Margaret Chase Smith and Me: the Importance of Leadership
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Maine Policy Review Volume 27 Issue 2 2018 Margaret Chase Smith and Me: The Importance of Leadership Nora Tyson [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mpr Recommended Citation Tyson, Nora. "Margaret Chase Smith and Me: The Importance of Leadership." Maine Policy Review 27.2 (2018) : 6 -9, https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mpr/vol27/iss2/1. This Essay is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. T HE M ARGARE T C HASE S M I T H E SSAY graduation, I returned home to Margaret Chase Smith and Me: Memphis, and a few weeks later, I got a The Importance of Leadership call from a Navy recruiter. He asked me in for a chat, and since I didn’t have anything better to do at the time, I went by Vice Admiral Nora Tyson, Retired to the recruiting office to see what it was all about. irst, a little about me. I retired Committee and, subsequently, the The recruiter asked me to take an Ffrom the United States Navy last Senate Armed Services Committee, and aptitude test, so I took the test and did September after a little over 38 years of throughout her career, Senator Smith pretty well. He told me that I could go service. My last job on active duty was espoused “preparedness ensures peace.” into cryptology, supply, intelligence, Third Fleet commander headquartered In fact, she reiterated throughout her and a few other things, but never said a in San Diego. Third Fleet is comprised career the message of her 1938 Navy word about ships or airplanes. This was of all the naval forces on the West Day speech that military weakness leads long before the laws were changed to Coast of the United States out to the to war and preparedness ensures peace. allow women to serve on ships and International Date Line, except for She said, “the surest way to prevent war aircraft in combat. Ultimately, after a the ballistic missile submarines, which is to be ready to go to war.” I couldn’t few more discussions, I thought, “Why belong to the strategic command out of agree more. not? If I don’t, I’ll always wonder what Omaha, Nebraska. Third Fleet is made I wish I had had the opportunity to would have happened if I had and up of about 110 ships, 400 aircraft, 30 meet Senator Smith and thank her. In a what’s four years?” submarines, 5 carrier strike groups, an sense, I feel we are somewhat soul mates. At the time of my commissioning, amphibious strike group, and around We both, through no design of our own, not many occupations were open to 60,000 people. found ourselves blazing In preparation this speech, I did trails for women. Senator some research on Senator Smith and Smith blazed a trail found that I owe her a huge debt of because her husband, gratitude. I also found many similarities Clyde, died while in in our respective careers. The most office. He knew his wife obvious similarity is that we are both was the most qualified women and both served our fellow person for the job and Americans most of our adult lives. We asked his friends to also both sort of fell into the professions support her in her run for to which we dedicated our lives, profes- Congress. As for me, sions that, I think, we both felt we had because the combat avia- been destined for. tion exclusion laws were Most likely, I wouldn’t be giving repealed in 1991 and this talk had it not been for the efforts because I had applied and the “firm determination” of Senator myself, I found myself Margaret Chase Smith. Her persistence eligible for assignments in seeing the Women’s Armed Services that previously had not Integration Act passed in 1948 opened been open to women. the door for me and thousands of other I grew up in women to serve our country and paved Memphis, Tennessee, and the way for future legislation that went to Vanderbilt Always a strong proponent of women in the military, opened even more opportunity for University in Nashville, here Margaret Chase Smith is pictured with President women in the military. Tennessee. I was a decent Harry S. Truman as he signed the Army-Navy Nurses Senator Smith was a strong propo- student, an English major Act of 1947. The Women’s Armed Services Integration nent of our Armed Services. She served who was thinking about Act was passed the following year. for many years on the Naval Affairs going to law school. After Photo courtesy of the Margaret Chase Smith Library. MAINE POLICY REVIEW • Vol. 27, No. 2 • 2018 6 T HE M ARGARE T C HASE S M I T H E SSAY women in the Navy, and I ended up in wasn’t about gender. It was about opportunity for those you lead and Washington, D.C., in an administrative mission, getting the job done, solving helping them reach their potential. It is job, which I quickly realized wasn’t for the problem. I am proud of all those about communicating and collabo- me. I worked for a couple of senior male firsts, but I’m even more proud that rating to solve problems. It is about aviators who realized I probably those milestones are now behind us. listening to others, valuing their input, wouldn’t stay in the Navy if I were rele- Someone had to be first, and I feel and caring about and respecting them as gated to administrative jobs, and they extraordinarily fortunate that I was in people. It is about putting yourself in steered me toward flight school and a the right place at the right time. others’ shoes and looking at things career in naval aviation. That decision Margaret Chase Smith said, “I truly through their perspectives. That is how eventually opened up opportunities that believe that one’s sex should not be a to build a cohesive, functional team that I had never dreamed of because many of determinant in the selection of public can solve complex problems. those opportunities had not been an officials.” Our military has opened I believe the key to being a option when I joined the Navy. I had virtually every occupation to anyone successful leader is understanding two some amazing experiences, and I was who meets the requirements. There are things: yourself and your team. If you thrilled with the level of responsibility I many people—both male and female— don’t have the you part right, it will be was afforded as a junior officer. who don’t meet the requirements for hard to lead others. I have learned Over the years, I kept making the many reasons. That’s why it is critical through personal experience and obser- most of whatever opportunities presented that we make the effort to understand vation of others that you must be true themselves, and the Navy found new what is required—mentally, physically, to yourself and not try to be something and challenging jobs for me. Laws and emotionally—to do a specific job. If we that you are not. From my observa- policies changed, and I was fortunate don’t make the effort to understand the tions, many women feel they must be enough to have command of a squadron, requirements, we may be forfeiting the more masculine, less emotional, less an amphibious assault ship, and to serve opportunity to have the best person in empathetic to succeed, particularly in with outstanding leaders and be the job. promoted to admiral. And I loved what Again, I quote I did! I believe that it is important for Margaret Chase Smith: leaders to love what they do. “ability and proved perfor- I found success by being humble mance, rather than sex, and accepting challenges, sometimes are the best standards for turning adversity into opportunity, by political selection.” The staying smart on my craft, and truly way I see it, when a valuing the contributions of everyone woman is the best quali- who worked for me at any time. I fied candidate, she should learned when to lead from the front, get the job; when she isn’t and when to step back and let others the best qualified, she step up. Experience is one of the best shouldn’t get the job. But contributions to being a good leader. gone are the days of Like Senator Smith, I was fortunate female service members to be the first woman to do several never knowing if they things: the first woman to command an could have qualified. aircraft carrier strike group, our Task Leadership isn’t Force in Singapore, the largest maritime defined by how we look, exercise in the world, and a numbered it is defined by our fleet. Many times in my career, I looked thoughts and our actions. around the room and found that I was Leadership is about Vice Admiral Tyson on the Naval Station Norfolk the only woman, and many of those solving problems and (Virginia) waterfront with several of the US Navy’s times, I was the commander or the making a difference. It is amphibious ships in the background. senior person. I learned early on that it about opening doors to Photo courtesy of Nora Tyson. MAINE POLICY REVIEW • Vol. 27, No. 2 • 2018 7 T HE M ARGARE T C HASE S M I T H E SSAY historically male-dominated professions. and at every level, but it isn’t just gender Smith did.