Chris Cebollero, a best-selling author and motivational speaker, visited with a U of A leadership and administration class recently to discuss the definition of leadership, emotional intelligence and understanding the measurement of leadership success.

He was the guest of Donia Timby, instructor of human development and family sciences in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Science's School of Human Environmental Sciences.

Timby teaches Introduction to Leadership and Administration in the Helping Professions, and Cebollero's discussion was based on his book Ultimate Leadership: 10 Rules for Success. The book was an Amazon No. 1 bestseller.

The class is a basic introduction to definitions pertaining to leadership and the emotional intelligence. Emphasis is on how being a successful leader is an essential component of being a successful administrator in organizations. Topics include facilities, budget, staff development and policy manuals.

Cebollero asked students questions, including, "Don't be afraid to admit what challenges you. How do you become great if you don't know your challenges?"

He offered bits of wisdom, including, "Experience comes from mistakes; mistakes come from lack of experience." His No. 1 tip is "Never allow your emotions to dictate your actions. It's easier said than done. It hung over my head like a black cloud for about 10 years."

He shared personal experiences, with takeaways such as, "I wanted to control everything, until I realized it was hurting me. How many times have you over-thought something and it never happened?"

Cebollero's book is based on his personal mistakes, failures and lessons learned. He spent 30 years in the medical field, where he led hundreds of professionals. He is the senior partner of Cebollero & Associates, a leadership/medical consulting firm. In 2014, his emergency medical service teams (Christian Hospital EMS) responded to medical emergencies related to riots, looting and assaults following the grand jury announcement regarding the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

He has said the crisis vision statement for his team was the foundation for successful leadership, "First, go home at the end of shift; second, deliver the very best patient care; third, be leaders in our community; and last ,be role models for our career field."

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.