Poyee Chiu of UpSpiral Leadership interviews Faith Hassel. Faith currently serves as the Lead Community and Customer Manager at National Grid. Both Faith and Poyee volunteer and serve as Officers and Board of Directors for the Leadership Forum Community.

[00:30] Introducing Faith Hassell

A story that really highlighted her journey of change was how Faith used to be a handbell choir ringer since she was ten years old which she loved and still loves doing. When she was in high school, her school didn’t have a handbell choir, so she decided to start her own by collecting her girlfriends and petitioning the school board to buy them handbells. They went around to local nursing homes, libraries, retirement convents for nuns. What she loves about handbell choir is that it shows how important teamwork is—if one person is missing, they could still play their song, but they could be missing crucial tones to make the song happen.

Faith is glad that she took the chance to create her own handbell choir. Though she believes she wasn’t the perfect leader and would have done things differently now, she can look back on it and be amazed that she created it along with her friends, gave back to her community, and performed in front of people who have never heard of handbells before. Her advice to the listeners is to take that step, whether or not they hear that voice that’s talking down on you, change the dialogue in your head, take a leap of faith, give it a chance. It also helps to be surrounded with a group of people who support you, like Faith’s family which Poyee calls “collective leadership”.

Some of the challenges that Faith faces are internal. Leaders are very quick to find their own flaws but it’s very easy to point out all the great things in other people. It’s a challenge to have all these internal thoughts and Faith thinks it’s okay to recognize these thoughts, but not believe them and have people remind you of your strength and the good that you do. Faith looks up to other leaders and groups and tries to identify the things that could apply to her and help move her along as a leader.

The leadership trait that the world needs most is love. As a religious person, Faith thinks that so many things create love and love is many things. If you lead with love, that will be able to change the world. The person that best embodies this trait for Faith is her friend and mentor who she finds is always patient, kind, always lends a hand, always slow to anger, and embodies everything that love is. She also believes that the smallest thing can change leadership and starting something that you’re passionate with can grow and create a community, which creates leadership. As long as you take a leap of faith and step outside your comfort zone, there’s an everyday opportunity for everyday leadership. Seizing those moments that are presented to you, you will see yourself grow as a leader and see that you are making meaningful change happen.

For more information on becoming an excellent leader, visit the Upspiral Leadership Website, and remember to tune in to our next episode.