warranted a slight pause. A notable developmental assignment was a year-long detail
interacting with Congress. He also described appreciating cultural differences while
working in a different organization. In a few instances, A2 referred to not consciously
seeking opportunities or assignments, but that others had identified them for him.
I stopped trying to figure out what my next job would be. They would just
seem to come. I guess that taught me that someone was always watching
me, no matter what – whether you’re screwing up or doing good.
Someone’s aware of what you’re doing, and if they’d think there’s a role I could fill, they’d contact me and we’d see how that goes.
Participant A2 drew meaning from his religious upbringing. He also noted that at
least one of his experiences related to a religious connection with a mentor.
We were both the same religion, and that piqued his interest ... I didn’t
state my religious preference, but through a society that I was a member
of. And so I think that made him aware of how I’d been taught to think
and all that sort of stuff. We never really talked about religion much, but I
think it was his placing faith in me.^
In addition, A2 used a religious metaphor – “my goal is to be a foot washer inside
the organization.” A2 repeatedly drew on integrity, self-worth, and dignity as key
leadership characteristics that he strives to model. Besides integrity and religion, A2 also
made reference to his introverted personality as impacting his EI-related success as a
leader. He leveraged and valued greatly developmental opportunities even though, at the
end, he did not have a proclivity for working in that environment for a sustained duration.
I got sent over to work at Capitol Hill for a year as a training experience ... it was just a fascinating experience. I tell people it was the best
educational year I had in my whole life, to see how Congress works. Even
though I’d never want to have a job there, it was a fascinating experience.^
Participant A3. Participant A3 is a male who discussed experiences in myriad
organizational settings, i.e., business acumen, dismantling of an agency, and creating