Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way

When Yolanda Broome and Kawanna Woods presented their session, “Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way,” in August at Forum 2024 in Charlotte, the energy in the room was electric. This dynamic duo from City of Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management had the audience engaged not only with the content of their presentation, but by modeling a compelling mentor and mentee relationship. 

Thank you both for joining me in this interview! Please introduce yourselves and your background. How did you come to know each other? 

Yolanda:  It’s my pleasure to be here! I’m Yolanda Broome and I am currently with the City of Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management where I serve as Deputy Commissioner of Administration. I am responsible for Procurement Planning and Strategic Sourcing, as well as Policy and Intergovernmental Affairs. I’ve worked in Contracts and Procurement for well over twenty years with government, quasi-governmental agencies, educational institutions, and even private corporations. I am a lawyer by education, holding a Juris Doctor degree and of course, a Hall of Fame NIGP-CPP certificate holder. 

Kawanna: Hi! I’m Kawanna Woods, and I am also with the City of Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management. I serve as a Management Analyst, Sr within the Office of Procurement Planning and Strategic Sourcing. I have an extensive background in customer service, sales, and marketing. My educational background consists of business administration, marketing, and finance. I’ve worked as a procurement professional for the last 2 years, beginning with an internship at the City of East Point. I became a Georgia Certified Procurement Associate to strengthen my procurement expertise. 

Yolanda: Kawanna was referred to me by my husband. He met her at a job fair where she was expressing interest in a position as the school secretary; however, he believed that I might be able to guide her in her career choice and gave her my contact information. She promptly reached out and I set up a brief introduction meeting with her. We met for two hours, she walked me to my car, and I hired her the next day as an intern. She easily advanced into a position as Buyer, and the rest, as they say, is history! 

In your Forum presentation together in August, you shared a bit about your professional dynamic as mentor and mentee. What can each of you say about how this working relationship has taught you about leadership? 

Yolanda: I think the first thing that I learned was how much emotional intelligence and equity really matter. I had never had a team member who was totally transparent about everything and I found myself really having to lean in and care about her as a person first, and an employee second. I have always presented as emotionless, while inside, I think I was a tornado of emotion, but I didn’t think showing it at work was appropriate. Kawanna has really allowed me to be more than a “by-the-book-boss”. She has taught me that equity means not only leveling the playing field but sometimes training the player and providing the equipment. I have had to stretch myself from some of my lifelong beliefs to arrive at a better understanding of people and what they may be going through. I have had to become a part of her community and allow her to become a part of mine. Work for me used to mean, you show up and do an excellent job and go home to your real family. But, my definition of family has evolved. Leadership for me, now, is about being exactly who you say you are, even at work, and helping others to see their full potential and mark the steady path towards their dreams while not sacrificing their daily lives. 

Kawanna: Thank you for your kind words, DC Broome! I agree with your perspective. Our working relationship has taught me the value of building a strong relationship outside of the work. I’ve always been an open person. However, I have previously been met with leadership who did not seem to care about who I was as a person. I think those experiences negatively affected my performance within my roles. The saying goes, “It’s not personal. It’s just business.” However, I have always questioned the validity of that mindset, because businesses are managed by people. I believe it is very dangerous for leaders to discount the value of taking real stock in their team members. Our working relationship has shown me what is possible in leadership and how to build strong, genuine connections with your team. Those positive connections are likely to create positive performance results, as well. 

Kawanna, can you share about “Followership” and what that means to you in this stage of your career? 

Kawanna: Sure. Followership is a dynamic and essential component of leadership. It is often overlooked, but equally important for success. It involves actively supporting, cooperating with, and aligning oneself with a leader's or group's goals, vision, and direction. While leadership often takes the spotlight, effective followership is the backbone of any successful team or organization. It involves engagement, critical thinking, taking the initiative, loyalty, and trust. Effective followership is not about blindly following orders. It is about being a valuable contributor and partner in the leadership process. It is important to understand that we all assume both leadership and followership roles at different times in our lives and careers. The two are not mutually exclusive.  

At this stage in my career, followership means supporting my team selflessly. It means adopting a collectivist mindset where my team is prioritized. It means taking pride in the work I produce with the understanding that I’m always representing my team and my leadership. I know that I’m a dynamic individual. However, I prefer to dedicate my skills and my knowledge to the greater goal of my team, rather than pushing my own agenda. I’m still very new in my procurement career. So, it is important for me to learn as much as I can from my leadership and my team. Leaning into followership will advance my knowledge. It will also further develop my leadership skills. 

Yolanda, what can you share about the concept of “Get out of the way,” and how that has impacted your leadership style? 

Yolanda: I know for some this may not always be a happy topic, but as my favorite video says, “Every job ends!” I like to add that either you quit, get fired, retire, or die – but you are definitely leaving your job at some point! We’ve all struggled for a long time with succession planning. The biggest struggle for me was that I couldn’t find a mini-me! Well, I’ve found that one “me” is enough. I have relinquished every position to someone that I trained to take my place, and amazingly most of them are nothing like me. I believe that leaders of today must understand that leadership of tomorrow looks different. I am sure that none of my early bosses could have ever imagined the internet or electronic filing systems, or that we would someday accept bids electronically! When we open the door to the fact that we are leaving, we must accept the people who come through that same door and who have decided to stay behind and support the organization. Why not help them with what you know and support them when they introduce new ideas? My leadership style has been greatly impacted by this new way of thinking. I can see the potential in everyone now. Whether or not you have a degree, whether or not you are currently certified, whether or not you see it! My old job was to do excellent work, period. My new job includes coaching the team, encouraging positive, listening to their dreams, and helping them to achieve greatness. To date, I’ve trained a Chief Procurement Officer, two Directors of Contracts and Procurement, a couple of Deputy Directors, and the list will continue to grow. I love this new job!! 

In what ways have your leadership practices impacted your procurement practice? Can you share an experience when you had the opportunity to flex your leadership muscles by practicing one of your recommended best practices? Did the situation improve? 

Yolanda: For the first time in my career, I do not correct the work of others. In the past, when a teammate made a mistake, I just fixed it, even if it meant handling a re-solicitation, and I tried not to make a big deal out of it. I now know that coaching is a very big deal! I provide the team with great examples, but I allow them to flex their muscles when it comes to means, methods, and strategies. You can’t tell people exactly what to do… you have to allow room for their own creativity. This strengthens your bond with your team, showing them that you trust their judgment. It also allows them an opportunity to prove to the people they support that procurement is “knowledge” work. You have to comprehend, think, and strategize. This practice has allowed my team to the opportunity to be the “CEO” of their own desk. Their users trust them and work closely with them, rarely reaching out to me for validation or confirmation of their guidance and recommendations. Micromanagement just kills the spirit of employees, me included. I don’t know every single thing that each teammate is doing and that’s great. I trust them, their knowledge and expertise, their emotional intelligence, and their professional and business acumen. And I hope you believe me when I say – I look great because of them! 

Leadership is not just a trait for Chiefs and Directors; leadership is a valuable trait to nurture at all levels of one’s career. What recommendations do each of you have for nurturing your leadership skills where you are, and towards your goals? 

Yolanda: I would advise folks to lead in an area that you love. You may not even be excellent in that space, but I guarantee you that if you love something, you will seek knowledge about it and before you know it, others will see your glow in that space. I’ll give you an example. If you are new in procurement and perhaps you don’t understand everything just yet, but you are great at team building, party planning, or leading groups of people – ask your manager if you can set up the team meetings. Suggest ice breakers… set up the virtual meeting… set up the room (if it’s in person) … bring the procurement-related party favors. The team will see you are the glue that holds the team together and you will be removing one thing from your manager’s plate. Your goals may include certification, advancement, or introduction of a new process, but you must start where you are with what you have so that you present like a person who is moving towards something else.  

Kawanna: I agree, DC. As someone who is new in my career and on my followership journey, I would advise people to approach each role as a leader. Do not be deterred by a job title. Understand that we are all leaders, and that means different things in different situations. In my case, it means supporting my team as much as I can to achieve organizational success. It also means being exemplary in my current role, taking on new challenges, collaborating with internal offices, and being available to assist whenever I am called for service. Being an effective follower will make me an exceptional leader. Whether it’s in my career or within my personal life, this mindset has been the catalyst to my personal growth. It has nurtured me into the confident professional I am today. 

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