Ep.11 Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, President of Augustana University Artwork

Showing Up as a Leader

WINGS for Growth is a nonprofit, women’s leadership development program. Our mission is to Unleash the leader in women, accelerate their growth, and inspire them to create opportunities for the next generations. We envision a day when women leaders, role models, and change agents are universal. In WINGS “Showing up as a leader” series, we are inviting exceptional women leaders from various industries and backgrounds who are passionate about sharing their perspective and candid insights on what it takes for women to be the leader they want to be. Speakers will share their own learnings, challenges and sometimes tough or difficult decisions they had to make that led them to the success they have achieved. They will also share how they help uplift other women by mentoring, sponsoring, and coaching. In a world where there are a higher number of men in leadership ranks, they will share how they have worked with men who grew to be their allies. We will focus on narratives, culture, mindset, intuition, business and finally how to show up as a leader everywhere and create a path for others to lead.

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Showing Up as a Leader

Ep.11 Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, President of Augustana University

June 28, 2021 • WINGS For Growth • Season 1 • Episode 11

WINGS for Growth presents "Showing up as a leader" with Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. 24th President of Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota — the first woman to lead the university in its 160-year history.

Stephanie says what grounds her, is her upbringing and the influence of her mom and grandma. She talks about mentorship as about giving and take relationships. She says, "There is power and privilege, in the roles and responsibilities of mentors that they have and how to enlist that to expand opportunities. She agreed with me that mentoring is a skill, and it needs to be learned."

The highlight for me is Stephanie thoughts and ideas about opportunities for local businesses and universities to partner together to innovate to achieve business growth post-pandemic.

We had a very insightful discussion about how to manage change. I will not spoil your listening experience, find out for yourself.

Quotes:

Your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you're a leader.
You can't let 80 to 90% of your energies be consumed by trying to persuade the 10 to 20% of the people who may not be ever inclined to do the work.
I've learned the most about myself and how to be a better leader when I have come up short.

Guest Bio:

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves as the 24th president of Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota — the first woman to lead the university in its 160-year history. As a result of her leadership, the university is implementing its transformational Viking Bold: The Journey to 2030 strategic plan and has launched Viking Bold, the largest and most comprehensive campaign in its history.

Herseth Sandlin graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University and cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center. Called to public service, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004, where she went on to serve four terms. She was the first woman elected to the U.S. House from South Dakota and the youngest woman serving in Congress during that time.

Following her time in Congress, Herseth Sandlin became a partner in a Washington, D.C., law firm and later joined Raven Industries in Sioux Falls, as the company’s first general counsel and vice president of corporate development.

Herseth Sandlin is celebrated for her leadership in the advancement of women, her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as her policy work centered on agriculture, renewable energy, veterans’ education, and tribal affairs. She was named to TIME’s “40 Under 40” list of New Civic Leaders in 2010, was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2017, and in August of 2020, was named to USA Today Network’s select list of “Women of the Century,” in recognition of her significant contributions to the state of South Dakota and the country.

Herseth Sandlin is married to former Texas Congressman Max Sandlin, an attorney and former Chairman of the Board of Feeding South Dakota. She and Max live in Sioux Falls with their son, Zachary.

About WINGS:

Many women reach the cusp of leadership and never make the leap. WINGS is strategically positioned to serve this population. 1st woman founded nonprofit, academically-backed, High-Touch, Results-Oriented, 10-month leadership program that fosters mindset and behavior which leads to systematic change. WINGS’s - accelerates thousands more women toward leadership roles in a way that’s never been done before.