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Breaking Barriers and Leading with Grace: The Inspirational Journey of Brigadier General Twanda Tia Young
Brace yourselves for an episode that charts the remarkable ascent of Brigadier General retired Twanda Tia Young, whose candid reflection on her military career transcends the boundaries of what we perceive as possible. Tia’s journey shatters the limitations often imposed on dreams, beginning with an ambition that once barely reached the rank of captain, and soaring to the heights of general officer—a role that placed her among the elite 61 women to have ever worn the stars. Her narrative, now immortalized within the Library of Congress, is more than a personal triumph; it’s a beacon that guides future female officers, illuminating the path to leadership with grace, determination, and an unshakeable commitment to nurturing the seeds of potential in those who follow.
In the heart of our conversation, Tia Young unravels the intricate tapestry of leadership, with communication threads that bind and build the strongest teams. We confront the specters of self-doubt and the power of affirming one’s worth, peeling back the layers of what it means to be a minority voice echoing with substance in halls of decision. Tia’s wisdom extends a lifeline to those still navigating their ascent, offering strategies steeped in motivation and the kind of inspirational leadership that fosters trust and breaks through ceilings once thought impenetrable. This episode isn’t just storytelling; it’s a masterclass in leadership, a mentorship session that arms you with the tools to climb your own ladder of success, no matter the obstacles that loom.
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Hey y'all, hey, it's your girl, paula with another electrified episode of Coffee Chit Chat. We have a retired general in the building today, but before we get started you know how we do it let's shout out the Coffee of the Week of Vanilla Latte. Make sure you grab one. So today, ladies and gents, we have Brigadier General retired Tawanda Tia Young. She's a speaker, consultant, strategist, coach and executive in residence, widely regarded as one of the most empowering voices and motivation of speaking today.
Speaker 1:Brigadier General Tia Young is a highly sought after keynote speaker, consultant, strategist, coach and executive in residence, leveraging decades of professional experience as a distinguished senior executive in the military, combined with a passion for empowering others. Tawanda is a beacon symbolizing leadership and a wealth of expertise and conflict resolution. She's also a visionary recognized for her leadership, commitment and contributions to her community in the next generation. Her contributions have been acknowledged with numerous honors, awards and achievements. Notably, her story is enthrined in the Library of Congress. So welcome, welcome, super excited to learn about your military journey all the way to one of the top leadership positions in the Army. So I know she's going to drop us some precious gems. Welcome again, brigadier Retired.
Speaker 2:Young, thank you. Thank you. It's an honor to be here with you tonight.
Speaker 1:I am so excited, so I'm going to start with our first question we have for you. When you began your career many years ago, did you ever imagine that you would attain the rank of general officer?
Speaker 2:Simple answer. No, I was just happy to make it past, captain.
Speaker 1:And you thought captain was a real big rank, right?
Speaker 2:Oh, that was. That was huge for me. That was huge for me. So to get the honor of being Brigadier General, now retired and I say that very happily, retired is with that word Is what we say. Priceless, is that thing you normally hear is priceless for me to have the honor to lead at that level and for you know, for you and I to have led together side by side. So that's great memories, great memories.
Speaker 1:Very great memories. And then just for you being a female, and then an African American female, where you have all these younger officers who can look up to you from your story, so that I'm just excited.
Speaker 2:Same here. I don't know about looking up, since I'm only five feet, even on a good day, but if my story gives inspiration, then I'm honored.
Speaker 1:Awesome. So what inspired you to be a leader in why? I know that we all came through the ROTC program or maybe OCS or whatever but when you first joined is that you joined you wanted to be a leader. You knew that you didn't want to be in this race, but you wanted to be an officer, kind of what is. Are you to take that route?
Speaker 2:Well, I come from a military family background. My sister is a retired master sergeant, my brother got out at the rank of the E7 and my sister's husbands also served and my older sister got out as a specialist. So military is kind of ingrained in us. But I will tell you, when I decided to go into the military all of them being enlisted they said you will go in as an officer, you will not go in as enlisted. We will have one officer in the family. So, being the youngest of seven siblings, you do as you're told.
Speaker 1:I hear you. That's just kind of like awesome to hear because I know when they were telling you that I wonder in their minds if they ever thought you were going to attain the rank of general, where they said they wanted you to be an officer, you know.
Speaker 2:I doubt it. I doubt it. I think that you know my first inclination or engagement with my brother. I remember vividly when I was a second lieutenant and he came. He was a sergeant and he came to my office to meet me. Of course he had to stand to the position of attention. So you know that was like cool beans, you know, being the youngest being him having to do that for me. And he came to my office and he saluted and did all the right protocols and everything. And after that he kind of pushed me aside and went behind my desk and put his feet up on my desk and I said, dennis, you can't do that. I'm in charge. Now. I'm the officer I need to tell you what to do, kind of thing. Like, girl, you're my little sister, you know.
Speaker 2:And I recall calling my mom saying, dennis, won't let me do what I want to do. And he was like don't make your sister cry, do what she tells you to do, kind of thing. So that humbled me and in that recall of that memory is really kind of the essence of how I led was being humbled by the honor you know, because it's the opportunity, as you shared, to lead at that level. Yes, females there are not many. You count them on the number of your hand. I remember when I got promoted there were 61 females across the military forces that got promoted out of 851 males. Wow, so that tells you that we were behind the power curve on getting the opportunities to lead at that senior executive level.
Speaker 1:I know 61 versus over 800. Wow, yeah, interesting. So do you think that kind of motivated you to want to keep going? Say, hey, you know we need these females up here at this level.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, what really motivated me was my people, my family. I have two daughters too. I call them my heartbeats. I think that you know they were looking up to mom. You know mom would be gone a lot. Mom would have to sacrifice time and miss some key events in their lives in order to do what I had to do to attain the rank, and I wanted it to be worthwhile and worth the effort. But people that I got to serve with the soldiers, regardless of the rank and their level, the civilians that I got to serve with those are the ones, along with my family, really encouraged me to keep pushing.
Speaker 1:That's good. Now just lead us right on into the next question. In your leadership style, do you think it was different than your counterparts, the style that you were leading with?
Speaker 2:I'm not sure whether it was different. I my biggest thing of getting at that level. I always told myself I wanted to be accessible. I did not want to be the general officer who came through the crowd and everybody you know moved, make way, make way the general's coming, and not be able for someone to step out that line and say, hey, jo Young, I just want to say hi to you, man. I've wanted people to understand that, yes, I'm blessed, honored to be at that level, but I'm a person just like you. I have peers, I have challenges, I go through some of the same things as any other leader would go through, regardless of the level, but I want it to be accessible and to be human.
Speaker 2:For this, when I got promoted, one of the articles wrote about me that I shared with them. I said my rank changed. I didn't change. The person didn't change because the person is the person with the integrity, with the values, morals that my mom and dad is still in me at a young age. So, yes, I didn't go into blindly that okay, you're a general officer, you get to talk to everybody kind of thing and be there for everyone. I understood that there were some political calls there. That had to be followed. However, at the end of the day, if your leader can't roll up their sleeves and get by you and figure out a complex or ambiguous problem alongside you, then really, what is the work of the leader?
Speaker 1:I love that. So you were approachable, because sometimes people are intimidated especially like the junior officers, even at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel to come up to you because they're like, oh my goodness, they're Colonel. So I love that you said you were approachable, because there are a lot of leaders out there that are not approachable. You're kind of scared because it's like, oh, they may bite my ear off or they're you know, I don't know I'm supposed to come up to them and talk. So I love that you were approachable and made people feel comfortable talking to you.
Speaker 2:That was very important to me. They're very important to me because I've gone through and been under the leadership of many leaders that were not approachable, that you could not go up and share your thoughts or share concern.
Speaker 2:Now if our thing is our people are our strongest and our most valuable weapon in what we do, whether that's in civilian sector or military sector, that we realize the value that people bring to the organization, that comes only through communication. And if I can't talk to you, if I can't relate to you my thoughts, then are you really leading? Because leadership, at the end of the day, is being able to influence, and I can influence you if I can't communicate.
Speaker 1:Awesome, I love it. So what do you think? Because I know there are barriers, you know, and especially to attain that rank, was any barriers that were significant to you while you were trying to go through the ranks?
Speaker 2:Yes, there were many barriers, but there are many triumphs as well. The barriers that I faced I will tell you personally, in being transparent. The first barrier was myself Was saying yes, you have earned a seat at the table and your thoughts, your intellectual capacity, your leadership acumen have gotten you to this point. So don't now look in the rear view mirror of what should or could have would have happened or challenge yourself internally, internal conflict of am I worthy enough? Yes, you're worthy. You're worthy enough to sit at the table. You're worthy enough to share your thoughts and your sound advisement on recommendations to impact the lives of soldiers and their families at the time that I served in the military. But that's it. It was just me as the first challenge of understanding. I am worthy enough, I'm worth the investment. And number two was getting over that many times that I went into different situations I was either the only person of color sitting at the table and nine times out of 10, I was only female sitting at the table, so understanding when I needed to speak.
Speaker 2:My dad has always told me and taught me be observant.
Speaker 2:You don't have to speak in every forum, but I made sure that when I did speak it was something of value and I ensured that I knew my craft and that was the biggest takeaway for me of encouraging myself. I was just listening earlier to John Maxwell on the law of environment and nurturing yourself. Making sure that you seed into yourself, whether that's whatever encourages you through music, through reading, whatever that is. Make sure that you continuously seed into yourself so that then you can pour out to others to be able to help them reach their fullest potential. So, to answer your question, tia was the first challenge. Once Tia got over that challenge of getting out of her own way, it was an open field of being able to share and being transparent. All leaders don't have all the answers and I used to tell my soldiers I'm a generalist and that means that I have others who are experts in particular areas that my job is to guide and facilitate us toward success, utilizing the skills and abilities and knowledge that you bring to the table.
Speaker 1:And the whole team, not just looking at that general officer to bring all the answers. And I like, when you said, know your craft, so I was like say it loud, but the people in the back know your craft, because sometimes, like you say you speak out of turn or you speak things that maybe is not, you don't have enough knowledge to speak on. So, knowing that crap I love that gym right there and I know there are a lot of women do not make general officer. Why do you feel that there are not as many female leaders at the top? Some of you guys have broken that ceiling, but I know there's still a little glass ceiling right there. So what do you say? We still like, really check the way we work, the way we need to.
Speaker 2:It goes back to environment. In a male dominated environment Sometimes it's harder to break. It goes back to the institutional Mainstay of an organization that is not the norm for women to lead at that level. But we have made it clear that we can lead, we will and we have the Acumen to lead at that level. There are many great male leaders I will tell you truth and lending that have inspired me, that have seated into me, that allowed me to become Brigadier General, retired, young.
Speaker 2:We have to, as women and I would say not only just women, but as people is Put those people around us, that is, that are going to assist us in meeting our goals. Many times we we try to live like the Joneses. You don't have your certifications, you don't have, you don't know your craft and you're leaning on just your own inclination of Trying to get to a certain level and not pulling others in with you or being coachable or teachable To learn those things you need to learn to maneuver in a particular space, whether that's civilian life or whether in the military Then you you doing yourself a disjustice. So I will tell you that there's a plentiful field of women that have the ability to lead is just having the opportunity to showcase what we bring to the table. Other leaders realize the value we bring to the table.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, so, given the opportunity, the latest can do just as well. Exactly, I love it, I love it. So, hello, now I know all the listeners that then, especially young here, what is your advice for the young female officers serving in the military? You know, if they came up and say, hey, I am a lieutenant, what do I need to do to make captain? You know, I don't I never like for people just think they can just go to the next level. You know, all the way up first you need to just go, you know, step by step. So what are some of that Advice that you can give these young officers?
Speaker 2:Wow, that that's another another show. No, I Will tell you. What I would offer to them is the male principal is what I call it. The principal states that a leader's job is to motivate, inspire and lead, and if you do those particular things well, then they will push you toward getting to the next rank. The other thing I will tell them is Remember that your word is your bond. Once you break the circle of trust between you and your team and your people, it is a hard road to hold to try to get that back. So be genuine in who you are, understand your own Capabilities and understand your blind sights your blind spots, I should say Understand what those are and work toward making them better.
Speaker 2:Understand how to listen. Listen to your non-commissioned officers. I'm not saying that you have to take everything and do what they say, but listen to what they offer to you, chew on it and then decide whether that is the Direction you need to go, because, at the end of the day, as officers or whether we're leaders in an organization, we are responsible for what our people do and what they want to do. I said, at the end of the day, officers are responsible for what people do and what they fail to do, because we are the leaders, we are the one search.
Speaker 2:So I would tell young officers understand your value, never deflate or belittle the value that you bring to the table and lead with integrity, lead with a code of ethics that there is a red line in the sand that you will not cross, regardless of whether that is going to help you get ahead to the next level. You got to remember in the morning, you got to look at yourself and you got to be able to look at yourself in that mirror and know that you are still holding up that flag of integrity. You know. And if you're not being able to hold up that flag, you know. Flag for me stands for family loyalty, allegiance and guidance.
Speaker 1:Awesome. That is good. I know that they are taking all of this advice because that is just such awesome advice and I had a general officer once said that as well that integrity and how she drew a circle and how you don't step by side of those circles when it comes to your integrity.
Speaker 2:No, you don't.
Speaker 1:And being a person of your word.
Speaker 2:Once you step outside, it's easy to continue to skirt from that inner circle. And once you lose the trust of people in your organization that you're not a person of your word, you're not a person of character, it is hard to lead people and at the end of the day we say those 72 indelible words that we were supporting defend the Constitution against all enemies, far and domestic, that we bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that we take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that we will well and faithfully discharge to do these upon the office in which we're about to enter. That's not only to ourselves. That is we're saying. We are willing to die if necessary, make the ultimate sacrifice that many have done in order for people to have choice. Why would you throw that away?
Speaker 1:with your integrity. That's true, that is so true. Thank you so much for those awesome, inspiring words. Okay, so we talked military. We gave some good GM, some good nuggets. Let's talk about this transition to civilian life. How are you enjoying it?
Speaker 2:I mean, I am having a ball. I enjoy it. Now don't get me wrong, I miss. I miss being in the mix and the hustle and the bustle of the military and things that are going on and happening and making the impact. In that vein, I am truly enjoying this next chapter.
Speaker 2:I started a new business LT three leadership solutions which I'm using those life experiences that have been garnered through the military in my 33 years, as well as being a professor at Bowie State University, as an executive and residents, teaching on conflict and leadership. So I'm doing what I love. My business is teaching, mentor, coaching and consulting, whether that's through seminars, whether that's through training and organizations and corporations or one on one. I'm not seeing the impact of information that illuminates people to do better, whether that's within their personal lives or in their professional lives. So we we're excited that things are are chaotic and getting everything started and get everything going. But it is such a great feeling to be here. You know I'm used to going and going and going, oh yeah, oh yeah, and this, this new venture, is definitely, it's got me going. I'm excited about it.
Speaker 1:Okay, so check, count. That transition was a little smooth Because once you get all the experience and all that leadership, it was kind of probably easy for you to kind of turn it over to a civilian, you know, career and now actually for own business. Did I hear or did I see that you also have a book, or I?
Speaker 2:am working on a book here. My voice Okay, okay. First book. I'm excited about that to be able to share some stories, some principles and some proven techniques that have helped me along the way. That I hope will encourage and inspire women and men to forge ahead toward their goals and never lose sight, to stay focused.
Speaker 1:Awesome. So you got to tell our listeners how they can follow you, so when that book is printed and ready for publishing, they can go ahead and purchase that book as well, or if they meet your coaching skills. So let them know how they can follow you.
Speaker 2:We're currently on. You can reach us at LT three leadership solutionscom, and, or you can shoot us a messengers on LinkedIn at twanda dot young, and if you just need to have a one on one personal talk, you can reach us at 757572, a 341. We would love to have a conversation and chat about how we can help propel you toward your goals. You know conflict at its core. Simple as I have a need, can it be met?
Speaker 2:And many of us don't like talking about conflict with where they're avoided and all costs, but as leaders we must learn how to deal with conflict and how to get past the end pass. So you do that training, you do that through increasing your knowledge and what kind of conflict management style you use and what others use. And we at LT, three leadership solutions, we are ready to help you do that and to soar and whatever. Okay on after.
Speaker 1:So y'all hear that right, because I know that, like you said, a lot of people will avoid conflict at any cost. But the general retired here, she's going to help you guys get through that and work through it. So I'll make sure, yeah, and I'll make sure all of the contact information we'll put it in our Coffee Chit Chat Facebook group and I'll go ahead and invite you over to that group as well. Ok, all right, but thank you so much. I mean this has been so inspiring and so motivational. Thank you so much for sharing all this knowledge with us on this morning.
Speaker 2:I just want to say to you I'm extremely proud of you.
Speaker 1:Thank you, ma'am, it's you, oh I'm really in you, january, young, general Owens, all you guys we're just such inspiration. A lot of us talk now, I think, about five or six of us we're all retired, I guess, lieutenant Colonel and we all talk about you guys and how your leadership and just you know how you guys care about yourself. That's the way we wanted to lead as well, so we appreciate it. We appreciate all of that stuff that you guys put, all that good knowledge that you put into us as well.
Speaker 2:You keep doing what you're doing, keep making your voice heard. Well, thank, you.
Speaker 1:Thank you, we're definitely going to try. Ok, listeners, our quarter of the week leadership is about knowing yourself, cultivate your self-awareness, and that is by our guest speaker, brigadier General Tyrande Young Tune in next week for another exciting episode of Coffee Chitchat.
