Secretary Of Administration Viola O. Baskerville Essay

Secretary of Administration Viola O. Baskerville is a true leader not only to her family but to her colleagues and community. She instilled in others leadership qualities by her determination, civic duties and commitment in serving as a public servant. Service to the people was on her priority list when she decided to enter into office. She served on the City Council for Richmond, VA, where she first began her career as a public servant. She continued to show that work ethic and her commitment to making government progress more efficiently by serving as a member of the House. During her tenure as a public servant, she beat all odds and became the first African American woman appointed to a Cabinet by a governor. As mentioned in the journal article, to be a woman in either high elective or administrative office in the United States epitomizes the trailblazing life. In 2009, only a handful of American women had been elected to state and national legislative office. The reporter identified a few lessons learned from Secretary Baskerville …show more content…
Her work ethics guided her to work collaboratively with others at every level. She constantly had to prove herself and break new grounds to stay afloat when compared to her male associates. She also has the qualities of a path-goal leadership. Path-goal theory holds that effective leaders increase motivation and satisfaction among subordinates when they help them pursue important goals, (Rainey, 2014). Baskerville assisted others by motivating them to pursue important goals, coached them and provided directions when they needed it. Secretary Baskerville, encouraged other´s to run for office, especially women, since there were only a few in office. She opened doors for future leaders to follow in her footsteps by mentoring them and guiding them to possible careers in the public