Her Name is Rhoda: What the Power of One Life can Teach Us
If you stand back and can observe the landscape of your life, what stands out? Who stands out? One of the biggest standouts in my life turned 80 this month.
Her birthday prompts me to pause and reflect on who I have become because of her handprint on my life.
by Joyce White
Cecily Kalkhof
HER NAME IS RHODA.
She was raised Mennonite, a life of faith that penetrated her mind, heart, and spirit and deeply influenced how she conducted her life and business in later years.
Always focused on serving others, she became a nurse and grew into roles as Professor and Director of Nursing. From there her quest of healing tools and learning led her to pursue studies at Southeast Institute in Chapel Hill and the arduous path of certification in Transactional Analysis.
She later established the leadership development firm, Bridge Enterprises, which inspired clients to get in touch with their hopes, dreams and values from which they cast a vision for their lives and worked progressively toward its fulfillment.
Fortunately for me, Rhoda made space for me in her organization. When I consider the time, energy, and intellectual capital she shared so generously with me, I am blown away.
HERE ARE A FEW THINGS SHE DID AS MY COACH AND MENTOR:
Modeled what it meant to conduct business development with skill and integrity.
Coached me to gain mastery in the integrity selling system she practiced.
Included me as a participant in her personal and organizational leadership system groups.
Taught me to facilitate that system with others.
Consistently devoted two hours every week to one-on-one individual coaching and mentoring.
Devoted three hours per week to overseeing my learning, practice, and facilitation of the leadership system.
Provided opportunity for me to shadow her on business development calls.
Introduced me to high profile leaders in the business community in her circle of influence.
These describe some of the things that she did, but it’s who she was that carried the greatest influence.
RHODA BELIEVED THAT AS PROPONENTS AND FACILITATORS OF THIS GROWTH PROCESS, WE MUST BE “PRODUCTS OF THE PROCESS.” IT WAS A CORE VALUE AS CENTRAL AS THE MARROW IN HER BONES.
She demonstrated how we must practice and embody all that we espouse and invite others to practice. (Not that we would do it perfectly, of course, but that we continually aspire to these ideals in word and deed.)
Therein lay the true power in her influence over the lives of countless clients who trusted us with their growth and development. She embodied (and still does) a life of generosity, warmth, integrity, growth, contribution, teaching, healing, and learning.
She went to great lengths to pass the baton to me in hopes that I might carry on the tradition. Others must be the judge as to the fruit her labor generated in me—whether or not “it took.” Mine is to express profound gratitude to be a “Petri dish” in which she sought to reproduce her unique DNA.
How then can Rhoda’s life and practice inspire further fruit today? Is there a willing student in your family, work or community eager to learn what you may have to teach?
Or, are you the student looking to adopt a Rhoda of your own? Is there reflection worth doing on those people and experiences that have shaped who you are today? And perhaps a call or note of thanks to be written to the giver of such enduring gifts…
Joyce White is a personal life and leadership coach who helps people cast a vision for life and work and pursue its fulfillment. She may be reached at joyce@whitesspace.com.