When the Work Speaks…VOTE!

By Cameil D. Coleman

Key Players Consultancy

Halloween is not a holiday I personally celebrate.

But if I'm being honest, I know what frightens me.

What frightens me is watching people silence their own voices.

What frightens me is watching communities surrender their influence.

What frightens me is watching leadership become more performative than productive.

As another election season ends, I find myself reflecting on a moment in history that forever shaped my view of leadership, public service, and results.

In 2000, I had the privilege of serving under the first Allegheny County Executive, the late James C. Roddey. It was a historic moment for Allegheny County. Our county government was transitioning from a three-commissioner structure to a new form of government led by a single County Executive. It also represented a significant political shift in a county that had long been predominantly Democratic.

For me, the moment carried an additional layer of significance.

I became the youngest person appointed to lead an Allegheny County department.

As Director of the Allegheny County Department of Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, I was entrusted with helping address concerns that were making headlines throughout the region. Two major projects, PNC Park and Heinz Field, were under construction, and many questioned whether minority-owned businesses had meaningful access to the contracting opportunities those projects created.

I was interviewed by the first African American newspaper in the country and asked about my appointment, my age, and my plans for the department.

My response was simple:

"Let the work that I do speak for me."

At the time, those words reflected confidence.

Today, they prompt reflection.

Because I did not spend my time focused on headlines. I focused on developing measurable, sustainable programs.  I focused on systems. I still do.

I took ownership of the County's minority certification program and brought its operations in-house after years of external administration. I adopted the U.S. Department of Transportation's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise framework because it offered structure, accountability, legal defensibility, and measurable outcomes.

That work led to my participation as one of five founding members of what became the Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program, a system that remains in existence today and continues to provide reciprocity and opportunity for businesses across the Commonwealth and beyond.

But certification alone was never enough.

Business owners repeatedly told us that access to contracts was only part of the challenge. Access to capital, technical assistance, and business development support often presented even greater barriers.

So we expanded our efforts.

Programs were developed to address those needs because true community engagement requires listening before leading.

Even the physical location of the office reflected a philosophy I could never quite accept. At the time, minority business owners often had to conduct their affairs behind locked doors in shared space with the Public Defender's Office.

I relocated the operation because accessibility matters.

Optics matter.

Environment matters.

The way government interacts with people sends a message before a single word is spoken.

Looking back, I remain proud of those accomplishments not because they were mine, but because many of them still exist. They were measurable. They were sustainable. They addressed real needs identified by the community itself.

And yet today, I find myself asking a question I never expected to ask.

If the work truly speaks for us, are we still listening?

We live in a time when visibility often receives more recognition than impact.

Announcements receive more attention than implementation.

Intentions sometimes receive more praise than outcomes.

And that creates a challenge for leaders in every sector.

How do we distinguish between performative effort and genuine effort?

How do we measure success?

More importantly, what happens when programs originally viewed as symbolic begin producing real, measurable results?

Were they intended to solve problems, or simply acknowledge them?

Those questions extend far beyond government.

They apply to businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions, community organizations, and even our personal lives.

The most meaningful work is rarely the most visible.

It happens in policy decisions, operational improvements, sustainable systems, and opportunities created for people who otherwise might have been overlooked.

As we close another election season, I encourage everyone, regardless of party affiliation, to think critically about the voices you elevate and the leaders you support.

Not because someone is popular.

Not because someone is charismatic.

Not because someone confirms what you already believe.

Ask harder questions.

What have they accomplished?

What problems have they solved?

Whose lives are measurably better because of their leadership?

What evidence exists beyond the talking points?

Whether evaluating elected officials, business executives, nonprofit leaders, or ourselves, results matter.

The most powerful tool we possess is not our opinion.

It is our voice.

And the most effective use of that voice is thoughtful participation.

To me, that is what leadership looks like.

Not sitting on our hands.

Not remaining silent.

Not assuming someone else will decide what matters.

Participation matters.

Accountability matters.

Results matter.

And after all these years, I still believe what that young department director told a reporter more than two decades ago:

Let the work speak.

Then listen carefully to what it says. VOTE

Key Players Consultancy Insight: True leadership is not measured by visibility, titles, rhetoric, or recognition. It is measured by sustainable impact. Whether in government, business, or community engagement, the question remains the same: What changed because you were there?