Retired, Executive Coach and Founder - MATierney Leadership Development LLC

Q: What unique qualities do you believe set you apart as a leader and woman of influence?
A; My parents’ values influenced me – profoundly. They taught me to be curious, to seek opportunities to ask people questions about themselves, listen carefully, and ask follow-up questions because, as my Father often told us “Everyone has an interesting story to tell.” My parents highly valued volunteer activities, serving others and the community in whatever ways they could. They modeled the behavior. We followed their example. They also taught us that honesty and integrity should drive every decision large or small. And they gave us deeply held faith.
As a journalist and broadcaster, I had the opportunity to employ the resources of two different local television stations to address difficult community issues and significant community needs. Working as Community Affairs Director at WISN-TV and then as VP of Community Affairs at WTMJ-TV, I led teams of professionals to shed light on problems and engage our viewers in ways we could all work together to address the problems and needs. I leaned into what I learned growing up – to be curious, to listen to people tell their stories, to serve others in ways that did not diminish their dignity, but rather enhanced their dignity.
We accomplished much, facilitating changes in State Laws, helping to develop community resources like the Hunger Task Force, aiding dozens of nonprofit agencies to grow and serve hundreds or thousands more people in cost effective ways. And we did it all holding to the highest standards of integrity, honesty and journalistic ethics. I learned to use meticulous care in selecting where, when and how to employ the influence of my colleagues, myself and the stations, so as never to jeopardize our ethics or credibility.
Twenty-five plus years on TV gave me enormous visibility. With that came influence. My goal was to always lead the teams, dedicate our resources and employ my own influence in ways that upheld our journalistic ethics and fairly deployed our resources and called upon my influence with absolute integrity.

Q: Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that shaped your path?
A: In the early 1970’s I was in college studying broadcasting and journalism. The people who ran that program had great skill and high integrity. But one of the class I was really excited about was not taught by one of those people. Instead, a “seasoned executive” at a local TV station was brought in to teach “Broadcast Management.” After the very first class, he pulled me aside and asked me why I was taking this course. I explained that my objective was to work in Broadcast Management. He said to me, and I can still quote him “Women have NO PLACE in Broadcast Management.”
Little did he know how much that motivated me! I aced his class and went on to assume a management job at Channel 12 just four years later. (He worked at another station.)
That experience taught me that obstacles I faced as a woman in a Leadership role, were mine to overcome through hard work, intense focus on the work and by teaming up with my most brilliant colleagues to do things no one had done before! Hard to argue with results!
That experience also taught me that I could complain and walk away, or I could stick around and prove my point!
Which is not to say it was easy. Not at all. So when I was invited to join TEMPO, two years into my management role, I was beyond thrilled to be able to meet every other week with a group of women, all leaders in their businesses. We were all in it to support one another as we to continued to learn and grow. TEMPO was about coming together to learn more about the community and our roles as leaders in the important discussions in the community. We didn’t sit around and complain about how difficult it was to be the only woman at the table in our respective businesses. Instead, we sought speakers for each meeting who could help us learn more about what the business community and elected officials saw as future challenges to the community and the various obstacles and pathways to addressing those needs.
TEMPO was just what I needed! It gave me a deep understanding of Southeastern Wisconsin and what role I might play in addressing our issues and needs. And TEMPO gave me access to a group of friends willing to share with me their wisdom and joy.

Q: How do you define Leadership and how do you embody those qualities in your own life.
A: I have learned, working as a Corporate Officer and now as an Executive Coach, that Leadership means building trust with the people you lead. It means listening deeply to those people, enhancing their opportunities to learn and grow. Leadership means helping people identify their unique skills and abilities, so they can see the important role they can play advancing the organization’s mission and vision.

Q: How do you pay it forward and support the next generation of leaders?
All my professional life I have been privileged to be a Mentor. I know that to be a helpful Mentor I have to earn my Mentee’s trust. Key is listening - Not judging or instructing - but listening deeply. Mentors, like Leaders, help people identify their unique skills and abilities. Often the Mentor sees the need to ask questions that help illuminate whether the Mentee is in the right job, or even the right business. Mentors help their Mentees find their passion and create a path to pursue it. It is a great honor to be asked to be someone’s Mentor. I take that honor very seriously.

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