ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – The U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command’s Aberdeen Test Center hosted the 16th Women in Leadership session virtually, March 31.
The keynote speakers were Charneta Samms, chief of Plans and Programs Combat Capabilities Development Command for the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and Vaccine Products Project Manager at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health, Lindsay Longobardi.
ATC Commander Col. John Hall said the WIL series started in 2014. He called the sessions “impactful.”
“Throughout our ranks, we have a tremendous depth of talent, and the goal of the Women in Leadership series is to expose our workforce to that talent, especially our senior female leadership,” he said.
Dr. Reygan Freeney, chief of ATC’s Signatures & Sensors Branch, Warfare Directorate, served as the moderator. Freeney said the COVID-19 pandemic has presented the APG community with new challenges. This is why this year’s theme is “Leading through Change,” she said.
Samms said after college, she loved the idea of supporting the military as a civilian. Samms discussed some of her career highlights and some challenges.
“As a leader, I am expected to be decisive, confident and influential,” she said. “But as a woman, especially as a black woman, my decisiveness is sometimes viewed as unreasonable. My confidence is cocky and my attempts to be influential as angry defensiveness. Here it is 2021, and women are expected to smile and be friendly and willing to volunteer in areas that don’t always further their careers.”
Samms said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some working mothers have been stretched thin while their children attend school remotely. Some women, she said, have decided to leave the workforce because they are burnt out from working a “triple shift.”
“For my gentleman friends out there, I ask that you recognize the contributions made by the women in your workforce and in your home,” she said. “And pitch in if you don’t already. We shouldn’t have women bearing the entire burden of the emotional labor required to make this world a nice place.”
She challenged attendees to seize the moment by embracing change and support their leaders.
“Give them the benefit of the doubt,” she said. “If you don’t agree, it is your responsibility to make your concerns heard, respectfully of course. But always remember you have your perspective and there are maybe some data points you don’t have especially during times of change.”
Longobardi gave an overview of her career and discussed the challenges she has faced as a female supervisor.
According to Longobardi, to learn more about the challenges women in male-dominated careers face, they should view the documentary “Picture a Scientist,” which follows three women scientists at different stages in their careers.
“It made me think of things that I have overcome,” she said. “No one would look at me and say, ‘she had a sexist boss. She had employees that do not respect her because of her age and her sex. She had a promotion contingent on emotion.’ No one would say that by looking at me.”
The event included a question-and-answer session. Longobardi was asked what advice she would give to an employee stepping into a leadership position for the first time. She said it is necessary to document good and bad employee behavior, make time to recognize employees and be an active listener.
Another attendee asked how to combat “imposter syndrome.”
Longobardi said she has also struggled with imposter syndrome. She recommends taking time to reflect career progress and finding people you can trust with similar career goals.
“Aligning with peers really helps,” she said.
She also keeps in mind the advice her mother gave her, which is, “chin up, you deserve to be there.”
Save the Date
The next WIL session will be held virtually June 16 at noon. The featured speakers will be Dr. Theresa Felder, president of Harford Community College and ATEC Chief of Staff Sandy Weaver. These sessions are open to everyone.
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