A transformational leader actively works to inspire, encourage, and motivate their team. These actions are accomplished by setting positive examples, establishing a strong sense of community and culture, and providing teams with ownership and independence in the workplace.
Fatima Hasan Callahan is a pioneering example of transformational leadership. She is the Managing Director of Blue Line Security Solutions, a woman-owned and minority-owned company. As a leader, Fatima appreciates feedback and constructive criticism and is always willing to lead her organization selflessly alongside her business partner, Jack Harris.
Fatima maintains a very clear vision for the future. She shares, “I value feedback and collaboration because everyone has a voice and differing perspectives that are meaningful. I enjoy learning from others and gaining new facets of knowledge.”
Early Entrepreneurial Inklings
Fatima was exposed to business from her youngest years, and she was always curious to know more. Her inquisitive nature encouraged her to become deeply involved in her parents’ food manufacturing company, which still operates in Harvey, Illinois. Growing up, she spent a significant amount of time reading enjoying novels and manga. Her other interests included riding dirt bikes, training in martial arts, and playing lacrosse. “I also still love to play video games and spend time with my family, friends, and pets. My guilty pleasure is Pokémon,” she quickly adds.
During her sophomore year of college, Fatima experienced a pivotal moment in her life. Her father was involved in an accident and had to undergo emergency surgery. At this moment, Fatima decided to start going to school part-time to further focus on her career and family business. She shares, “I sustained full operations for several months until my father recovered and returned to work. This period of my life was incredibly impactful because I became a leader in my family.”
Leveraging Her Uniqueness
Today, Blue Line Security Solutions stands tall as a respected woman-owned and minority-owned company. When starting the company, Fatima shares, “we bounced ideas back and forth and took that time to establish our strategy and intention. We focused on what we wanted to do, how we were going to do it, and why we wanted to do it in the first place.”
She adds, “I think we all knew deep down that we were in a unique position to make a positive impact. Our mission from the start was to always focus on the highest quality standards when it comes to service and professionalism.” As such, Blue Line Security’s management team places a rigorous emphasis on advanced training, team building, communication, presentation, technology integration, attention to detail, responsiveness, proactiveness, and more.
Blue Line has grown tremendously over the last several years, and its premium services geared toward helping clients and staff have only snowballed. Fatima finds herself extremely fortunate to work with highly talented individuals who have decades of combined experience in law enforcement, business management, legal and regulatory compliance, and private security.
Small business owners and entrepreneurs do whatever it takes to ensure their businesses succeed. Fatima elucidates, “I am grateful for my mother and father because they are the ones who taught me this lesson from a young age. I have enjoyed experiencing the growth of Blue Line Security and have filled in many roles over the years.”
Fatima’s string of responsibilities include finance and accounting, sales and marketing, client, and employee relations. Additionally, Fatima works on innovation, team building, growth strategy, regulatory compliance, insurance acquisition, and more. As she explains, she is hands-on and will do whatever is necessary to ensure the growth and success of Blue Line Security Solutions.
Invariably, Fatima praises her business partner, Jack Harris, as he plays an integral role in Blue Line’s success. She describes him as “a natural leader and an essential part of the company’s sales, operations, team building, and more. Jack and I are very different, but we have a great working relationship and get along extremely well. I can always depend on him, and he has become a great family friend.”+
Balancing The Seesaw of Work and Life
Over the years, Fatima faced challenges related to the darker side of business management and ownership. Nevertheless, dedication, perseverance, and sacrifice made her ride worthwhile.
Sharing more about her work-life balance, Fatima actively tries to improve it in healthy ways by setting up the proper habits and systems. Moreover, she has learned that organization and time management are critical, and it is essential to take one thing at a time and prioritize oneself. Another crucial factor is establishing a team you can trust and depend on.
Fatima also learned to work from anywhere as she ensures that almost everything is accessible digitally. She shares, “I utilize Google calendar for extensive planning and scheduling. I use alarms and reminders on my phone, which keep me on track. My husband also instinctively knows when it is time to pull me away from my computer on those late work nights!”
Looking back at her journey, she asserts that she would not change anything significantly except investing earlier and cherishing being in the present moment more. Fatima’s experiences have led her to practice gratitude in each aspect of her life. In her own words, “we all experience ups and downs, and even though we cannot stop the waves, we can learn how to surf. I have learned not to fight the tide but to ride it.”
Her Reflective Advice
Fatima holds the importance of time close to her heart and soul and shares, “time is precious. If you have an idea, a goal, a dream, pursue it! Work toward your goals by establishing meaningful systems and habits. Set yourself up for long-term success, and don’t be afraid to start small. Take everything as a learning lesson and surround yourself with the right people. I always seek to establish new relationships and gain more knowledge from my mentors.”
She believes that everyone holds a unique asset, and you should always invest in yourself. Furthermore, Fatima believes in the power of consistency. She details, “consistency leads to habits, and habits form the actions that we take each day. Our actions, no matter how insignificant they may seem, lead to our overall success.”
Fatima also asserts that profits should never be prioritized over the needs of clients and staff.
Blue Line Security Solutions: A Beaming Future
Fatima is confident that Blue Line Security Solution’s future is beaming with progress, success, and new opportunities. Her goal is to bring her company across the Midwest and beyond. She adds, “we are excited to see where the next several years will take us, but we are enjoying the journey and grind for now. When the team has some downtime, we are like a big family and really let our goofy sides out. We have truly established meaningful relationships with one another and enjoy spending time together. For example, our management team often elects to eat lunch together and take time to bond.”
She is excited to continue developing stronger relationships with her team and working toward their collective vision for Blue Line Security Solutions. “We are currently in the process of implementing new software that will holistically revamp our operations. In addition, we will soon be offering some completely new services to our clients. It is an exciting time, and we truly do have so much fun.”
In all honesty, Fatima shares, “there is no better feeling than working with your team and experiencing the rewards of your efforts. At Blue Line Security Solutions, we will always continue to dedicate ourselves to our clients, staff, and communities.”
