Scorecarder Spotlight: Jeff Le
Our “Scorecarder Learning & Development Spotlight” series showcases our talented, driven employees, the incredible work they do, and their quest to continue their development as lifelong learners.
Name: Jeff Le
Role: VP, Global Government Affairs & Public Policy
Tell us a little about your professional background.
My career has had three distinct chapters:
- An international affairs and national security background that took me to communications and strategy roles in the U.S. Department of State overseas, the United Nations and other multilateral institutions, and to international development non-profit sector through the Eurasia, Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Afghanistan;
- Senior policy roles in the U.S. House of Representatives and as Deputy Cabinet Secretary for former California Governor Jerry Brown; and,
- Government affairs and public policy roles throughout the innovation and tech industry.
These paths have largely centered on my interest in navigating multiple complex issues at important global inflection points. I feel fortunate to have taken on public service roles throughout the local, city, county, state, federal and global communities.
What made you want to pursue the Leadership Maryland program?
Throughout my career, I found that I never really gave myself meaningful time to reflect, assess, and challenge my personal and professional assumptions. And because I have not necessarily fit neatly into a box, I did not have as many peers to workshop leadership issues specific to the times.
I knew I wanted to be around community leaders from different orbits because of the unique lessons but shared values component. In addition, as a county regional advisory board, and gubernatorial appointee in Maryland, I also wanted to learn more about the particular dynamics that impact the state and forge Maryland relationships.
What key takeaways and learnings did you receive from this experience?
When I applied for the program, my initial goal was to learn from incredible emerging leaders from other parts of the state. The state has such rich variety and diversity that the opportunity to share thoughts and lessons from others was important. I didn’t know anyone locally who is engaging at the state level outside of elected officials and activists. So it was a pleasure to speak with leaders from such different outlooks. I appreciate all efforts to break groupthink. Having the point of view from other regional considerations has been a welcome perspective and a refreshing one.
Five takeaways:
- Self-Reflection is a Key Baseline: Understanding yourself is as important as understanding your team and your leadership. Knowing where one’s strengths and weaknesses are but also how they could be perceived or impacted with other cross-functional partners was important to highlight. At the beginning of the program, we did a DiSC assessment and it displayed how combinations of people could look at the same scenarios so differently. Mapping tools and techniques to navigate the nuance is a valuable lesson.
- Lean Into Discomfort: Leaders are often faced with ambiguity, tight deadlines, and imperfection options. It’s not always fun. But it’s probably better just to jump in than elongate the pain. Acknowledging that one is doing their best even when best is not certain is a muscle worth developing. It leads to more time savings and the shot clock matters.
- Grace Matters: Leaders can be hard on themselves. But it’s likely the case that things are not as bad (or as good) as we make them out to be. The interpersonal element of work and having teams of humans probably means that there are factors outside the halls that have a sizable impact. Keep a pulse on morale. Make space for those variables and benefit of the doubt.
- Work-Life Balance is Mislabeled: Work-life balance seems unlikely in today’s world without a significant compromise. As a mentor told me early on, “you can have it all, but not at the same time.” I think of this juggling more as work-life integration, understanding what is most important and the trade offs to fuel the best chances for success. The challenge is that it impacts both your personal and professional life, hence the emphasis on candid integration.
- Prioritize to the Scoreboard: It is so easy to just work task to task and knock off the to-do list without thinking strategically. Did doing this one thing mean you actually were unable to do a multitude of other things? Leaders can struggle to say no. But if we can prioritize what matters most and honestly account for what mindshare it will take, we can put our best foot forward on the biggest and most audacious goals.
How will you/how are you applying this information to your role/to SSC?
I have these five points right on my desk as a regular reminder. It has already helped me navigate my external and internal meetings. And it has allowed me to be more mindful of the value of time. Time is exceedingly precious and these learnings are giving me the opportunity to add more value and make our partnerships stronger.