Linda Leto Head
Sr. Associate Vice Chancellor
Strategic Partnerships
Lone Star College
Personal Journey
Can you share a bit about your personal journey and what led you to your current position? I started my career as a recruiter for a major oil and gas company the moved to education training students who eventually needed to find a job. The two connected nicely. And I maintained the relationships so that I had contacts to help my students find a job and even tour large companies to see what it was like to work for one. Over time, at Lone Star College, I realized that many people are hesitant in taking on additional responsibility because they are not sure if they can do what is being asked of them. I never said no because if the relationships that I maintained, I always had others outside and inside of the organization to call upon for guidance. Most higher-level jobs are not difficult, just different adding new skills. With a mentor, persistence, and a bit of luck along the way, you can be successful at each stage.
Advice for the Next Generation
How important is networking, and what strategies do you suggest for building a strong professional network? Networking is imperative to career and personal success! It is the people around you that you learn the most from and who can help you be successful in our job and in your life. The Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce is the best place to meet women who are truly interested in networking with other women. Not just to make a business deal, but to learn from each other and most importantly, to make friends. Friends, who understand each other and each what each of us face as professional women who also have real lives with families of our own who depend on us after our workday is complete.
Importance of Giving Back
What initiatives or programs within the Chamber are you most passionate about and why? My favorite program thus far has been Women on Board. There are so many excellent role models on corporate and non-profit boards who give their time and talent to help the leadership of private, public, and non-profit organizations be successful. I have served on many boards over the years as a volunteer and am looking forward to serving on a paid board position to offer my expertise to a company or organization thrive and see their organizational strategies in new ways from my professional experiences.
Additional Insights
What do you believe is the biggest misconception about women in leadership, and how can we address it? Women must be the same in the office as they are as a mother and that we are all the same. Female leaders First those who are mothers at home. They might be mothers, but they are not mothers of those they lead, so why do others expect them to act like a mother? And like a man, every woman is different, so they lead differently from each other. Female leaders have and show emotions like a man such as frustration, anger, and surprise. However, female leaders are intelligent, strategic, great analytical people, project leaders, negotiators, compassionate, and more, because they are women. What is the biggest misconception? That you can categorize women in leadership at all – except that female leaders have proven time and time again that we are extremely successful at leadership!