Good Leadership

Photos: Aaron K. Yoshino

We’re celebrating wāhine this month, honoring 39 women who positively impact our community. They include business leaders, entrepreneurs, community organizers and more. Overall, their career accomplishments are substantial, and their collective résumés impressive. They’re a who’s who of Hawai‘i.

In all honesty, though, what struck me most in editing this feature was not their work feats. I had sent them questions to get a better sense of who they are as people—their character, principles, wisdom and values. And from their responses, it’s clear these are thoughtful women focused on purpose and perspective.

Work success, after all, doesn’t come just from being a master networker and financial whiz, or from sheer intelligence and talent. Quality leaders have good character, and they’re respectful and purposeful both on the job and in their personal lives. They credit other people for their successes—their colleagues, their families. They focus on the big picture. They care about how they show up in the world. And that was my biggest takeaway.

In her response, Laura Beeman, head coach of the UH Rainbow Wāhine basketball team, wrote: “My grandma once told me I was a good person. It touched my heart and has stayed with me. I think I am compassionate and extremely passionate. I am an honest person. Making a positive impact in other people’s lives is extremely important to me.”

Emily Porter, chief operating officer at MacNaughton, talked about her priority of living with gratitude. “The secret to having it all is knowing you already do,” she wrote. “To me, this has nothing to do with material possessions, rather it speaks to the most important things in life—family, friends, health, and the remarkable gift of Hawai‘i being our family’s home.”

Who we admire says a lot about who we are, and Alana Pakkala, Kobayashi Group’s chief executive officer and partner, sees her mother as her greatest role model. “She spent nearly three decades as a public school teacher, eventually specializing in students with learning differences. … While my dad worked long hours in construction, she kept everything going—raising three kids, showing up for her students, and doing it all with honesty, grit and quiet determination.”

We live in a time when it’s vital to have values, to stand for things, to live honorably, to respect. And that’s what these women relayed when they responded to my questions.

So to me, that’s what we’re celebrating in this issue, the essence of being a true leader.

Diane Seo is the editorial director of HONOLULU Magazine.