Women Of The C-Suite: Kristie Wrigglesworth of Pacific Whale Foundation On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior Executive
To become an executive, I think the most important traits you can have are to be driven, flexible and adaptable. I’ve noticed that some people are very rigid and cannot bend or adapt; it’s just not in their DNA. The best course of action for these individuals is to identify their greatest strength and find or create a position requiring that strength.
As a part of our interview series called “Women Of The C-Suite” , we had the pleasure of interviewing Kristie Wrigglesworth.
Kristie Wrigglesworth is Pacific Whale Foundation’s Executive Director. She provides direction and leadership to the formulation and achievement of the organization’s mission, vision and its annual goals and objectives; works with the Board of Directors and staff to develop and implement policies, procedures, and long-range strategic plans; oversees administrative and financial operations and all personnel matters; negotiates organization contracts and ensures compliance of both parties in contracts; managing the overall operation of organization’s facilities and equipment; oversees organization’s programs and services, and pursues additional revenue sources consistent with the mission statement of the organization. She previously had a legal career in Seattle, WA, for 12 years.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
As a huge animal lover drawn to all types of animals and insects, biodiversity is very exciting and beautiful to me. When I was younger, I thought I was going to be a vet. I later fell in love with writing and decided to go to law school. I changed my day job just so I could take animal law courses. This led to a very stable and lucrative legal career in family law, which I eventually abandoned. When I left, I told my boss that I wanted to work for animals, even though I had no idea what that would look like. I left Seattle and relocated permanently to Maui. A legal job posting at the Pacific Whale Foundation caught my attention, which I now believe was destiny intervening. Since joining Pacific Whale Foundation, I have followed my bliss. For me, that means doing everything in my power to push forward the organization’s mission to protect the ocean through science and advocacy and inspire environmental stewardship.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
My most moving memory as Pacific Whale Foundation’s Executive Director was at the memorial of Greg Kaufman, the founder of PWF who died of cancer in 2018. Seven of our passenger vessels formed a circle in the middle of the ocean with our research vessel, Ocean Protector, in the center. We held a beautiful Hawaiian blessing for Greg as we returned his ashes to the sea. As we said our final goodbyes, a whale shark — one of the most elusive marine mammals in Maui Nui — swam into the circle of vessels and began interacting with the vessels, which is very odd behavior for this species, rubbing up against one vessel in particular named Ocean Spirit — the last vessel Greg designed prior to his death. I am not a religious or spiritual person, but I believe that was Greg. Since that day, the whale shark is known as Greg’s spirit animal across the PWF family. There’s even a scene in A Voice for Whales, the documentary about Greg’s life and work, that captures this magical sequence of events.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The first thing that comes to mind is when I was preparing a leadership document just after being hired. The project involved copying and pasting quite a bit of content that required proofing. Somehow I did not catch a flagrant misspelling of the country Ecuador. Normally, this wouldn’t be the end of the world. However, the entire purpose of the document was to connect leadership in Hawaii with the research we were doing in another country. And that country was, of course, Ecuador. It was funny in its irony, but also embarrassing to provide a document that had the name of the featured country spelled wrong. The moral of the story? Never release an important document to your staff unless you understand it inside and out and have made time to proofread it thoroughly. It is better to push out the meeting and corresponding deadline than to rush the process and risk providing inaccurate information.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
The last three years has been a wild ride punctuated by a plethora of firsts. I underwent a major culture shift moving from Seattle to Maui, then PWF founder Greg Kaufman — my very close friend and mentor — passed away suddenly from glioblastoma. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit forcing us to lay off 80% of our workforce. I had relied heavily on Greg while he was alive. After he passed, I would not have made it through without my father-in-law, Bill Wrigglesworth, and my executive coach, Leslie Mullens. Both of these people have had a huge influence on me and continue to teach me the meaning of leadership and the happiness that comes from seeing others succeed.
In my work, I often talk about how to release and relieve stress. As a busy leader, what do you do to prepare your mind and body before a stressful or high stakes meeting, talk, or decision? Can you share a story or some examples?
For most of life, running was enough to deal with the stress I was under at the time. After Greg passed away, I was stricken with grief and restructuring the company simultaneously. I had to learn some new tricks fairly quickly and now depend on these major staples to release and relieve stress: 1) I do not drink, which forces me to develop healthy alternatives to relieve stress; 2) I exercise daily and take a short walk every three hours at the very least; 3) I meditate for a minimum of 10 minutes every day; and 4) I plan my meals and pay attention to what I am eating to help keep my emotions in check, which requires a lot of planning and calendaring in order to stay on track. I also take vacations every three months to detach and reset.
Without these stress-relieving tactics, it is very easy for me to fall into old habits and negative patterns that waste time and energy.
As you know, the United States is currently facing a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality and inclusion. This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?
Just like the planet, which depends on biodiversity to survive and strive, businesses rely on ideas and solutions to survive and thrive, and the best ideas and solutions come from numerous and diverse perspectives.
As a business leader, can you please share a few steps we must take to truly create an inclusive, representative, and equitable society? Kindly share a story or example for each.
The most important thing leaders can do is find the most diverse group possible, create a space where every voice can be heard, and encourage respectful conflict and difficult conversations.
Building a diverse group requires innovative recruiting strategies, thinking outside the box when it comes to new staff and partners, partnering with organizations committed to equalizing the racial divide, and the ability to break down timeworn barriers.
To ensure that every voice is heard, don’t end a meeting or workshop until every person has had an opportunity to speak; encourage the quiet voices in your organization to contribute via anonymous surveys sent to all staff on a regular basis; and incorporate 360 reviews from a diverse group of colleagues in leadership performance evaluations.
When conflicts arise or difficult conversations must be had, move towards conflict rather than trying to avoid it; don’t assume you know anything; ask questions; get comfortable with awkward silence; and teach other leaders to allow, rather than fill, gaps in difficult conversations.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what a CEO or executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?
A great friend and colleague used the term “threading the lei.” The CEO has to have the ability and visibility needed to break down silos and help others see their own potential.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive. Can you explain what you mean?
That all CEOs only care about money and themselves. True leaders care about the cause they work for; they see the value and power in the people they partner with in achieving that mission or cause. I know many executives who live this way. Personally, I hate being in the limelight. I would rather work behind the scenes and bring attention to the people who are answering the phones, filing, talking to customers, educating the next generation, writing testimony and collecting data to help save incredible and important creatures such as the humpback whale and false killer whale.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women executives that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
I think the biggest challenge that women executives face over their male counterparts is confidence and perfectionism.
What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?
I knew the job would entail a lot of analysis, organization and succession planning, but I was surprised by the social skills needed to do the job of an executive. The biggest part of my day is actually spent on time management and planning, which is still surprising to me.
Certainly, not everyone is cut out to be an executive. In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive? Can you explain what you mean?
To become an executive, I think the most important traits you can have are to be driven, flexible and adaptable. I’ve noticed that some people are very rigid and cannot bend or adapt; it’s just not in their DNA. The best course of action for these individuals is to identify their greatest strength and find or create a position requiring that strength.
What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?
The most important advice I can give is to take risks and to trust yourself and your team. Do not strive to be perfect or to be liked.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I have devoted my precious time on this earth to working with likeminded, passionate environmentalists to protect our ocean through science and advocacy and inspire environmental stewardship. Our greatest success is teaching our youth so they grow up knowing what needs to be done to save this incredible blue planet we call home by instilling the values of inclusion, diversity, symbiotic relationships and respect.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
In the time that I have directed Pacific Whale Foundation, I have learned several valuable skills that prove instrumental in effectively tackling the “executive” aspects of my job. Being a true leader, however, requires, a deeper look into who you are as a person, how you treat others and what you do to take care of yourself in the process. The five things that I wish I had known earlier not only apply to my work, but to everyday life and relationships. These traits guide my approach to leadership as well as beyond the office walls. 1) If everyone likes you, you are doing something wrong; 2) Do not avoid conflict, run towards it quickly and respectfully; 3) Take frequent and consistent breaks. Detaching completely is not only a good idea — it is absolutely necessary to perform the job at the highest level; 4) Develop emotional intelligence, create trust and have open communication — and make these your biggest priority; 5) Ditch the emails! Sometimes it’s better to pick up the phone and have a verbal conversation if you find yourself concerned or struggling with how to address the issue through written communication.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Above all else, live your life guided by these three principles: transparency, respect and integrity. Making these your one true North will allow you navigate any situation. If you find yourself off course, turn to them to help right the boat.
At PWF, we expanded on these three principles to devise a code of conduct called Values in Action that governs all that we do. For example, we define transparency as saying what we mean and meaning what we say; doing what we say we’ll do; respecting one another enough to confront issues and problems as they arise; and responsibly addressing any issue that prohibits us from effectively doing our job. We demonstrate respect by always striving to work as team and treating each other with dignity and compassion; valuing and taking into consideration others’ contributions, needs and points of view; honoring the trust others put in us through our actions, such as delivering on our mission and providing what we promise; protecting the environment to the best of our ability, even when challenging; and endeavoring to understand and support the communities we serve. We practice integrity when our values drive our decisions, remaining true to them even if no one’s watching; we act honorably and ethically even in difficult or uncomfortable situations; and we are accountable for our work and ourselves, solving problems that arise rather than placing blame on others.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Don’t judge or assume you truly know anyone ever. I believe people can change and that every day is a new beginning. In order to achieve big goals and make global changes, you need to believe that everyone has more potential and power than they think they do.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them
I would love to have a meal with John Oliver. I respect that he recognizes some of the major challenges we face as a species, such as our reliance on single-use plastics. I also appreciate the humor he brings when having difficult conversations or addressing serious world issues.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Women Of The C-Suite: Kristie Wrigglesworth of Pacific Whale Foundation On The Five Things You Need… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.