Author: Jo-Elle Mogerman, Philadelphia Zoo  

What mistake have you made in your career and what did you learn from it?

You know when you blow an interview? I was interviewing for a VP position.  I wasn’t sure I was ready for the role, but I figured it would be good practice for a next-level position.  The head of HR asked what my leadership style was. I had no idea. I had never thought about the question or considered myself a leader. I couldn’t even come up with a “sort of” answer.  So, I was honest about not knowing my leadership style.  I knew from her non-verbal body language; I wasn’t going to progress through the hiring process. After that I became more observant of leaders, both the good and the bad.  I began to learn more about leadership styles, so I could answer the question when it arose again.

What’s is the best work advice you have ever received?

You don’t need to know it all.  What you need to know is what you know and what you don’t know.  From there you can find networks around what you don’t know.  Finally, knowledge isn’t fixed and often is contextual.

What’s the greatest risk you’ve ever taken as a professional?

Calling out the CEO for bad unprofessional behavior or racist behavior.

Why do you think it’s important we make equality a priority?  What do women bring to the table that world needs to know? 

Our planet isn’t healthy right now for many reasons. Many women have the strengths that would help us heal and get us toward a healthier planet. Those strengths include compassionate leadership, multimodal/matrixed/multi-perspective thinking or non-linear thinking and empathy. 

What’s your rule/philosophy about work on vacation or on days off?

I look at work at slightly different scales of time. I do mix personal and professional in the time scale. What do I need to accomplish (personal and professional) this week? I define week as 7 days not 5 with 24 hours each day. I subtract out 56 hours for sleep. I should subtract 5 hours for exercise but that doesn’t always happen. The rest of the hours are what I have to accomplish what I need for the week.

Why did you aspire to be a leader? When did you realize you had leadership capabilities? 

I didn’t aspire to be a leader. I aspire to help wildlife and communities thrive. For me it has always been about that. My decision on different roles is driven by an assessment on the role’s ability to have an impact on helping wildlife and communities thrive.

What advice would you give college students and young professionals?

For college students, just get the degree. Ten years later, very few people ask what school you went to or what you majored in. For students and young professionals, ensure the net effect of your work brings you joy. This doesn’t mean there won’t be bad days or rough patches.  It means that in spite of those days or periods you still enjoy what you do and who you do it for. When the joy is gone, it is time to move on.