By Sophia Sotilleo
There’s a shift that happens in leadership. You are responsible for the project but you’re no longer dealing with all of the details.
“We are sharing the vision, influencing and then asking the team to help us execute,” says Sophia Sotilleo, vice provost and dean of the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a church member in the Allegheny East Conference. Whether you are building a team or supporting one already at work, Sotilleo offers lessons she’s learned about fostering a positive dynamic.
1. Build the Team Together
“As I build the team, I get the team’s input,” she says, because they are the ones who have to work together.
All the members consider the team’s strengths and its missing pieces. “A team doesn’t thrive on uniformity,” she says. “We don’t need all introverts. We don’t need all extroverts or leaders or followers. We need a variety of perspectives to be balanced.”
Her team reviews applicants and gives recommendations because she wants them to see hiring as something they are doing together. “I don’t want it to be where they say,’ you brought this person.’ I love to say we brought this person in.”
2. Know your People and Support Them
Support also begins as soon as someone joins the team.
“The minute they walk in, they have got to know they are supported and feel like part of the family,” Sotilleo says. When people feel that support, “they will run, they will soar and strive to be amazing.”
The support is not only for new team members. She pays attention to how people engage, what gives them energy, what brings them down, and even what happens to their facial expressions and body language during meetings. One of her practices is a simple check-in at the beginning of meetings.
“How are you feeling today? Can you share two words that describe how you’re doing today?” She writes down their responses and pays attention throughout the meeting. If someone needs to pause or step away, she wants them to feel empowered to do so.
“I want them to know that I see them,” she says, “and that I really appreciate and value where they are and how they are feeling.”
3. Recognize Not Everyone is Right for the Team
Everyone on a team may not see the vision. She offers opportunities for the person to articulate the disconnect.
“If you don’t see it, tell me why,” Sotilleo asks of her team members. Then she tailors a plan for the person to receive additional support to catch the vision. “Lots of conversations, lots of next steps, lots of process building, lots of scaffolding [providing temporary tools, extended guidance, mentoring, etc.] ”
She believes in giving people time to align with the plan. However, “if you still don’t see it, there’s a possibility that this is not the best space for you. And that’s okay,” Sotilleo says. “I’m here to help you find that better fit. When they see that you are authentically invested in their success, they’re more likely to give their best. And if it’s still not a match, they often realize it on their own and decide to make a change.”
Bonus: Pray
Above all, Sotilleo prays for her team members. She knows the blend of personalities, cultures, human nature and life outside of work play a big role in the delicate balance. She also keeps a Bible text in sight on her computer:
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4)
It’s her reminder: “Leadership roles often feel like a constant stream of demands. But by ‘rejoicing in all things’, I stay anchored to who is truly in control. I work for Him, and my goals is for His character to shine through everything I do.”
—Sophia Sotilleo is vice provost and dean of the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a member in the Allegheny East Conference. Republished from the September 16, 2026, Adventist Women Leaders email newsletter. Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions of Unsplash.
