When we talk about what makes a great leader, we often do so in the context of one person. A leader. The leader. But there are countless leadership groups around the country that help people grow their skills while connecting with other leaders. These connections offer insight into different ways of thinking as participants learn from one another and from differing perspectives. Many of these groups focus on young leaders. One such organization is the Greater Baltimore Leadership Association (GBLA). Launched in 2002, the GBLA was formed to support the Greater Baltimore Urban League to “improve the quality of life for African-Americans and other minorities in Baltimore City and its surround counties.” GBLA is one of 62 young professional chapters of the National Urban League across the country. These 62 chapters have over 5,500 members.
In March, I had the great privilege of sitting down with GBLA’s Director of Professional Development, LaTasha Abbott to learn more about her, GBLA and their views on leadership. LaTasha has been Director for a year and has been connected with GBLA since shortly after college. We spent a cold but lovely evening in Fell’s Point talking about Baltimore, our own leadership paths and the great work of GBLA. Below are some of the highlights from our conversation.
What is the mission and vision of GBLA?
As a member of the National Urban League Young Professional Network, GBLA’s mission is to engage young professionals in the National Urban League movement toward enabling African Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity and power toward civil rights. Our vision for GBLA is to be an organization that will be a pipeline for success and a model for social responsibility through a positive place of uplifting and giving back. We will be the engine for a financially sound, healthy, skilled and politically-informed Baltimore community.
Is GBLA’s focus specifically on the Baltimore community?
The focus with GBLA is on the Baltimore community. However, we realized that our impact can be greater, so while we do focus on the Baltimore community, we have opened a satellite location in Howard County. We’re really about empowering the entire Baltimore metro area. We welcome anyone willing to travel to us. We definitely open our arms 
to all of the professionals in the area.
Tell us a little bit about your members.
We find that largely our members are transplants. Baltimore is a college town so a lot of people come here and they end up staying. They fall in love with Charm City, and they end up staying around and becoming invested in Baltimore. They too have that drive to give back. They want to see growth in the city they’ve own to love.
Is GBLA just for professionals?
Our focus is on professional members, however that term is really loosely-defined. We really hope to attract members that look to grow themselves personally and professionally as well as impact the community. We are looking for people who are willing to open themselves up to learning new skills, whether it’s a new career area or a different skillset as well as using their own skillsets to help the community. we are especially open to people who are committed.
Historically, the focus of the Urban League has been on supporting African Americans. Is that true today with GBLA?
It’s important to note that we don’t limit our membership opportunities. However, we understand through research, through experience, through observation and our understanding of our own communities what the gaps are in the systems that are typically in place to address certain issues. As we identify and understand what those gaps are, that’s where we stand. We stand in those gaps to help African Americans who are largely underserved in the cities that we are in.
Leadership is a central component of your group. How does GBLA define leadership?
Within our membership, when we look at leadership, we are looking for the drive to commit to a passion and commit to a cause. Personally, I don’t believe that leadership is necessarily related to a title. It’s about your passion and your commitment to follow through. We look at leadership as the need and want to identify a cause, identify resources, leverage the resources that are around and commit to making a change.
What skills do you try to help your members grow as leaders and future leaders?
We don’t have a specific set of skills. We really hope to respond to the needs of our membership. We noticed our membership is really focused on increasing their knowledge around entrepreneurship so we definitely push them to join sessions that teach that. There are classes through the Urban League about grant writing, starting a business. On a larger scale, we try to connect our membership to necessary resources. It wouldn’t be beneficial for us to offer technical training but if we could leverage what our community partners are doing, then we try to funnel our membership that way so we can provide the resources that are necessary.
Largely to better serve our membership, we focus on some of the soft skills, whether it’s providing interviewing resources, or resume writing, some of those classes are offered at the Urban League. We want to make sure we’re plugging our membership into the right resources.
What does being a leader mean to you?
Being a leader means being courageous, humble, open to learn and open to listen. Leadership has taught me, whether in a specified role or in the work that I do, it’s important to gain a strong sense of discernment, to learn effective delegation techniques, and to understand the needs of the people that work with you. It’s very difficult, for me, to think of people working for you. When you think about the people who work with you, it’s important to understand what their needs are so you can all relate to a common goal.
Ultimately, I think of leadership as an honor. I’ve tried to adopt the mindset of servant leader, Ella Baker. Her approach to leadership was to empower and teach the people she was leading to lead themselves so one day the people you’re leading don’t necessarily need you in that role because they are empowered. While leadership is critical to any organization, hierarchical leadership that disempowers the masses and centers those already privileged, can impede the progression of a movement.
GBLA looks at leadership in a similar manner in terms of being committed to a cause and committed to a purpose. Finding your “why” and working to accomplish that. Finding like-minded people to help you achieve that goal. GBLA looks at leadership as a communal activity. It’s not just one person’s job. They might be the organizer or they might be the planner, but they are a funnel for the ideas and work that needs to be done. It’s a matter of having everyone involved and everyone’s input so that everyone can feel a part of the mission.
What is the role and responsibility of leadership?
Always keeping in mind our mission and vision. We want to make sure the events we have and the causes we speak to are supporting and empowering our neighbors. It’s about truly getting to know our membership and their work. Creative engagement efforts, provide abenefit to our membership while bringing awareness of GBLA initiatives to the citizens Baltimore.
How do you think we can best support leaders?
Rising leaders need a reassuring support system. It’s important to understand the “what” in regards to a leadership role or the “big picture” goal and not necessarily the “how” in regards to the prescribed steps to accomplish said goal . The tra
nsfer of leadership transition period is the biggest opportunity to infuse new leaders with old wisdom. Leaders who are willing to stick around or maintain an advisory role can support the new leaders. It helps people ask the right questions, making sure the I’s are dotted. Having a support system and being given the reign to develop your own style but knowing there is a source to go back to as a reference point
Do you believe everyone has the ability to be a leader? Why or why not?
Yes! It’s about taking what you already have and finding the right platform to inform the masses. Everybody innately has some ability or some message that they want to convey. Everyone has the ability to be a leader, but not everyone has the desire. Or the discipline. That’s where the biggest gap is. While there is a science to leadership in terms of some of the things that have been proven to be effective or ineffective, it’s also an art. You need to feel the pulse of the people who are working with you and the people you are working to impact. It’s important to understand who your customer is and who you are really serving. It helps you focus on a purpose. Then you’ll have the desire to learn more and perform better in your leadership role.
What leadership opportunities are available within GBLA?
We have committees for: membership, professional development, youth development, political empowerment, financial empowerment, fundraising, and public health.Each committee has a director and we also have our officers- president, executive vice president, vice president of finance, vice president of communication, vice president of policy and procedure. These are all elected positions with 2-year terms. We try to swap people in and out. We encourage all of our membership to be as actively involved as possible.
It is clear that this group is not just for people looking to better themselves but for those who are looking to better others as well.
Absolutely, there is a focus on bettering the community. The ages are between 21-40, and a lot of times, that 21 year-old is still in college and they might not have started their professional career but they still have skills to offer as well as the ability to 
learn from existing members. It’s definitely about wanting to expand your own skillset as well as represent the talent you naturally have. It’s a shift in mindset. Naturally we think the younger learns from the older, but it’s about understanding that they are more in tune with what might affect the community on a greater level. They might be more in tune with the audience you’re trying to capture.
You do a lot of great work with students, but that is not the only group you support, right?
Right. We definitely love our students and we have an entire youth development committee, which is largely focused on engaging our youth through our Saturday leadership program. We definitely have a special place for uplifting and empowering our communities through our youth. We definitely want to help ourselves, our families, people who live and work here, the people who would be impacted by our work so we go wherever our programs will have out most impact. We want to make sure that, through everyone’s stage of life that they know our purpose is to help.
Since you are open to helping different groups, are you able to respond to the passions and interests of your group members in terms of who they want to help?
Absolutely. And that is exactly why we broaden who we identify as the community that we impact. We have some members with a passion for senior citizens and we have a community outreach committee, for example, that would be able to partner with a senior citizens activity group or residence facility. Or if we have members who are passionate about the Armed Forces, we could send care packages for our military overseas. So it really is about understanding the most effective and efficient way to channel the passion of our members so that we can provide the greatest impact.
What are the benefits of joining GBLA?
The benefits of membership are access
to a larger network of other professionals as well as leadership opportunities within the chapter. We also have members-only perks such as giveaways, contests and some of our professional development opportunities. We try to make sure members are getting special opportunities and early access.
We also have a number of signature programs such as Purses for a Purpose, Fall into Health Harvest and Wellness Fair, the Masquerade Ball, and our National Day of Empowerment.
What do you want people to know about GBLA?
GBLA is constantly working, constantly learning and constantly growing. While administrations change and membership changes, GBLA is committed to remaining a positive influence in Baltimore. This is a critical time in our lives when life happens, butpeople should know that while life happens, there is still a family here at GBLA that is working and striving and will lovingly welcome you back. While we hope to have members stay committed for that entire age span, we understand that this is the time in people’s lives when they start families, elevate their careers, start their own businesses, and even take care of aging family members. Through it all, GBLA is a place where passion and purpose meet. We hope to become a foundation to explore your passion and follow your purpose. It is a way to make Baltimore home.
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One Response
My son is in this program. He has grown into a great leader. I would recommend this program to any parents that are looking for their children to gain greatness and leadership skills. They visit mostly every college and each college has a different topic. Love this program and my son will stay in this program until he graduates from high school.