Leadership Her Way

LEADERSHIP HER WAY
Insights on leadership styles of

successful military women
By Dr. Scena B. Webb
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to the women I have
served with in the United States Navy, Army,
Air Force, and Marines. For the women still
in the military that I have met, you are not
alone. Your story needs a voice. You are
heroes that deserve a celebration. I salute
each of you for your unwavering dedication
to duty.
For my retired sisters in arms. Your
sacrifice will never be forgotten.
You have successfully completed 20 or
more years of faithful service to the United
States of America serving in various areas of
the military. You are to be treasured. You are
to be remembered. You will one day have
motion pictures that show your bravery and
sacrifice. You will never be forgotten. I am
you. You are I. SALUTE!
PREFACE
I began my doctoral journey in September
2008. As a part of that journey I had to
choose a topic worthy of original research. I
pondered various topics and one stood out
from the rest. The focus on military women
and their leadership styles developed. I
reflected on the thought of women who have
served and retired from the military. I
immediately thought, Wow! I can do this! I
can write about women like me. I will share
their story of leadership and seek to
understand life from their eyes. So the
journey began, looking for scholarly articles
on military retired women.
But someday, somebody'll stand up and talk about
me and write about me black and beautiful and sing
about me and put on plays about me! I reckon it'll be
me myself! Yes, it'll be me. - Langston Hughes,
Harlem Renaissance.
Dr. Scena B. Webb
As I searched for information in scholarly

journals about business, psychology, religion,
leadership, and the social sciences, I did not
find any literature about women who served
and retired from the military that were not
associated with traumatic experiences. I
searched newspaper articles, magazines, and
periodicals turning up with nothing on the
retired military woman. With each search I
grew more and more determined to write
about this silenced population. I decided to
begin my research at the beginning,
attracting minority and diversity candidates
into the military service. Again, there was
little research available to me so off I went in
search of a meaningful way to make a
contribution to scholarly research.
Three years later I completed original
research on attracting qualified minority and
diversity candidates to the military. I felt as
though I brought a little light into the enigma
surrounding military attraction applications
and success rates. Through writing my
dissertation I discovered a passion for sharing
with others about the leadership styles of
retired military women. The women in this
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Leadership: Her Way
book are my friends. I know each of them

personally and I have a deep bond with them.
We know that we are not alone in our
commonalities across military branches. We
share a bond that says, Yes we have
successfully served and Yes we continue to
serve as civilian contractors, as government
workers, as wives, as community leaders, as
spiritual leaders, as coaches, as mentors, as
citizens.
The women you will meet in this book
graciously gave of their time and extremely
busy schedules to share with me knowing that
I would share with you, the readers of this
work. There are many women who have yet
to be heard. I will find them and write about
them. For now, I want you to relax and meet
three military retired women along with
myself. I want you to share in our feelings as
were open ourselves up to the various ways
we transfer our leadership styles into our
current positions. Each of us successfully
navigated 20 years or more in the military.
Each of us currently has jobs outside of the
home. Each of us live and participate along
side of you in the community.
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Dr. Scena B. Webb
I will write again and share more about us

so that you can get to know us. My prayer is
that you will take a better understanding of
the psychological adjustments the women in
this book deal with on a daily basis as we
continue to serve our country.
Dr. Scena B. Webb
Table of Contents
LEADERSHIP HER WAY
INSIGHTS ON LEADERSHIP STYLES OF

SUCCESSFUL MILITARY WOMEN
1
DEDICATION
PREFACE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
SASHA
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
WHAT MEDIA PORTRAYS ABOUT
8
12
MILITARY WOMEN LEADERS

PERSPECTIVES OF LEADERSHIP
PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGIES OF MILITARY
LEADERSHIP TRANSFERABILITY
STRUGGLES WITH PERSPECTIVES ON
LEADERSHIP
SASHAS INSIGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
ON LEADERSHIP
14
15
CHAPTER TWO
23
DENISE
WHAT MEDIA PORTRAYS ABOUT MILITARY
23
WOMEN LEADERS
28
30
16
18
21
Dr. Scena B. Webb

LEADERSHIP
DENISES INSIGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
ON LEADERSHIP
31
CHAPTER THREE
38
ROSA
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
38
42
45
PERSPECTIVES ON LEADERSHIP
ROSAS INSIGHTS AND REFLECTIONS ON
LEADERSHIP
46
49
CHAPTER FOUR
54
SCENA
WHAT MEDIA PORTRAYS ABOUT MILITARY
54
WOMEN LEADERS
LEADERSHIP
MY INSIGHTS AND REFLECTIONS ON
LEADERSHIP
60
61
CHAPTER FIVE
72
SUMMARY INSIGHTS
72
33
36
52
65
67
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Leadership: Her Way

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Dr. Scena B. Webb
CHAPTER ONE
Sasha
This is my image for Sasha. I took this photo when I lived in Yuma, Arizona.
Sashas spirited personality has a fiery passion for leadership. She is a quiet storm that
is tenacious and giving. Photo by Dr. Scena Webb @2015
Leadership: Her Way
Sasha and I have known each other since

about 2003. She and I met while we were on
active duty. She is a brilliant woman. My
first impression of Sasha was, Wow! She
carries herself coming from a position of
power! Sasha and I served together for
several years before my transfer. At the time,
I met Sasha she had been serving in the
United States Navy for about 11 years. She
was a single mother pursuing her degree.
When I think of five words to describe Sasha,
I think of committed, complicated,
meticulous, tenacious, and caring.
Sasha and I would laugh and compare
leadership styles when working out solutions
to organizational problems. We both had our
challenges as we came up through the ranks.
Being women was hard enough in positions
of leadership, however, for Sasha, the added
pressure of raising a family must have been
hell. I cant speak to those pressures because I
dont have any children. Though I have
many women who have served under my
leadership that did. But this chapter is not
about me its about Sasha and her leadership.
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Dr. Scena B. Webb
Leadership (noun)
Leadership is the action of leading a group of people
or an organization. Synonyms: guidance, direction,
control, management, superintendence, supervision.
Sasha showed all of these characteristics
during the time I served with her. She is also
complicated, a mother, a daughter, a role
model, a mentor, and a wonderful spouse.
Most importantly, she is my friend, confidant,
and shipmate. She is fierce when leading
groups of people. She is forceful when
controlling situations in her sphere of
influence. She is masterful when giving
direction. She is meticulous in her
management. She is mission driven in her
superintendence. She is a no-nonsense
supervisor. She is a retired military service
member still giving today.
Sasha is a dynamic military veteran who
served over 20 years of dedicated and faithful
service to the United States of America. At
the time I met Sasha, she had already gained
three years experience in leadership positions.
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Leadership: Her Way
She was a single parent of a three-year-old

daughter. She was no struggle to maintaining
a healthy home-life while meeting the
demands of a military career. When I
approached Sasha about joining me on this
project to help readers learn about the ways
she describes her leadership style and how
she transfers her style of leadership from a
military application to a civilian application,
Sasha immediately agreed to share her
insights. Here are some of Sashas insights:
Sasha shared with me that she really didnt
have any mentors while she was active duty
back around 2002 when we served together.
To develop her leadership style, Sasha shared
that she more or less took a piece of everyone
that led her or worked with her. She took the
styles that she liked and didnt like putting
them into her leadership tool bag. Sasha
describes one true mentor, at that time as
being a person that walked with grace and
didnt hold back. That mentor told you things
about yourself that you didnt want to hear.
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Dr. Scena B. Webb
Leadership Development
By
her
own
account,
leadership
development was not easy for Sasha. She
describes her development as a leader feeling
uncomfortable in the many different ways she
tried to exercise her leadership style during
the time we served together. It wasnt until
her next transfer that she was able to put it all
together. Sasha decided to just be herself in
her most comfortable role, being a mother.
Sasha shared that being a mother, a person
has leadership traits that they may not realize
they have. For example, mothers have to
motivate, guide, set rules and boundaries, and
teach. So Sasha took that approach and used
that as her baseline in leading people. Along
the way, she had to adjust some things or
ways she exercised her leadership based on
what works and what doesnt work.
I learned that you could not lead everyone the same
way. You have to tailor yourself to each person that
you lead while at the same time not changing your
values.
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Leadership: Her Way
As Sasha and I continued or reflection on

leadership, I asked her this question,
Describe the most valuable leadership
lessons for you during your time in the
military? Sasha recalled that some of the
most valuable leadership lessons for her were
times when she failed. She recalled a specific
time when she had no Chief in the division
and her division had a major inspection. She
thought that she had it all under control. She
felt she was doing everything right. Well, the
inspection came and she failed. Sasha
emphasized that not only did she fail, but also
she failed her peers, subordinates, and upper
leadership.
Sasha shared another valuable leadership
lesson happened when she came back to work
from maternity leave after having her son.
She was going through a lot of things
personally and professionally. She was
diagnosed with postpartum depression along
with clinical depression. She was removed
from being the chief in charge of her current
workgroup and placed in an administrative
position. Sasha recalls that instead of taking a
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Dr. Scena B. Webb
step back, she continued to press on and

everything started spinning. In her words, It
took all of that for me to step back and
regroup. By then she had destroyed
relationships and had to regain the respect of
her juniors. Sasha says, That was my most
humbling experience in leadership.
What media portrays about military women
leaders
Sash and I reflected on how the media does
not portray strong military leaders who are
women. We couldn't reflect on any
Hollywood movie that shows us, as women,
in leadership positions serving onboard Navy
ships as senior leaders. The few motion
pictures that have been released are silent
with respect to the daily operations that
women in the military lead. Sash and I are
surface warfare qualified which means we are
qualified and proficient to roam around the
bridge of a naval ship understanding the
intricate details of the operations. We
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Leadership: Her Way
understand and can execute what it takes to

get a ship or aircraft underway. We are
qualified in a ships weapon systems. Yet, as
of the writing of this book, we are not
represented in media or on the big screen as
such.
The photo was retrieved from Google Images. The image does not belong to Dr.
Scena Webb in any form.
Perspectives of leadership
Sasha and I talked about perceptions of
leadership with respect to the way we were
groomed while serving in the military. She
and I both served in the Navy. She and I
both rose to senior leadership ranks. She and
I both had some unspoken expectations about
leadership when we retired. Here are some of
Sashas insights on transferring her leadership
style from a military application to her work
now as a defense contractor. I asked Sasha
how she thinks she is perceived as a leader in
15
Dr. Scena B. Webb
her current position. Sasha said that she feels

men perceive her as aggressive.
Psychological strategies of military
leadership transferability
I asked Sasha if there is an expected
contract between people at work. She replied
with a definite yes. Sasha gave an example of
a time when she asked for a mentor. She
asked for a female veteran figuring that she
could get some guidance into the
expectations of working as a newly retired
civilian. Sasha was wrong. She found out
quickly that the person whom she thought
would mentor her ultimately demonstrated
that she was a company person not interested
in mentoring. Sasha thought that the
camaraderie that is common in the military
working alongside other military members
would carry over if she selected a female who
might better identify with her. I would have
made the same choice given similar
circumstances.
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Leadership: Her Way
I asked Sasha if she felt that military

women bring a sense of strategy to the job. I
shared with her that when I got to my job I
quickly became interested in who plays what
role in my immediate surroundings. Sasha
agreed that we know how to immediately
figure out who does what or who will actually
do what they say. Sasha mentioned again in
our chat that she has been told that
sometimes she is too aggressive. She describes
her work environment as a push-pull
situation. Anxiety at work happens sometimes
with Sasha. She describes herself as a very
attention-to-detail person at work and it
causes anxiety sometimes. Reflecting back on
her own style, she feels that they dont
understand. She finds herself constantly reevaluating her military options. In the sense
that when she works on projects, she reflects
back on what she would have done in the
military in particular situations she faces in
her current job.
17
Dr. Scena B. Webb
Struggles with perspectives on leadership

I shared with Sasha how I struggle with not
letting Chief Webb out at work. When I
made that comment, I was referring to times
when I feel the person whom I am dealing
with at the time does not have the necessary
leadership skills to deal with a situation. I
reconcile in my mind that if I let Chief
Webb out, then all hell will break loose. I
was reflecting with Sasha on how there are
times in my current job that my 21 years of
military experience dictate that I step in and
take control of a situation because I know I
have the skills and ability to do so. However,
I sometimes struggle with the reality that my
current role does not require my senior
leadership but that I am in a role that I see
more as a mentorship role that allows
mistakes to happen so other can develop their
leadership roles.
Sasha shared that she had an experience
with only being onboard her job less than six
months where Chief Sasha had to come
out. The folks she was dealing with did not
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Leadership: Her Way
know how to deal with a strong woman.

She tells of instances where she has had to
put a shield up to keep her leadership going.
Sasha feels she brings a sense of loyalty to her
company and that she brings a workplace
mentality to the job. Sasha told me that she
feels people need to take ownership of their
project. She shared an instance where a
young female coworker, in her early twenties,
didnt seem to know how to channel her
abilities. She talked about how that particular
coworker uses her physical attributes to try to
get ahead. Now let me make this clear, Sasha
is not hating on the lady, she is being
descriptive in our discussion.
I wanted to know how Sashas military
experiences have shaped her leadership style.
Sasha said to me, All the mistakes I made
before play a part in channeling things. The
military taught her that mission comes first.
So then came the question, How do you
transfer your leadership style you learned in
the military? Sasha says she has to think,
How do I get this dude to do what I need
19
Dr. Scena B. Webb
him to do without him knowing it? Sasha

says she has to continually adapt her
leadership style to deal with others. We talked
about a particular scenario where she thought
about leaving the present company but found
mentorship with a guy that is also retired
military. Sasha talked about the only reason
she stays is because of her boss, which is a
male. (I felt that was important, but Sasha
didntjust
for
clarity
here).
Her
commitment to the job and to her boss
because of his leadership style speaks volumes
to the importance of good leadership. Sasha
shared how she trusts her leader. She watches
his style and she adapts.
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Leadership: Her Way
SASHAs Insights and reflections on

leadership
Motivates others for success without

being asked to do so.
Takes an active role in demonstrating
what leadership looks like.
Understands that returning to work
after having children takes an
adjustment period.
Looks for the expected nonverbal
contract between people at work.
Seeks mentorship.
Looks for the camaraderie that is
common in the military.
Understands that her prior mistakes in
life shape the leader she is today.
Things to consider:
Sasha's insights on leadership reflect qualities that
great leaders have such as the ability to take an
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Dr. Scena B. Webb
introspective view of her skills and talents. Her

authentic self shines throughout her conversation. By
any measure, she is the type of leader that any
organization would be lucky to have at the helm.
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Leadership: Her Way
CHAPTER TWO
Denise
This is my image for Denise. I took this photo when I lived in Yuma, Arizona.
Denise has a calm in the midst of the storm. She is cool as ice and has an undeniable
leadership presence. Photo by Dr. Scena Webb @2015
23
Dr. Scena B. Webb
Denise and I met in 2000 while we were

stationed onboard the USS Grasp in Virginia
Beach, Virginia. She had a magnetic
presence that shouted leadership and
confidence. Denise always looked sharp in
her uniform and always seemed to know the
answers. She was the chief in the Information
Technology division. Denise and I became
really good shipmates during my time
onboard the USS Grasp. There were many
days I would seek mentorship from Denise
when we were on duty together or underway.
Denise had a down-to-earth personality
and she spoke with authority. One of the
many things I admired then and now about
Denise is her contemplative decision-making
style. She and I would talk about my
leadership style and ways to deal with
situations onboard the ship. I can remember
Denise would never just answer the
question for me. Instead, she would often
rephrase scenarios with me so that I could see
the best solution. I will admit, during this
conversation I just wanted her to answer the
question. I really missed Denise when I
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Leadership: Her Way
transferred from the ship. It seems that I

developed an immediate connection with
Denise that was filled with respect and
admiration for her as a Navy Chief, a
mentor, and a leader.
Effective Leadership
"To be an effective leader one needs to be a good
listener and that the greatest form of discourse takes
place within a conversation and not a lecture or
monologue," - Mike Myatt
Denise was the only female chief onboard
the ship making her the highest ranking
enlisted female Sailor! We had one female
diving officer. Now, for those of my readers
who are not familiar with the significance of
the situation, here is a bit of context. Denise
and I were serving onboard a ship that had a
primary mission of rescue and salvage. All of
the officers were divers and most of the crews
job specialties were related to diving and
rescue missions. Serving with divers meant
mental and physical fitness were essential.
Denise was physically and mentally sharp.
25
Dr. Scena B. Webb
She would run in the formation with the rest

of us as if she was floating. She fit in well! I on
the other hand, well, lets just say thats a
story for another chapter.
Denise is a brilliant military veteran who

served over 23 years of combined Army
Reserve and Active duty Naval service to the
United States of America. When our careers
crossed Denise had already served in many
senior leadership roles. She brought to the
unit experience handling top secret and
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Leadership: Her Way
classified equipment, had already handled

millions of dollars worth equipment, and had
years of training junior personnel. One of the
burning impressions, I will always have about
Denise and her leadership while we served
together was her ability to navigate the male
dominated divers world. She showed me
how to stay the course and remain sane.
When I approached Denise about joining me
on this project I knew she was extremely
busy. She did not hesitate to say yes. She
found a way to fit me into her schedule and
during our interview she made me feel like I
was the only one that mattered. I hope you
enjoy learning about the ways she describes
her leadership style and how she transfers her
style of leadership from a military application
to a civilian application. Here are some of
Denises insights:
Research suggests that mentorship plays a
significant role in leadership development. I
asked Denise about mentorship she had
received up to the point of our service
together back in 2000. Denise attributes the
military for her success of becoming an
influencer. She shared that before the
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Dr. Scena B. Webb
military she was quiet and reserved. She says

the military brought things out in her. She
was exposed to horrible leaders and good
leaders during her military experience.
Denise shared that she didnt have
mentorship onboard the ship but that she did
have connections with some of the people she
served with at her prior assignment. One of
the ways she developed her leadership style
back then was to observe the leadership styles
of the male-dominated senior leadership
onboard the ship and take valuable lessons
surrounding what she would implement and
not implement. She recalls that time as not
being the best experience but a valuable
lesson. After leaving the ship, Denise met her
current mentor and friend. She still maintains
contact with this mentor.
leaders
A reflection of military women in the
movies such as M.A.S.H., G.I. Jane, A Few
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Leadership: Her Way
Good Men, Courage Under Fire, and Pearl

Harbor dont even come close to representing
one day in the life of what Denise and I
served. We agreed that there is no reflection
of the hard work that it took to integrate
leadership and teamwork into mostly male
Sailors as a woman. Yes, leading from the
front was a part of our daily routines. During
those times, there were no books written on
how women in the military succeed. We
recognize that if we want representation of
our strength, our pain, our leadership, our
sisterhood, then we will have to share the
story.
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Dr. Scena B. Webb
Denise brings a combination of military
leadership experience to the landscape on
leadership. She has four and a half years of
Army Reserve experience coupled with her
Navy experience. When I talked with her
about her view on her leadership style as a
person no longer active duty I listened for
military influences. Denise shared with me
that the transition from being active duty to
becoming a contractor working with the
Navy and subsequent role as a government
worker was somewhat seamless. Denise
retired from the Navy and maintains a
relationship with the military after her
retirement. She did not experience a
complete disconnect from the military
environment. Here are some of Denises
insights on transferring her leadership style
from a military application to her work now
as a government employee working with the
military.
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Leadership: Her Way

I asked Denise if there is an expected
contract between people at work. She replied
that she expected people to share
information. Denise talked about the early
years of her when she first retired. She said
she had to figure out who does what. She told
me that in the contracting world you are kind
of left on your own. She recalled that
sometimes when she observed how active
duty people behaved in leadership positions,
she would think to herself, How in the heck
did they make chief? Her expectations are
that people will show professionalism in their
work. Denise serves as a mentor in her
current job. She told me that if she saw
someone in her work that seems like they
dont have a clue, she would speak to them
privately and offer pointers.
I asked Denise how she leads in her current
position. She works in a team environment
with active duty service members and other
government workers. She has the benefit of
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Dr. Scena B. Webb
working with the same team members as

when she was a contractor for the
government. Denise says in her leadership
style she wants to know what each members
role is and what each player brings to the
team. As a part of her leadership style, she sits
back, watches what takes place then moves
forward. She says she will not just wait to do
things. In her words, If there is a need then I
move forward with a solution rather than
wait on a solution.
If there is a need then I move forward with a
solution rather than wait on a solution.
As I reflected on the scenarios Denise
shared with me, I wanted to know if she felt
the company values her talents as a veteran.
Denise told me that she feels valued for her
military experience because most of the folks
on her team are affiliated with the military.
She has team members who are also retired
or who are currently active duty military
members. Her work depends on military
contracting services and she believes her
knowledge of military operations is one of the
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Leadership: Her Way
reasons she was hired. Denise told me that

she believes in mentoring behavior that is
professional. That means if a person is
demonstrating that they need help, she will
talk with them privately and offer
mentorship.
I told Denise how I find myself evaluating
my leaders comparing them to the way
military leaders executed the mission. I
shared with her how I constantly remind
myself that I am not the Division Chief in my
role now so I can stop myself from jumping in
to fix situations. Denise told me that when
she was a contractor, she had to temper what
she said before she said it. Now in her role as
a government employee, she finds herself
being more conscious of how she does what
she does. Denise told me that when she gives
advice, she reflects on her military
experience. She keeps an open mind. She
says she doesnt talk but listens to what a
person has to say. Then she will give a
33
Dr. Scena B. Webb
response that may seem a military response in

that the response is going to be direct and to
the point.
Denise shared an experience of working
with a person she would mentor because she
observed that the coworker approached
active duty personnel with a less than
professional attitude. Denise recalled and her
coworker was disrespecting event where she
felt the rank of the active duty person. Denise
told me she self-initiated a conversation with
her coworker to explain how the behavior
appeared. She then went on to make
suggestions on how to deal with military
personnel in a way that gave respect to their
rank. My response was, Wow! So you are
telling me your mentorship was
unsolicited? Denise replied, yes. She went on
to say, as a Navy chief, I am not going to
watch someone disrespect the uniform
without taking corrective action. I would
have done the exact same thing.
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Leadership: Her Way
35
Dr. Scena B. Webb
DENISEs Insights and reflections on

leadership
Listened
for
influences
while
developing leadership.
Has a clear vision of what leadership
should not look like.
Expects professionalism at work.
Willingly serves as a mentor to others.
Seeks mentorship.
Seeks to understand everyones role
with respect to team dynamics.
Does not back down from doing what
is right.
Things to consider:
Denises insights on leadership read like a list of
whos who of preferred qualities. Some of the things
Denise did not share are her passion for fitness. She
volunteers yearly to ride for causes that help the lives of
others. She is a very humble leader that has a keen eye
36
Leadership: Her Way
for raising the spirits of those around her. She has

touched my heart forever.
37
Dr. Scena B. Webb
CHAPTER THREE
Rosa
This is my image for Rosa. I took this photo when I lived in Yuma, Arizona. Rosa
rises above circumstances keeping a watchful eye on the ones under her leadership.
She believes in giving her all no matter the challenge. Photo by Dr. Scena Webb @2015
38
Leadership: Her Way
Rosa and I met in 2008 while we were at

our residency located in Phoenix, Arizona
pursuing our doctoral degree. I can
remember the instant energy that she had.
She was giving a presentation on her
proposed topic for her dissertation. I
remember thinking to myself, wow! She is a
little lady speaking from a position of power!
Since that time, she and I have been like
sisters from another mother. She is a
consummate professional. There are times
when I meet people for the first time and I
feel as if I have known them my entire life.
Rosa is one of those people. She retired from
the United States Army after serving 22
honorable years serving her country. We
developed a shared connection through our
desire to work on our academic career, but a
much deeper and unexpected sisterhood
developed partly because of our military
connection. While I am sharing such
wonderful insights about my friend I would
be remiss if I did not share this, Rosa is one of
the masters at being able to show her family
39
Dr. Scena B. Webb
her love and dedication to their wellbeing.

She is a true inspiration.
Reflective Leadership
"We can learn to see each other and see ourselves in
each other and recognize that human beings are more
alike than we are unalike,"- Maya Angelou
I once believed I was a busy lady with all
kinds of things on my plate to juggle. Then, I
met Rosa and all of the things that I
considered busy were minimized by listening
to the myriad of things she deals with on a
daily basis. She is a mother, a wife, a soldier,
a military retiree, a federal worker, a sister, a
daughter, a friend, a spiritual sister for me,
and most of all, a wonderful person. Whew!
Her day starts early in the morning and a
good day may end around 7 or 8 pm for her.
In comparison, my life is not busy
40
Leadership: Her Way
Rosa served 22 years in the military before

retiring her uniform. She embodies
leadership as an action word because she is a
leader who inspires, who motivates, who
guides, who builds, and who achieves. By the
time Rosa and I became connected she had
already amassed several different senior
leadership positions ranging from a Squad
leader to Detachment Sergeant and Senior
Supervisor. In her own words, sometimes she
wore two hats overseeing two sections! The
Army veteran I got to meet was juggling
family life that also included caring for her
mother and extended family members. This
lady was working on her doctorate as well as
maintaining a healthy relationship with her
boys as a single parent. This lady even found
41
Dr. Scena B. Webb
time for me on days and nights when I would

call her to discuss my dissertation (in
length)smile, Rose never brushed me off.
When I approached Rosa about joining me
on this project to help readers learn about the
ways she describes her leadership style and
how she transfers her style of leadership from
a military application to a civilian
application, Rosa immediately agreed to
share her insights. Here are some of Rosas
insights:
Theres no greater agony than the untold story
inside you - Maya Angelou
Leadership Development
I asked Rosa how many leadership
positions she had already completed when we
met. Rosa responded that the question of
leadership positions was a good question
because when people think about leadership
positions the first thing that comes to mind is
appointed leadership positions. Her response
came from the perspective of the five
42
Leadership: Her Way
positions of power and leadership researched

by social psychologists John French and
Bertram Raven in 1959. Rosa pondered
legitimate power, reward power, expert
power, referent power, and coercive power as
connections to leadership. I asked Rosa to go
back in time to 2008 when we met. I asked
her what her biggest leadership challenges
were. Rosa shared with me that mentorship
was and still is a challenge for her.
Connecting to people that she can identify
with and are willing to offer guidance,
direction, encouragement, and alike. For
Rosa staying motivated is also a leadership
challenge. In her own words, Inspiration vs.
Motivation is challenging. Before there is
motivation, there is the inspiration. Rosa used
her doctoral journey to illustrate the point.
She was inspired by a colleague to start the
doctoral journey. After the inspiration came
motivation (time to take action). Rosa
recalled how there are hills and valleys in the
doctoral journey. Sometimes there are no
cheering fans or spectators to offer external
motivation. Sometimes you may fall and you
have the scars to prove it and you wonder will
43
Dr. Scena B. Webb
I make it across the finish line. Ultimately,

from the wisdom of Rosa, motivation is
internal.
44
Leadership: Her Way
Rosa brings a dynamic to the leadership
landscape that embodies life balancing, a
decorated military veteran perspective, and
an infusion of civilian work experiences. Her
perspective of leadership has been shaped by
her experiences living in Germany as a single
mother of two small boys while serving as the
Detachment Sergeant. Rosa shared how
thankful she is for the good and the not so
good leaders that were appointed over her in
the military. She is careful not to call the
leaders BAD in her words. She admitted
that she served with two leaders that would
make the Joker (The comic book villain)
appear like an angel.
Rosa told me that she was glad to have seen
the not so good leaders in action. Because
of many leadership experiences, Rosa shared
that as a young private she wasnt sure when
she would have the opportunity to lead or
what type of leader she would be, but she was
certain of the leader she did not want to be. I
asked Rosa if she could choose one message
45
Dr. Scena B. Webb
to tell herself about leadership back then that

could help her now, what would it be? Rosa
said she would tell herself not to sell herself
short. She would tell herself not to allow
anyone to talk herself out of going for her
career
goals
or
miss
out
on
opportunitiesnot even herself. Rosa retired
from the Army and works closely with
military veterans as her clients. Here are
some of Rosas insights on transferring her
leadership style from a military application to
her work now as a government employee
working
with
the
military
veteran
community.
Research suggests that styles of leadership
are learned behaviors. I have adopted the
hypothesis that the way we transfer military
leadership styles are also learned behaviors. I
asked Rosa what she thinks of mentorship
with respect to leadership. She shared with
46
Leadership: Her Way
me that mentorship was then and still is today

a challenge. The challenge is connecting to
people that she can identify with and are
willing to offer guidance, direction,
encouragement, and the like. Rosa shared
that technology makes connecting across the
globe less painstaking.
I asked Rosa if she had any leadership
mentors during the time I met her that stood
out to her. She shared that she did not have
mentors, men or women, who directly
mentored her. Remember, at the time Rosa
and I became friends she had already retired
from the United States Army and was now a
part of corporate America. She shared that
even though she worked for a defense-related
firm that was founded and owned by a
woman entrepreneur, but not her mentor.
Through a friend, she learned of an
internship program with he federal
government. She decided to pursue the
internship and leave her corporate position.
She currently works for the federal
government.
Rosa recalls the confusion and time of
transition moving from one position to
47
Dr. Scena B. Webb
another. During that time, she began looking

for a mentor. She found a female mentor and
things were working great. Midway into the
relationship her mentor pursued a new
career. She found another female mentor, but
the relationship did not last. Again, Rosa
found herself without a mentor. Working on
doctoral studies was even harder for her
during this transition. Rosa attributes her
stability to a friendship we share. I know this
is about Rosa, but I have to share her words
here,
Again I was mentor less, by now some of
the colleagues that started the doctoral
program were close to graduating and others
fell out of the race. With each setback, it took
more self-talk to continue to move forward.
At one point, I stopped running and started
walking. I was discouraged and felt defeated.
My colleague and friend, Dr. Scena Webb,
who is an inspiration and a role model to me,
suggest that I contact Dr. Donyell Roseboro,
an accomplished writer, educator, and the
first African American department chair at
the Watson College of Education at the
University of North Carolina Wilmington as
48
Leadership: Her Way
of July 2014. Dr. Roseboro cheerfully

accepted my invitation in 2013 and for the
first time since I retired from the military in
2006 I have a mentor and I do not feel as
though I am running alone.
I asked Rosa this question, If you could
target your chapter of the book to a particular
audience, who wholl that be and why?
Rosas audience would be young female
teens. Rosa shared that she believes
mentoring female teens is a part of the
solution to women reaching parity in
corporate boardrooms.
Early involvement through mentorship will help
young females acquire and build leadership skills, gain
experience and confidence needed to gain entry to the
boardroom.
Perspectives on leadership
I told Rosa how I have to use self-talk often
in my job as I experience high levels of
negative responses to my career goals. When
I think over my 35+ years in my adult
49
Dr. Scena B. Webb
working life, I can't recall anyone workplace

where "No has been the common response.
I asked Rosa the essence of what I wanted to
know, how she transfers her leadership skills
learned in the military to her current job.
Rosa shared that her current position
affords her the opportunity to work with a
team of eight highly motivated professionals.
All but one person is prior military from
various branches. She attributes their military
upbringing as a foundation for how well they
interact with each other.
Rosa shared that she does not expect as
much from people as she did from soldiers in
the military. In the military we worked until
the mission was complete," Rosa explained
that the civilian sector has more boundaries
compared to the military. The military offers
a firmly structured environment with very
clear lines of responsibility and authority.
Things such as calling supervisors by their
first name still brings a little discomfort, says
Rosa, even though she retired in 2006.
The cohesiveness of military members has a
resemblance to that of a family unit. That
connection or interest is not readily present in
50
Leadership: Her Way
the civilian workforce. Team building is an

inherent function of a military leader. The
mindset is always one team, one fight.
I asked Rosa how her level of responsibility
changed from when she was in the military
compared to her current position. She shared
that her appointed leadership position
changed and that she does not have direct
responsibility of overseeing processes or
people. In her words, Nonetheless, I still
provide leadership for those around me. I do
not have legitimate power, but I am still a
leader."
51
Dr. Scena B. Webb
ROSAs Insights and reflections on

leadership
Brings others alongside her to help

complete the mission.
Believes in working for the mission, not
for the clock.
Looks
for
the
structure
in
organizations.
Understands that challenges are
leadership opportunities.
Seeks mentorship.
Looks for the camaraderie that is
common in the military.
Gives credit to others for their unique
contributions.
Things to consider:
Rosas insights on leadership read as though they
came out of the many leadership articles I have read.
She walks the talk. She takes command of a room and
pours into the spirit of others. I have witnessed this
52
Leadership: Her Way
first hand. She is dynamic, genuine, and competitive.

She is a consummate leader.
53
Dr. Scena B. Webb
CHAPTER FOUR
Scena
This is my image for myself. I took this photo when I lived in Yuma, Arizona.
Yellow is my power color and I find myself on a continuum moving from yellow to
orange as I grow in leadership. Photo by Dr. Scena Webb @2015
54
Leadership: Her Way
- Huey Freeman is her inner self.

The women I wrote about in this book are
phenomenal. Each of them unselfishly shared
deep moments in their lives. They are very
special to me. They are not the only women I
have had the pleasure to learn from during
my military career. These particular women
were the first ones to say, Yes! Yes I will help
you Scena share our story. To them, I am
grateful. I am inspired by their willingness to
put things aside for me. Thank you!
"Ive learned that whenever I decide something with
an open heart, I usually make the right decision.Maya Angelou
Huey Freeman is my inner self. Huey
Freeman is the main protagonist in The
Boondocks syndicated comic strip written by
Aaron McGruder, as well as the animated
TV series of the same name. Politically
sapient and borderline militant, he regularly
reflects on current events as well as the plight
55
Dr. Scena B. Webb
of African Americans as it relates to greater

society.
My military career started on July 10, 1984.

I left the streets of Detroit, Michigan looking
forward to a new chapter in my life. I had no
idea what the future had in store for me. I did
have one thought in mind I wanted to see the
world. In this book, I get a chance to share a
few insights about leadership. I have the
opportunity to share my perspective coming
from someone who was not very military
minded. I had never seen anyone in the
military on television or in person who looked
like me so I did not join to follow in anyones
footsteps. During my time in the Navy, I did
56
Leadership: Her Way
meet some powerfully dynamic women! So

many that I am not sure I have enough space
to write about each of them in this book. I
promise that I will introduce you to them in
my autobiography one day.
Suffice it to say; as the years went on, Huey
began to grow in me. I was introduced to his
character back in 1992 in Norfolk, Virginia.
His character was in a comic strip. I
immediately connected with this character
and I would cut out the comics and save
them. I still have them in a photo album
today. Huey was the inner voice of the
experiences I began to have in the military.
While I couldnt say things out loud, Huey
would. I anxiously waited for Aaron
McGruders column daily so I could make
sense of the leadership I came in contact
with. Thank you, Mr. McGruder, for Huey!
I am a Navy veteran who served over 21
years on active duty. I have served on the east
coast, the west coast and overseas several
times. I have served on three different class
naval ships, a repair tender, a submarine
tender, and a rescue and salvage ship. During
my shore commands, I worked in several
57
Dr. Scena B. Webb
locations to include San Diego, California,

Norfolk, Virginia, Diego Garcia, Mildenhall,
England, and Detroit, Michigan. My
worldview of leadership was completely
shaped by my military experiences until I
retired from the military. During those 21
years of military service, I came to
understand
and
appreciate
different
perspectives working with people from all
over the world.
I had the chance to visit places like Hawaii,
Guam, Japan, The Philippines, Thailand,
Singapore, Diego Garcia, Gibraltar, England,
France, The Bahamas, Sicily, Italy, Spain,
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Rome, I saw the
David, The 16th Chapel in Rome (I saved
my admittance ticket!), The Vatican where
the Pope lives, the Roman Coliseum where
the gladiators fought, Tangier Africa, and
many other places. There is no doubt that
these experiences have shaped my perspective
on leadership.
After I retired in 2005 from the military, I
worked in the City of Detroit in two high
schools. Wow! Talk about a shift in my
58
Leadership: Her Way
perspective on leadership. I was suddenly out

of a familiar worldview where there were
clear lines of authority and expectations to a
situation where the high school principals had
very demanding jobs dealing with teachers,
administrators, parents, students, and oh yes,
the administration of the No Child Left
Behind Act. I was immediately thrust into
the world where I had to perform as a
teacher in a totally different environment
with a brand new audienceyoung people.
A shift and certain global perspective on
leadership took place.
I left the Detroit Public School system and
came into the federal service to work as a
government worker. Oh my! Talk about
another leadership shift. The lines of
authority are superficially clear, but the levels
of authority does not match the expectations.
Here I found a definite disconnect from my
prior experiences of leadership. I find myself
in a constant state of learning, seeking
understanding of this leadership model.
59
Dr. Scena B. Webb

leaders
As of the moment I began to write this
book there have been no military movies that
I have seen depicting women of color in
leadership roles. Women of color meaning
women of Latin descent, women of Asian
descent, women of African descent, women of
Caribbean descent, women of color. I have
met many women of various decent serving
in the United States military yet I have not
seen
a
movie
acknowledging
the
contributions of all women in leadership
positions. Therefore, I decided that I should
make a contribution to the discussion of
women who have served that I know
personally and share just a snippet of their
leadership development and how they
transfer their leadership to the jobs they do
today. This is an important story. I am one of
these women. Below are my medals. My
ribbons are not shown.
60
Leadership: Her Way
@ Scena Webb 2015

The photo is a picture of my medals earned during my military career.
Leadership is leading people to do actions
or display behaviors that they might not have
shown without the leaders influence.
Leadership is having the responsibility and
authority to make things happens. Notice that
I did not say leadership was cute or always
positive. I dont believe that. I do believe that
leadership is the absolute ability to motivate
yourself and others to move in a specific
direction. The military shaped my leadership
61
Dr. Scena B. Webb
style playing a psychological role for over 21

years. Subconsciously I was being groomed
into leadership positions at Recruit Training
Command in Great Lakes, Illinois during
boot camp.
The image is Dr. Scena Webb in boot camp formation in July 1984.
From that moment when I learned how to

get along with people I didnt know from an
early age, I began shaping my view of
leadership. I can remember back in July of
1984 in boot camp when a young lady in my
recruit group told me she had never actually
met a black person. She said that she saw
them on the television every now and then
but she never actually met one. I remember
this conversation as if it was yesterday
62
Leadership: Her Way
because I remember saying to her, Wow!

This is 1984 and I thought everyone knew
somebody who was black. I remember that I
wasnt offended but rather surprised. The
leaders of my recruit group were two women.
Both of the women were stern and worked as
a team. They did an excellent job of taking
30 women who came from all over America
and training them to become a team in just a
few short weeks!
I believe there is a psychological
expectation that I carry for people in
leadership positions. I expect that leaders will
take an active interest in the welfare of the
people who work for them. I expect that
leaders will use their power and positional
authority to provide their workers with tools
needed to complete a task. I expect that
leaders will ensure that their workers are
trained to complete expected tasks. I expect
leaders to indoctrinate new workers into the
flow of the workplace. I expect leaders to
provide feedback both positive and negative
to those who work for them and those they
work for. I expect that leaders will behave the
way they want their juniors to behave. I
63
Dr. Scena B. Webb
expect leaders to demonstrate the way for

others. I found out quickly that my
expectations were not matched to what I saw
when I retired from the military.
I didnt recognize that what I expected was
imprinted from my experiences in the
military until I started talking to my
girlfriends who had also retired. We would
compare what we experience on our current
jobs and quickly noticed we had similar
experiences. Wow! All of a sudden I wasnt
alone in my expectations. I began to notice
that my ideas of leadership were not
restricted to my Navy friends. My Air Force,
Army, and Marine Corps girlfriends all
shared the same expectations. Then I knew I
had to share this information. I began to look
for research on military leadership styles and
all I kept seeing was information written by
men focusing on men. A new area emerged,
our voice, the voice of the retired woman
veteran is silent with respect to leadership. I
was compelled to write this book and share
my perspective along with a few other
women. I will conduct empirical research as a
part two for this book that will dive deeper
64
Leadership: Her Way
into the leadership styles of retired military

women. Keep a look out for that book. That
is my promise to you, my readers, and my
sisters in uniform. I will tell our story.
Transferring my leadership style has been a
definite adjustment. I share with my military
sisters the struggle of knowing we can take
control of a situation and make things happen
BUT understanding that our new roles
necessitate that we scale back. My challenge
is how to maintain a balanced approach
when transferring my leadership skills.
As my sister Sasha so eloquently put it, she
strives not to be pushy when dealing with
others as a leader in her current position.
When we were active duty, her assertiveness
would not be seen as pushy. She would
simply be demonstrating an aspect of her
leadership and authority granted by her rank.
I get that! I understand. I walk a fine line
65
Dr. Scena B. Webb
ensuring that I stand for what is right, just,

and fair while continuing to do my job in the
midst of injustice. That is what I am dealing
with as of the moment I am writing this book.
I share with my sister Denise who shared
that when she saw a young lady who is a
leader out of order, she didnt wait for an
invitation, she stepped into her role as a Navy
Chief and pulled the young lady to the side.
She automatically began correcting the
behavior through coaching. I get that! I
understand. I walk a fine line negotiating
circumstances with young leaders even when
they dont ask.
I share with my sister Rosa who shared
about the lack of mentorship among women
who are willing to give and share without
feeling intimidated. I get that! I understand. I
mentor young women on purpose to give
back and demonstrate that sharing does not
have to be harmful or competitive.
I continually reflect on possible responses to
situations that happen to me in my current
workplace. I know that I have already held
positions as a Division Officer, Department
Head, been responsible for hiring civilian
66
Leadership: Her Way
employees. I know that I have already been

responsible for creating organizational
directives, implementing changes to policy,
and working with senior officers training
them on how to give performance appraisals,
administer non-judicial punishment, and how
to handle corrective behavior in problem
employees. I know these are challenges I have
already dealt with, yet in my current position,
I have to walk a balanced beam because
those who I work for have not had those
leadership experiences. Transferring my
military leadership skills has meant pacing the
rate at which I share information. Through
this tight squeeze, I have been blessed to
redirect my energies into writing this book
and holding seminars on leadership skills of
retired military women.
Popular books on womens leadership
motive us to be bold and take charge,
well, that type of propaganda is not written
for the military woman because that is a part
67
Dr. Scena B. Webb
of our nature. The women I know who have

served and retired do not have a problem
taking charge. However, many of these
women have been branded for doing so as
aggressive or too assertive. Wow! Many of us,
including myself in all of these examples,
practice leadership styles that we have been
groomed to do for 20+ years only to find out
that civilians and government workers cannot
deal with that posture.
Leadership books expose that women
should be present and lean into the
discussions at the table. Well, that certainly
has been met with mixed reactions in my
world. Again, those of us who have served
20+ years may not have made it that long in
a military setting if we had not developed
those types of skills. Yet, almost every one of
the military women I have chatted with
shared with me that they purposely pull back
on the amount of work they do because of
their present circumstances at work. Heres
an example of the psychological balancing act
some retired military women deal with. I was
in the locker room last month chatting with
another military retiree after working out in
68
Leadership: Her Way
the gym. She and I struck up a conversation

and she was sharing how sometimes she just
looks at people in her work setting that think
they know it all and she reflects back to the
troops she commanded. She decides not to
say anything and opts to go and get her
workout in so she can redirect herself. I get it!
I told her I was writing this book to let the
world know about our psychological
challenges when transferring our leadership
skills as retired military women.
69
Dr. Scena B. Webb
MY Insights and reflections on leadership
Operates from the perspective that

knowledge shared is leadership in
action.
Believes
and
participates
in
mentorship.
Practices servant leadership at work
and with volunteer community events.
Believes that people come first, then
work, then money.
Believes in spirituality, renewing
faithfulness by prayer and meditation.
Knows her self-worth owning her
accomplishments every day.
Practices mindfulness when dealing
with herself and others.
Things to consider:
My insights on leadership come from the belief and
understanding that we are all a part of lifes energy.
That all living things have a right to enjoy the earth
70
Leadership: Her Way
and live in intentional harmony. That no matter the

challenges, and there have been many, I believe that I
can make a difference in the lives of others. Leaders
should strive to do just that, make a difference in the
lives of others through giving.
71
Dr. Scena B. Webb
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary Insights
This is my image for myself. I took this photo when I lived in Yuma, Arizona.
Yellow is my power color and I find myself on a continuum moving from yellow to
orange as I grow in leadership. Photo by Dr. Scena Webb @2015

There are several themes that emerge
among the women in this book. Thoughts of
leadership have a historical significance from
what is familiar to a person. Retired military
women reach back into their history to make
72
Leadership: Her Way
sense of what they experience after the

military. Twenty years or more of immersion
into the leadership ranks in the military
produces a different leader.
There are
certain expectations of leadership that are
deeply engrained into the military retiree.
When those leadership traits were not evident
once these women retired and joined the
workforce, these veterans developed coping
skills to mitigate what they know they can do
in terms of leadership skills compared to what
their new roles require. Here are some of the
common leadership mechanisms that these
women experience.
When looking for leadership by
example these women expected to
see leaders who show a care and
concern for the people who work for
them that is actionable. When the
reality that action-oriented caring
was not evident, these women
become informal leaders among
peers demonstrating their military
leadership behaviors that show care
and concern. In other words, these
women reverted back into a version
73
Dr. Scena B. Webb
of their prior leadership roles by

actively demonstrating leadership in
their sphere of influence.
When looking for leadership
development (mentorship) these
women expected to experience
something that closely mimics their
prior the military experience of
taking the new person under their
wings.
When the reality that
mentorship was not a real action
item in their new workplaces, these
women began to recognize that
mentorship was incongruent with
mentorship in the military setting.
As a result, these women stepped in
and mentored others in their sphere
of influence.
When looking for the camaraderie
that is common in the military, these
women expected to have a work
experience where people get along
focused on the mission. When the
reality that the camaraderie
experience would be different, these
women adjusted by building
74
Leadership: Her Way
coalitions in their sphere of

influence.
The experiences of these retired veterans
offer insight into the psychological
adjustments that are made when they
actively participate in the workforce. Some
of these women work with defense
contracting firms. Some of these women
work in the federal government as
government employees. Some of these
women are entrepreneurs. All of these
women have advanced degrees. Most of
these women still volunteer in some way
giving back to their communities. Look for
the next series where Dr. Webb does
empirical research on this topic
interviewing a much larger population of
veterans who are women. The topic of the
next research will be, leadership skills of
military women.
75

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