Set An Example: When Mónica Lebrón talks about motivating those around her, she looks to herself first. “I’m very, very big on setting an example,” she explains, “I’m not afraid to be in the trenches. I’m not afraid to roll up my sleeves. In fact, when I got here to Tulane, I got this sense that there was an “us”-versus-“them” mentality.”
Mónica worked hard to convey that each staff member, regardless of their roles, were, in fact, part of a team. Working her way up the ladder means Mónica has held a variety of posts, positioning her to identify with everyone in a very personal way. That connection helped her to bring them into the fold and build much-needed allies.
“I remember what it felt like when the upper-level management helped me. And, the reality is that when they showed they cared about me, I was willing to go through a wall for them.” So there’s no reason I’m not going to do the same.” Lebrón says.
Her commitment has not gone unnoticed by Tulane AD Troy Dannen, “Mónica has an innate mix of sympathy, empathy and real-world pragmatism that supports great working relationships with student-athletes, coaches, staff and institutional leadership. She wakes up motivated to help make something great happen each and every day and uses her incessant work ethic to put everyone in our department in a position to succeed whether academically, socially or competitively. That motivation has helped create a culture of high expectations for all of us in the department. When her name is called to sit in the chair, her President can rest easy knowing Mónica will lead a department exemplified by class, character, and integrity, and she will set the standard in that regard.”
High praise for someone who didn’t if she was going to fit in, but she quickly made New Orleans her home, “I’m unbelievably happy. My life’s crazy but it’s awesome. I’m happy every day of my life. I don’t know why New Orleans has been such a good fit for me or why this job has fit me so well. But of all my moves— this is my 8th state— this has been the fastest I’ve taken to a place.”
New Orleans seems to taken to Mónica Lebrón, too, and there’s no surprise why. With her positive, infectious attitude, and long-standing aspirations leading the way, she’s both positive and committed. And although she’s far removed from her early days at Yale, when she landed a job assisting the Athletics Director by chance, she’s using the confidence she gained via an Ivy League education to take her career to new heights.
NEXT UP is excited to recognize Mónica Lebrón for her achievements and embodiment of what it means to be a NEXT UP leader. “Set an Example”? She has, and then some.