‘Aim High’: Former Air Force Secretary James Discusses Career, Gender, Book

“There are three key actions to take in life in order to achieve a position of personal and professional fulfillment,” said Deborah Lee James. “Chart and navigate your course, be an inspiring leader in every team, and get things done.”

James, former Secretary of the Air Force, imparted that advice as well as offered other insights, during a January 30 “Book Talk,” hosted by the Alumni Chapter of the Schar School of Policy and Government. The talk, characterized in welcoming remarks by Dean Mark J. Rozell as “the Schar School’s inaugural event of the decade,” was moderated by Associate Professor Bonnie Stabile, director of the school’s Gender and Policy Center.

In her book, “Aim High: Chart Your Course and Find Success” (Post Hill Press), James dives deeper into what it takes to be an effective and capable leader while also detailing some of her own successes and failures throughout her career.

“In a system previously created to exclude women, James sat as a woman in a sea of men,” said Stabile. “James serves as an inspiration to young women aspiring to reach senior leadership.”

The New Jersey native began her career as a professional staff member of the House Armed Services Committee before eventually rising to Secretary of the Air Force, a civilian position with the same rank as a four-star general, overseeing a budget of over $130 billion and a staff of 660,000 people.

Her term as secretary was challenging, including the Malmstrom Air Force Base cheating scandal and a mandate from Congress to reduce the size of the Air Force. She added to her goals gender-specific issues, including combating sexual assaults in the military and reducing female attrition rates.

“When I was confirmed in December of 2013, we immediately took action to fight sexual assault and harassment,” she said. “While the number of reported sexual assaults declines, retaliation against whistleblowers did not change.”

When asked if things have improved, James was frank: “I think the statistics have moved in the wrong direction,” she said. “I am not seeing enough follow-up of sexual assault victims or enough people taking a stand and talking about these issues.”

Midcareer attrition rates of women were another focal point under James. “Where we fell down was providing a work-life balance for women in the middle of their careers,” she said. “The solution is greater flexibility in the workforce and more opportunities to work from home.”

It should be noted, the federal government last year approved paid paternal and maternal leave for military personnel.