NC State College of Education Dean Paola Sztajn joined Deanna Dannels, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences; Kathryn Meurs, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine; and Doneka Scott, vice chancellor and dean for the Division of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs; to share lessons in leadership as part of a panel discussion hosted by the Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy during NC State’s Red and White Week.
As part of the Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy: Lessons in Leadership Panel, Sztajn touched on a number of lessons she has learned throughout her career in higher education.
- On leading with compassion: “Women often lead with compassion and care in the forefront, and that’s sometimes misunderstood as weakness or as having low standards. Many times I have to explain that I have very high standards — for me, it is important to be efficient and effective. But caring about people first is also important and I would say it’s a strength, not a weakness.”
- On collaboration: “I am someone who really appreciates opportunities to solve problems, to think about the future. Where do we want to go? How are we going to get there? And so, as part of my job, I get to do that every day, working with great people. I work with outstanding faculty, students, staff and colleagues to think about the vision and the path for how we are going to solve educational problems.”
- On seeking mentorship: “If there is somebody you really want to work with or want to learn from, ask. Women don’t ask. If you ask and it doesn’t work, you are at the same place you started, and if it works, you’ll be better off. Find the people who you really care about, who you would love to know more about their accomplishments, or you want their support, engage them in conversion and ask.”
- On thinking about your brand: ‘One piece of advice that I actually recently received is to just keep thinking about your brand. I was asked to write a tweet defining myself as a leader, and I keep that in front of me because I thought carefully about those 20 words. Whenever I’m getting lost, I look back at my brand — it’s problem solving, it’s partnership, it’s caring, it’s listening. And so, I keep those words front and center.”
Throughout the event, Dean Sztajn engaged in conversation with the other women university leaders, who also provided insights into their experiences and offered advice:
- On trial and error: “You’re not going to figure out what works and what doesn’t unless you go through a lot of trial and error. Don’t be afraid if you go down the path and say, ‘That didn’t work for me; I’ve got to course correct and try something else out.’ Be honest with yourself and with the people around you about what’s working for you and what’s not working for you.” — Deanna Dannels, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
- On building a strong reputation: “I always try to position myself to excel at what I’m doing, and as a result of that, things come my way. When I’m asked to do something, it’s word of mouth that I’ll get it done. I learned that early on— to be ready to show up, to have your reputation out there that people know you get things done, and you do it well.” — Doneka Scott, vice chancellor and dean for the Division of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs
- On keeping a positive outlook: “I had a mentor whose competition with me was to be happy. And to this day, they will still text me just out of the blue and say ‘Hey, I’m happier than you are,’ and I text them back right away and say ‘No, you’re not. I’m happier.’ And that was such a great thing. At the end of the day, I’m at North Carolina State; I am with these great people, and I’m going to win by being happier.” — Kathryn Meurs, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine
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