Read Gayle Hazelwood’s bio: http://www.nps.gov/diversity/index2a.htm

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President's Message

Welcome! I am deeply honored to join this outstanding group of women leaders. I’d like to offer a special thanks to my friend and colleague Linda Springer from the Office of Personnel Management for presiding over this ceremony. What a spectacular setting for this event—the Mary McCleod Bethune Council House, a place of history that marks her leadership as a woman of vision and action.

Those gathered here are leaders of economy, culture, community, science, health, education, administrative services, and governance. You need no lessons in leadership. Each of you has your own saga of leadership and service.

But let me share a few thoughts on my own operational compass—one that transcends the world of Washington and transcends public and private spheres of action. Our bookshelves boast many tomes on leadership—tomes that offer observations on the many, many attributes of leadership. I’d like to center on three attributes that I believe are important to leadership, attributes that I call the 3 C’s—courage, conviction and confidence.

We all understand the significance of courage. Each of us can recall great women who stepped away from hearth, home, and workplaces to change the course of human events, For me, I remember, in particular, first learning as a young girl the story of Harriet Tubman. Born an enslaved person, Harriet Tubman had a passion for liberty—for the opportunity to fulfill her greatest potential by securing her own freedom. She risked her life to seek liberty and then, again and again, put her own life at risk to bring others out of slavery to freedom. We need no reminders of her extraordinary courage.

Yet I want to talk about perhaps a subtler kind of courage that accompanies leadership—the courage, in our daily workplaces, to “think outside the box,” and the courage of humility. Both, I believe, are critical to leadership.

Sometimes, as philosopher Bertrand Russell once opined, it is important to “hang a question mark on matters long taken for granted.” Consider a team of our biologists in Alaska. They had observed declines in albatross and identified local fishing practices as a possible contributor to that decline. Staying “inside the box,” they might simply have pressed to have the fishing cease. Instead, they thought “outside the box.” They contacted the fishermen and women and explained the problem. The fishermen and women, using their experiential knowledge—their knowledge of situation, equipment, and practice—contemplated the problem, and then came up with new practices that would not affect the albatross. The result was a win-win for all—the birds could thrive and the fishing could continue.

Each of you has similar tales in your own workplace. Often, these tales of problem solving spring from recognizing the importance of “local” or experiential knowledge—a recognition that answers do not always reside at headquarters. Put more elegantly, as poet Wallace Stevens once wrote: “Perhaps real truth resides in a walk around the lake.” It often resides in the knowledge of time, place, and situation—the knowledge that comes from daily, on-the-ground professional experience.

Problem solving also often springs from recognizing that “no man—or woman—is an island.” Leadership resides in tapping the knowledge and imagination of many—and working together.

This observation brings me to a second dimension of courage—that dimension is humility. Every single person is important and special. Washington is a place of rankings and titles. But it’s important never to forget that each and every person deserves respect. Each individual has something to offer. Leadership is about searching for that excellence. It is about the ability to say “Wow, that’s a job well done!” So, too, is it about the ability to say “Oops, I goofed.”

I’ve highlighted the imperative of having the courage to be different—and the courage to be humble. Leadership requires these elements of courage. In my job, every once in awhile, it also requires the courage to climb into a shark tank—literally and metaphorically. I recently visited Veracruz, Mexico to dedicate an aquarium. At the end of the ceremony, I was asked if I’d like to climb in shark tank and feed them. Next thing I knew, there I was, submerged in a clear acrylic “cage” with holes in its sides. Water poured into the cage, filling up to my chest. We then fed the sharks tuna on a stick—looking at them through the cage eyeball to eyeball or, perhaps more dramatically, tooth to tooth. I felt right at home after years in Washington.

Courage, one way or another, is important. So, too, does leadership require conviction.

Success in any endeavor, it seems to me, centers on “seizing the day”—doing something you love. I once heard someone comment that “If love your work, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Such conviction nourishes a capacity for leadership.

Over these past 6 years, I have met many outstanding leaders. Among them, one great woman executive at Interior Department has especially inspired me. She often talks of her mother’s wisdom. She is phenomenally dynamic as she leads conservation partnerships around the Nation. I’ll borrow from the wisdom of her mother who always told her: “No deposit, no return.” That “deposit”, I believe, springs from a conviction that what each of us is doing is important—a belief that we are making a difference for world around us.

As we gather here at the Mary McCleod Bethune Council House, I contemplate the meaning of leadership through conviction. Mary Bethune was the daughter of parents born into slavery. She had a passion for education. She wanted to touch the lives of African American girls—girls for whom educational opportunity was often out of reach.

Mary McCleod Bethune opened a school in 1904 in Florida. The school had no equipment, so Mary used crates used for desks. The students’ ink came from crushed elderberries. Mary McCleod Bethune financed the school through baking pies and making ice cream—that is work that sprang from conviction and a determination to succeed. Eventually her small school grew—and became a college.

Mary McCleod was a person of conviction. She was also a person of confidence. Conviction without confidence will yield only limited results.

Thus, I come to the 3^rd “C”—perhaps the recent T-shirt phrase says it all: “You go, girl!” We all need confidence—the self-assurance to act. But that assurance comes from a strong sense of purpose: “What is our mission?” “What are our goals”?

Success in any organization—large and small—is about knowing where you are trying to go and measuring progress. Consider the metaphor of mankind’s quest to measure longitude. In the book Longitude, author Dana Sobel recounts the tale of October, 1707 when the entire British fleet was lost, not in battle, but on the rocks of the Scilly Isles. The flagship smashed into the rocks, and every other ship in the fleet followed blindly behind to destruction. Four warships were lost and 2,000 people lost their lives.

Why did this tragedy unfold? The British navy had no way to measure longitude. They knew where they wanted to go, but they did not know how to measure progress. This is, I believe, an apt metaphor for our workplaces—and for leadership.

Great courage, conviction, and confidence are imperative. But with those qualities, we must also have a strong sense of purpose, mission, and clearly articulated goals.

As I thought about this gathering tonight—and the 3 “C’s” of my remarks, I decided I had left out another important “C” of leadership. That fourth element is the imperative of civility. Civility is perhaps the greatest civic virtue. Our interactions in workplace are not about “winning debates”. Conversation is about communicating. Communication requires civility. I am always struck by the wisdom of author William Isaacs who, in his book Dialogue describes dialogue as conversation with a center not sides. I believe truly great leaders must nurture such conversations,

I am delighted to join all of you in this organization to help inspire a world of women leaders. Thank you!

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Conversation With...Series Features David Gergen

By Becky Minton

June 2007 - David Gergen began his presentation by citing “Democracy in America” as one of the best books ever written. He said that even though the book is 200 years old, the author, Alexis de Tocqueville, attributed America’s success due to the superiority of its women. He went on to say that women must work harder than men to achieve success.  He cited Ginger Rogers who was a better dancer than Fred Astaire because she did everything he did---only backwards.  

Gergen, who is only the second male to address the members of EWG in recent history, is a professor and Director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University.  Seven years ago, he began the “Women in Power Program,”  a ten-day program focused on women looking for executive positions in corporate America.  The program accepts between 50 and 60 women per year. One of the most popular parts of this program is a breakfast team building exercise for five women.  One woman serves as CEO for the day and the other four team members serve as her board of directors. The roles rotate each day so each woman serves as CEO whereby she gets to ask for assistance from other team members about a major issue or problem she’s facing on her job.

When asked to describe power, Gergen said it is much like porn....nobody can really describe it but they know it when they see it.  He then spoke about authority, which comes from having a title or a specific position, and influence, which can come from anyone.  Both result in power.  He indicated that to lead, you must develop informal power—the power that people choose to give to you.

Gergen also cited two trends that will affect working women. He said that most women are collaborative and cooperative, and serve as mentors to others.  This is consistent with the new leadership models, which encourage cross-functional communications and consensus building. On the negative side, the current work environment is very competitive and more women want to have better balance in their lives than their parents had. He cited the fact that many successful female students at Harvard choose to leave the workforce within ten years of graduation.
He also said that US businesses need more than a few token women to achieve balance when staffing their senior leadership ranks and that a minimum of 20% of these jobs must be held by non-white males for the group to have any influence or a voice at the table. 

He went on to say that the next president will have unprecedented challenges and will need to be a consensus builder. Specifically, the incoming president will be faced with issues related to social security, global warming, health care, and the wars abroad. All of these challenges will be coming at a time when there will be high turnover among the senior staff in public office as the baby boomers retire in higher numbers.

Gergen ended his session by answering several questions from the audience. 

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Three Fall Events Kick off Another Exciting Year

The 2007-08 event year began with three exciting events that offered the chance to hear from two successful women on moving forward, and the chance to give back to the community while having some fun.

September 26 - Brown Bag Luncheon: Practical Tips on Assembling Your SES Certification Package. Carol Harvey, recently retired from OPM where she administered the SES personnel system, shared an insider’s view on the qualifications and process of the Senior Executive Service program. The event was free to all EWG members and drew a packed crowd.

November 28 - Conversation with… Vice Admiral Nancy Elizabeth Brown. Vice Admiral Brown, Director for C4 Systems (J6) The Joint Staff, is one of the Navy’s highest ranking women with an illustrious career that spans 32 years. She received additional accolades from EWG members for her thoughtful presentation covering the career path she chose and perspectives on the present and future roles of women. Read our next edition for a summary of her remarks and advice.

December 4 – Holiday Tea and Fundraiser. An EWG signature event, this year’s Holiday Tea may well prove to be the most successful yet. In support of the Newton Marasco Foundation, the event included remarks from Amy Marasco Newton, Foundation President; a holiday bazaar; a silent auction; and a raffle. Not to mention good food and company. EWG also thanks Project Performance Corporation for its continuing support through generous sponsorship. Full recap in the next issue.

For more information on the Newton Marasco Foundation and Amy Marasco Newton, go to http://www.newtonmarascofoundation.org/.

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Watch for These Upcoming Events in 2008

January – Conversation With series continues

February - Flash Mentoring: EWG Style. EWG’s Career Series hosts a panel plus an energetic flash mentoring hour - Details to come.

March – 2008 Annual Conference & Training Summit. In one day, you’ll explore myriad topics and ideas that translate to strategies that improve how you and your colleagues manage federal programs. The Summit is the only event developed for and by senior executive women who work each day-to-day to improve the federal government for its citizens and its workforce. Details to come.

For more information on all EWG events, go to http://execwomeningov.org/events/.

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Secrets to Choosing the Right Path

By Tina Sung

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Yogi Berra

Everyday, I speak to men and women facing transition into a new job, a new organization, or retirement. They are apprehensive about the future. Questions abound: Will I have enough money to do what I want, how do I know what I really want to do that will tap into my passion, will my experience be valued, will my work have meaning, will I be able to learn new things, how do I leave with grace and make a smooth transition to the new, and many more? Given the new reality of demographic changes, financial need, and desire to engage in meaningful work, choosing the right path for you is one of the most important life decisions you will face. This article will share 3 secrets for success that I have learned in my personal journey. More secrets will be shared in future articles.

The New Reality
The great comedian, Lily Tomlin, said “one of the chief causes of stress in the world today is reality.” The new reality about life expectancy and expectations of work are just now becoming widely known. Financial planners are telling clients that they should plan financially to live to 100. A girl born today has a 50-50 chance of living to 100. Seventy seven percent of today’s workers expect to work for pay in retirement, according to the PEW Research Center 2006 survey. They will work for 20 more years. By a 2:1 margin, those who expect to work say they will do so because they want to, not because they have to. Knowing this information has changed my life and my view of why the work I’m doing is important to an entire generation of executive men and women. I now realize that a pension is not going to be enough, that I need to work, and that I want to work, in order to stay mentally active and to be with people I like.

Secret #1: Drive on the Right Side of the Road

The first steps in the journey ask you to rediscover what’s important to you. Everyone has a personal set of values and beliefs. They are unique to you. I work with executives to discern their “drivers”. These drivers give you energy, and show up in patterns throughout your life in terms of decisions and choices you’ve made, and are closely linked with the success factors of your career. Then explore your career history, your strengths, your accomplishments, what you love to do, and what you hate to do. Your capability to perform well is a function of your motivation (what you want to do based on your values and beliefs) and your skills, (what you are able to do based on your abilities and experience).

The seeds of your best “what’s next” are planted while you are in federal service and in the jobs you have held to date. Mine them for what you have learned and take the best into the next.

Secret #2: We Live in a World of Possibilities

Possibilities are influenced by perception. Often, the executives I work with haven’t opened the lens wide enough. In the next steps of the journey, explore and create an appetite for change. Understand the market for your experience and understand the elements of executive job search. Factors to consider are Money, Work Style, and Where: stay in federal service; go to the private sector, the social sector, or state or local government; start your own business; join a consulting firm or hang out your own shingle; own a franchise, get on boards, volunteer, or join academia. What we’re finding is that the sectors are collapsing into each other and that the distinctions between the sectors will continue to diminish. The implication for you is that that your experience will be valued. The challenge for you is to articulate your value in the language of the other sectors.

Freedom of choice is scary, but you are not alone. There are scouts like me and my partner, Peter Sherer, who have been out to the “frontier” and can guide you through the transition and give you the information, skills, and tools you need. Plus, there are many of your peers to have made successful transitions and are willing to share their stories. We’re creating a network so that we can share the lessons learned and provide a sense of community and support.

Secret #3: Don’t Get Stuck in Neutral

When Katie Couric resigned from the Today show in 2006, she said “it’s terrifying to get out of your comfort zone – I’m excited about new challenges and opportunities.” Everyone I work with has the exact same sentiments. This secret describes the process of transition based on the work of William Bridges. Bridges asserts that change is an event. Transition is the process of absorbing the event – the process you go through to let go of your old identify, move through a neutral zone, and assume your new identity. The stages are linear, but you can go forward and back. You can’t speed it up. You can only pay attention to your thoughts and feelings. Different people move at a different rate. But don’t get stuck in neutral. This is a time to invest in yourself, to be kind to yourself, develop a good support network, and get a coach to guide you through the neutral zone.

Choose a Life that You Love

Start working on your transition plan sooner rather than later. For those facing retirement, one year in advance of the change is ideal. Financial planning and career planning are a yin and yang kind of thing. Feeling you have meaningful viable work options lessens the financial anxiety. Don’t reinvent the wheel. You’re not alone and there are approaches and coaches to help you navigate the transition.

Someone once said that the best way to succeed in life is to act on the advice you give to others. I’ve lived the secrets as I moved from the private sector, to federal service, to the non profit sector, and now as an entrepreneur. They work. Follow them and you will choose the right path for you.

Read Tina Sung’s bio at http://www.execwomeningov.org/events/summit07/SungBio.pdf.

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The Senior Executive Service Federal Candidate Development Program Seeking Qualified Candidates.

The Office of Personnel Management is seeking qualified candidates for the 2008 SES Federal Candidate Development Program (Fed CPD). The program, in partnership with other Federal agencies and key stakeholder groups, trains outstanding leaders for immediate entry into the Senior Executive Service. The 12-month program combines classroom and web-based learning, interagency experience, on-the-job learning, mentoring, coaching, and field experience. Candidates must show at least one year of leadership ability at the GS-15 level. Comparable experience may be considered. Recruitment for the program will be announced on http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/.

For more information on the program and a copy of the brochure, go to www.opm.gov/ses/fedcdp.

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Career Corner - Overseas Opportunities

Looking for Your Next Job? Ever considered looking outside the US? Maybe you should. The Department of State's Bureau of International Organization Affairs provides a central job listing service that lists a myriad of opportunities outside the US. The International Vacancy Announcements (IVA) list is updated every two weeks and includes vacancies from over 50 United Nation agencies and other international organizations.

Generally, the most competitive candidates have international work experience, skills in a second language, and a graduate’s degree in the required area of expertise. However, there are many other considerations.

For a complete list and additional information, visit www.state.gov/p/io/empl/.

For other employment opportunities within the United States Federal Government, go to www.usajobs.opm.gov.

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Member in the News

Brenda Mendoza, Program Reviewer, ODNI/CFO/RMO has successfully met the certification requirements of the Professional Certification Board of the Association of Government Accountants (AGA).  She has been granted the designation of Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM). 
 
AGA’s CGFM program was specifically designed to help meet the critical need for greatly increased emphasis on the professional qualifications and stature of gernment financial managers.  This professional designation recognizes the unique skills and special knowledge required of professionals who specialize in government financial management.

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Welcome to New Members

Rachel Arndt - Department of State
Maude Bullock - Environmental Protection Agency
Nancy Carter-Foster - Department of State
M. Brooke Darby - Department of State
Sandy Facinoli - Department of Agriculture
Denise Graveline - Don't Get Caught
Mary Gray - Department of Agriculture
Joanna Jacobs - Department of Justice
Audrey Levine - Office of Research & Development
Lisa Mendis - Department of Justice
Maggie Mitchell - Office of Environmental Information
Lesia Reed - Department of Agriculture
Ann Richardson - Office of Environmental Information
Caren Robinson - Environmental Protection Agency
Elizabeth Scheffler - National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Maurine Shields Fanguy - Department of Homeland Security
Ruth Soward - Environmental Protection Agency
Deborah Stover-Springer - Pension Benefit Guaranty Corportation
Jonya Wagner - Department of Justice
Denise Wells - Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals
Eileen Wickstrom Smith - Department of State
Kathleen Zweig - Department of State

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