She singled out her parents for teaching her leadership skills. Every night at the dinner table while she was growing up, her parents would stress the importance of what she was doing for the community that week and tell her that she could achieve anything with a smile and a positive attitude.

“People remember energy and enthusiasm,” she said. “Know who you are. Good leaders tend to know themselves.”

A good leader should always expect to be challenged, open to change, always committed, Price said. Leaders should never pretend to know things they don’t and be confident in themselves, she said.

Price told students to stay connected to people, even if that means being on Facebook and Twitter. It’s important to get out in the community to volunteer, help people and build a network, the mayor said.

“It’s the people in Tarrant County that make a difference,” she said.

Price said it is important for students to plan their careers and enjoy what they do.

“Get a plan, get organized, write down small steps of what you can accomplish and look at it from time to time,” she said. “Find your passion, and you will never work a day in your life.”