How Family Shaped My Leadership: Lessons From Life With Celina and Our Five Children
Leadership is often described in terms of titles, decisions, and organizational outcomes. But the truth is that the most influential leadership lessons rarely come from conference rooms or campus offices. They come from home — from the people who stand beside us, challenge us, ground us, and give us purpose.
For me, everything I know about perseverance, empathy, resilience, and servant-leadership was shaped by the people who sit around my dinner table: my wife, Celina Avila, and our five children. My leadership journey in higher education, athletics, and business has never been separate from family life. It has been formed by it.
A Partnership That Strengthened My Leadership
Before I held executive roles or oversaw large operations, I learned how to lead through partnership. My wife, Celina — a long-time news anchor and journalist — brought a unique strength into our marriage. Reporters learn how to listen deeply, find truth in the middle of chaos, and communicate with clarity and compassion.
Those skills helped shape the way I lead teams, work with university presidents, support student-athletes, and build relationships with donors and community leaders. Celina’s world taught me to seek the full story before reacting, stay composed under pressure, and value every person’s perspective.
Her influence strengthened my leadership more than any seminar or certification ever could.
Raising Five Children Inside a Higher-Education Life
Raising five children while building a career across universities and athletics is not simply a balancing act — it’s a masterclass in leadership development.
Our children grew up in athletic facilities, university campuses, fundraising events, and community programs. They watched me support coaches, guide departments, and help universities pursue excellence. But more importantly, I watched them grow — and they taught me lessons I carry into every leadership role:
Patience — every person grows at their own pace
Adaptability — no two days are ever the same in leadership or parenting
Empathy — leadership is ultimately about people, not titles
Humility — kids see what adults often overlook
Purpose — everything I build is ultimately for them
Being surrounded by education grounded our family in growth.
Being surrounded by athletics grounded us in grit.
Together, that combination shaped a leadership style rooted in resilience and compassion.
Where I Learned the Most: Home
I have led teams, managed complex challenges, and built major initiatives — but the most defining leadership lessons did not happen at work.
They happened at home:
comforting a child after a tough day
supporting Celina during breaking-news schedules
helping with school projects before early-morning flights
celebrating victories, both academic and athletic
learning how to be present in the middle of heavy responsibilities
Leadership at home is leadership without applause — but it built the muscles that shaped every success in my career.
The Twist: Family Isn’t Something I Balance — It’s My Leadership Strategy
Many executives talk about “balancing” work and family. I learned something different:
**Family isn’t the thing I balance leadership with —
it’s the thing that makes leadership possible.**
This mindset changed everything.
It keeps me grounded during tough decisions.
It gives me perspective during challenging seasons.
It makes my leadership more authentic, more patient, and more principled.
My family is not a footnote to my leadership story — they’re the engine behind it.
A Leader Shaped by Love, Gratitude, and Purpose
Whether I am guiding departments, building programs, strengthening organizations, or supporting student-athletes and staff, my leadership is anchored in what I’ve learned at home:
I am a better executive because I am a husband.
I am a better administrator because I am a father.
I am a better leader because of the family that stands beside me.
Celina and our five children gave me the clarity, strength, and purpose that shaped my life’s work — and they continue to inspire the leader I strive to be every day.
Further Reading
• Leadership Through Personal Accountability
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/leadership-through-personal-accountability
• Ethical Leadership & Organizational Trust
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/ethical-leadership-accountability
• Executive Leadership Philosophy
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/executive-leadership-philosophy
Further Reading
• Building High-Performance Teams in Leadership
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/building-high-performance-teams
