Leaders don’t control when problems arise but they do control how they show up as leaders

I grew up as a military kid.

My father served for more than 20 years in the United States Air Force, and until I was 16, home was wherever the military sent us. Every few years, we packed up, said goodbye to friends, changed schools, and started again. At the time, I thought that was simply part of life. Looking back, it was early leadership training.

Those experiences taught me how to adapt, how to walk into a room where I knew no one, and how to build trust quickly. Most importantly, they taught me that change is not something to fear. Change is where growth lives.

That lesson came into sharp focus on April 27, 2015, at 6:25 p.m., when my doctor called to tell me I had breast cancer.

There was no pause button. No space to sit with the weight of what those words meant. The City of Baltimore was in the middle of civil unrest, and my team needed guidance. So, I did what leaders often do. I took a breath, set the news aside, showed up, and led my team through a complex and emotionally charged situation.

When the call ended, and my team had what they needed to move forward, my parents and I walked into my meditation room and prayed.

That day marked the first of many leadership lessons I’ve learned: being present is a choice. You don’t control when hard things arrive. You control how you show up.

Treatment reinforced that understanding. Radiation took me on an emotional roller coaster I hadn’t anticipated. Some days I felt steady. Other days, the weight was undeniable. Learning to acknowledge those emotions, rather than push them aside, taught me that strength isn’t about pretending things are easy. It’s about staying grounded through uncertainty. I draw on that lesson when guiding teams through ambiguity.

The third lesson was the most humbling: it is okay to let people help you. I’ve always been someone who led from the front. Cancer taught me to accept support with grace. In doing so, I came to see vulnerability not as weakness, but as the foundation of trust.

Those lessons continue to guide me: Show up fully. Trust your resilience. Let people in…And lead with courage.

These are central to everything I do as Senior Vice President of Governmental, Regulatory, and External Affairs at BGE, Delmarva Power, and Pepco. They shape how I champion energy affordability, how I mentor women across Exelon, and stay committed to lifting as I climb.

Breast cancer didn’t define me. But it, along with a childhood shaped by constant change, helped influence the leader I am today.