International Women’s Day feature with Jodi Dickinson, Frontline Education
As a women-owned business, we are honored to highlight women who are incredible leaders in marketing and communications across a wide variety of industries. Each year on International Women’s Day we share an interview series celebrating these women and sharing their stories.
This interview is with Jodi Dickinson, Chief Human Resources Officer of Frontline Education.
How do you define your leadership?
I define my leadership by keeping in mind the whole person comes to work. I believe this is a lesson that COVID has taught us… how important this is for our employees’ lives and for ourselves as leaders. I work hard to communicate often, empower my team to be their most successful selves, work to remove barriers, I lead by example, and create development opportunities to grow my team’s careers.
How has your leadership changed in the past year?
Leadership today is synonymous with versatility, flexibility, being people-first, collaboration, and empathy. So much has changed in the past few years since covid has been in our everyday. It is seeking to understand the needs of the whole person not just the work experience. We need to assume change is coming and pivot often to define and refine the future of work.
Can you share a story that demonstrates a key learning for you in your leadership journey?
I started working at age 10 with my first job being a paper route, evolving to managing 3 jobs by the age of 18 in addition to going to school, being in 3 varsity sports, and holding a position in student government. I knew that even with all my hard work, I would still not have enough money. Yet, I was determined and positive to make it happen. When I ran out of money, I came home to work and finished my degree virtually. Nearly 30 years ago, virtual learning was not easy like it is today: watching lessons on VHS tapes and sending my work through US mail – not at all collaborative like virtual learning is today. I am proud to share that I became the first person in my immediate family to graduate college, hold a Master’s Degree, and continue beyond. This part of my journey was foundational for me. To this day, I help others see the positive, help others get the support that they need to succeed. In my work life, I was lucky to have so many mentors both male and females who supported and believed in me. I would not be here if not for them. They pushed me to be better and do better. The best thing that I can do at this stage of my career is to be the best mentor, role model, and support structure to help our future leaders achieve their dreams.
