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HOST: This leadership development podcast is brought to you by: Ovi Vasquez, Inspirational Leadership Keynote Speaker. Fatherless farm boy from rural Guatemala—Inspiring teams to peak performance. He challenges teams to embrace change and step into bold leadership through leadership culture. He grew up in a village without electricity, learned English in two years, graduated from high school in three years, earned a B.A. in management, in two years. Ovi has worked for Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, and Uber. He is a TEDx speaker, author, and social entrepreneur.

GUEST BIO: Meet Rene Romero, the 2026 California Teacher of the Year at South Hills High School in the Covina Valley Unified School District. A former English learner from East Los Angeles, Rene now teaches International Baccalaureate Language and Literature and holds a master’s degree in Cultural Studies. With 22 years in education, he leads with a powerful blend of love ethic, intellectual rigor, and social awareness to develop confident, courageous young adults.

Find our guest at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rene-romero-57880b393
Find our host at: https://www.ovinspires.com

Leadership Development Keywords: educational leadership, love ethic, productive rage, IB education, talent development, psychological safety, bilingual leadership, mentorship, reflective leadership, values-driven leadership

Leadership Development Summary: In this episode, René Romero shares how growing up in East LA, surrounded by gang culture but supported by hardworking parents and his grandmother, shaped his leadership. From being placed in the back of the classroom as a Spanish-speaking student to becoming California Teacher of the Year, René explains why leadership means helping students cross life thresholds with courage. He emphasizes love as a leadership ethic, productive outrage against inequity, and creating reflective classroom cultures that build future leaders.

10 Takeaways on Leadership Development
✅ Leadership is helping others cross thresholds
✅ Love ethic builds authentic influence
✅ Productive rage challenges unjust systems
✅ Admit when you don’t know
✅ Reflection prevents burnout
✅ Pause before reacting
✅ Give students voice
✅ Recognize quiet impact
✅ Every person has a story
✅ The future generation is capable

5 Titles for Leadership Development
✅ From English Learner to California Teacher of the Year
✅ Leading With Love and Productive Rage
✅ Helping Students Cross Life’s Thresholds
✅ Treat People Like Stories
✅ Don’t Sell the Next Generation Short

5 Sound Bites for Leadership Development
🗣 “Leadership is giving students the courage to cross thresholds.”
🗣 “You can’t fake love. Students see through it.”
🗣 “Treat people like stories.”
🗣 “We don’t have all the answers.”
🗣 “The future looks good.”

10 Chapters on Leadership Development
00:00 – Meet Rene Romero
03:37 – Defining Leadership
05:12 – Family and East LA Roots
06:50 – From Spanish Learner to IB Teacher
08:59 – Teachers Who Shaped Him
11:58 – Love Ethic and Productive Rage
14:27 – Developing Future Leaders
15:58 – Preventing Burnout Through Reflection
22:19 – Books That Shaped His Leadership
30:56 – Message to the Next Generation

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