Becoming a senior female leader doesn't happen overnight. It takes determination, confidence, and is shaped by those you surround yourself with. Role models, leaders, and mentors have been a tremendous influence in my career development.
I grew up in a military Family, born at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. My father was an Army officer who served in WW2, Korea, and Vietnam. I grew up seeing very few females in uniform; however, I did have military role models -- my father and my brother.
I decided to pursue a career in nursing, which was primarily driven by my love of medicine, healthcare, and working with people. But I was also limited in what options were available for females at that time.
The span of my 30-year career has seen changes that allowed me to serve in my role today. When I entered the Army, women could not serve as commanders, let alone become general officers. The beauty in what has happened during my career has been watching the changes occur.
When I was appointed to be the Army surgeon general, I was the first nurse, and the first female, to serve in that leadership position.
Placing a female leader into this position during a time of war really shows the tremendous transformation our Army has made.
Being a part of an organization that can evolve, become more inclusive, more diverse -- that instills within me an amazing sense of pride.
Today's Army is moving towards managing talents based on the skills, knowledge, and attributes of a person rather than focusing on their gender or previous jobs they may have held. The emphasis is on expectations and potential of whomever will fill that leadership position -- not by gender.
The Army defines leadership as a process, not as a position. Leadership is about influencing people
by providing purpose, direction, and motivation, all while accomplishing a mission.
Something great about that definition of leadership is that it can apply broadly to how we could define leaders, role models, and mentors in any forum, not just within the military.
Although our military has become very diverse, that diversity has not percolated to the top leadership yet. Serving in uniform is not an easy pathway for anybody, but as I moved up in rank, there were fewer and fewer female role models who had been in a similar position.
We all face other people?'s perceptions of women in uniform, and women as leaders or executives. Sometimes those perceptions include criticism -- simply based on the fact that you are a woman. I think what all of us in this room can understand and relate to is the fact that for some, this criticism discourages. For others, it ignites a passion and sense of determination.
There are many critics of women serving in the military, especially given the recent changes concerning the role of women in combat. Something that should never be overshadowed by that criticism is recognition of the fact that the global impact our military has made during the last 12 years of war could not have been achieved without strong and confident women. From that young female medic on the Female Engagement Team, to the civil affairs officers, women in uniform have been an irreplaceable asset to our nation.
Serving to Heal…Honored to Serve.
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