“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.”
— Bill Gates
There are a few sterling qualities that most successful leaders have in common:
- They possess self-awareness and prioritize personal development.
- They focus on developing others.
- They encourage strategic thinking, innovation, and action.
- They are ethical and civic-minded.
- They practice effective cross-cultural communication.
It does not matter your age, gender, or the color of your skin – “leaders lead” and inspire others to be the best they can be.
Marcia Harrison is the type of leader for the next century contemplated by Bill Gates.
Marcia Harrison resides in Parkland with her husband, Tony, and two sons, Chad and Matthew.
For the past 25 years, Marcia has served in various roles within the banking industry, both in the United States and abroad. Marcia has worked extensively with diverse groups of financial professionals and clientele. In 2015, Marcia began her career at Bank of America as a Consumer Market Manager. She has held other leadership roles within the company such as Operations Market Manager and Consumer Banking Market Leader. She is currently a Senior Vice President, Operations Manager.
Throughout her banking career, Marcia has always taken great pride in mentoring and supporting her associates’ professional development. She believes that every employee has something of value to offer so it’s vital to invest in employee relationships, build trust by providing feedback, and seek your colleagues’ advice when you are the one who needs feedback. Marcia knows that good leaders play to employees’ strengths and work with the differences that make us unique and valuable.
Marcia’s ability to encourage, inspire, and foster a culture of inclusion in the workplace has placed her in a unique position to leverage her skills to support Bank of America’s values, particularly around diversity and inclusion. At a pivotal time in our country’s history when the work for advancing racial equality is so important, Bank of America had the ideal candidate – Marcia Harrison – as Chair of The Black Professional Group (BPG) Employee Network, South Florida Chapter. She has held this position for over a year.
The mission of the BPG is to enhance professional development, create visibility to the pipeline of black talent at Bank of America, be socially responsible, and support Bank of America’s values and business goals. Employee networks are formal, bank-supported groups comprised of employees who share a passion for diversity and inclusion. The group meets to network, mentor, encourage each other’s development, and participate in activities to uplift our communities. Network members are very involved in their communities, building strong ties through volunteerism, leadership, and financial education.
In addition to being Chair of the BPG, Marcia is also a Mentor for the Empowering Young Black Professional Program (EYBP), a program designed to foster the growth and development of young African Americans at Bank of America. The EYBP focuses on new associates with 1 -2 years of work experience, providing mentorship, information, and resources to prepare participants for professional skill growth and future opportunities.
Through her involvement with the Employee Network Groups at Bank of America, Marcia is able to organize events to support the community as well as to promote courageous conversations that highlight the importance of personal accountability and advocacy in advancing racial equality. Creating forums for Senior Leaders, associates, and community members to share their real-life experiences and learning from their insights, strengthen social connections, and helps improve health and mental wellness. These courageous conversations deepen our understanding of others and promote a culture of inclusion.
Marcia is not only impacting the lives of her co-workers at Bank of America; she is helping lay the groundwork for future leaders throughout the country who are currently under-represented and without a support group to lean on. Marcia’s work empowers others to strive for diversity and inclusion. Ideally, other large companies will take notice and create similar groups within their ranks. Strengthening social connections and leveraging different viewpoints and experiences to solve community problems benefits everyone.
Marcia is the type of leader you want on your team – one that empowers others in her community to succeed.
Thank you, Marcia, for choosing to raise your family in Parkland. You are an inspiration to us all.