Professional Responsibilities:
Cindy is a supervisor and federal law enforcement agent. She graduated with a 4-year bachelor’s degree from an under-grad university. During the summers while attending college, she worked in the records department for a sheriff’s office. After graduating, she was hired as a correctional officer at that sheriff’s department and then started the hiring process as a deputy sheriff position and held that position for five years.  Cindy was then hired by a federal agency where she has worked for the past 12 years and currently leads a team of approximately 10-12 employees.

In her words…

HOBBIES:
When it was just me, I really enjoyed competitive sports, exercise, crafts, and drawing. While I still enjoy all of it, I find that my family’s happiness and hobbies have become mine as well. Nothing gives me more joy than hearing my children and husband laugh. So, I truly enjoy my family time, whatever that may be… don’t get me wrong though, my exercise/weight lifting time is my “me time” which I believe we all need. 

What is a common preconceived assumption of you that is false?  
Some have said that I am unapproachable or intimidating, which I truly hate hearing because I do not believe I am.  I do admit to focusing my attention on my family, friends and folks that work with me and for me. I owe it to them to make them my priority so others who do not know me come somewhere after that. 

What have you sacrificed both professionally and personally at each stage of your career?  
I would say before I got hired federally, I sacrificed my personal relationships. I had career goals that were priority at the time, and I knew in order to obtain them I felt I needed to stay single and go after my goals on my own. Once I obtained my career goals then my family became my priority and that became more important to me instead of furthering my career. Recently my husband has obtained his career goals and I now feel it is the time for me to prioritize my career and goals. Funny how priorities flip flop throughout life. 

How do you balance “domestic life” (wife/motherhood) and a career?
My domestic life wasn’t a challenge until I had a brand-new baby. I remember having a tough day and I thought to myself, I need to figure this out fast because I felt like I wasn’t as good of an Agent that I once was, and I wasn’t as good of a mom as I should be. It was an important moment for me. It was at that point that I just told myself to figure it out fast, so I just did it. Half the battle is just being honest with yourself and realizing it. 

How do you push through your worst times?
I just do it. I don’t bottle things up, I complain when I need to complain, I yell when I need to yell, and then I find my confidence and tell myself who better to handle this messed up situation or day than me. I use my “worst times” as motivation for me for the next “worst time” knowing it will come again – hey, if I can get through that, then this next worst thing I’ll get through too. It helps me tremendously that my husband and I have both been through worst times together and we got through them as a team. The worst things have made us only stronger. Knowing that, helps me get through anything.

What are your success habits?
I don’t have many success habits except never forgetting to be me and to be confident in my decisions I make. 

What advice would you give to women trying to achieve your role and responsibilities?
The simplest thing, yet not always easy to do,,, and saying it I’m sure will cause controversy, especially in today’s society where so many feel entitled but here it goes.. Realize and accept you are in a male dominated profession. You chose that path so don’t expect the path to change for you. Instead embrace it and have confidence that you can do the job just as good or better than the next, man or woman. Don’t try to act like a man to do a “man’s job” you don’t need to nor should you. Prove to everyone how good you are, and never try to use the woman card.  If you do, you are no better than men who think women can’t do the job. Embrace the challenge and love every minute of it. 

What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership?
Ourselves. Women put their own walls and barriers up. If you are a true leader, you don’t see barriers. You only see an obstacle course that you know you can lead through. 

As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?
The only thing that I still honestly struggle with at times is running across men that no matter how much I prove myself to them, they will never see me as an equal. I’ll say this though, I’m getting pretty good at pushing them off my track and moving forward and maybe telling them to stay the hell out of my way unless they want to get run over. 

What woman inspires you? Why?
I really struggle with this question actually. It stopped me dead in my tracks when I read it. Honestly, there’s a difference between a role model, mentor and a leader. Hear me out before you say I’m crazy. I can say I have had good women role models, like my grandmother, or mother and family friends. These are women that I look to for how to live my life and how to be. I’ve also had good women mentors. Mentors are women who teach me a certain thing they are great at, and I’ve learned many things from them. But what I can’t unfortunately name is a woman leader who inspires me. While there’s women I know and love that I suspect are tremendous leaders in their own right, I unfortunately didn’t realize this until I read the question, but I haven’t had firsthand knowledge of who I know to be an inspiring woman leader. I really wish that wasn’t true. I’ve had tremendous leaders who inspire me to be a better leader every day, these are all men. I know that won’t be a popular thing to say but for my experiences, that’s just the way it is. Maybe that’s why I strive to be a successful leader and hope to inspire other women to be successful leaders in their own right.

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
Go with your gut instinct, listen to people you feel are knowledgeable, understand your way might not always be the right way so keep an open ear to suggestions from those who have been proven to be trustworthy to you and once you make a decision be very decisive. Don’t waffle in your decision making, trust in your decision making process, and lastly,, give the credit to others when you succeed and own it solely when you fail.

Do you experience resistance when leading men?  If yes, how do you handle it?
Occasionally. I deal with it by not focusing on the “why” they are resisting, even if it is because I’m a female, I just keep it to the situation or issue itself, if My actions or requests of them is accurate and correct then the only person that is going to struggle through working for me is them.

What is some advice you would share with young women entering a male dominated profession?
Don’t try to act like someone you are not, be yourself, and accept that you are entering a male dominated profession, you chose your path don’t expect the path to change for you. If you want the path to change then embrace the challenge and change it yourself.

What is the most important characteristic, trait, behavior and/or skill a leader can possess?
The ability to balance confidence and humbleness at the same time.

Anything else you would like to add?…
A real leader is someone who when you look at the people who worked for them or led them, have become successful leaders themselves, then you know you have succeeded as a leader.

Cindy
Supervisor & Federal Law Enforcement Agent

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