387: Bridging The Leadership Gap with Jenn Donahue

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What do young professionals need to know to become effective leaders that empower others?

Jenn Donahue

Listen as we discuss with Jenn Donahue important qualities you need to possess in order to become a better leader and bridge the leadership gap in the aspiring leaders coming up behind you.

Civil engineer, operations consultant, PHD recipient, university lecturer, mentor, military officer – throughout each of these roles, most of them simultaneous, Jenn Donahue has demonstrated the kind of leadership that goes beyond authority to something deeper— TRUST. That’s because Jenn doesn’t focus on her position of leadership. She focuses on the people, relationships, and potential surrounding her in each of her distinct roles.

That’s how she helped command an 800-personnel Battalion in Afghanistan, drill and blast roads in the coldest reaches of Alaska, develop earthquake defense plans at five different nuclear power plants, and then establish her own engineering firm with clients that include PG&E and National Chevron Phillips.

But these are just credentials. What Jenn would most like to list are the names of the thousands of people she’s led and developed to reach their greatest potential. It’s what drives everything she does, and the reason she’s now taking her message to the keynote stage. She believes that building trust between leaders and team members helps both reach their fullest capability— now and for the rest of their lives.

Podcast Highlights

3:00 – Why Jenn got into the military after gaining her degree in civil engineering

4:18 – Being a female naval officer and the biggest obstacle she faced

7:42 – Leadership lessons learned from early mentors

9:38 – The first thing about leadership Jenn teaches young professionals

12:59 – What we can do to develop better young leaders from a systemic perspective

17:55 – Incorporating assessment feedback into daily operations

19:58 – Gaining confidence to lead older generations

21:35 – The difference between passive and active listening

24:52 – Leadership qualities necessary to stay humble and on track

29:55 – Wrap up and next steps

Episode Resources

If you are a young professional between 25-31 years old and you’re looking for some quality mentorship from Jenn, go to: www.jenndonahue.com

Connect With Jenn Donahue

Website: www.jenndonahue.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenndonahue-phd-pe
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JennDonahue
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjenndonahue

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