Leaders inspire others to explore, inquire and discover — always with a bias toward action.
Why is honoring achievement important? How does it impact our business community?
Excellence is a magnet. Honoring achievement highlights the expertise that is foundational to Arizona’s thriving business community. Recognition programs often benchmark performance that inspires others to pursue similar, parallel or even loftier goals that enable our business community to further flourish.
Honors and awards can be a component enhancing a culture of growth, innovation and leadership. Recognition of achievement not only highlights contributions that drive progress, but it also celebrates characteristics, traits and processes that are a credit to both individuals and the businesses to which they contribute. Inevitably, highlighting achievements will inspire some to emulate those milestones and may even accelerate future business development throughout our community.
What is the single most important thing you have learned throughout your career that would inspire others/other women?
The single most important thing I have learned throughout my career, from advocating for women’s empowerment to serving as Secretary of the Air Force, is the transformative power of seeking excellence. I have learned that considering unconventional possibilities and aiming to deliver on prodigious goals consistently produces transformative results.
The process of seeking excellence simultaneously drives individual fulfillment and growth. It is a mindset that encourages us to transcend traditional boundaries and redefine what is achievable. Demonstrating courage in action inspires others to expand their own ambitions and challenge the status quo. It also paves the way for future generations to continue building on our successes, just as we have built on those of previous generations.
“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” —Michelangelo
What do you think we can do – now – to make a difference for young people/women in Arizona?
We can inspire the rising generation of women to explore and excel in STEM fields, which will empower these future leaders to usher in the discoveries of tomorrow. Arizona State University has done this by hosting the Sally Ride Science Festivals for middle school girls, with interactive and engaging modules designed to develop their interests and aptitudes in scientific fields. These festivals celebrate the legacy of the late Sally Ride and other women pioneers, offering girls tangible role models who have shattered glass ceilings.
We can continue to champion similar initiatives and expand access to exceptional educational programs across Arizona. It is also crucial for women today to lead by example and be trailblazers in traditionally male-dominated fields. By doing so, we show young women that they have every reason to be optimistic and ambitious in pursuit of their goals.
In A Few Words
- What was the last course, certification or training you took to improve yourself professionally? In order to qualify to dive with Bob Ballard (discoverer of the Titanic) on his quest to find Cleopatra’s tomb in Egypt, I recently renewed my SCUBA certification.
- What would you say is a single characteristic OTHERS might attribute to you that defines your success? Dynamic
- What is the one thing you feel you could work on professionally to be a greater success? Communication
- What is the one professional skill you have that has gotten you where you are today? Grit
- What is the single greatest issue facing Arizona today? A key challenge facing Arizona is carefully balancing population growth versus appreciation and preservation of our natural resources and our special cultural history.
About Me
An ASU internship launched my career spanning business, academia and public service. I was an executive of two Fortune 500 companies and chairman of the Valley Bank of Arizona. Serving as U.S. 25th Secretary of the Air Force encompassed founding the U.S. Space Force.
A former president of the International Women’s Forum, I continue to advocate for women leaders. My current involvement spans the Smithsonian and Caltech, home of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as the USS Arizona Legacy Foundation Board, which supports the Navy’s next-generation submarine reviving the Arizona’s venerable name.
