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Winston Churchill once remarked, “In every age there comes a time when a leader must come forward to meet the needs of the hour. Therefore, there is no potential leader who does not have an opportunity to make a positive difference in society. Tragically, there are times when a leader does not rise to the hour."

Over the past couple of weeks, many of you have shared some very kind words with me. I have been deeply touched by your heartfelt sentiments. It has helped me to feel confirmation about how I want to be defined as a person and a leader. It has been very humbling. It has reminded me to again realize that the choices we make in critical moments help to form the person we are and communicates to others what we are about. The change of a place of occupation can do that. Although the scenery may change around me, the opportunity for influence does not.

This is true for all of us. In our roles as mothers and father, or neighbors and friends, or even leaders or followers- our potential for influence is overwhelming.

This never has rung so true than it did for me this past weekend in Port au <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Prince, Haiti. I have shared the pictures from our trip with you, but there are stories beyond stories of the people in the pictures. The situation and circumstances there are very humbling, if not staggering. It has taken me almost three or four days now since my return to truly begin to capture what I saw. But in the midst of it all, I saw people being defined by who they are influencing.

I spent most of the day with a local named Carole. Carole and her sister, Maryse both had their homes destroyed in the quake. Their entire family, 6 sisters and 1 brother are all now in her brothers house with their families. Over 30 people in one small home. Yet, in spite of it all, Carole and Maryse have made it their life quest to provide medical testing lab for those in need so they can discover their issues and begin to resolve. It is provided at a low cost if not free. Both of them were born in Haiti, educated in the US and now returned to help their country.

It became very clear to me that they could have retreated to the comfort of the States and never looked back, but they have made a choice to expand their influence and return to where the need is great. I was so touched by them.

As I write over the last few weeks, I hope to ensure the sense of confidence in the legacy that has started and develop an assurance that the torch will be carried on. This community has the ingredients for an influence so great that even in our most smallest of efforts it has impacted the lives of hundreds of children, both our own and as evidenced by the pictures last week, those across the globe.

Who will you influence today and in what direction will you influence them ?

Once a Leopard, always a Leopard.