A leader is successful, but not necessarily in the limited way society conditions us to believe. Growing up in East Oakland, California, in abject poverty to a single parent, success was defined as material wealth. The car one drove, and the clothes one wore were more important than the relationships one fostered or their virtues. Now, I believe success is emancipatory and defined by the quality of my relationships, the family I helped create, and the acts of service I conduct. These beliefs guide my leadership.