Leading by Example: A Continuous Commitment

Three alumni share how to become a leader, how lifelong learning is essential to your growth, and how your commitments can inspire your team and lead to new opportunities.

Dr. Xavier Bruce.
Illustration credit: Andy Ward.

Dr. Xavier Bruce ’11

PROGRAM: Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

FIRST JOB: Stocker at a grocery store

CURRENT JOB: Deputy chief, strategic planning and transformation, 711th Human Performance Wing, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

“Everyone has a gremlin, or inner critic, who whispers, ‘You are not good/smart/strong enough.’ What does your gremlin whisper? How is it keeping you from achieving your definition of success? Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.’ The first steps are to acknowledge, integrate, and redirect your gremlin. My gremlin helped me earn my doctorate and develop a unique leadership style. As an introvert living in an extroverted world, I’m able to positively influence people to accomplish things that they never previously considered.”

Robbin Odom.
Illustration credit: Andy Ward.

Robbin Odom ’11

PROGRAM: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

FIRST JOB: Unit clerk at a hospital

CURRENT JOB: Chief nursing officer, Women & Children’s Hospital, Lake Charles, La.

“I recently read a quote that resonates with me: ‘A leader’s influence affects people’s lives professionally and personally, and where that influence ends no one can say.’ Walden enabled me to develop into a more mature leader. I realized that most of what I do and say affects someone, somewhere, and could have far reaching effects. At Walden, I also gained a new appreciation for evidence-based practice. Whether the information comes from staff input, patient perspectives, or academic articles, evidence-based methodologies and outcomes offer invaluable perspectives that improve staff effectiveness and the patient experience. Presenting them with evidence of why we are changing a process helps them understand the rationale and continue to follow it.”

Dr. Gayle D. Jones.
Illustration credit: Andy Ward.

Dr. Gayle D. Jones ’09

PROGRAM: PhD in Public Health

FIRST JOB: Cashier at a fast food restaurant

CURRENT JOB: Director of the Office of Child Health, Georgia Department of Public Health

“‘It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself,’ said Eleanor Roosevelt. If I ask staff to stay late or come in early, participate in weekend events, or work on something from home—no matter how big or small the request—then I, too, commit to the same things. Wherever you are on your path, understand that at times you’ll be asked to do things you’ve never done before that may be out of your area of expertise. Whatever the task is, do it and do it well. Don’t let an opportunity pass because you didn’t recognize it. Even for leaders, learning never stops.”

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