Female Fingerprints: Jan 2023
Featuring: Stacy Cummings, General Manager, NATO Support & Procurement Agency, Luxembourg
Female Fingerprints is a monthly feature created to highlight women around the globe who have had an impact in their local communities and beyond. Each month throughout the year I will share some of the best and brightest stories of women who are making a positive and lasting imprint on our world.
How do we increase the participation of women in leadership positions? Anyone who dares to pursue success, whether in career or in life, will have to walk into unfamiliar territory, fraught with obstacles, sometimes hostile to your ambitions and often working against you.
However, those who tend to succeed as leaders share two common attributes: they first ask to be led and then, they ask to lead. Their pursuits aren’t hidden from others, neither is their willingness to constantly be learning from others.
Stacy Cummings is one such leader. She is the first woman to lead NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency since it was established in 1958. But this didn’t happen overnight. Her pursuit for excellence in leadership began by first, asking to be led, to be mentored and then secondly, to share her aspirations for leadership roles with others who could help pave the way.
“I would never have ended up leading a NATO organization in Luxembourg, if I hadn’t done that!”
And the motivation that drove Stacy? “No one cares more about your career than you!”
“No one cares more about you career than you!”
Born in the southern US state of Georgia, Stacy’s formative years involved a lot of moves. From Athens, Georgia to Virginia Beach, San Diego, Monterey, Newport Rhode Island and to the suburbs of Philadelphia. She grew up in the context of a military family – which included relocation, new experiences and the challenges that came with them.
“As a kid I enjoyed springboard diving and became a lifeguard as soon as I was able to gain my qualifications. I spent a lot of my spare time swimming, played tennis, and was in the band.”
“When I was very young, we lived in Georgia, so I had a southern accent, unlike the rest of the family. My parents were from Philadelphia and when we went to visit our extended family, I’m told they would give me things to say that they thought sounded “cute”, in a southern accent. Well, my mom tells me one thing I would do when I got frustrated would be to put my hands on my hips and say, in a toddler’s southern accent; ‘I can do it myself!’”
“My dad was in the Navy, so we moved around a lot but I spent more of my childhood in the suburbs of Philadelphia than anywhere else. When he was stationed in Italy, I was in college, so I got to spend summers and Christmas holidays there. In retrospect, that’s where my interest in living abroad as an expat really began.”
After completing her degrees, which include a Masters of Science, National Resource Strategy, a Masters Degree in Management & Information Systems, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Business Logistics, Stacy began her career with the US Navy.
“I ended up in logistics working for the Navy, so I suspect I was most influenced by my dad, who also worked in logistics for the Navy!”
Stacy would ultimately spend fifteen years in the Department of the Navy, another four years in the United States Department of Transportation and five years at the United States Department of Defense at the Pentagon.
Along the way she would meet and marry Ryan. “I met Ryan in an Irish Pub in San Diego while out with my friends celebrating my birthday. He claims to have been impressed by me knowing all of the lyrics to Irish drinking songs, but I think it was because of my short dress.”
The more I have gotten to know Stacy, the more I appreciate her authentic approach to leadership and success, her dynamism, as well as her desire to leave a lasting imprint, wherever she serves.
Let’s talk a little bit about Leadership, you have been in several organizations: the Navy, the Pentagon, currently at NATO here in Luxembourg. What would you say is your greatest strength and accomplishment?
“I’m a long-term thinker, and my preference is an inclusive leadership style. I think my biggest strength is my ability to see the big picture and lay out a strategy to take advantage of opportunities or to navigate challenges with the goal of avoiding or at least mitigating the negative impact on the organization.
“I think the greatest accomplishment of any leader is when the organization is still successful after you’ve left. Having been on the leadership team for several organizations that went through turbulence or major changes, my greatest achievement is leaving behind a solid strategy with a leadership team who continues to implement it.
“The greatest accomplishment of any leader is when the organization is still successful after you have left.”
“For example, I was head of an organization tasked with deploying worldwide a commercial off-the-shelf IT system over several years. The decisions my team and I made ensured for the long-term success of the program. Sometimes, leaders need to be willing to make hard and unpopular decisions, like slowing down or even missing short-term goals, in order to protect the program’s long-term success.”
Having served under both male and female leaders, in your opinion, what are some of the common traits they share to be effective leaders?
“The traits I most value in leaders is a willingness to listen and to change their mind based on new information or a teammate’s contribution or input. I strongly believe that there is rarely only one right answer or one right way to do something. Someone who thinks that only their way is correct is my least favorite type of leader – that approach is too myopic and lacks innovation in my opinion.””
What are some of the challenges for female leaders in the workplace?
“The challenge that I think is unique for women is being able to strike the right balance of decisive leadership without coming across as bossy or aggressive. This is exacerbated by the tendency for others - often men, but not always - to cut-off, talk over or sometimes ignore women when they speak, which can force women to have to raise their voices to be heard or retreat in frustration.”
Sometimes leaders must make sacrifices to reach their ultimate positions, did you have to take any risks, or make wrong decisions on your career path?
“I had an atypical career for a federal employee. I now realize, looking back, that I was too focused on getting promoted early in my career. I do wish I had spent more time in more junior positions and more time enjoying the experience. If I had, I probably would have sought out a position in Europe when I was younger – clearly that all worked out ok for me eventually, given where I am today.
“I have left jobs when either I think I’m not able to add value to the team at the level I want to, or when I’ve had a boss who I thought would be better served with a different person in my position. I once left a position thinking my boss would be pleased because, they could now bring in someone else who they chose (I was there before she was). However, I was surprised that when I told her I was leaving for another position, she was sad and disappointed.
“The mistake I made was not sharing how I was feeling before I started the job search. Again, it all worked out, but I do think I had more to offer the organization and it was my own assumptions that led me to move on.”
How do you as a leader continue to grow and develop?
“I have historically held a position for about two to four years. This has resulted in me having to learn and develop new skills continuously. I think organizations benefit from having a diverse leadership team and part of that diversity is a mix of longevity in the organization as well as their position. I tend to adapt my leadership style based on the needs of the organization, to include the experience level of the leadership team around me.”
How can we encourage and increase the participation of more women to become successful leaders?
“Today, women are leading in all domains and at all levels. Early in my own career, I saw very few women in senior roles: representation matters. For women aspiring to move into leadership positions today, I give the following advice: No one cares more about your career than you do!
“We create our own path and today more than ever, opportunities for women are abound. It is therefore important to know what we want (goals) and to develop a plan that achieves it. Seek out mentors, create and leverage networks and ask others to help you achieve your goals.
“Serving under male and female leaders, I have personally experienced differences in how women and men lead. However, generalizing is not a constructive approach. We should also consider how differently women and men in leadership are perceived. Ultimately, successful leaders share common characteristics of authenticity, agility, and vision, while valuing and encouraging diversity.
“I believe in opportunities. Diversity is important because organizations should seek to hire the best people and bring out the best in the people already in their team.
“Diversity provides the largest possible candidate pool to find the best person while also providing different views, experiences, and backgrounds to challenge the status quo. Most times, this gets you to the best idea or solution. Recruitment processes, to include job descriptions, are therefore fundamental in creating opportunities. Diverse teams are motivative, innovative and effective.
“Role models and mentors absolutely matter. Having access to women leaders and mentors changed my perspective and opened doors. I, in-turn, was given the opportunity to mentor others – men and women alike - and take that responsibility seriously..
“Having access to more women and mentors changed my perspective and opened doors.”
“You can reach your full potential by knowing what you want. Determine what your career goals are, create a plan, share your aspirations, leverage your networks, and ask for help. I would never have ended up leading at NATO in Luxembourg if I hadn’t asked. And remember, no one cares more about your career than you do!”
The more Stacy revealed about her approach to leadership, and about the people who helped her along the way, the more I was reminded of my own journey:
It may seem that my work life consisted of a series of coincidental opportunities. But on reflection, I can confidently say that I was prepared for each one. Or rather, I was being prepared. I seldom, if ever, took on work for which I was not in some way ready. My life was spent becoming equipped for the possibilities as they were presented. This is the mark of a service leader. Seva: The Art of Hospitality.
Stacy’s success is one shared by great leaders - they seek to lead and to be led by those who are committed to a common goal. They make the most of what life presents in a gracious but determined way. Then they give back by mentoring others - a virtuous cycle that ultimately will increase the participation of more women in leadership positions.
Thank you Stacy for leading the way for women, your spirit of mentoring, and for your powerful story.
I truly believe in leaving behind your legacy, like Stacy mentions in the article “I think the greatest accomplishment of any leader is when the organization is still successful after you’ve left
Wow, so interesting how you are connected to such empowered women from all over the world, even NATO! Very inspiring article, I felt I was watching movie!