"Professional development for humans": A conversation with Theresa Lyons

Theresa Lyons was born in New Orleans. Her family moved to Alaska in 1975, and she is an East (now Bettye Davis) High School graduate. She completed her undergraduate work at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida in business administration, and earned her MPA at UAA. She is a first-generation college student and understands the impact of education on one’s life. Whether supporting students, empowering women, or contributing to community initiatives, Theresa has always focused on building teams and investing in individuals. We caught up with her during her new tenure as Director of Graduate Medical Education at Providence Medical Group, Providence Alaska to hear her reflections on leadership and strengthening community.

Can you describe the different ways you have engaged with the Alaska Humanities Forum and our programs?

I have encouraged many people over the years to apply for the Leadership Anchorage program, I have participated in the Leading Conversations that Build Community workshop, and I was a Culture Shift speaker, talking about justice reform. I later participated in and helped facilitate Braided Stories workshops in the Mat-Su valley reflecting on racism through storytelling and an exploration of history. More recently, I served on a Community Advisory Board (CAB) to guide the Forum’s Anchorage Day of Storytelling as part of the broader National Heritage Area (NHA) project.

What do you think people need to know about developing leaders and teams?

I am a fan of Patrick Lencioni’s book on the three traits of an ideal team player : first, they are humble; second, they are hungry; and third, they are smart - this is not about intellect, but rather working well with other people. I have found that sometimes people are required to supervise and lead teams because they are experts at what they do. However, they do not possess the skills to lead or support the development of other people. I recall reading that a significant percentage of bullies in the workplace are in supervisory positions. I believe the lack of leadership development contributes to workplace bullying.

I am always trying to foster an environment of fertile ground, so people can grow. I want to give people permission to become an expert- I want the team to benefit from our collective strength and expertise. And I never want to let people lead in isolation-a sense of community is important.

What has drawn you to engage with Alaska Humanities Forum programming? How does it connect to your focus on leadership and professional development?

Forum programs focus on social inclusion and equity, and on having difficult conversations in safe spaces, which contribute to team building and the development of leadership skills: they convene people who have a desire to help drive positive community change (hungry); they allow people to be vulnerable and gain a sense of belonging by listening to each other (humble); and they help people learn to work with those who may not share the same perspectives or opinions, strengthening their emotional intelligence (smart). People who participate in these programs can take those skills to their teams, their organizations, and their networks.

And how do you see this work strengthening our communities?

We are all humans who have to figure out how to live and work in the same spaces, and someone needs to work on that! I believe this is exactly what the Alaska Humanities Forum does- strengthens our capacity to connect, listen, understand, and lead so that we can be in relationship for the sake of our communities.