LKNW FEATURE
leading
the way As we rise into leadership roles, it’s not always easy to navigate the leadership path. After all, there are as many leadership traits as there are leaders. LKN Woman talks to area leaders in the hope that we can learn from each other’s successes and failures in confronting leadership challenges. ABIGAYL PANSINI, Owner, Lake Norman Language Academy
Leadership skills, at least in the corporate world, are often measured by the numbers on an organization’s balance sheet. But for Abigayl Pansini, the founder and owner of Lake Norman Language Academy, the mark of a successful leader has much less to do with assets and liabilities and much more to do with how a leader makes people feel. That is why, when Abigayl enters the classroom, she greets each and every student with a hug. “I love the camaraderie built between the students in the group classes,” Abigayl explains. “We laugh, share our stories, and speak Spanish….I love the feeling that we are like family.” Abigayl, who is originally from Peru, teaches Spanish in adult group classes, children’s classes, and private sessions, and holds summer camps for children. She also has five other instructors who teach French, Portuguese, Chinese, German, and ESL in private settings. Regardless of the type of class, though, Abigayl’s goal is to create a relaxed setting for students so that they’ll have the optimal environment in which to learn. “Adults, and teenagers to some degree, too, have preconceptions that it is hard to learn a new language,” she notes. “It’s my job to remind them not to give up and to give them the tools they need. When the material is explained to them in an easier way, many times with songs, analogies, and in a relaxed setting, they are able to understand and build the confidence needed to succeed in class.”
H E R DE F I N I T ION OF LEADERSHIP:
"
A leader is someone who inspires and motivates others, who is honest, and who truly cares about others."
life as a leader w
12 LKN
MARCH 2019
FIRST LEADERSHIP POSITION: General
And though Abigayl takes her responsibilities to her students of all ages very seriously, for her, teaching others her native language is much more than a job—it’s a calling. That’s no surprise to Abigayl’s students; her zeal and passion for her language not only come through loud and clear, they are contagious. Says Abigayl: “If you love what you do, you project it, and the other person will feel it too!” w
IN MY DOWNTIME: I read
manager/founder of Contact Tours, a travel agency in Peru
spiritual books or lie down with my husband and my dog to watch a good movie
I WISH I HAD MORE TIME TO: Read the Bible and
BIGGEST WORK PET PEEVE: Poor customer
spiritual books
service
LAST THING YOU RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET: Scholarships
for college. My son will attend college this year.
HOW WOULD YOUR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS DESCRIBE THE YOUNGER YOU: inquisitive and
analytical
DESCRIBE YOURSELF USING THREE WORDS:
God & family oriented
WRITER DANA NIETERS
PHOTOGRAPHER CHELSEA BREN