Suzy Finn | LEADERSHIP WICHITA
What do you love most about your work?
I love the opportunities to coach and develop staff, from high school interns to seasoned professionals, while constantly learning new things myself. I also love having a direct role in influencing the future success of individual students and the Wichita community.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learned?
To seek to understand and learn from the life experiences of the people around me, especially those whose backgrounds are most different from my own.
What are you grateful for?
I am grateful for the people in my life who support, challenge, include, and celebrate me, and for whom I can do the same.
Who are your mentors and why?
All the volunteers I worked with at Young Professionals of Wichita were mentors to me in small ways. I learned something about leadership, passion, creativity and more from each one.
What are your strengths and why?
Curiosity – I am a continual learner, constantly taking in new information about things related to my role but also that are in completely different areas. This allows me to make connections between concepts and people that may not occur to others. Achiever – In the language of the Clifton Strengths Finder, Achiever is one of my core talents. Every day, I’m looking to achieve small wins, and in the long term, I have high expectations for myself and others.
What would we mostly likely seeing you doing on a weekend?
On the weekends, you would see me exploring everything Wichita has to offer with my boyfriend, family and friends. It might be enjoying a musical from Roxy’s, Music Theater Wichita or Theater League. Or going to a baseball game at Riverfront Stadium. Or volunteering for one of our local nonprofits. Or enjoying the latest exhibit at the Wichita Art Museum. Or eating and drinking at the local restaurants and breweries.
What book are you reading now? Why?
I have stacks of books to read surrounding me at work and at home, so the book I’m reading now is constantly changing. I’ll give a couple answers: I Have Some Questions for You, by Rebecca Makkai – for book club Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch, by Curt Coffman and Kathie Sorensen – because I went to Mr. Coffman’s Executive-in-Residence keynote speech at the WSU Barton School of Business this week
How have you evolved and grown during your career?
Early in my career, I wanted to be and often thought I was the smartest person in the room. I wanted to achieve the next step as fast as I could, even if the next step wasn’t actually the right step for me. As I’ve grown, I’ve learned that I can learn something from everyone I interact with, and it’s a good thing to be around people who are smarter than me in different ways. I’ve also learned that I am a happier person when I don’t let my career define who I am or my sense of achievement on its own.
