Deborah Sills, consultant and advisor at Debbie Sills LLC, joins host Aileen Black on  this week’s Leaders and Legends.

Sills is a versatile leader with over thiry years of experience helping organizations transform their business through strategy and technology based innovation.

Prior to forming her own consulting company, Sills served as the global leader for Deloitte’s Government and Public Sector practice and as the leader of its Government and Public Sector (GPS) Sustainability, Climate and Equity Market. Under Sill’s leadership, Deloitte’s GPS consulting practice grew from three billion dollars in 2019 to six billion dollars in 2022.

During the show, Sills talks about the keys to effective leadership including how to build trust and respect within your organization.

“In a large firm like Deloitte, you need to learn it is not the office you hold or the position, to truly lead and drive innovation and change you have to earn the trust and respect of your team. You need to show you sincerely care about the people and lead by example.”

Her advice to the next generation of leaders is to look at your career as a journey and not a destination.

She says, “You need to keep challenging yourself and do what you love and have passion for.”

The post Former Deloitte executive says trust is the key to effective leadership first appeared on Federal News Network.

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Julius S. Caesar (Ret.) joins host Aileen Black on this week’s Leaders and Legends.

Caesar is a career surface warfare officer who has had a distinguished career in the military and industry.

He is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI Fellow in Foreign Politics, International Relations, and the National Interest. He has also served as a chief operating officer, sector vice president, senior vice president and general manager in public and privately held technology firms.

Caesar is a trustee at the Naval War College Foundation and strategic advisor for academy securities, and was recently awarded the Distinguished Graduate Award from the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation. There are only 110 USNA Distinguished Graduates out of 69,000 living graduates.

During the interview Caesar talked about his leadership style, saying he strives everyday to give back and take care of the individuals around him.

“At the end of the day it is about faith, family and friends. This will give you the resiliency you need to be successful in life”.

The post Retired rear admiral discusses leadership first appeared on Federal News Network.

Maj. Gen. Johnny Davis, commanding general of U.S. Army Recruiting Command and Fort Knox, joins host Aileen Black on this week’s Leaders and Legends.

During his career, General Davis has served as deputy commanding general for Operations for the 25th Infantry Division, commanding general of the U.S. Army Joint Modernization Command at Fort Bliss, Texas, and chief of staff at U.S. Army Futures Command in Austin, Texas.

During the show Davis discusses his leadership style which he says is about investing in those he leads.

“It is all about the people, you need to invest in them, take time to train them, help them reach their potential.”

Davis also talks about mistakes he has made during his career and what he learned from them.

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Austin Yerks, president  and founder of AJY III Government Strategies, joins host Aileen Black on this week’s Leaders and Legends to discuss leadership and how to solve difficult client challenges.

AJY III is a business focused on supporting strategic  alliances between commercial firms and agencies of the federal government.

Prior to forming his own company, Yerks was president  of CSC’s North American Public Sector (NPS)  Defense and Intelligence Group. He has been a senior executive in the federal marketplace for over 40 years, and is known for his technology vision.

On this week’s show, Yerks discusses the importance of trying and failing as leaders make their way up the corporate ladder.

He says “Failure is ok. Just figure out what is not working and fix it. ”

Yerks also encourages the next generation of leaders to look at everyday as a learning experience.

The post AJY III founder discusses leadership strategies first appeared on Federal News Network.

Army  Maj. Gen. Deborah Kotulich joined host Aileen Black on this week’s Leaders and Legends to discuss how to create a collaborative and productive working environment.

General Kotulich currently serves as the director of the Army Recruiting and Retention Task Force, which was established by the secretary of the Army to integrate and synchronize efforts addressing all issues affecting recruiting and retention.

She also recently served as the chief of staff for Army Support to the Naming Commission, which coordinated and facilitated efforts to rename all Defense Department installations that commemorate the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America.

Kotulich describes herself as a “servant leader” who was using this approach long before it “became a thing.”

A leader’s job, she said, is to  “inspire their team about the mission so they enjoy the work,” and she uses five principles to accomplish that goal:

• The Perrin Principle: Be tactically and technically proficient, physically fit and mentally able.
• The Petersen principle: Visualize the positive and enjoy what you do.
• The Stafford principle: Be value-added. Look for the solution that is needed, not the one that is often assigned. Challenge assumptions and constraints and take reasonable risk.
• The Staats principle: Reward people for jobs well-done. Use frequent and random rewards — everyone likes to be recognized.
• The Kotulich Principle (likely someone else’s already): Get the best of what each player on the team has to give. As a leader, you get a team — your job is to make them the “A” team.

Kotulich said early in her career she worried about being a female leader in a male dominated organization like the Army.  She was especially concerned about being “as fit” as the men training with her.

But she decided to “take that stress off the table and make fitness a way of life.”

Kotulich said she worked with several outstanding leaders early in her career and learned some important lessons.

“It is important to treat everyone equally and create a level playing field.  Find your team’s individual exceptional talent,” she said. “Invest in your team and lead from the front.”

Kotulich admits she also learned “what not to do” in certain situations, but added that she “knew what right looked like” and credits her mentors for showing her the correct path to take on an issue.

There are two kinds of leaders, she said: One that’s staff-led and one that leads the staff.

She prides herself in being the latter and reinforces this point by saying “people will go where they find value. If you want to lead a successful and highly functional organization you need to lead from the front and be active in the mission.”

Kotulich also offered some words of advice for the next generation of leaders who want to join the Army.

“Today’s Army provides so much opportunity,” she said. “We need to show the next generation the value of the service to the nation and the value of the opportunity that today’s Army can provide them.”

She then quoted President John F. Kennedy, who said in his inaugural address:  “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

According to Kotulich, “we need to challenge every American to contribute in some way to the public good. Doing good is incredibly satisfying.”

The post Army Major General discusses how to inspire and lead first appeared on Federal News Network.

William Crowell, former National Security Agency deputy director, and partner at Alsop Louie Partners, joined host Aileen Black on Leaders and Legends to discuss how to lead during an organizational transformation.

Crowell’s career was anything but a straight line. He spent several years at the NSA, where he held a series of senior positions in operations, analysis, strategic planning, finance, and research and development. He served as deputy director of Operations from 1991 to 1994, running its core signals intelligence mission. In February 1994 he was appointed by President Bill Clinton as the deputy director of NSA, and served in that post until his retirement in September 1997.

While at NSA, Crowell led the agency’s transformation from analog to digital. He oversaw the roles of over 17,000 military personnel moving back to the U.S. changing their focus to leverage the internet.

After leaving federal service, Crowell became an independent consultant specializing in information technology, security and intelligence systems. He has held several C- Suite positions over the last decades and has led companies through several acquisitions, including Broadware, ArcSight and Cylink.

Crowell said effective leaders do just that — they lead instead of simply managing their companies.

“You need to get to know your organization and who can get the mission done,” he said. “You need to create the vision, get the team to accept the vision and have engagement, work directly with your team.”

Crowell also had some advice for entrepreneurs who are starting their own companies, saying strong leadership is key when taking an idea and growing it into a strong business. It is also important, he said, to adapt quickly to changes in your market.

“In today’s world there is no excuse for not knowing what you want or should know,” Crowell said. “You can find anything to learn about on the internet. If you want you can learn it.”

He also stressed that in today’s economic climate, leaders need to run operations that are “lean and mean.” The founders, CEOs and boards, he said, need to be brutally honest with themselves to get to that step of an exit like IPO or acquisition.

Crowell also discussed concerns that the United States is losing the technology race with China. He pointed out that many had those same concerns about Japan in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

“You need to look at all the factors, like aging leadership and form of government,” he said. “The US didn’t lose then and as long as we have a strong viable democracy that doesn’t pass laws that stifle innovation we will stay on top.”

Finally Crowell closed the show with some advice for the next generation of leaders. He encouraged them to “always stay involved with your organization, provide a clear vision of the mission, and be part of the workforce.”

The post Former NSA deputy director explains how to transform an organziation first appeared on Federal News Network.

Mark Amtower, founder and managing partner of Amtower & Company and a Washington, D.C. legend in marketing to the government, joined host Aileen Black on this week’s Leaders and Legends to discuss leadership in government marketing.

Amtower is a consultant, speaker, best-selling author, columnist, adjunct graduate professor and radio host. For 12 years, he has hosted Amtower Off Center on Federal News Network, which was the first radio show in the country to address issues impacting the government contracting community.

Amtower has advised over three thousand large, medium and small companies on all aspects of marketing to the federal government since starting Amtower & Company in 1985. He was selected by BtoB magazine as one of the Top 100 Business Marketers in the United States in 2008 and he specializes in helping companies develop thought leadership positions in a defined niche and leveraging social media to gain targeted visibility in the government contracting market.

His books, Government Marketing Best Practices (2005) and the Amazon best seller Selling to the Government (2011) are industry standards. In November of 2018, he was awarded the inaugural Government Marketing University Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Government Marketing.

In addition, Amtower is recognized as one of the top LinkedIn trainers in the world and the only trainer focused on the U.S. federal market. He said the most successful companies in the D.C. area use LinkedIn better than their competitors.

“Having studied LinkedIn closely for over 14 years, I know that most companies are not even close to using the potential of this platform,” he said. “It’s not about learning how to be ‘on’ LinkedIn. It’s about learning how to more fully leverage LinkedIn to market to the federal government in ways that were never possible before.”

Working with the government is a relation-driven market, and Amtower said growing and managing your business network has never been more critical. He quoted Silicon Valley marketer and investor Regis McKenna who said “marketing is everything and stands the test of time.” McKenna is best known for taking the story of Apple and turning it into folklore.

Amtower also offered some advice for the next generation of government marketers: “Never stop the learning process and avoid the cheap shots.”

The post Mark Amtower discusses leadership in B2G marketing first appeared on Federal News Network.

Steve Bowsher, president of In-Q-Tel (IQT) joined host Aileen Black on this week’s Leaders and Legends to discuss how to build a successful tech business from the ground up.

IQT was founded in 1999 and invests in cutting-edge  technologies that enhance the national security of the United States. The Arlington, Virginia-based company invests in companies that support the CIA’s mission and describes itself as “combining the security savvy of government with the can-do curiosity of Silicon Valley.”

Prior to becoming president, Bowsher served as managing general partner and executive vice president at In-Q-Tel, leading the company’s investment strategy. In addition to approving all deals in partnership with CEO Chris Darby, Bowsher has personally managed IQT’s relationships with Palantir, Databricks, MongoDB, Anaconda, Initiate Systems, Cleversafe, Cloudera, Immersive Wisdom, Reversing Labs and others.

Bowsher described himself as IQT’S “problem solver,” and trusts the team he has built to carry out the company’s mission. He said his approach to leadership includes providing clear goals with the metrics to track success.

As president, Bowsher’s job includes finding companies that are innovative, cutting edge and aligned with the IQT mission. To achieve that goal, he hired a group of talented people from the industry who  left more traditional jobs because they needed more flexibility in their lives. Those hires included many women technologists who wanted a balance between the needs at home and the desire to continue their careers. Bowsher gave them the flexibility they needed and they, in turn, were able to find and “recruit” the companies that allowed IQT to build a portfolio of some of the biggest names in tech today.

Culture is crucial to any organization according to Bowsher, but he said “don’t over complicate it — a culture is best in its simplest form.”

He added that passion is the number one trait in effective leaders, as long as it is balanced with a realistic business approach.

“Many companies start with the ‘idea’ and build it but they need to work to find customers to validate the market. That is where the real difference starts to show in leadership,” Bowsher said. “At that point the founders need to add practical approaches of building that market and the profitability of that idea into a business. The founders need to be brutally honest with themselves to get to that step of an exit, like IPO or acquisition.”

Bowsher also offered some advice for the next generation of leaders.

“Don’t feel the need to figure it all out right away. Keep looking and try new things; when you see it you will know it. There is no cookie cutter path. Don’t let this paralyze you from finding the right career for you.”

The post IQT president discusses tech leadership first appeared on Federal News Network.

Amy Gilliland, president of General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), joins Aileen Black on Leaders and Legends to talk about how to lead with empathy and compassion while still driving results.

GDIT is a business unit of General Dynamics Corporation, and is an $8.5 billion global technology enterprise with operations in 30 countries worldwide. As president, Gilliland oversees General Dynamic’s IT business. She has more than 25 years of public sector experience including nearly two decades in leadership positions at General Dynamics. Gilliland  has been recognized as one of Virginia Business Magazine’s 50 Most Influential Virginians, a Washingtonian Tech Titan and is a five-time Wash100 award winner.

Gilliland started her career in the Navy after graduating from the Naval Academy. She says was inspired to serve by her great grandfather who immigrated to the United States from Switzerland.

“He  served his country and he was so proud. I was raised by a single mother. And I remember sitting at the breakfast table with him because she worked full time. I got such a sense of service being with him. So I went into the military and served on a guided missile destroyer,” she said.

Gilliland describes her leadership style as “empathetic.” She says many leaders fear that empathy is sometimes seen as a weakness but she believes it is one of the most important traits a leader can have — especially now.

“It is all about the people. If you take care of your people, they will take good care of your customers. You can lead with empathy and compassion and still drive results,” she said.

During her tenure at GDIT, Gilliland received a phone call informing her that one of the company’s employees died by suicide. That tragedy drove her to create a program within the company to open up conversations about mental health, especially among veterans.

She worked with INSA (Intelligence and National Security Alliance) to take the stigma away from people with security clearances who are afraid of reaching out for help. The work done by GDIT is now open to those outside of the company to help anyone seeking assistance. Employee resource groups are a main focus for GDIT, according to Gilliland. She says they have helped GDIT leadership and employees  navigate societal issues during COVID-19 and in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder.

“Now as a company we are having regular meetings and discussions that support employees around things like what happened in Buffalo or LGBTQ+ parents and how they navigate the environment with their children. We want everyone to feel included and supported,” she said.

Gilliland says she and her leadership team are also having conversations with company employees about veteran suicides.

“Thirty percent of our population are veterans. Coming from a military background this is very important to me and the leadership at GDIT,” she said.

Gilliland says having these conversations about mental health is “how you build a company with a soul”, and how you build a culture that is people focused.

“28% of GDIT employees are vets. This is great for our company and great for our customers. I found transition to civilian life difficult — ‘tough to navigate.’ GDIT ensures that the right resources and support systems are in place to help every employee,” she said.

Gilliland also offered some advice for the next generation of leaders.

“Be open to new opportunities that come in the door.  Have a variety of experiences in your career.  Always lead with empathy,” she said.

The post GDIT president explains how empathetic and compassionate leadership affects workplace culture first appeared on Federal News Network.

Jacqueline Tame, director of Government Affairs at PsiQuantum, and former acting deputy director at the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), joined Aileen Black on Leaders and Legends to discuss how leading with candor and authenticity can help create a postive and healthy workplace environment.

Tame is the inaugural director of Government Affairs at PsiQuantum, a company building the world’s first useful fault-tolerant, error-corrected quantum computer. Previously she was the vice president of innovation at Landaus, a multi- billion-dollar agricultural co-op in Iowa. During her tenure at the JAIC, Tame served as the inaugural chief performance officer, where she oversaw  day-to-day operations for the center and led engagements with the White House,  Congress and other key stakeholders and investors to raise awareness of DoD AI programs and secure policy priorities in support of JAIC offerings.

Tame also helped design DoD’s inaugural AI performance framework, marrying statutory and policy-driven roles, responsibilities  and functions with customer-defined indicators of success to generate repeatable, outcome-based performance data.

Throughout Tame’s career she has tried to be a leader that is both authentic and transparent. Her goal is to build a culture that  gives members of her team the freedom to be open and honest when discussing the organization’s goals.

”Leadership is culture. If you have a leader that is toxic, not respected, the culture will reflect that,” she said. “A good leader builds a team that they trust and empowers them. If you give them a clear vision and provide them with clarity on how they can help reach mission goals, you will build a team that will be unstoppable. You will build a culture to be proud of and they will want to be part of it.”

Tame added that empathy is also an important leadership quality and one employees will appreciate.

“Many leaders are afraid to leverage empathy in their leadership style in fear it will be seen as a weakness,” Tame said. “At the end of the day we are all human and a great leader understands that and adjusts to allow their team the space and safety to deal with human everyday issues.”

Tame said she has worked with many “amazing” leaders during her career, including Lieutenant General Vincent Stuart, who holds the distinction of being the first Black director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and DIA’s first director from the U.S. Marine Corps.

He left a lasting impression on Tame, who said General Stuart “taught me to embrace what makes me different. He taught me that it is diversity that gives an organization strength. I learned to bet on myself and not be afraid to take on the hard jobs even if it was not popular.”

Tame described those jobs as “growth challenges,” and said they give you the opportunity to “work and learn while building expertise” in your chosen field.

She encouraged workers to embrace these opportunities, and volunteer for challenging roles in the your organization.

Tame quoted former New York Congresswoman Shirley Chisolm, who once said, “If there isn’t a seat at the table, pull up a folding chair.”

The post Former JAIC acting deputy director explains how to create a healthy workplace culture first appeared on Federal News Network.

Dan Pelino, co-founder of Everyone Matters and co-author of Trusted Healers joined host Aileen Black on this week’s Leaders and Legends to talk about the state of the US healthcare system.

Pelino worked for IBM for 36 years leading its global Healthcare and Life Sciences, and co-founded  Everyone Matters with his wife Anne Altman in 2017. The organization is a social impact enterprise dedicated to ensuring that everyone has equal access to citizen-based services, healthcare and education.

His book Trusted Healers is a series of conversations with healthcare leaders around the world who give their thoughts on how societal change and leadership can help shape our shared healthcare future.

Trusted Healers focuses on what Pelino calls a “team approach” to healthcare, where everyone has  the right to dignity and respect — to be who they are without being shamed or demeaned — and to thrive within their own unique individuality.

He says he has always had a passion to help people but found his passion for helping to fix America’s healthcare system while working at IBM.

According to Pelino, he would do two things if he had the power to change the existing health care system.

He would first listen to what he called the “whispers” in our communities. Quoting Oprah Winfrey, Pelino said “Difficulties come when you don’t pay attention to life’s whispers. Life always whispers to you first, but if you ignore the whisper, sooner or later you’ll get a scream.”

That means listening to the needs of each community and being proactive to address those concerns before they turn into an emergency situation.

Secondly, Pelino said the US must do more to make sure everyone has access to preventative healthcare so that doctors can detect and treat illnesses in their early stages.

The post Former IBM executive shares his vision for improving the healthcare system first appeared on Federal News Network.

Stacy Schwartz, vice president of U.S. Public Sector and Education at RingCentral, joins host Aileen Black on this week’s Leaders and Legends to explain why building great teams is the key to being a great leader.

Prior to joining RingCentral, Schwartz worked at AT&T where she led highly successful teams in the Public Sector space for over 20 years, building growth businesses from the ground up in federal, state, and local education. She was also responsible for leading the nationwide team supporting the FirstNet program, providing critical communications to over 4 million subscribers in the first responder community.

At RingCentral, Schwartz and her team of over 800 sales professionals provide best-in-class connectivity solutions to the departments of Justice and Homeland Security, as well as other federal agencies.

She is responsible for driving nationwide adoption of FirstNet service to Public Safety agencies as a part of the 25- year public-private partnership with AT&T and the First Responder Network Authority. Her team enables interoperability between public safety agencies and private entities. It drives business growth innovation through software-defined networking, fiber, 5G, IoT, cloud, cybersecurity, mobility, IT professional services, and next-generation 911 services.

Schwartz described her leadership style as “collaborative and transparent” because she wants to creates a culture that is both results oriented and customer focused. She said team members  need a working environment that allows them the freedom to be creative and open to innovative ideas.

“You need tenacity and to pursue what you believe is the right thing to do for your team and your customers. I learned quickly to not easily accept no. It is important to ask why not?” she said. “You need to ask yourself, what is the art of the possible to support your client , address your market and win? Being innovative or creating change is hard in small and large organizations if the culture is not established that allows creativity”.

Schwartz also said that effective leaders are good listeners who are never complacent.

“I also believe I don’t know it all and you need people who have ideas and talents that are different from your own. As the landscape changes, bringing in these influences and people and ideas are critical to adapt to change,” she said.

That’s why she said she encourages members of her team to be proactive and to protect their relationships with their clients and customers.

“I survey what others are thinking and test my own thoughts. I ask my clients and other solution providers. I leave my desk, my office, talk with  trusted advisors and listen. I have found this is the best way for me to understand the change and sense what is coming,” she said. “If you are complacent, you will eventually fail. Your competition is already there. Change is happening. Don’t try to fight it.”

According to Schwartz she has been fortunate throughout her career to work with and for leaders who have empowered her. She said AT&T Business CEO Anne Chow taught her the importance of investing in others to help them grow.

She also learned from her dad that health and happiness need to come first.

“If you don’t have your health and you are unhappy, the rest doesn’t matter,” Schwartz said. “You need to take the time for yourself and set an example for your team to do the same.”

Finally Schwartz offered some advice for the next generation of leaders, encouraging them to listen to the advice of others but more importantly to listen to themselves.

“If you have a thought or idea that you have conviction and passion around, work on how to communicate it,” Schwartz said. “You will be surprised how that can be of value no matter how early in your career. Work on learning how to communicate your thoughts and values; you will be surprised at the value that will bring. “

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Mary Davie, deputy associate administrator for the Mission Support Directorate at NASA, joins host Aileen Black on this week’s Leaders and Legends to discuss the importance of value based leadership.

Davie is retiring on Dec. 31  after a 34 year career in the federal government.

Currently she develops strategy and facilitates delivery of NASA’s institutional support functions (CXOs), encompassing an annual budget of over three billion dollars and a workforce of more than 7,000 people. Davie serves as the agency focal point on matters relating to mission support requirements, including balancing Mission Directorate and Center priorities.

Davie is third member of her family to work at NASA — her father and sister have had long careers at the agency.

To her NASA “felt like home.”

She said, “How can you not be excited to work at NASA? NASA’s goal is to inspire the world.”

Prior to joining NASA in 2020, Davie served in multiple leadership roles with the General Services Administration (GSA) including acting commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), deputy commissioner of the FAS, and assistant commissioner for the agency’s IT Category.

Davie describes her leadership style as “value based” and said she always focused on doing the right thing for her agency, her employees and for the taxpayers. As a leader, Davie knew the final decision was hers to make but she tried to be inclusive and collaborate with other members of her team to ensure that all views were considered.

“When you create and have a great team dynamic it gives everyone the ability to show up and be confident. Great things can happen,” she said.

Davie said she was fortunate to work many great leaders during her long career in federal service including Jim Williams, former acting administrator at GSA. During some of what she called some “tough times” at the agency, Davie said said Williams gave her the tools and resources she needed to take on some huge challenges.

Davie also credits her mother who encouraged her to stand up for herself when making tough decisions.

“She taught me that my voice counts and that I should speak up,” she said.

She said it’s good advice for all leaders who will have to tackle complex problems as they move up the career ladder.

“Give every team member a voice and confidence to speak up. This will bring out the best in your team,” she said.

Davie also said it’s important for leaders to find a balance between their careers and their families. As a single mother, she said she was fortunate to have a job at GSA when her 2 sons were young.

“I was able to have balance between work and family. My career gave me the flexibility to be a mom and grow professionally,” she said.

Davie also talked about the need for federal agencies to be more innovative when carrying out their organization’s mission.

“We need to write requirements that allow the innovator to innovate. We need to train our staff to understand how to use the acquisition process to be open to allow different and faster ways to get acquisitions done. We need to drive towards outcomes instead of outputs,” she said.

Davie also had some advice for the next generation of leaders.

“Don’t be afraid to try something new and work to learn. Don’t worry about trying something because you are afraid you won’t like it. Try it. You will learn from the experience,” she said.

The post Former GSA executive discusses ‘value based leadership’ first appeared on Federal News Network.

Maj. Gen. Dustin Anne Shultz joins host Aileen Black on this week’s Leaders and Legends to discuss how to be a transformational leader at your organization.

Maj. Gen. Shultz currently serves as the director of Strategic Operations in the Army G-3/5/7. Previously, she was the deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7 at the Office of the Chief of the Army Reserve.

Shultz also served as the deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7 at the U.S. Army Reserve Command and the Commander of the 1st Mission Support Command at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, where she led the Army Reserve response to Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma.

Maj. Gen. Shultz says people often try to describe leadership in “hard, canned” ways but she believes leadership should be “what is needed at the moment.”

“So many leaders are anxious for the future and not present in the now. You need to find balance in this factor both in the job and at home. Finding this balance will really help you be your best.”

In describing her leadership style, Shultz said she tries to be a transformational leader who encourages input from members of her team.

“Great leaders empower and invest in the people they lead.  You need to meet people where they are and provide a strong vision to bring out the best in them. You need to move at the speed of trust.”

She went on to says that effective leaders often must strike the right balance between taking charge of an issue and working collaboratively with your team members to find solutions to any problems that occur.

“A good leader is one who can be in charge and get the limelight but at the same time trust and allow those they lead to take the lead. This is an important balance leaders must find.  There is an old saying the worst day in command is the best day on staff. To be a great leader you need to be good at both and appreciate the job everyone does.”

Shultz also described what it’s like to be a woman leader in a male dominated organization.

“I walk in the room, I try to understand the people in the room and the situation.  You need to build trust and be direct in your words to ensure transparency  on the ‘What and Why’.    If you give people a clear purpose they will amaze you on what they can accomplish.”

Finally Shultz had some advice for the next generation of leaders.

“Lead by example. Strive to be your best everyday. Don’t be afraid to fail fast and continue to grow throughout your career. Go hunting for the good things and don’t dwell on what is going wrong. Strive everyday to support others and focus on the execution.”

The post Army General discusses how to lead at the ‘speed of trust’ first appeared on Federal News Network.

Anne Altman, CEO of Everyone Matters, joins Aileen Black on Leaders and Legends to discuss leadership and how to lead during times of crisis.

Altman is well known for her expertise and leadership in the business of government, technology and the Public Sector. She worked at IBM for 35 years, and during her tenure there she served as general manager of U.S. Federal and Government Industries, general manager of the Global Public Sector, and general manager of System z, IBM’s world renowned mainframe. In these capacities, Altman managed global profit and losses, sales, operations, manufacturing and development.

After retiring from IBM, Altman co-founded Everyone Matters, Inc., a social impact enterprise dedicated to ensuring that everyone has equal access to citizen-based services, health care and education.

Altman said she tries to be an “authentic” leader who encourages members of her team to speak up when discussing how to help her company fulfill its mission. Being a good listener helps her develop what she called a “balanced view” to solving problems.

It’s a lesson she learned early in her career, when she said she worked with good and bad leaders.

“You can learn from others what to do and what not to do, and decide what attributes you want to leverage in your style.”

She said she had many great mentors during her time at IBM, including one who showed her the value of inclusivity.

Altman learned that “there is power in bringing many different voices to the table and you need to be committed to it and it provides a great deal of value.”

She adds that diversity is important, especially now, because there is currently a shortage of women in tech leadership positions.

Altman is a mentor herself and supports programs that are designed to be inclusive early in the tech career journey. She works with George Mason University to set up programs to help encourage students to go into tech and has worked to create a curriculum that will allow GMU graduates to have the right skill sets. Altman is also on the Northern Virginia Technology Council, and pointed out that the Washington, D.C. area is truly an innovation hub and one of the fastest growing regions of tech innovation in the country.

In addition to her mentors, Altman also said she was inspired by the book Authentic Leadership — Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value.

The book taught her the importance of “finding your voice and being your authentic self,” and she said its important for leaders to understand that what they say has value.

“Speak up, find your voice and be your authentic self. Take the time to listen, be informed. Then the decisions you make can be through the lens of the data you gather.”

According to Altman, those traits will come in handy during times of crisis because that’s when leaders need to listen, be collaborative with stakeholders, and then motivate their team.

“You can’t get that in the wrong order,” she said.

Altman also offered some advice for the next generation of leaders.

“Find something to do that you are passionate about, make sure you get up every day excited about what you are doing and that it challenges you. You need to check that you are growing and happy.”

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