An Interview With Edward Sylvan
By reading my book, I think it will impact how we view women in elected office and in the corporate sector and bring about changes that are needed to gain access to these positions.
As part of my series about “authors who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Gloria Romero.
Gloria J. Romero is a Professor Emeritus of psychology at California State University and the first woman ever to have held the position of Majority Leader of the California State Senate. She also served as chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee on Education. A staunch advocate for education reform, Dr. Romero has worked to expand school choice options for parents and served as Founder and Strategic Planner of the California Center for Parent Empowerment. Born in Barstow, California, Romero was one of six children raised by a railyard worker and stay-at-home mom. After receiving her associate degree from Barstow Community College and a BA and MA from California State University, Romero went on to earn a PhD in psychology from the University of California, Riverside. In 1998 she was elected to the California State Assembly, and the Senate in 2001, serving as Majority Leader from 2005 to 2008. She continues to write on politics and education reform and teaches courses on both subjects.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story about that?
My favorite book was Little Women and I read it over and over while growing up. We were a working-class family and had very little resources in our home — and certainly few books. So, I don’t remember who gave me the book, but I cherished it and loved Jo March and her sisters. The book reminded me of the love I had for my sisters (4) and brother (1) and my parents. It introduced me to the joy of reading and writing and the belief that I could be an independent woman in the world one day.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
This would have happened long, long ago when I was first embarking on a career path. I had graduated high school and really didn’t know what to do with my life. I learned about Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN’s) who worked at hospitals and learned that there was a two-year training program at my community college in Barstow, CA. As a first-ever college student, I had no career guidance and was just learning what college was about. So, I went to inquire about it but was told that I was too late — the application period had already passed, and I would have to wait another year to apply for consideration. I was devastated by my mistake of not knowing the timelines. That was the most important mistake I ever made because I proceeded with my community college general education and then went on to transfer to a 4-year university and eventually earned a Ph.D. I will always be thankful for that “mistake”. I suppose a point that we can learn from this is that we should be grateful for the mistakes we make and the new opportunities that emerge from them — as long as we don’t give up and venture onto new roads we had not previously considered.
Can you describe how you aim to make a significant social impact with your book?
My book is the first cover-to-cover accounting of gender bias and likability. The topic has been briefly touched upon in other volumes on women and leadership (e.g., Sheryl Sandberg devotes one chapter to the issue). Today, there is a great deal of discussion about “likability”, particularly as it applies towards women in elected office, including the Vice President, Kamala Harris. Hence, I think my volume is very, very timely and raises a topic that is rarely recognized or discussed. By reading my book, I think it will impact how we view women in elected office and in the corporate sector and bring about changes that are needed to gain access to these positions.
Can you share with us the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
There are lots to cover in this area, but one story is certainly, the story of Ann Hopkins herself. She is the first woman who went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court on her case of gender discrimination based on stereotypes — and she won! Her story is so inspirational, and yet, so few of us know about her and why she did what she did. I often speak of her as “the Rosa Parks of the End Gender Bias Movement”! My hope is that, if nothing else, readers will come to learn about this courageous, bold woman who challenged the “likability” standards that kept women like her out of leadership at the highest levels of business and employment. Decades later, we have not ended gender bias, but more and more women are taking action and filing claims. We have Ann Hopkins to thank.
What was the “aha moment” or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
In my career, I was directly told that I could not be a “strong woman” in the workplace because women are “weak” so I was a “mismatch”. Wow. That was the moment I realized that gender bias and discrimination continue to deleteriously impact women leaders and it was occurring right under my nose. I retained a lawyer and filed a claim. My daughter, Soledad Ursua, is the first person who told me I had to write a book about how women are still punished for being successful, strong leaders in a society that still teachers us to be sugar and spice and everything nice.
Without sharing specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
Me, myself, and I! We should always tell the stories we know and have experienced. And once I started telling my story, I found so many other women who said that they had experienced the same thing. We are not alone….
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
- Read my book and share it with their communities, Human Resources departments; use it in staff trainings at all levels. Once we start identifying gender bias as a price that all women pay, we can begin to identify solutions.
- End the use of Non-disclosure Agreements which stifle women into silence when filing claims of gender discrimination/bias
- Share the story of Ann Hopkins who was the first woman who went to the U.S. Supreme Court and won her case and establishing that gender bias and the use of stereotyping is discrimination and illegal. Her story needs telling, and my book pays honor to this courageous woman who I identify as “the Rosa Parks of the End Gender Bias Discrimination Movement”.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Speaking Up and having the courage to take a road less traveled in order to do the right thing.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- It goes faster than you think. Time is relative.
- “Et tu, Brutus” is real. Watch your back.
- Start a 401k early, irrespective of the size of your paycheck. Investing in yourself is paying it forward in a smart way.
- Choose your own team to work with and institute gender bias training for all in the workplace.
- Take the vacation. The work will always be there.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Take the Road Less Travelled”
After high school, I was accepted as a foreign exchange student and traveled to the island of Borneo at age 17 for the summer. What an incredibly eye-opening experience! I had grown up at the end of a dead-end dirt road in the middle of a southern California desert and found myself on an island with a jungle and indigenous longhouses which I visited. That trip revealed to me the beauty of the world and reaffirmed that sometimes you have to beat your own paths — even as I hiked a Malaysian jungle. It’s always easy to do what you’ve always done and anticipate near-certain outcomes. But it is far more rewarding to take the turn and strike out on a new path where the outcome is more highly correlated with the inputs you will make along the way.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Wow-if only, if only. I’d love to have breakfast with Sheryl Sandberg since she has shared the stories and challenges women in leadership face. I wrote my book on the issue of “likability” and the gender bias women in leadership face, but I read her book which contained a chapter on the topic, and it was most informative. I would love to compare notes and join forces with her on raising these issues of their impacts on women, and what we can do to change the tide
How can our readers further follow your work online?
I am on Twitter @GloriaJRomero.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Authors: How & Why Gloria Romero Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.