Building From Scratch As A Leader: Lessons Learned from Langston University Marching Band

I almost missed it. The jazz band was hosting a free concert from 12–1 p.m. at the Langston University Den. The café closes at 2 p.m. The Den becomes a hangout—laughter, study groups, young love, ambition, dreams. I was buried in meetings, moving from one problem to the next, when my office manager, Shilah, stopped me. “Dean, you need to go.” She sent me on my way. When I walked into the Den, I froze. The place was packed. Students lined the walls. Some sat in chairs. The air was electric. At the center stood Dr. Mark Gordon, our Director of Bands, leading with passion. The music—born from the Black experience—rose with pain, resilience, and triumph woven into every note. Jazz carries history. It carries a struggle. It carries faith. It carries survival. I felt it in my chest. Several days earlier, I had met with Dr. Gordon to discuss collaborating on a fundraising initiative using music to raise scholarship dollars for our business students. He did not hesitate. He bought in immediately. He told me something that stayed with me. “When I arrived in 2018, there were only 45 students in the band.”  Today, over 300 march in the “Marching Pride,” with nearly a third coming from the Bahamas and other regions. No special treatment. No windfall funding. No blank check from a wealthy institution. He raised money himself. He recruited himself. He built culture himself. He built from scratch.

Introduction

How do you start a program or a project from scratch as a leader? I almost missed a powerful lesson from the Den and Dr. Gordon. Building something significant with limited resources requires a resilient kind of leadership. Not long ago, I spoke with an MBA director from an elite institution. He complained about a lack of resources. “If the school wants more,” he said, “they need to invest more.” He was right—from his vantage point. But at many HBCUs, especially under-resourced ones, waiting for ideal conditions is a luxury we cannot afford. When I became dean in 2024, I learned quickly that the budget would not save us. Strategy would not save us alone. The title would not save us. Only disciplined leadership would.

When you build from scratch, you learn what you’re made of. You learn what you truly believe. And for me, I learned quickly that I would have to depend on God in ways I had not before. I call it the Brick-Without-Strategy. If you don’t have bricks, you build anyway. If you don’t have mortar, you mix something. If you don’t have permission, you earn trust. You move. That is the HBCU experience. We have always built without what others take for granted.

Ten Essentials for Building From Scratch

Rebuilding from scratch is challenging, not just a romantic idea. When there is no established infrastructure, no generous surplus, and no safety net to absorb mistakes, leadership becomes stripped down to its essentials. You quickly discover that titles do not build programs, budgets do not create culture, and good intentions do not produce momentum. What remains are the core disciplines that separate dreamers from builders. In environments where vision must precede provision, certain leadership qualities are no longer optional; they become non-negotiable.

Below are some key attributes for building a program from scratch:

1. Vision Beyond Circumstance
You must see what does not yet exist. When Dr. Gordon saw 45 students, he saw 300. When I saw enrollment challenges in 2024, I saw momentum. Vision precedes provision.

2. Relentless Ownership
No excuses. No blame. When resources are thin, leaders do not complain. They own outcomes.

3. Fundraising Mindset
In under-resourced environments, fundraising is not optional. It is a necessity. Dr. Gordon raised funds. I raise funds. Leaders who build from scratch learn to ask.

4. Culture Before Cash
Money follows culture. Culture never follows money. The band is strong because the culture is strong. Students stay where they feel seen.

5. Relentless Recruiting: Seeing Potential, Not Just Numbers
Every student is not just a number. While others were on vacation over the summer, we worked at the business school. Met with parents and talked to new students to go from Spring 2025 – 325 to 416 in the Fall 2025. Recruiting is not magic. It is hard work.

6. Talent Development Over Talent Acquisition
Elite schools can buy talent. Builders must develop it. You grow people. You mentor deeply. You correct with care.

7. Strategic Partnerships
You cannot build alone. Collaboration is leverage. When Dr. Gordon supported the music-scholarship initiative, that was alignment. Alignment multiplies impact.

8. Emotional Resilience
Building from scratch will humble you. It will test your confidence. You must withstand criticism without losing conviction. In my upcoming book, The Dean’s Devotional, I bear witness to the power of resiliency. 

9. Faith Under Pressure
When the numbers don’t work, and the spreadsheets don’t cooperate, faith carries you. For many of us in HBCU leadership, faith is not symbolic. It is survival.

10. Long-Term Legacy Thinking
You do not build for applause. You build for generations. You build so that someone else inherits something stronger than what you found.

Conclusion

As the final notes faded and the audience applauded that day, I watched Dr. Gordon lower his hands with the quiet confidence of a man who had earned that moment. He did not inherit abundance. He cultivated excellence. He did not wait for ideal conditions. Dr. Gordon created momentum. In that Den, filled with history, resilience, and pride, I saw a reflection of the HBCU journey itself—institutions and leaders who transform scarcity into strength through vision, ownership, culture, and faith. When I walked back to my office, I was reminded that true leadership is not defined by what you are given but by what you are willing to build. In the end, building from scratch reveals the character, conviction, and courage that define a lasting leader.

Note: This message previews themes from Dr. Daryl D. Green’s forthcoming book, The Dean’s Devotional, which explores spiritual wisdom for leaders navigating opposition, uncertainty, and purpose-driven leadership in complex times.

© 2026 by D. D. Green

About Dr. Daryl Green:

Dr. Daryl D. Green is a business strategist, speaker, and noted author. He is the new Dean of the Business School at Langston University. Dr. Green has been featured and quoted by USA Today, Ebony Magazine, and the Associated Press. In 2016, he retired from the DOE, where he had served as a senior engineer for more than 27 years. Dr. Green is an award-winning speaker and author with several published books, including Job Strategies for the 21st Century, Small Business Marketing, and Marketing for Professionals. For more information about this article or for business assistance, please contact Dr. Green at advice@darylgreen.org.