Jayhawks hold leadership positions across diverse industries and professions, and many connect with KU students and fellow alumni through the Jayhawk Career Network. In “Copy the Leader,” KU Alumni, in partnership with SumnerOne, spotlights Jayhawk leaders who are models for others in their fields.
Brent Blazek, d’10, g’12, is associate vice president of university advancement at Rockhurst University in Kansas City. As a KU senior, Blazek received the national Outstanding Student Leader award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, which, in addition to serving professionals at thousands of colleges and universities, guides the student programs sponsored by alumni associations and foundations.
What do you do in your work, and how do you practice leadership in your role?
Blazek: My job involves providing meaningful opportunities for Rockhurst alumni and donors to stay connected with the university so that many of them feel inspired and willing to support the university financially. I work with small groups or individual alumni who generously give back to the university to provide funding for things like student scholarships, athletic programs and capital projects on campus.
My role requires daily leadership of a team of professional colleagues. One of the things I enjoy most is that some of them have more overall career experience than I do, so I learn just as much from them as they do from me. And then I work with some colleagues who are still early in their careers, and I enjoy taking on the role of a leader-mentor with them.
How did your KU education and involvement shape you as a leader?
I firmly believe that I would not have my career as a leader in higher education had it not been for my experience at KU. I gained so much valuable leadership experience as part of KU Alumni’s Student Alumni Network and Student Alumni Ambassadors. I had the privilege of serving one year as the president of Student Alumni Ambassadors, and that was extremely valuable from the standpoint of developing my leadership skills, and also because I was able to meet and learn from a group of outstanding professionals, volunteer leaders and board members at KU Alumni. Being so involved with KU Alumni was what initially got me interested in a future career in higher education.
What qualities do you most admire in the leaders you have worked with?
I have always been grateful that, with the leaders I’ve worked for, I’ve never once had to doubt whether I could trust them. They have all been high-character individuals, and I knew if I needed advice or needed to share a concern or even something going on in my life outside of work, I could trust them to listen.
The second quality that stands out is that they believed in me. Whether I wanted to try an idea for a new event or fundraising program or wanted to take advantage of opportunities to advance my career, the leaders I’ve worked for have always believed in me and my abilities.
How has leadership contributed to the success of teams you have been a part of?
Leadership has been central to the success of every work team I’ve been a part of. I have worked for some very high-achieving teams, and one of the common themes is that they’ve all had leaders who were very good about building a team culture where everyone is committed to working toward their own individual goals but is also willing to drop what they’re doing when another member of the team needs additional support. This behavior always started at the top and was modeled by whoever the team leader happened to be. Rockhurst is a smaller school than KU, and while our work teams are small, we have still been able to accomplish so much because of the tone and culture that our leaders set.
What can students or young professionals do to develop leadership competencies within your industry?
Two important things come to mind. First, find a leader you admire or one working in an industry you might want to work in, and ask them for advice. Even if it’s as simple as asking them to meet you for 30 minutes over coffee, many good leaders will be more than happy to help, because they have all been in your shoes at one point.
Second, while your job title might not officially indicate that you’re in a leadership position, that doesn’t mean you still can’t take on leadership duties when given an opportunity. In graduate school, I worked for KU Athletics as a student game day worker, and for football game days, I sometimes had to work in the parking lot at 5 a.m. on a Saturday. But I made sure I was there, had a positive attitude, did what was asked of me, and set a good example for others.
How has serving as a mentor through KU Mentoring+ benefited you?
Serving as a mentor has been a privilege. When I was asked to be part of KU Mentoring+, I immediately said yes, because I saw it as an opportunity to do for others the same thing that so many people at KU did for me. But the biggest reason it has been a great experience is my mentee, who is a current KU student. In our monthly conversations, I continue to be impressed with her, the work ethic she has, the questions she asks, and her willingness to learn. As someone who works on a college campus, I learn a lot from her and her perspectives as a student.
