Meet: Dr. Karen Jones Bankston!

What makes you a visionary?
What makes me a visionary is my ability to see beyond myself and today and see others and tomorrow. Visionaries can have their heads in the clouds of the future, while keeping their feet on the ground. I try to stay open to new ideas, while understanding the past and connecting the two to create innovation.

Share the 3 key steps that helped you bring your vision to life:
  1. Having faith in a power greater than myself. Specifically, believing that God provided me with the gifts I would need to lead and be led.
  2. Knowing that living included ongoing learning. And because I do not know everything, that I needed to surround myself with individuals that could support the process in meeting the outcomes that are the steps to the vision.
  3.  Being very clear about steps 1 &2. Then knowing my values and valuing those values. Defining what is important to me has been an important step for both my personal and professional life. One of those is integrity. Holding myself to behaviors that support honesty and truth allows me to be  myself, and lead using a very transparent, interactive style. Subsequently, I have been able to establish long lasting, trusting relationships to meet the common good.

What is next for you in 2020?
Covid-19 has certainly changed a lot of our thinking related to 2020. I think that I will spend a lot of my time volunteering to assist with the efforts in my community to facilitate the needs that are existing because of this new disease. Black people have been negatively effected by this and I have some skills that can help with the building of initiatives that can assist in ensuring a better future. Outside of that, I hope to do some reading and hopefully get to see my family in person!

How can readers connect with you online?
I am available on Facebook at Karen Jones Bankston, Twitter @DrKay90, Instagram drkayb05 and LinkedIN Karen Bankston, PhD, MSN, FACHE, FAAN