The leadership of others begins with the leadership of self.
That’s one of the first lessons that Henderson students learn at the High School Leadership retreat each fall. Compassion for yourself lends itself to compassion for others. And according to one of the program’s mentors, Joe DiRaffaele, it’s a concept that these promising student leaders grasp quickly and wholeheartedly—and the effects are immediate.
Over the course of this three-day retreat, students from diverse backgrounds and different social circles break down barriers. The effect is immediate. Joe explains, “Within one day, all of those walls disappear, and they realize: We’re all the same. We all have similar challenges. How can I make your life better? And, thereby, people turn around and automatically do the same.”
Their energy and open-mindedness are contagious to Joe, as well. He considers it one of the best weekends of his year.
The lessons that High School Leadership students learn are the very same ones Joe DiRaffaele learned throughout the course of his decades-long career as a nationally recognized real estate agent in Las Vegas.
He grew up contributing to community projects, but the relationship between leadership and community involvement became clear to him once he began his professional career.
His mentors, Tim Woods and Bill Mitchell, both stressed to him the importance of making a difference in the community. Doing so was essential to the success of their own businesses, and, according to DiRaffaele, they passed along an ethos centered around “[the] concept of the ‘give economy,’ meaning, the more you contribute, the more you’re going to get back. And that doesn’t always mean monetarily, but it just means your life will be richer and fuller. And any challenges you have in your own business or your own personal life will pale in comparison because you have been giving and giving and giving. Things come back, and you benefit that much more.”
His level of community involvement changed when his second child, his daughter Emily, was born 22 years ago. He felt overwhelmed with gratitude for his growing family and professional life, especially in light of the struggles that many other families in his community faced. He decided he needed to “pay it back,” but he also wanted to make sure to stay humble and grounded.
And now, decades later, he’s a leader, board member, and amongst several local organizations, including High School Leadership, GEMS (Girls Empowerment Middle School), and Los Vaqueros.
All of these organizations focus on helping kids and their families. As a parent, their missions touched his heart deeply. “Throughout my giving career, that has always been the ‘juice,’” he explains. “What moves the needle for me is making a difference in a child’s life. Often, the child doesn’t get to choose their challenges; it’s thrust upon them. For us to be able to spend the time and effort to try and uplift and make their life better, to me, that’s worth every bit of the time, effort, energy, and money we put in.”
And that’s his best advice for those who’d like to get involved but don’t know how to get started: Find out what moves you. Once you identify that, start talking to people you know. Call your local Chamber of Commerce. Talk to your local church and find out what organizations they support. DiRaffaele elaborates, “You don’t have to dive into the deep end right away but get involved and start putting your toe in the water to see what’s a good fit. Because once that aligns, it’s super easy from there to continue coming back and making a difference.”
Leading from within—that’s one of the tenets of the High School Leadership program, and it’s something Joe DiRaffaele lives by.