Alison M. Bologna
WJAR-TV NBC 10 Sunrise and Noon News co-anchor
Shri Studio Inc., Shri Service Corps founder and executive director
“Showing up” is a practice I’ve learned to manage, in both time and spirit, while anchoring the news at NBC 10 in the morning and running Shri late into the afternoons and evenings. Because Shri serves more than 8,500 yoga outreach students every year (Shri Studio and Service Corps), and more than 40,000 students every month in free and reduced breakfast and lunch programs (Shri Bark), the need for quality leadership is critical.
So, how do I cultivate a strong leadership team that shows up the way I do?
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LEAD BY EXAMPLE – The demand for Shri programs is relentless, and even with a staff of more than 30 teachers, there are times when we need last-minute coverage. So, who steps in? I do! So does our director of studio and staff and our development director.
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CREATE STRONG SYSTEMS – With nearly 400 classes every month in schools, shelters, hospitals, social service agencies and more, I knew we needed special software early on to manage the load. I found an engineer who believes in Shri. He codes for us so we can run funding reports, schedules, impact statements, class logs, attendance reports and even payroll quickly, from one mobile-friendly site.
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DIVERSIFY YOUR TEAM – All our trained teachers adhere to the Shri curriculum, but I encourage creative license. I’ve also expanded our leadership team from two to four, which has created a more balanced workflow, fostering greater communication within the entire staff and a sense of value and empowerment for everyone.
