“What made him so special was that he gave
everyone a voice in staff meetings,” she explains, “My
vote counted just as much as Tommy Kennedy’s (who
would go on to become Raytheon’s CEO, though at the
time was her peer), even though I wasn’t a rocket
scientist and we were a company of rocket scientists.”
His appreciation for her voice as well as his
emphasis on putting all of his leadership team on equal
footing while expecting nothing less than excellence
from them gave her the confidence to become the
leader she is today. Thanks, in part, to his example, she
has surrounded herself with a diverse team that can
support her in making decisions and prioritization. Also
like Jones, excellence is the standard she sets for
her team; however, she also makes it a point to be a
compassionate leader. She encourages her team to
prioritize family, and when significant life events
arise, she says, “I’ll roll up my sleeves and drive out
of that ditch with them, whether it’s personal or
professional,” a sentiment that is much appreciated by
team members.
While excellence is her standard and success
her expectation, Hernandez-Blades has experienced
obstacles and challenges as she’s navigated through
her “jungle gym.” She was often underestimated, seen
as too young or too inexperienced to succeed. Other
times, she was working in a male-dominated industry
where there were very few people who looked like her
– young Latina/Native American female from the south.
There weren’t a lot of networks or support for
Catherine Hernandez-Blades, member of the PRNews Hall of Fame, being named a Top
Woman in PR at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
someone like her. She’s quick to say she doesn’t think
the lack of support from those around her was always
intentional but rather more of a result of their lack of
exposure to someone from such a diverse background
being successful in the roles she filled. “At the end of
the day, it is all about results!” she says, “Put those
points on the board, and people will pay attention.”
Her drive to succeed and stellar work ethic are
just a few of the Latina character traits that have helped
shape Hernandez-Blades’ life. Other include faith,
discipline, food, and music.
“I was sent to schools run by nuns, convent
schools, pretty much my whole life,” she shares. “And
I was taught that with faith, anything is possible,
and I believe that.” Hand-in-hand with faith is
discipline. She believes it takes a great deal of
discipline to understand the importance of hard work
from an early age, which in turn highlights the role of
food and music in the Latino culture.
“Any culture that truly celebrates food and music
knows how to celebrate life and celebrate success,”
she shares. “I think that one of the reasons that I can
be so demanding in terms of excellence, in terms of
performance of my team and myself and how I show
up at work is because we know how to step back and
take time to celebrate the successes.”
When asked what words of wisdom she
could share with Latinas looking to enter a similar
career path as her own, Hernandez-Blades offers the
following advice:
· Pick your battles - know when to fight and when
to let go.
· Be a life-long learner.
· Respectfully challenge inappropriate boundaries
and protect your own.
· Be the person that people want to work with and
you’ll be the person that people want to work for. When
people know they can depend on you as a colleague
then they will also be able to depend on you if they
were on your team.
Her last piece of advice? “Always be excellent.” If
you need an example of what that looks like, she’s a
perfect one to follow.
“I have not always gotten every job I’ve ever
gone for, but I will tell you, every time I have not
gotten what I thought I wanted, something better
came along,” she shares. “Something better always
happened, so remember that something good comes
from every setback.”
Catherine Hernandez-Blades (left) with team members Cheryl Amerine and Shane Canestra
at Institute of Public Relations Distinguished Lecture and Awards Dinner. December 2021.
LS
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