By: Jackie Ogden
I have had the privilege of knowing Dr. Mandi Schook through her work with the AZA in general and the Disney organization in particular. Sadly, Mandi joined the Disney team after I retired there, but it has been wonderful hearing about how incredible she is over her years with Disney, and getting to know her from afar. She is not only an amazing scientist, but she is a terrific storyteller and an even better leader. She happily agreed to participate in our leadership interview – she exemplifies someone who leads with her head and her heart. She has huge potential as a leader in our profession– I don’t think it will be long before we see her in a CEO position.
What qualities of a great leader do you seek to embody?
I seek to be someone who creates a sense of inspiration and connection to mission for all team members—a leader who truly listens to someone’s “why” and who works to maximize other’s strengths for greater impact. I seek to embody a leader who helps others believe in what is possible, removes obstacles, and celebrates other’s success. Most of all, I seek to be someone who leads through care for others.
Since we had to create a leadership philosophy for AZA’s Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP), I’ll include that here: For me, leadership starts with connection and inspiration, and is achieved with transparency, strategy, and supporting life-long learning. I believe, as a leader I should seek to relate to, include, and develop others; to co-create innovative solutions in relation to our mission; and to lead by example and with humility. I will inspire my team to start from a place of caring, to dream together, take calculated risks, and to continue connecting, learning, and innovating. In myself and in my team members, I value inclusion and adapting yourself to individual needs, responsibility, and action. I will provide strategy, development, and help removing obstacles in the pursuit of our mission and I will not support excessive passiveness or self-interest from myself or those I lead.
My ultimate goal as a leader is to inspire others to achieve maximum impact: impactful care of humans and animals, impactful conservation of habitats and homes, and impactful connection to the living things of this earth.
What experiences do you think would be most influential in helping you prepare to lead a mission-based organization?
Working at five different AZA facilities provided a lot of opportunity to learn about different organizational sizes, governance structures, and cultures. I learned a lot just by nature of exposure—working at more than one facility has been invaluable in evaluating different elements that make up success under different operating structures. Taking on opportunities outside my comfort zone is another experience type that has prepared me as a leader. Finally, I cannot say enough about the ELDP, which I think has done more than any other experience to shape my thinking and prepare me for leadership in our field. I’m so grateful to the leaders who developed the program, to AZA for supporting it, and for all the facilities that have supported their emerging leaders to invest in this development opportunity that helps us all collectively lead forward.
What strategies do you recommend to enhance diversity at the higher leadership levels?
Building relationships is the key strategy here. We need to expand our relationships with community and national organizations focused on diversity—to get outside of our own community and partner with other organizations who are making strides in this realm to learn from their successes. We need to strengthen relationships with other diverse, nature and science focused organizations to build a strong, multi-tiered foundation for success. At the same time, we need to evaluate and adapt our own internal cultures to make sure they support inclusion and belonging as we grow and develop.
What’s the most important risk you’ve taken in your career so far, and why? Did it work out?
The most important risk I take is always trying to address conflict rather than avoid it. Conflict and disagreement are necessary and healthy parts of progress and accomplishment. There are empathetic, co-elevating approaches to solving disagreement, conflict, and inaction. I have yet to experience a conflict where facing it head on with compassion and empathy didn’t result in growth and a better outcome.
What changes have you seen in leadership in this profession since you’ve begun working in it? Are these changes going in the right direction? Are they enough? If not, what else do we need to do?
I’ve noticed a shift in overall leadership style, with more focus on taking care of people in addition to animals. We’re starting to focus on diversity more broadly, but we can still be an organization that’s slow to change, and we need to be willing to take more risks, collaborate more broadly, and move faster to achieve greater diversity and impact.
How do you keep your team motivated despite challenges?
I’m lucky to work on a team that doesn’t need help with motivation; they’re fully driven by our collective mission and ready to make an impact. We only need help with prioritization and removing obstacles. We try to do that collectively with both group support and accountability.
How do you generate great ideas in your organization?
We use several different approaches. When problem solving, we like to invite someone to the table that is peripheral to the problem—from an outside-the-box team or discipline—to see what ideas and perspectives they bring to the table. This works extraordinarily well and is a great example of how diversity contributes to innovation and solutions. Recently, we’ve been focusing on risk tolerance, not being afraid to fail, and play (yes play!) as a way of working creativity into our idea process.
What do you see as the next big trend(s) in our profession?
The core of what we want to accomplish with our business and mission is really a social science. It’s the science of understanding people—what motivates them to make the choices they make, and how we can influence those choices. I’m an animal physiologist who has learned that the answer to everything is the behavior of people. We need more of a focus on social science and partnership with experts in the science of behavior change to grow our business, care for communities and ecosystems, and accomplish our mission.
How do you continue to grow and develop as a leader?
This is a never-ending process, and one I never stop investing in. I learn by reading, connecting with others, and doing things outside of my comfort zone. Recent examples include team book clubs on leadership, taking on outside-the-box assignments, joining AZA committees to learn and contribute, and investing in the AZA ELDP program. I surround myself with friends and colleagues who are better at what they do than I’ll ever be, and that’s incredibly passion-inducing for me. They challenge me continually to want to be better and I love seeing others excel in and contribute with their unique talents. I want to continue to evolve to be a better leader so others can achieve more.
Who do you look up to for inspiration or mentorship (inside or outside our profession)?
Most of the experiences that helped shaped my leadership approach came from the generosity and mentorship of other leaders in our community. There are more than I articulate without leaving several important people out, but I’ll mention a few here. I learned from Dr. David Wildt at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute that it’s possible to inspire someone to change their entire life course, because that’s what a chance encounter with him did for me. I learned from Drs. Terri Roth and Bill Swanson who lead the Center for Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) at Cincinnati Zoo that steady focus and a healthy dose of can-do can make a massive difference for care of focused taxa, especially when you add dry humor to your team. I learned from Dr. Kristen Lukas what compassionate leadership looks like, and that I wanted to emulate that. I learned from my former leader, Dr. Tammie Bettinger, my talented peers at Disney, and the broader AZA community what instant inclusion feels like. My current leaders Drs. Mark Penning and Scott Terrell demonstrate the powerful combination of relationships, influence, strategy, and compassion. And certainly not last, I learn from my team members every day what innovation and motivation can accomplish. I learn from the creativity and expertise of others, and I can’t imagine anything more fun and fulfilling than that.
What advice do you have for other emerging leaders?
Believe that you have something unique to contribute to our field and something that makes you a unique leader. Get involved as much as you can while staying balanced and productive. You WILL make a difference if you do. Never stop seeking personal growth as a leader. Help your team stay informed and active in our field and connected to our mission. Most of all, share what you learn with others and find ways to give others opportunities to shine. We’re our best when we help all boats rise.
