Monday, May 24, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Panel discusses
good leadership
Presidential advisor
shares experience in
workplace authenticity
By CAITLIN HUSTON
Daily Staff Reporter
In front of a large crowd in Rack-
ham Auditorium on Wednesday
morning, Betsy Myers, chief oper-
ating officer of President Barack
Obama's 2009 campaign, spoke of her
8-year-old daughter's love for dance.
The anecdote, she said, was a meta-
phor for authenticity in the work-
place.
"Profiles in Leadership" - a day-
long discussion with high-profile
panelists - featured Myers, who was
interviewed by Ora Pescovitz, the
University's Executive Vice President
for Medical Affairs and University
Provost Teresa Sullivan. The con-
versations centered on the qualities
that make a good leader, particularly
focusing on women and leadership in
the current economy.
"When you think about being
authentic, are you freaking out with
joy with what you're doing in your
life?" Myers asked.
Though her daughter was given
as an example of authenticity, when
asked to name other leaders who
exemplified the trait, Myers chose
President Obama, stating that she'
felt he did not change who he was for
campaign purposes.
Myers also listed Sarah Paln, who
was the Republican vice presidential
candidate in 2005, as another leader
she felt remained true to her own val-
ues and positions - a trait Myers said
is essential to finding success in any
career field.
As former President Bill Clinton's
former White House senior advisor
on women, Myers said she felt Clin-
ton was successful because he valued
his staff members. She added that a
leader who can appreciate the efforts
of all workers can encourage produc-
tivity in any workplace.
"When we feel valued in our
life, when we feel appreciated and
acknowledged and thanked, that is
when we are motivated to bring our
best self," Myers said.
While Myers said she has enjoyed
working for the two presidents, as well
as her time as executive director of
Harvard's Kennedy School of Govern-
ment Center for Public Leadership, she
said there have been times when she
was not fulfilled by her work.
The problem of being disengaged
is common, Myers said, with 70 per-
cent of people in the workforce who
say they are disinterested in their job.
She said they are the target audience
for her upcomingbook.
For those people, Myers said the
solution is to take risks and explore
other job possibilities. Myers said she
took this risk herself, when she left
the mainly office work of Obama's
JAKE FROMM/Daily
University Provost Teresa Sullivan inter views Betsy Meyers at Rackham Auditorium on
Wednesday during the day-long panel discussion titled "Profiles in Leadership."
campaign to advocate for him on the
road.
Despite the fear many people have
of taking chances in the current eco-
nomic situation, Myers said this move
is actually ideal given the changing
job market.
During the panel discussion
entitled, "Leading in Lean Times,"
Stephanie Boyse, president and CEO
of Boyse, Inc., also said she felt that
being a vulnerable leader in business
is one of the greatest and most prof-
itable risks to take. Boyse said, when
forced to close the company's plant in
Adrian, Michigan her open display of
sympathy and emotion was appreci-
ated by the displaced employees.
In the second half of the event, as
she was interviewed by Provost Sulli-
van, Myers spoke about the advance-
ment of women, as they compete for
the same jobs as men.
"What we're seeing with the glass
ceiling is that it's being shattered by
women who are pushing through that
glass ceiling," she said. "But we still
have quite a bit of work to do."
Citing the example of the many
female university presidents, Myers
said she has seen an increase in
women in power across the nation.
In an interview with the Michi-
gan Daily after the event, Becky
Eggleston, a nurse manager in the
University's Health System, said
she enjoyed the discussion and will
take away the fact that she needs to
be willing take more of a risk in the
workplace.
Barb Walters, a business analyst
in the Medical Center Information
Technology department, also said
she learned a lot from the discussion.
She added that though many of the
conversation topics were directed at
women, she felt men could also learn
from the discussions.
"She spoke earlier about a diverse
workforce and I think one of the keys
to successful leaders, both female and
male, is being able to recognize each
others' strengths and understand
each other," Walters said.
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Public speakers criticize U' officials
Regents meeting
draws controversial
topics, police officers
By KYLE SWANSON
Daily News Editor
Police officers from the Univer-
sity's Dearborn campus were on hand
at the Board of Regents meeting on
Thursday, as several individuals spoke
out against the University and its top
administrators.
Topics brought before the regents
in the public comment section of the
meeting - in which pre-registered
members of the public can address
the regents for up to five minutes -
included objections to alleged strong-
arming by the Department of Public
Safety, concerns over the procedures
that govern the DPS Oversight Com-
mittee and commentary on the sup-
posed crumbling of institutional
integrity at the University.
Speaking before the University's
Board of Regents, Doug Smith, a Uni-
versity alum, asked regents and execu-
tive officers to examine a clause in the
policies that govern the DPS Oversight
Committee.
Smith told the regents about chang-
es that were made to the DPS Over-
sight Committee's guiding document
in Fe ry. Specifically, Smith voiced
concer out one change that reas-
signs the grievance spk 'l process.
Prior to the amendments made
in February, the executive director
of DPS could appeal a grievance to
the Board of Regents by taking the
grievance to the University's Execu-
tive Vice President and Chief Finan-
cial Officer, Tim Slottow. Then, if the
Board of Regents accepted the appeal
from the executive director of DPS,
the grievance would be dismissed
before being reviewed by the DPS
Oversight Committee.
However, under the changes made
earlier this year, the executive direc-
tor of DPS now has the option to
appeal grievances to Slottow, who in
turn can have the grievance dismissed
from consideration by the DPS Over-
sight Committee with the permission
of University President Mary Sue
Coleman.
Effectively, the change gives Cole-
man the final say in whether the DPS
Oversight Committee can investigate
a grievance against DPS, not the Uni-
versity's Board of Regents.
Asked in ane-mail why the change
had been made, University spokes-
man Rick Fitzgerald said the change
was meant to bring the policy for the
DPS Oversight Committee in line with
other University policies and proce-
dures.
"The change makes this process
consistent with most of the other cam-
pus appeal processes, like the one for
(the Freedom of Information Act) for
example," Fitzgerald wrote.
However, when speakingbefore the
University's Board of Regents yester-
day, Smith said he thought there was a
different reason for the policy change.
"Not only are the committee mem-
bers sworn to complete secrecy by
See REGENTS, Page 7