Leaders have to speak up when they see the ship is sinking.

Lenora is the Director of the Organization Strategy and Performance team at the Office of Financial Management. She oversees the agency’s efforts in pro-equity anti-racism, strategic planning, organization change management, and continuous improvement. She has worked for the state of Washington since 2010 and holds a master's degree in public administration and bachelor's in communication from the University of Washington. Her free time is consumed with family, shuffling her teen daughters to competitive volleyball tournaments,?exercising?and starting a podcast.??

What were the biggest influences earlier in your life that shaped your identity and leadership style today?

My mom was a big influence on me. She demonstrated kindness, fierceness, passion, and wisdom. She advocated for me when I felt and was treated differently from my peers. She showed me how to be courageous and speak up for myself. My dad retired from the Army, and he was instrumental in helping me set goals and work hard towards achieving them.

What qualities do you believe define a good leader, and which are overrated?

Good leaders are empathetic, while also providing timely feedback and holding people accountable to the mission. I believe confidence is often overrated. As leaders, you should want to hire people that are smarter than you and can get the work done. It takes humility to do that.

How do you respond to instances of sexism, whether implicit or subtle? How does your response strategy change when working with your supervisor, peers, or direct reports?

In the moment, it can be hard to quickly define and call out sexism but I try to call out discrimination in all forms as I see it and feel it. After the initial discomfort, I get down to business. I remind myself that no one is perfect and then I focus on using the moment for education, whether that's immediate feedback from me or a follow-up message with a referral to training. Additionally, I encourage everyone to practice empathy and listen actively. It takes everyone's effort to create a culture of accountability and respect.

Diving a little bit deeper, what have you learned about speaking up when you know the decision maker isn’t listening?

Leaders have to speak up when they see the ship is sinking, the project failing, and people not being accountable to the work. Ask for the pause and, together, do a check-in to realign to the purpose, initiatives and values through honest discussions.

OFM's mission is "to empower Washingtonians by aiding state agencies and the Legislature in connecting people, budgets, policies, data, and systems." What’s your part in making this happen?

My team is responsible for making sure the agency stays focused on our business priorities. We create opportunities for staff to understand that equity is a shared responsibility and to engage in organizational changes and initiatives.

What is your favorite part about working at OFM?

The people! Through the work we do each day and the discussions, I am learning more about myself and others.

Interested in joining our team? Please check out OFM’s job opportunities.?

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