Women's History Month: Supporting the Dreams of Women and Enabling Their Success

OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- “Women’s History Month, like other observances we celebrate every year, is about a commitment to inspire generations, to reflect on the strides we have made, to celebrate great courage, to share experiences, and to pave the way for our future in and out of the military. Understanding that we each bring something very special to the workplace allows us to make a difference; it allows us to continue to build on what the generations before us have done and accomplished. This month is about understanding the power of diversity...building brighter futures together...and carrying forward our legacy of proud achievements.” (Col Amanda Gladney, USAF Retired)

Do you think our grandmothers imagined that we’d ever talk about or consider the next President of the United States being a woman? Today we have two 4-star females commanding Major Commands in our Air Force. That didn’t magically happen, these women made that happen through hard work and sacrifice!

As women we are the single greatest force and asset to our own success and by extension the success of those women around us. We are the catalysts that will change our tomorrows by building on the success of women of all backgrounds today. We bring this change about by educating and knowing ourselves, by opening ourselves to opportunity, by mentoring and investing in those around us.

Helen Keller said ‘The highest result of education is tolerance.’ From graduating seniors and freshman to the working mothers who manage a class in between little league, dinner, work, ballet…we can’t become complacent and accept “good enough.” Even today, we, as Women, have to be twice as good as our counterparts, and this means being twice as qualified. In today’s economy, however, this concept has become universal. We can all be replaced. If we don’t strive to be the best we can be, we will fall behind and there are others who are more than willing to step forward.

I’m not just speaking to the education we receive in classrooms and training centers, but also the lessons we learn from those around us. From the little tidbits of information gleaned at the knees of our grandmothers to the experiences we have as we make our way through life, all provide the opportunity to learn, to dream.

Education weaves the past and present into the possibilities of the future. It helps level the playing field. It helps us find out who we really are as people, not just as women.

We have to know what we bring to the table. What skills, assumptions, perceptions—what weaknesses. We must know who we are, and not just existing in our comfort zones. It’s obvious we are a Woman; the question is, what do you have to offer? Condoleezza Rice noted, “What you know today can affect what you do tomorrow. But what you know today cannot affect what you did yesterday.”

Everyone modifies and adapts to situations. We don’t act the same at church as we would at a club; at our parents’ house as opposed to our best friend’s house. Different settings provoke different reactions. This doesn’t mean that we are losing our identity, but rather that we are aware of our environment. It’s up to us to determine what this is going to mean, including when we are interacting with our male co-workers. Don’t get caught up in a perceived identity.

Are we mothers, siblings, doctors, Airmen, students, Christians, African-Americans, Caucasians, Asians, Hispanics? Do we let any of these labels dominate who we are or do we recognize that at any given time, we are all of these things? Do we celebrate our own diversity? Women’s History Month is not about “Recognizing the accomplishments of Women,” no; it’s about “Celebrating the accomplishments of Women!”

How we identify ourselves as women will impact how we are perceived in the workplace and how others will see us. If we are labeling ourselves, chances are we are labeling others. And if we don’t discover our own identities, I guarantee that someone will give us one.

As Nikki Giovanni noted, “If you don’t understand yourself, you don’t understand anybody else.” If we don’t know what we think, how do we expect to communicate our dreams, our needs, our thoughts to someone else or expect them to understand us? Knowing who we are as women and understanding our value, as a woman to those around us is one of the strongest tools we can arm ourselves with as we move into the future.

We have the power to change the course of our lives. But we have to be prepared for it. We need to know what we want because someday somebody might ask us and give us the opportunity to get it. We have to be ready to accept the challenge. Whoopi Goldberg said, “I am the American Dream. I am the epitome of what the American Dream basically said. It said you could come from anywhere and be anything you want in this country. That’s exactly what I’ve done.”

Consider these three things about opportunity:

First, opportunity comes in many different forms and at many different times. We have to be ready and observant because they don’t come with a big red bow and an “I’m an Opportunity” tag.

Second, opportunity often only knocks once. We don’t want to spend a career regretting the “what could have been” because we were afraid to jump in when opportunity presented itself.

There’s a story that Martin Luther King was approached by a woman in New York who had been inspired to seek him out and offer her support after hearing him speak at her college. He turned her down without consideration, without even asking her name. She was white and at that moment in time, he didn’t see what she could offer.

Upon reflection, he realized the opportunity he had missed. This is exactly what he had been working towards—inclusion of ideas, celebration of diversity, and he had judged on the color of skin rather than content of character. He had missed the opportunity to build on his own message. We can’t afford the same mistake.

Finally, we have to understand what we’re willing to give up seizing an opportunity and whether the value is worth the sacrifice. Sometimes we have to be willing to take a risk and understand we might not succeed.

It is our actions that set us apart. Our courage to try, even fail—our actions, even in the face of adversity, demonstrate character, drive, and determination and these experiences provide the lessons that make us stronger for the next challenge.

And by the way, we can’t expect someone to single us out because we may be a minority; to give us opportunities. No one owes it to us just because we’re “A Woman” but instead, because we are the “Right Person.” There’s no room for blame, for excuses…we must posture ourselves to make a difference based on the content of our character. It’s not enough to “break the glass ceiling,” we must pave a way so that others aren’t left simply picking up broken glass.

Mentorship is one of the most effective ways we as Women Inspiring the Next Generations (WINGs) can make a difference. True mentoring encompasses not only where we are, but where we’ve come from and the challenges that brought us to today.

But what do your mentors look like? What should they look like? Do they have to be women? That would be nice, but we know that our mentors are in short supply. That’s why organizations like WINGs exist to help build out the resources available to women and work to providing networks and avenues for our success.

I consider mentoring a core facet of my leadership. I mentor senior leaders and junior enlisted, men and women, across all cultures and race. Understanding their background and challenges helps me understand my people. Supporting them in their success strengthens my unit, strengthens my leadership. If I wasn’t open to mentoring across the spectrum, of investing into my people, just think about how limited my window into my organization would be.

A mentor needs to be someone who can expand our frame of reference, who can share what our experience might be without being restricted by it. “Sometimes the poorest woman leaves her children the richest inheritance.” (Ruth E. Renkel – English Author)

Even the smallest action can have a mentoring impact. Think back to my story about Dr. King. A few minutes with an unknown person provoked a change in mindset for one of our greatest leaders.

“The simple truth is if mentoring is given and received in faith, the value of the information isn’t conditional on the color or gender of the person providing it. In our Air Force, mentorship is about making those around you better than you, so that the institution is better. We all are a part of something bigger than ourselves.” (General Lori Robinson, PACAF Commander)

Side by side with mentoring is your opportunity to invest in our women’s corp. It’s how we live up to the examples that were set for us by the pioneer women that came before us—our leaders, our mentors, our mothers. And its how we set an example for our young people to show them the impossible is possible. We all need a little help, a little hope, and somebody who believes in us.

While stationed at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, as the 88th Air Base Wing Command Chief, my Commander Col. Amanda Gladney and I had the opportunity to meet with some of our Tuskegee Airmen. We’d both read stories of the Red Tails and were inspired with the responsibility of upholding their commitment to excellence and to each other. We stood in awe of these living bits of history; I was humbled by their reaction to us. Their pride didn’t come from “doing their job” or breaking through misconception after misperception. Their pride came in the success of the generations that followed. In us as two females commanding a very large wing! This was never heard of in their day!

In positions of leadership, we have the unique opportunity to impact all individuals around us. Leadership isn’t about being charismatic—many people can work the room well, but that doesn’t make them leaders. It is not “making friends and influencing people,”—that’s flattery. Leadership is enabling success in those around you, lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, maybe higher than they dreamed themselves. Leadership is raising a person’s performance to a higher standard and making them expect more of themselves, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.

“Our Air Force is working hard to create a culture that celebrates diversity and champions inclusion. Secretary of the Air Force Deborah James said she will encourage the Air Force to more aggressively compete for top female talent in the nation. The Air Force will adjust its recruiting strategies to attract talented women, she said, and will establish partnerships with organizations that mentor and advocate for young women. In her remarks, Secretary James spelled out examples of how the Air Force is falling short on diversity. The junior enlisted force is diverse, she said, but the percentage of women and minorities in senior noncommissioned officer ranks has declined. Officers and civilians likewise see declining representation of women and minorities in the upper ranks, she said, and women leave the service at twice the rate of men during the middle of their careers.”

There are no more impossible dreams. We have come a long way since the first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. After two days of discussion and debate, 68 women and 32 men signed a Declaration of Sentiments, which outlined grievances and set the agenda for the women’s rights movement that led to the 19th Amendment of the Constitution, granting women the right to vote was signed into law by Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby.

Someone took a chance, grabbed an opportunity, and forged ahead despite the obstacles. It only takes one to see the need for diversity, paving the way for thousands of women joining our workforce - One of you to start the conversation that led to the celebration of Women’s History Month - supporting the dreams of women and enabling their success – One of you to stand up, speak out, and make a difference.

“I will never forget that the only reason I’m here today is because somebody, somewhere stood up for me when it was risky. Stood up when it was hard. Stood up when it wasn’t popular. And because that somebody stood up, a few more stood up. And then a few thousand stood up. And then a few million stood up. And standing up, with courage and clear purpose, they somehow managed to change the world.”

These are President Obama’s words. They are our inspiration to keep moving forward.

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