As we begin a new year at the Randall L. Tobias Center for Leadership Excellence, we find ourselves reflecting on a main message from Alecia A. DeCoudreaux, who served as the keynote speaker at the 2017 Hazelett Women in Leadership Forum.
Speak truth to power, she said.
Started in 2006, the annual Hazelett Forum provides a public arena for knowledgeable and creative speakers to celebrate the achievements of women leaders. The forum honors the memory of its namesake, Susie Hazelett. Hazelett was a former executive director of the Randall L. Tobias Foundation, and she was instrumental in the founding of the Randall L. Tobias Center for Leadership Excellence. Past Hazelett Forum speakers include Susan Brooks, Tamika Catchings, Angie Hicks and Ora Pescovitz, among others.
At the 11th annual forum, Alecia DeCoudreaux, who has served in numerous, high-profile executive leadership roles across the country, discussed three constants that have been an integral part of her journey.
1. Maintaining a sense of self-worth, and listening to the inner voice that stems from it.
2. Speaking truth to power.
3. Providing service to others, which is key to a fulfilling life.
I strongly encourage every leader to find a way to serve. The need is overwhelming. If not us, who?
DeCoudreaux served most recently as the 13th president of Mills College, and she’s held a number of leadership roles at Eli Lilly and Company, including vice president and deputy general counsel.
DeCoudreaux began her career in private practice with Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro, a San Francisco-based law firm. She received her law degree from the Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington. Her career also saw extensive involvement in the communities where she has lived and worked.
DeCoudreaux reflects on growing up in a family of strong women, who imparted many lessons upon her that guided her through life. When she was subject to pranks from older cousins, her grandmother told her: You are strong and smart and as good as the rest of them.
It was this mantra that carried her through much of her professional career. DeCoudreaux recalled thinking of those words when she would get discouraged—first as she worked to get ahead in a law firm with few women, and later throughout her professional career.
Your belief in yourself, combined with preparation and hard work, is the most powerful springboard for overcoming the obstacles that inevitably will block your path.
DeCoudreaux remembered speaking candidly with leaders in various companies and with company stakeholders throughout her career, particularly when it came to valuing diversity and the value of women in leadership roles in the workplace.
“Throughout my career, I often found myself in a position of speaking truth to power, and as often as I could, I tried to seek the truth from those who worked for me and with me. I know this isn’t always easy,” she explained.
As a final thought, DeCoudreaux left Hazelett attendees with this message – a message to remember as we embark on a new year with new promise.