CHAPTER 5

Destino: Personal and Collective Purpose

AS A CHILD I didn’t believe in destino at all. In fact, I thought God had gotten it all wrong. If I had designed my life, it would have been a different movie. Take the first act, for instance.

I was born on a hot, humid clothes-sticking August night, in the middle of the Nicaraguan jungle. Most people in those days didn’t even know where Nicaragua was—and if they did, they didn’t much care. The mining town of Bonanza spurred the emergence of a small community living in little wooden houses that leaned into the rocky hills. Across from the company’s commissary, overlooking a lush green ravine, my mother lay down on that hot summer night to birth her seventh child.

Whose plan was this? What happened to divine providence? Why was I born to a Spanish Indian woman with a fifth-grade education who was as thin as a rail and at forty didn’t need another child? My mother was one of those tall coastal women whose strength often allowed them to laugh in the face of the strenuous life they were dealt. But she was buckling under the stress of this untimely pregnancy and the uncertain future that wobbled before her.

My father had brought the familia to Bonanza a few years earlier after yet another dervish hurricane had whipped the coast, ripping out trees and homes, turning lush tropical jungle into slithering mud. Cabo Gracias a Dios, which had been our home for generations, was wiped as clean as a chicken bone after our dog Chocho was done. Exasperated, my father came to the Bonanza mine to run the commissary, save money, and take his familia to America—the promised land!

Concerned for my mother’s health, the partera (midwife) prepared the herbs that would induce contractions. I guess I must have sensed my number was up. The herbs would make me nauseated and drowsy, and then I might never know how to get out of here. A small voice must have whispered, “It will be better if you go of your own volition.” Holding my breath, I descended like a locomotive in a tunnel. Bonanza, here I come!

Having been born in the Nicaraguan jungle as a Hispanic girl, the seventh child of a struggling family who had lost their home, was not exactly my idea of “the right stuff” or the ticket to a fulfilling life. Whose idea was this anyway? I thought. How would I get from the middle of nowhere to a place where I could get an education, live a halfway comfortable existence, or make a contribution to the world? There was not even a library or a high school. No way, Jose, this was not happening.

Today I know that every particle of my life was precisely what was needed for me to become who I am today and to be a leader in my community … this was my destino. I would only understand this through conciencia—doing a great deal of soul searching, reflecting on my life, and humbly understanding that I know very little about how a life unfolds (or even what is good for me).

¿Qué Es Destino Anyway?

STEPHEN COVEY RECOGNIZED THE connection between conciencia and destino when he stated, “You can’t become principle-centered without a vision of and a focus on the unique contribution that is yours to make.”¹ Consciousness, he said, is the ability to detect our own uniqueness. The essence of conciencia is to know oneself well enough that one’s life and actions are in alignment with one’s purpose and destino.

Because every person is unique, one’s destino is as distinct as her fingerprints or DNA. As a person embraces her life’s journey, destino grows, becomes clearer and more encompassing. Like an acorn that becomes a great oak, the seeds of our destino must be nourished and flourish only with patience and persistence.

The search for destino brings a deeper understanding of one’s special calling and a clearer sense of direction. When Covey urges leaders to examine their values and principles and to develop a personal mission statement for their lives, he is asking them to explore their destino. This type of reflection provides a firm footing when waters are turbulent or life throws a curveball. Appreciating what makes you unique—your history, life path, and destino—is the true way to know yourself and to understand the special leadership contribution you are called to make.

Why Destino Is Not Fatalism

ANTHROPOLOGISTS WHO STUDY AND categorize cultures deem the tendency to believe that outside circumstances or outside forces control one’s life as fatalism.² Could it be that most anthropologists come from an individualistic perspective and do not understand that destino does not mean that a person cannot mold or change her future? Fatalism implies being stuck, unable to choose. Destino is not fatalism, because it does not prescribe or determine. People can still choose how to respond to and utilize life’s experiences. Latinos dance with their destino. Like the right-left-right of salsa dancing, it is a back-and-forth interchange.

Destino differs from the Anglo-American belief in individual effort and self-determination. In fact, one of the distinctions between We-oriented cultures and those that are more I, or individualistic, revolves around the question, How much control do I have or assume in my life? The independent focus says, “To a very great extent, I control my life, chose my experiences, and shape my destiny. I am the captain of my ship.” Self-identity, self-determination, and self-interest are keystones in I cultures. Individuals believe freedom and personal choice forge one’s destiny or future. Rugged individualism dictates that people can become whatever they set their mind to and work hard for.³

Ironically, the basis of White privilege is that Anglos have an advantaged position in society just by the nature of their color and race. These social assets remain largely invisible and unconscious partially because Anglos have traditionally not identified as a culture or race. In reality, then, even in the strongly I-oriented Anglo society, people’s destiny is shaped by outside forces such as social privilege, which gives a head start.

On the other hand, people from collectivist We cultures believe some things happen to them and accept that a life power and external influences affect their lives. Latinos know it is impossible to control chance, fate, natural disasters, or unplanned events. Serendipity, which means “good fortune, luck, or coincidences,” happens to all of us, such as meeting a person “by accident.” Latinos see life as an interchange between individual efforts and the experiences, gifts, surprises, and lessons it brings. I may be the captain of my own ship—but the sea of life determines much of my course.

It is important to remember that US Latinos often got the short end of social opportunity and had to make compromises simply because of their heritage, social class, or lack of English fluency (which they had limited control of). Acceptance was a survival mechanism. When people are enslaved, colonized, or marginalized, they can’t always change their status. Patience and learning to make the best of your lot might be the best plan.

But doesn’t that imply passivity? Isn’t this exactly the feared fatalism—the dreaded anthropologist disease that sideswipes Latinos like the wet handkerchief crossing my father’s brow in the tropical heat? No! When the hurricane and tidal wave wiped out Cabo Gracias a Dios, a natural disaster that no amount of individual determination could have prevented, my father moved his familia to Bonanza to earn money to bring us to a new land. He defiantly looked destino in the face and followed a new path. There is always choice on how to respond to situations. Latino optimism and the ability to celebrate life under duress are surefire testimonials to steering around life’s circumstances and overcoming barriers.

In reality, destino is another reflection of the paradoxical nature of the Latino worldview. Try as one may, it is impossible to control your life, because you were born under certain circumstances, with unique gifts and temperament, into a certain family and at a specific time in history. On the other hand, you can still forge your destiny and chart your life. The great numbers of immigrants who leave their homeland searching for a better life and the scores of leaders who have rallied against social inequities are testimony to this. People must wrestle as well as dance with their destino.

Leaders Seek and Embrace Their Destino

DESTINO IS THE REASON a person was born—the central core, or nucleus—the unique pattern and life path. It is always greater than the individual. Like an unseen current, destino ties the past, present, and future together. While it remains constant, it is not static. As a leader matures, her destino unfolds, becoming richer and more encompassing. Destino is an integrating force, fostering congruency and clarifying choices.

Destino is more than personal vision. Vision speaks of imagining and anticipating what will be, while the seed of your destino is already inside you, waiting to reveal itself, and awaits acceptance. Many people can work to fulfill a great vision. However, a person can never adopt another’s destino because each one is personal and unique.⁴ For instance, César Chávez’s dream of fairness and equality was shared by multitudes. His destino, however, was to be the prophetic voice and inspiration for the farm laborers’ movement and civil rights for Latinos.

In the American Indian vision quest a person goes into the wilderness to seek his life’s purpose. Searching for one’s destino is not so direct. Latinos are kinesthetic learners who prefer a practical, hands-on approach and love the oral tradition.⁵ Many Latinos don’t learn leadership by reading books but by tackling community problems and working with others. When I interviewed former Denver mayor Federico Peña, for instance, he said, “We can talk, but I have really never read a leadership book.” Seeking one’s destino is an activity entailing retrospection, learning from direct experience, embracing fortuitous situations, and noting when you are most effective.

There are certain markers indicating a leader is on the right path to unfolding her destino. When a leader’s talents and skills are uniquely suited for the work she is doing, that means she is on target with her destino. When a leader is passionate about something—well, that’s the powerful engine of destino providing energy to do the work. Here are five indicators that help leaders understand and get in tune with their destino.

Begin with your family history and traditions (the roots of your destino).

Tap into your heart’s desire or passion (the fire and energy to follow your destino).

Identify your special skills and talents (your destino knapsack).

Open the door when opportunity knocks (it’s your destino calling you).

Honor your legacy and personal vision (the destino magnet that pulls you forward).

Begin with Your Family History and Traditions

OUR EARLY LIFE IS the rich soil from which our destino evolves. Our ancestors’ lives are footprints pointing us in a certain direction and beckoning us to follow. My parents’ lives were dedicated to giving their eight children a better future. No sacrifice was too great. This same passion fuels my life today. I aspire to contribute to young people and to ensure they will have more opportunities—just as my parents did for me.

Examining your ancestry, parents, family history, the circumstances of your birth, early experiences, significant events, talents, and inherent gifts or positive attributes can steer the way to a deeper understanding of your destino. As an immigrant, for instance, I inherited a “can do” attitude, resourcefulness, and determination. Because I am the youngest daughter, I had more opportunities than my older brothers and sisters. Growing up in Florida, I met Hispanics from many countries. That would not have happened if my family had settled in the Southwest, which is predominantly Mexican American. These circumstances etched my destino and the work I do.

The backgrounds of the following national leaders who are pursuing their destino show the influence of family history, traditions, and expectations. Their destino was being shaped before they were born. Likewise, your own history and traditions are a source of personal power and point the way to a deeper understanding of your destino. Latino leadership is based on the tradition that everyone can serve and has special talents. Knowing your own background will assist you in determining the special attributes you bring to leadership and how you can best serve your community.

A Tradition of Community Leadership

SAN ANTONIO’S JULIÁN CASTRO is the youngest mayor of a top 50 American city. He is the son of Rosie Castro, a ’70s firebrand who was among the leaders of La Raza Unida, the political party started by Texas Chicanos in the 1960s. A single mother, Rosie raised Julián and his identical twin, Joaquín, who was elected to the US Congress in 2012, to be leaders with a community spirit.

Julián often accompanied his mother to political and community events, where he met key figures in the Latino political world, learned community organizing, and worked on political campaigns.⁶ While he follows the leadership example set by his mother, the times in which he lives are shaping a different type of destino.

Today, Latinos make up 37 percent of Texas and 60 percent of San Antonio; they are on the inside of power.⁷ Born in 1974, Mayor Castro is part of a new breed of Latino politicians—intellectual, self-contained, serious, and even-tempered. Much like Barack Obama, he comes out of a broader American experience and was educated at Stanford and Harvard Law School. Castro has been cited as having the potential to become the first Latino president. Yet the essence of his destino is grounded in a tradition of community leadership. “I believe in destino,” he says. “I am where I belong. I am in my place. I was born in San Antonio. I grew up here and want to bring opportunity to the people here.” As his destino unfolds and political future grows, he will always be rooted in the westside barrio of San Antonio.

The Footprints of Our Ancestors

FEDERICO PEÑA’S FAMILY SETTLED in Texas over 250 years ago. His great-great-great-grandfather was a founder of Laredo. His grandfather had a seat on the city council. One ancestor served in the first Texas legislature, another was elected mayor of Laredo, and yet another was president of the school board. Peña has built on this legacy by choosing the path of public service: “I saw my life as one of helping people who were being discriminated against and had no voice.”

In 1983, he was elected Denver’s first Hispanic mayor and the first mayor of a city in which Hispanics were a minority population. Peña said of his broad appeal, “The way I saw it, I was a servant. I didn’t become mayor because I was great but because people voted for me. So I was there to serve them and the Denver community.”

After serving as mayor he was appointed secretary of transportation in the Clinton administration. Peña now directs a private equity fund investing in companies that provide clean energy and alternative fuels. Public service is central to his life. He served as the vice chair of the 2008 and 2012 Obama for President campaign and has led efforts to reform the Denver public schools. Peña has spoken out for immigration reform and urges showing compassion and decency to undocumented workers.

Family Roots Become Great Vision

RAUL SOLIS WAS A union steward in México. Immigrating to California, he met Juana Sequeira from Nicaragua in a citizenship class. They married in 1953 and raised seven children in the barrio of East Los Angeles, a community with 97 percent Hispanic ancestry. Raul worked at the Quemetco battery-recycling plant and organized workers to seek health benefits. Due to the hazards of the work, he contracted lead poisoning. Meanwhile, Juana was an assembly-line worker at Mattel and outspoken about labor issues.

These working-class champions rocked the cradle in which Hilda Solis and her destino was born. In 1979, she was first in her family to finish college. Hilda then ran a statewide program for disadvantaged youth to help them go to college. People urged her to run for office, which would give her a greater ability to change community conditions. In 1992, she was elected to the California Assembly and later became the first Latina in the state Senate. In 2000 she was elected a US congressional representative and served for four terms. Then in 2009 President Obama appointed her the twenty-fifth US secretary of labor. Just like her father and mother, in all her positions, she remains a staunch advocate for workers and fair labor laws.⁸

Staying true to her working-class roots, Hilda Solis lives in a modest home not far from where she grew up. A young woman encouraged to work as a secretary by her counselor in high school ended up as a secretary, all right—the US secretary of labor. How is this possible? Many Latinos would answer: She is following her destino. She never forgot her roots, she expanded parents’ vision, and said yes to her life’s work.

Tap into Your Heart’s Desire

IN THE PAST FEW years, numerous young Latinos have left lucrative corporate jobs to head up nonprofit organizations. Their common themes are finding a greater purpose, wanting to give back, and believing that this is a strategic time for Latinos to make their mark.

A native of Cuba, Carlos Orta was an executive at Anheuser-Busch and Ford Motor Company before taking the helm of the Hispanic Association for Corporate Responsibility in 2006. While in corporate America he saw too few Latinos in high-level positions and wanted to change that. Today his passion is opening corporate avenues for Latinos. A true believer in leadership development, Orta launched the Young Hispanic Corporate Achievers program, through which the brightest Latinos in corporate America stay connected to their culture and work for community advancement.

Orta could have remained on the corporate trajectory. Talk to him today and you will sense an infectious passion and a much broader purpose—ensuring that Latinos have a place at the corporate table! A new creative and challenging chapter in his destino has begun.

Destino Is Much More than Work

ONE THING IS CERTAIN, following one’s destino will ignite the fire that inspires and motivates. Tapping into one’s passion requires mulling over questions such as: What do you value and what must you have in your life? What do you love to do? What inspires you? Answering these questions will assist you in identifying your passion and motivation.

As an elder who is still going strong, I am often asked how I have stayed motivated to keep working at such a fast pace for so many years. My answer is that I do not really work. I am pursuing my destino—the source of power, passion, and energy. All of us have had experiences that bring a deep inner contentment. We are doing something that just feels right, a cause we believe in. We are serving—doing a task that needs to be done and just knowing it was ours to do.

Mario Garcia, the director of Chicago’s Onward Neighborhood House, has spent the last ten years growing and reenergizing the over-hundred-year-old community-based organization. Mario’s work takes many hours. He has to maneuver through countless obstacles and with limited resources. However, his enthusiasm is infectious when you talk to him: “I love what I do! It’s not work!” This contagious energy signifies that Mario is in sync with his destino.

Sometimes it takes courage to follow one’s passion. Lisa Quiroz was working at Time Warner when she had a brilliant idea. She talked to the CEO and persuaded him to launch a news magazine, Time for Kids. The magazine, now widely used in schools, motivates kids to read, learn about real-world topics, and build writing skills. Quiroz, who graduated from Harvard with an MBA, had qualms about working in corporate America because she was passionate about education and thought nonprofit work was a better venue. Today, the award-winning Time for Kids has gone digital and spawned a generation of “kid reporters” and a host of educational aids. By being true to her passion, Quiroz found a powerful way to influence education and support reading and literacy for millions of children.⁹

Destino beckons us to consider: What would you love to do even if you weren’t getting paid for it? What is in your heart of hearts? What are you passionate about? How are you applying the talents you were born with to make a contribution?

Identifying Special Skills and Talents

THE FASCINATING REALIZATION THAT there will never be another person just like you can be a source of great power and determination. Truly each of us is one of a kind. But tapping into our uniqueness requires an honest and thoughtful examination of our talents, gifts, and abilities. I like to call this our “destino backpack” because if destino is “the job you were sent here to do,” you will have certain innate skills and talents to help you accomplish this. Yes, you must develop your talents, but first you must know what they are. Then interestingly, life circumstances will provide the perfect training ground to grow these skills.

Uprooted by the Cuban revolution, Carlos Orta had lived in Cuba and Spain by the time he was five, and then the familia settled in Miami, Florida. His father held down three jobs even though he had been a professional in Cuba. His mother worked in a factory and went to school at night. Carlos was raised by his grandmother, who taught him traditional manners. “I was raised to be a modelo—a model child.” He was taught to be courteous and became self-contained and observant. As an only child, he was used to being with adults. Orta emerged as a poised and collected adult, with a broad perspective and the ability to talk to anyone. Today he converses with a corporate CEO or congressperson as easily as a community volunteer or a young professional. His early childhood was the perfect training ground for the work he does.

Leadership has been described as the ability to stay cool under fire—to perform under pressure and in the face of adversity. In the corporate realm, “executive temperament” signifies a similar trait alluded to in the adage “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Orta’s natural composure was further developed through experiences in politics and corporate America. As a child, he recalls, “I would ‘see things as they could or should be’ and had a fascination with building things. Although I did not become an architect, I am builder of sorts. I like growing organizations. I thrive on challenges and developing structure. I enjoy creating a comfortable space and forum for people.” Orta has combined his natural abilities with education and experience to embrace a very strategic destino—to lead a coalition of the sixteen largest Latino national organizations that aim to change the way corporate America includes and supports Latinos.

Communicating with people and being able to get ideas across is a cherished leadership trait across the board. As a relationship-oriented culture that values the oral tradition, Latinos also value charisma that allows leaders to connect with and motivate people on an emotional level. Janet Murguía has a fiery charismatic style, which was evident at a very young age. She grew up in a family of nine, where her ability to talk to others was honed at home. Murguía improved her speaking skills when she ran for student body president in high school, became a leader in college, and then went to law school. These experiences sharpened her natural ability to speak in a powerful, passionate, and convincing manner.

A roadblock for Latinos in embracing their special gifts and talents is that they value modesty. Bragging is not a positive trait. However, acknowledging your gifts is only a practice in humility. You were born with these. They were given to you. They were “inherited,” so there is no need to boast. (Only by embracing our innate talents can we consciously choose experiences to nurture and enhance these.) And people must know their gifts in order for collective and shared leadership to work. Part of the leader’s job is to identify and utilize each person’s special skills and talents.

Open the Door When Opportunity Knocks

ONE SURE WAY TO clarify your destino is to look at opportunities that have been offered out of the blue. We must pay special attention to anything that surprises us or seems like a lucky break. This is your purpose calling you and opening doors. Greenleaf advised that when new pathways open, we practice “fresh, open choice” and take the “leap of imagination.”¹⁰ Following your destino takes surrender and a little faith in the life process.

We all have had times in our lives when opportunity knocked—a favorable prospect appeared—an offer you could not refuse. Perhaps it was a new job or promotion, a special assignment, the chance to learn a special skill you would need in the future, or “accidentally” meeting a mentor. Orta has an interesting way to look at this: “I have a saying: ‘The harder I work, the luckier I get. The luckier I get, the harder I work.’ Once you know where you want to go, you will see and act on the opportunities that are presented to you.”

Then there are special or unique circumstances like living in another country or learning a new language. Many Latinos of my generation, for instance, grew up in neighborhoods where they were minorities, causing them to adapt at a very early age. This allowed us to be front-runners in learning how to function successfully in the dominant culture. We also changed Anglo perceptions of Latinos as not being able to speak English well or as being poorly educated.

There are also those special moments when things just seem to come together—or what might be called coincidences that converge in a meaningful way. Joe Jaworski, the founder of the American Leadership Forum, termed this synchronicity and thought we should pay close attention—this was life guiding us on our path. He believed if we responded to these situations, things would begin falling in place almost effortlessly because we would be allowing our life to unfold.¹¹

After returning from the Peace Corps in Chile, I moved to Madison, Wisconsin, with my new husband, who was going to law school. With my papers and commendations in hand I went to the Department of Social Services to apply for a job as a social worker. In Chile I had organized production cooperatives in low-income barrios. (Today these are called microenterprises.) I was fired up! If I could do this kind of work with almost no resources, I could tackle any barrier. The interviewer seemed overwhelmed by my enthusiasm. He stopped me and said, “Look, I can see you are motivated and talented, but we only hire people with a master’s in social work.”

I was stunned. I was the first really literate person in my family. I had a college degree, and in my world that was el último. I gathered my courage, picked up my papers, and empathically put them on his desk: “You don’t understand. I was born to be a social worker.” He looked astonished and then said, “Well, if you can go down to the University of Wisconsin and get into the master’s program, we will give you an educational stipend if you will come back and work for us.” That was my destino opening the door and preparing me for my life’s work. And it wasn’t even my idea!

Murguía sees opportunity as “angels in my path along the way.” Jerry Rogers, the financial director at the University of Kansas, personally helped her and her twin sister find enough money to go to college. “This angel of a man would sit down with us and made sure our financial aid package worked. He really saw our potential. There wasn’t any form of student aid that he didn’t help us with. We did work-study, got scholarships and student loans, and kept our grades up. Getting into law school was the same thing. We couldn’t afford it. At one point my parents had five children in college. But here was the law school admissions officer who believed in me and helped me. He fought to keep me in that school.”

Honor One’s Legacy and Personal Vision

IN HIS BRILLIANT EXPLORATION of personal transformation, the renowned scholar Joseph Campbell identified the “hero’s journey” as the search for true identity—“to become what we were meant to become—to achieve our ‘vital design.’”¹² While the seeds of your destino were present at your birth, understanding your “vital design” requires reflection and integrating the pieces of your life so congruency becomes apparent. Then just as utilizing a muscle will make it stronger, so embracing your destino will make your life plan clearer and more encompassing.

For your destino to expand, continue asking, Where is my life leading me? Or as Greenleaf counseled—How can I best serve?¹³ Then again, particularly for Latinos and leaders who are committed to future generations, consider, What do I want my legacy to be? This will begin shaping your choices and life’s journey. Covey encouraged people to cultivate the habit of beginning with the end in mind. What are your hopes and dreams for the future? What is the contribution you want to make? Covey urged, “Honor the vision of what you will become.”¹⁴

Murguía believes that she has been guided by the values instilled in her as a child—family, faith, community, hard work, love of country, and sacrifice. These values converge in her desire “to help open the doors of the American dream like they were for my family and for me.” This is why she took the helm of the largest Latino advocacy organization in our country—the National Council of La Raza. “I think with my own career and life it has been very mission oriented. I am responding to a calling in some respects, and you know, for us, we’re always trying to make sure we’re fulfilling that destiny which lies ahead.”

Tapping into one’s destino requires soul searching and trusting that the inspiration you need will be forthcoming. Just as nature is the great conserver and recycles every leaf, so too every aspect of your life will be integrated into your unique life’s purpose day by day.

The first time Arturo Vargas appeared in the Los Angeles Times he was ten years old and holding a picket sign. His elementary school had minimal resources and no playground, and because of overcrowding had gone to double sessions where children attended school only half a day. His immigrant parents, who had come to the United States so their children could get an education, joined a group called Padres Unidos. They began picketing the elementary school with the baby in a stroller and Arturo at their side. Padres Unidos changed these conditions, and Arturo learned at a young age the power of activism. Today, he continues fighting for the full participation of Latinos in the political process, including elective office, active citizenship, and public service. His destino surfaced at a very young age and was even documented in the LA Times!

¡Ándale!—Moving Forward

BY DEFINITION LATINO LEADERS are connected to and represent their community and people. Chapter 6 reviews key values that inspire leaders to treat every single person with respect, be generous and kind, have service at their core, and work diligently for people’s advancement. Culture is the rich soil from which leadership principles that are rooted in people and community have emerged.

Latinos are diversity. They comprise many races from many nations and may have Jewish, Arab, or Muslim antecedents in addition to a historical Catholic tradition. Because Latinos are an ethnic group and not a race, we will learn how this presented a conundrum for the US census. Chapter 7 sets the stage for understanding the emerging Latino identity and how this shapes leadership with a bienvenido spirit. The emphasis on intergenerational leadership also reflects the openness and inclusiveness of the culture.