Leadership Greater Topeka | Nadia Arbelo

Compiled by LAUREN JURGENSEN | Photos by BRADEN DIMICK

What does being a leader mean to you? 
Having emotional intelligence, which places a higher value on enlisting relationships, development, service and the ability to bend but not break.  

What is the biggest professional goal you have accomplished? 
The development of an International K-12 International Baccalaureate School in Hungary, and an American Curriculum School in Abu Dhabi from the ground up. Working with the Ministries of Education, government agencies and private-public partnerships whilst understanding and being attentive to cultures and history, respectively.  

Who would play you in a movie about your life and why? 
I would love to have Selma Hayek play me in my life's movie. I believe she is so versatile and can go from soft to rough and still be beautiful inside.  

What is the biggest challenge facing leaders today? 
I believe one of the biggest challenges facing leaders today is fully understanding the need to challenge and change biased attitudes and behaviors. Being treated equitably should be a human right, not a social norm. 

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