Linda, Executive Director, Leadership Development Program at City and County of San Francisco: Advize Career Interview
A four-decade career in public service, starting with a White House fellowship and culminating in a San Francisco Executive Director role, showcases a diverse path through various sectors.
The interviewee's journey highlights pivotal roles during civil unrest, contributions to economic development, and leadership in the city's COVID-19 response.
The core responsibilities involve fostering career growth and learning among city leaders, implementing impactful leadership training programs resulting in significant improvements in employee satisfaction.
Success in this field requires emotional intelligence, strong communication, and the ability to connect with diverse individuals.
The most rewarding aspect is the positive impact on participants' careers, a fulfilling experience despite the challenges of adapting to varied learner backgrounds.
The interviewee emphasizes the importance of collaboration over perfection, strong relationships, and leveraging undergraduate skills in research, analysis, and communication.
Many entry-level positions exist within the City and County of San Francisco, offering a clear career path within the organization.
The interview concludes by highlighting the significance of self-awareness and building strong relationships as keys to a successful and impactful career.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Linda Yeung
Executive Director, Leadership Development Program
City and County of San Francisco
University of California, Berkeley
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Masters of Law and Diplomacy
Spanish & Other Languages, Political Science, American Studies
Government
Human Resources (HR)
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Immigrant, First Generation College Student
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Career Path of an Executive Director Leadership Development Program at City of San Francisco
Linda's four-decade career in public service, beginning with a John Gardner Public Service Fellowship at the White House and a Fletcher School degree, showcases a diverse path through federal, local, for-profit, and non-profit sectors. The interview highlights pivotal roles, including work with Mayor Tom Bradley's office during civil unrest, a stint at Southern California Edison focusing on economic development, and culminating in the current Executive Director position of a San Francisco leadership development program after significant contributions to the city's COVID-19 response, demonstrating a commitment to "working in service to others."
Main Responsibilities of an Executive Director of Leadership Development Program at San Francisco
Linda's main responsibility as Executive Director is to foster "career growth and learning" among San Francisco city leaders, leveraging her 25-year career to provide valuable insights and best practices in areas like change management and stakeholder engagement; recent initiatives included a leadership and change management course featuring key city leaders and an organizational development program resulting in a "20-point difference" improvement in employee satisfaction scores for some departments.
A Day In The Life Of A Leadership Development Executive Director At City Of San Francisco
As Executive Director, Linda's day involves guest lecturing in leadership training classes, incorporating "good communication skills" through group activities and evaluations to refine the program. This experience, coupled with individual coaching sessions leveraging their 20-25 years of city experience across five departments, helps Linda guide employees through career navigation within San Francisco's 40 departments, aiming for employee retention by showcasing "the city as one single employer".
Top Skills For An Executive Director Leadership Development At San Francisco
Linda, Executive Director of a Leadership Development Program, highlights the evolution of crucial skills throughout her career, emphasizing that "emotional intelligence skills" — such as "being able to read the audience and relate to them where they are"—surpassed the importance of earlier technical skills. This focus on connecting with others and fostering a shared vision is now paramount in her role, making "relating to people" the number one skill.
Favorite Parts of Being an Executive Director of Leadership Development at City of San Francisco
Linda, an Executive Director of Leadership Development, finds the greatest fulfillment in the positive impact of her work, specifically when participants report that her lessons and case studies "resonate with them and will help in their careers." This is especially meaningful given Linda's personal preference for introversion, highlighting the rewarding nature of overcoming challenges to connect with and support others.
Biggest Challenges Faced by an Executive Director Leadership Development Program at San Francisco
Linda's biggest challenge as Executive Director of a Leadership Development Program is adapting to the "wide range of people" in each class, whose backgrounds vary widely from human resources to managing public transportation. This requires constant evaluation of curriculum effectiveness, using feedback like scores and comments to ensure examples "resonate with" the diverse learners.
Favorite Parts Of Working In The Training Industry As A Leadership Development Program Executive Director
Linda, Executive Director of a Leadership Development Program, thrives in her industry because of the collaborative environment and the shared passion for helping others; the "people who want to help others" make for a fun and fulfilling work experience, as evidenced by the enthusiasm Linda observes in colleagues' training sessions.
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Public Service Industry, According To An Executive Director Of Leadership Development At San Francisco Government
Early in the career, a focus on perfect accuracy delayed progress; however, the interviewee learned the importance of collaboration and shared vision. The most successful approach involves assembling a skilled team, accepting that "we're gonna get some things wrong," and iteratively improving towards a shared goal, rather than striving for unattainable perfection in every detail.
What an Executive Director of Leadership Development at San Francisco Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Public Service Industry
The City and County of San Francisco offers many entry-level positions, "specifically geared to people who are new to the workplace," accessible via the sfgov website's Department of Human Resources page. A career path is possible within the organization, as evidenced by the interviewee's experience of mentoring junior colleagues and providing opportunities for "a seat at the table."
Career Advice for Aspiring Executive Directors at City of San Francisco
Linda's most significant career lesson is "knowing who you are" and building strong, trusting relationships. This proved invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic, where Linda leveraged "good friends and relationships" to secure essential resources like vehicles and personnel, contributing to San Francisco's low death and high vaccination rates.
Significant Career Lesson From An Executive Director Leadership Development At City Of San Francisco
Linda's undergraduate experience fostered valuable skills crucial to a career in executive leadership; "taking the time to read, research, assess and analyze situations," coupled with engaging in "robust conversation" and collaborating with diverse peers to refine ideas, proved invaluable. These experiences taught the importance of open communication and constructive conflict resolution, directly applicable to policy development and leadership roles.
College Experiences That Helped an Executive Director Leadership Development Program at City and County of San Francisco Succeed
Linda, a PoliSci and languages major whose first job was at the White House, emphasizes that social science skills— "research analysis, good communication, written skills"— are broadly applicable. The most impactful advice offered is to be open to opportunities, cultivate strong people skills, and seek out a mentor who will provide challenging assignments and help expand skill sets beyond "getting all the facts correct."
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