Tommy Dattilo
LDRS 2017
Dr. Paul Kosempel
November 21st, 2015
Just a Hardworkin’ Cowgirl
At the age of sixty-six years old, Mrs. Barbara Barrett could retire, collect her
Social Security benefits, and ride off with her husband into the Arizonian sunset without
a care in the world. Yet, anyone that knows Mrs. Barrett would tell you that this is
perhaps the last thing she desires to do. Mrs. Barbara Barrett has been a leader for as long
as she can remember, and she intends to keep it that way. Throughout her time as a
leader, Barrett asserts that she has “endlessly kept in mind the development and
wellbeing of those around the world less privileged than [herself]” (B. Barrett, personal
communication, October 28, 2015).
I initially chose to interview Barbara Barrett because I enjoy foreign affairs and
was interested in her service as Ambassador to Finland within the United States’
Department of State. However, after our lengthy conversation over the phone, I learned
that her year spent as a US Ambassador is but one notch in the belt. After reviewing her
résumé, one may grant Barrett the title of “leader” simply for her breadth of involvement.
However, she argues that what has made her time here on Earth so meaningful is the
depth that she has thankfully been able to put into each and every endeavor. Without her
packed agenda, she would “become bored.” In each of her organizations or boards,
Barrett does not attempt to make a contribution – rather, she aspires to do the
extraordinary and make a momentous impact to enrich her life and the lives of those
around her. She says, “If I accomplish each and every one of my goals, I know I am not
dreaming big enough” (B. Barrett, personal communication, October 28, 2015).
Beginning as an entrepreneur, Barbara Barrett had a competitive mindset and a
desire to somehow enhance the world. She then followed her passions of aviation and
became a pilot. When she desired to shape the future leaders of the United States, she
became a Fellow teaching leadership at Harvard University. Becoming interested in
politics and international relations, she served as Senior Advisor to the US Mission to the
United Nations and then as Ambassador to Finland. As if flying planes was not enough of
a thrill, she became a certified astronaut in Star City, Russia. Currently, Mrs. Barrett
serves as the CEO of Triple Creek Guest Ranch in Montana – the highest-ranked hotel in
the world in 2014 according to Travel + Leisure – and Interim President of Thunderbird
School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. All the while, her motivation is to
enhance the equality of women in the globalized economy. She is President of the
International Women’s Forum, a frequent contributor to the US-Afghan Women’s
Council, and a vital member to Thunderbird’s Project Artemis – a program that trains and
mentors Afghan women entrepreneurs.
When defining leadership, Barrett believes that it comes down to a set of core
values: honesty, integrity, vision, and collaboration. “Most important, though, is honesty
– it is the root of everything else” (B. Barrett, personal communication, October 28
2015). As Kouzas and Posner (2005) write, “credibility is the foundation of leadership…
[Leaders] do what they say they will do” (pp. 360-361). In today’s world, many
politicians and entrepreneurs allow their credibility to slip because they feel that their
titles of “CEO” or “ambassador” will suffice in maintaining their images as leaders.
However, Barrett simply ignores the titles – she is more interested in the responsibility
and commitment that comes with them. Such a notion is incredibly powerful to me. In
junior high, my teachers told me to gain leadership positions in as many clubs or
organizations as possible in order to boost my résumé to gain acceptance into a
prestigious high school. In high school, my college counselors told me to gain leadership
positions in as many clubs or organizations as possible in order to boost my résumé to
gain acceptance into a prestigious university. Now, only three months into my first year
of college, I am receiving emails about how to maximize my involvement and start on the
pathway to leadership positions. I surely enjoy spending my time doing the things that I
love, but I would be lying if I claimed 100% of my involvements were true passions.
Instead, on multiple occasions, I have fallen into the trap of viewing leadership as a
position or title rather than as an activity or way of life. Barrett’s urging to only pursue
what is truly meaningful to me, however, put my life into perspective quite quickly.
In addition to her appreciation for credibility and leading to lead rather than to
gain artificial labels, what fascinated me about Mrs. Barrett was her combining of citizen
leadership in a multicultural environment. Without question, Barrett is a citizen leader, or
one whose goal is to “raise the floor beneath all members of society, rather than to enable
a few to touch its vaulted ceiling,” and all of her service is quite indicative of this
description (Couto, 1995, p. 12). Yet, her service in a multicultural sense revealed itself
when she said, “Sure, [my husband] and I have had our fair share of leadership positions,
but for us, being a leader comes down to doing good for others without expecting
anything in return. It’s just an added bonus when we can incorporate the cultures of other
people back into our lives and make things a bit more exciting” (B. Barrett, personal
communication, October 28, 2015). Barbara’s husband, Craig Barrett, is the retired CEO
of Intel. Needless to say, he has impacted the lives of millions via technology and has
traveled and lived in places such as Hong Kong, China and Moscow, Russia. In addition
to his wife, who has traveled and lived in places such as Helsinki, Finland and Davos,
Switzerland, the couple has experienced a plethora of diversity. Similar to Bordas (2012),
the Barretts tend to acculturate rather than assimilate, and they surely advocate for “[an
increase] in one’s cultural repertoire, creativity, adaptability, flexibility… and crosscultural competency” (p. 201).
Unlike Heifetz (1995), who argues that leaders are made rather than born and that
“leadership is an activity,” Barrett claims that a leader is born with “a certain series of
capabilities” and that these select individuals and their skills are later “fine tuned and
developed” (B. Barrett, personal communication, October 28, 2015). Important to Bordas
(2012) is how these individuals interact in a heterogeneous society, and she explains the
interaction by outlining one traditional belief: ubuntu (“you are a person only because of
other people”). Bordas writes, “Practicing ubuntu means people recognize their inner
connections and acknowledge that humanity is one” (p. 167). Barrett could not relate
more to the belief in such a globalized society. She emphatically shared, “We are social
mammals! We need others in order to thrive!” (B. Barrett, personal communication,
October 28, 2015). Thus, her membership within multiple international organizations
proves her commitment to changing the world and providing “leadership for a future
worth living” as reads the motto of the Pioneer Leadership Program at the University of
Denver.
Though not specifically identifying the “MICEE” model established by Kouzas
and Posner (2010), Barrett indirectly discussed two of the five leadership practices in
great detail. Throughout her development as a leader, she has “models the way” and
“challenges the process” for women across the world who aspire to establish equal
footing to their male counterparts. She seeks to break the boundaries for women in many
fields. Kouzas and Posner (2010) state that leaders “find their voice and affirm shared
values,” and Barrett does just that. She identifies her motivation as breaking down
inequality of women to men, especially in less developed countries. Though quite
apparent in Project Artemis – explained above – several other accomplishments give
hope to young women around the world. She became the first women to land a F/A-18
Hornet on an aircraft carrier, the first female chairperson of the US Advisory
Commission on Public Diplomacy, the first female Republican candidate for governor of
Arizona, and the first woman Chairman of the Thunderbird Board of Trustees. In
addition, she models the way for a life of utmost contentment. I hold one cliché
inspirational quote dear to me in my development as a leader: “doing what you like is
freedom, liking what you do is happiness.” Barrett preaches that if you go through life
participating in activities where your heart is not wholly present, then you are “wasting
your short time here on Earth” (B. Barrett, personal communication, October 28, 2015).
For her, this wholeheartedness developed as she pursued multiple career paths and found
fulfillment in each one, and she refused to accept the social “norm” of honing in on one
specific trade or occupation as you matured in life.
Mrs. Barrett “inspires a shared vision” as a member of her numerous
organizations mentioned above as well as the Global Leadership Foundation, Council on
Foreign Relations, Club of Madrid, and World Economic Forum; she envisions a brighter
future in which everyone could benefit. Barrett acts as a “servant of the people” and
embodies all four practices that Bordas (2012) ascribes to “community stewards”: the
encouragement of participation and building of consensus, the generation of a shared
vision, the use of culturally effective communication, and the weaving of partnerships
and connections (pp. 123-124). Once consensus is built, “encouraging the heart” becomes
easy. When someone in one of her organizations does something that deserves praise or
recognition, Barrett is among the first to pat him/her on the back and celebrate the victory
as a team. She continuously nominates individuals for awards, and she views such an
action not simply as an incentive to “keep up the good work,” but as a token of her deep
appreciation for their contributions and selflessness in putting the “We” before the “I.”
As Bordas (2012) explains, “We cultures work together so everyone benefits… Being
able to share and be generous was, indeed, a survival tactic… inspired leadership implies
societal guardianship” (pp. 46, 68, 72). From a “We” mentality comes the notion of
generosity benefitting both the individual and the whole, resulting in the collectivist
wellbeing of an entire organization.
Barrett identified the area of her leadership that needs the most improvement as
“enabling others to act.” Sure, she has challenged the process and inspired a shared
vision, but the transition from creating a common vision and then actually fostering
collaboration takes skill. In other words, it is one thing to create enhanced opportunities
and another to associate each individual into a “group think” mentality for communal
success. She understands the potential for greatness in any given scenario and has the
ability to lead individuals to a goal, but she still occasionally experiences close-
mindedness. She says, “[Leaders], myself included, exclude people based on their
differences rather than focusing on the similarities” (B. Barrett, personal communication,
October 28, 2015). While the word “collaboration” is indeed within her set of core
values, she explains that there is no perfect leader. As Heifetz (1995) explains, leadership
is “an activity to mobilize adaptation” (p. 27). Barrett acknowledges that she is still
growing as a leader – in her late sixties – and that she must accept the differences
alongside the similarities because diverse outlooks create new ideas and innovation. As
long as she builds an atmosphere of trust, practices inclusivity, and allows unique
perspectives to flourish, than Barrett knows she is giving it her all every single day.
One response from Mrs. Barrett that was particularly interesting was her
explanation of what modern-day leaders lack when compared to the leaders of her time.
First, she identified her role model: Sandra Day O’Connor. After reviewing the
accomplishments and résumé of O’Connor, one can see why Barrett venerates the eightyfive year-old Texas woman. Mrs. O’Connor served as the first female justice appointed to
the Supreme Court and tore down any stereotypes of a woman’s place in a “man’s
world.” From her continuing friendship with O’Connor, Barrett has learned many lessons
on leadership. First of all, complaining gets you nowhere. Growing up in the 1940s and
’50s, O’Connor felt sexism at home, school, the workplace, and politics. Rather than
whine, she worked much harder than any of her peers to break the negative stereotypes.
Her work ethic, therefore, was never questioned, and she continues to live with the same
drive and zest for life. Since Barrett holds numerous roles, memberships, positions, and
titles, she quite often finds herself in a group environment. Thus, O’Connor’s lesson on
“how to run a meeting well” sticks with her to this day. Reciting what her role model
taught her, Barrett says, “You must give something, get something, learn something, and
have fun” (B. Barrett, personal communication, October 28, 2015). Stressing the fact that
you can in fact make a business meeting an enjoyable time, Barrett says, “Meetings must
be tightly run, but without a bit of humor or a joke here and there, no one will leave with
a newly-motivated mindset” (B. Barrett, personal communication, October 28, 2015).
Using Sandra Day as a model, Mrs. Barrett believes that many modern-day
leaders lack a long-term perspective of how their actions will impact society. By paying
attention to their immediate needs and desires, they sacrifice their goals that require more
time and effort. Young leaders, in particular, lack thoughtfulness and foresight, and
Barrett says that dishonesty is the most common cause of failure among millennial
leaders. Almost always, such instances are regretted later on because the individual
realizes that if he/she were straightforward – no matter how challenging, uncomfortable,
or awkward it might seem initially – there would be no negative consequences in the
future. For example, many millennials put on a façade when asked to critique a peer, and
they are unable to act candidly and deliver bad news. Eventually, the peer will find out
and feel betrayed and embarrassed, and his/her trust in the other individual will be
irreparably damaged. Thus, a good leader is one who knows how to interact and
communicate. Everyone appreciates an individual who has the courage and integrity to
deliver the complete truth, even when emotions are involved.
Perhaps the biggest message that Mrs. Barrett delivered came after sharing her
toughest obstacle. When her father passed away, Barrett had to do something she rarely
does: pause, step back, and reevaluate her life. Amidst all of her commitments within her
bustling lifestyle, she learned quite a valuable lesson that seems to escape the minds of
many leaders: the acceptance of one’s mortality. In today’s world of instant gratification,
humans believe that when something does not come so easily, either they are doing
something wrong or it is not worth the effort to push the envelope. Leaders in particular
hold themselves to higher standards because of the ever-increasing competitive
environment. However, as Barrett repeated several times, “You can’t control everything
in your life,” but instead, “you must look at the pieces and try to put together what you
can control to craft a game plan” (B. Barrett, personal communication, October 28,
2015). Rather than act invincible, I must personally learn to let life run its course, and I
must have fun with whatever I do. Barrett says, “My mission statement or motto is ‘work
hard, play hard,’ and I keep in mind that ‘knowledge is the gateway’ in all of my
endeavors” (B. Barrett, personal communication, October 28, 2015). Finding the perfect
balance between a copious amount of stress and a carefree mentality will let me shape my
own destiny, but life and my God will take care of the rest and place me in the niche I
deserve to be in.
Mrs. Barbara Barrett has won the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for
Exceptional Public Service, the Horatio Alger Award for Distinguished Americans, the
Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship, and of course, the Sandra Day
O’Connor Board Excellence Award. However, no award or accolade provides her with
the credit that is due. Her humble, grateful attitude – always optimistic and positive –
made “interviewing” her such an honor. Knowing that our time was almost up, I quickly
asked how she wanted to be remembered. She answered, “When it comes down to it, I’m
just a hardworkin’ cowgirl! That’s where I came from, and that’s who I am today” (B.
Barrett, personal communication, October 28, 2015). I surely will not forget our
conversation and the lessons shared any time soon. Mrs. Barbara Barrett, such a
distinguished individual, transformed many of my doubts about the existence of
exemplary, genuine citizen leadership within the private sector or the government.
Offering a quick “thank you” as it was time for her to exit our phone call and venture off
to another meeting, I hope that she understood my gratitude. For some odd reason, I have
a hunch that she did.
Works Cited
Bordas, J. (2012). Salsa, soul, and spirit: Leadership for a multicultural age. San
Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Couto, R.A. (1995). Defining a citizen leader. In J.T. Wren (Ed.), The leader’s
companion: Insights on leadership throughout the ages. (pp. 11-17). New York,
NY: The Free Press.
Retrieved from
https://canvas.du.edu/courses/16298/files/folder/Readings?preview=933278
Heifetz, R.A. (1995). Values in Leadership. Leadership without easy answers. (pp. 1327). Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Retrieved from
https://canvas.du.edu/courses/16298/files/folder/Readings?preview=933276
Kouzas, J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (2005). Leading in cynical times. Journal of Management
Inquiry, 14(4), 357-364. Retrieved from
file:///Users/TDattilo7/Downloads/Kouzes%20and%20Posner%20Intro%20Credi
bility%20(2).pdf .
Kouzas, J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (2010). The five practices of exemplary leadership.
Retrieved from
http://www.studentleadershipchallenge.com /About/Five-practices.aspx