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What Type Of Person Thrives In Advocacy According To An Executive Director At Los Angeles Coalition For Excellent Public Schools
Joni, an Executive Director, highlights the importance of a competitive drive and goal-oriented mindset for success in advocacy, stating that "people who like to think about...benchmarks they're trying to hit" thrive. However, flexibility and an "interest in the external world," engaging with others and building relationships, are equally crucial for navigating the unpredictable nature of the work.
Competitive, Goal-Oriented, Flexible, Extroverted, Interested in the External World
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Joni Angel
Executive Director
Los Angeles Coalition for Excellent Public Schools
University of Michigan 2003
Harvard Kennedy School, Master in Public Policy, 2010. Pace University, Master in the Science of Teaching, 2005.
Ethnic & Related Studies
Education, Government & Public Sector
Strategic Management and Executive
Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. People who thrive in education advocacy are competitive and goal-oriented, setting benchmarks and devising plans to achieve them.
2. Flexibility and creative thinking are crucial, as plans need to adapt to the messy reality of advocacy work.
3. A strong interest in the external world and the ability to build relationships through interactions and collaborations are also key attributes for success in this field.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
As I mentioned previously, people tend to thrive in this industry if they are competitive. In advocacy, when you're striving to achieve something and aiming to win, that competitive drive can be very helpful.
Related to that, people who are goal-oriented and like to think about specific benchmarks also tend to do well. This involves thinking in linear ways, like: "Here's our goal, and here's how we'll achieve it."
However, advocacy work can be messy. Therefore, people who are flexible also tend to thrive. The ability to think creatively and differently about what you're trying to achieve is important.
I'm a planner, and I make plans to reach my goals. But being flexible with those plans and making changes as you go is also helpful.
Finally, being interested in the external world is crucial. Advocacy isn't something you do solely from home on your computer; it's not all in your head. A lot of the work involves going out, meeting people, discussing issues, explaining things, and building relationships.
Therefore, having a degree of extroversion or interest in other people and the world outside yourself and your own ideas is important.
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