Leslie Wingo, President & CEO, SandersWingo Advertising
Leslie Wingo, President & CEO of SandersWingo Advertising, leads an agency of people across multiple offices. She's responsible for the firm’s strategic direction and overall business development, and has stewarded campaigns for State Farm, United States Postal Service, Burger King and other blue-chip brands. In 2012 and 2016, Black Enterprise Magazine named her one of the nation’s Top Women in Advertising and Marketing.
Q: Why do you choose to spend your time mentoring others?
A: There are a lot of reasons that I think fit into a few different buckets. First, I think it’s important to give back to communities where I live, work and play.
Second, I often ask myself, “How do I be the change that I want to see?” That’s a lot of work to put on one person, it’s unrealistic. I think the better question that I now ask myself is, “How do we create a world or environment where this idea of diversity, equity and inclusion, is normal.” And in order to do this, I want to work with anyone who can dream beyond the status quo.
Third, it's always nice to be able to see the world from a different perspective, a different view of my own...I’m a little greedy and I want to learn from others, and mentoring is a great way to do that.
"How do we create a world or environment where this idea of diversity, equity and inclusion, is normal."
Q: What do you personally gain from mentoring?
A: In my case, I’ve mentored a few men but mostly it’s been women. It's always interesting because you get to sit down with them...and all of a sudden you get this new energy and perspective on what is possible. I’m seeing this more and more every day—women finding their groove, their mojo, and the insights that come along with that. I love mentoring women who celebrate their wins, learn from their mistakes, reflect on those “A-ha!” moments.
Q: Why do you like being a leader?
A: Some days I really like being a leader, and then there are some days I think, “I didn’t sign up for this” or “this wasn’t in the brochure.” It’s cool to be able to set a strategic direction, and I get to meet with people and brainstorm crazy ideas (I work in a creative environment where this is all part of the job). It’s also nice to be able to have problems and then creatively solve for those problems. In order to do the things that I want to do professionally, I have a great team of people working alongside me. I trust them with all these things we’re trying to do and create and I wouldn’t be able to get these things done without this team.
Q: How has mentoring impacted your own journey?
A: For me, my life is tied to an iPhone or a smart device, and work life and personal life is all intertwined. I don’t feel like I have the bandwidth to compartmentalize myself. “Adulting” is difficult and for me, having great mentors I could ask for guidance has been so valuable. My personal life bleeds into business life, and vice versa. I have different mentors for different areas of my life—for example, I have one mentor that I consult about running my own business. Sometimes, from a creative perspective, I just get stuck. It’s nice to have an outside perspective on whatever challenges I’m facing.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is starting to serve as a mentor?
A: One, I would congratulate them, because acting as a mentor to someone is important work. Two, make sure you really understand why you’re going to do it. There are a lot of resources you can make more of—you can make more money, you can make more widgets, but you can’t make more time. You’re giving up your time (and asking someone else to do the same). If you value somebody’s time, define the parameters, outline the expectations on both sides...what the goals are within this mentor-mentee relationship? Mentoring means being really thoughtful and showing up prepared.
Hear more from Leslie in this must-read op-ed featured in El Paso Inc., entitled "George Floyd: Anger, frustration and a path forward", Leslie brings her powerful voice and important perspective to the conversation about racial injustice.
Note: the article is behind the paid wall in support of local journalism and in an effort to support underrepresented voices such as Leslie's.
Mentorship: integral to the Ceresa whole-person approach
At Ceresa, mentorship is an integral part of our leadership development process. The mentor-mentee relationship is a key component in providing the structure, and at the same time fluidity, necessary to facilitate pointed leadership and career growth for both the participant and the mentor.