Women’s Public Leadership Network (WPLN) is excited to continue our Leadership Spotlight
series, where we highlight women of different backgrounds and industries who are paving the
way for women in leadership.

This month, WPLN was joined by Dean Marianne Wanamaker of the Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Dr. Wanamaker is the former chief domestic economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisors, where she also served as the senior labor economist. WPLN Fellow Sarah Harper spoke with her about her background, career, and valuable leadership and personal development tips for other women.

In her interview, Dr. Wanamaker spoke about how her small-town roots prepared her for leadership success in a variety of situations, emphasizing the importance of good communication skills and the ability to relate to different groups of people. She also noted that transparency and decisiveness are two of the most important skills for an effective leader, saying “What your organization needs you to do is give them clarity and then let them move forward.”

As the Dean of the Baker School, Dr. Wanamaker brings a refreshing perspective on public service and what it means to be a public servant. She explored intersections between public service and academia, noting “When I came to UT, I realized that every single day there was some question or some issue that came up where the way to think about it was what’s right for the people of Tennessee, and it dawned on me one day… that [I’m] a public servant.”

A consistent theme throughout Dr. Wanamaker’s interview was self-reflection, even sharing a few strategies with the audience: take feedback from others, and learn the art of making mistakes. Most importantly, she offered women advice on how to make mistakes in a way that encourages others to offer them grace. As women, we are often under a microscope and face criticism that our male counterparts may not be as exposed to. Dr. Wanamaker believes that the best way to minimize this is to pull others into the conversation as she is making decisions.

Finally, Dr. Wanamaker gave her most impactful advice for women leaders:

“Whatever profession you choose, be good at [the profession] first, and be a good female at that second. I think sometimes people come into situations expecting their gender to matter when it doesn’t, or expecting their gender to matter in a direction that it doesn’t… I very quickly learned that if I try to make gender an issue… it’s not going to play to my advantage.”

Watch the full interview on YouTube:

Seeking mentorship and a supportive community of female leaders? WPLN is building a network of women united by common-sense priorities and providing support and training resources at no cost to our audience. Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter, learn about events, and take advantage of the free online resources we have available.