By Katie Helwig, President, Mild Red LLC
Nearly 500 women from across the government contracting and technology community gathered at Carahsoft on July 15 for the fourth annual Women of Government IT event. While the speakers represented diverse backgrounds—from military leadership and cybersecurity to venture capital, marketing, business development, and executive coaching—the conversations consistently returned to a common set of leadership principles.
Although the event focused on advancing women in government technology, the lessons shared throughout the afternoon extend well beyond a single audience. They speak to the qualities that define effective leadership in today’s GovCon marketplace.
The speaker lineup represented a broad cross-section of government and industry experience:
- Mark Amtower, LinkedIn Subject Matter Expert
- Lt. Gen (Ret) Mary O’Brien, USAF
- Kerry Rea, GovEvents
- Amy Johanek, Okta
- Sara Hobson, BeyondTrust
- Catherine More, CrowdStrike
- Kristin Oelke, Brightrose Ventures
- Juliana Slye, Government Business Results, LLC
- Tiffany Bailey, Aretum
- Trish Barber, 3WaysDigital
- Jessica Maloney, Entarian
- Rebecca Ahmed, Author
Across the afternoon, several common themes emerged.
Your Personal Brand Is Your First Proof Point
The discussion around personal branding extended well beyond LinkedIn profiles. The recurring message was that professional reputation is built intentionally through authenticity, consistency, credibility, and following through on commitments.
Rather than allowing others to define your reputation, attendees were encouraged to take ownership of how they show up professionally, communicate deliberately, and build trust over time. In an era where AI-generated content is becoming increasingly commonplace, authentic relationships and personal credibility become even more valuable differentiators.
One observation I took away from the discussions is that our personal brand becomes our first proof point. Long before a customer awards a contract, a hiring manager extends an offer, or a colleague asks us to lead an initiative, they first decide whether they trust us. That trust is earned through consistency, credibility, and the cumulative impact of hundreds of small actions over the course of a career.
Leadership Requires Both Courage and Conditions for Success
Several conversations focused on challenging the status quo and leading organizational change.
One practical framework encouraged professionals to ask three questions before accepting responsibility for driving significant change:
- Are resources available?
- Have I been delegated the authority to make the change?
- Do I have leadership support—or “top cover”—when resistance inevitably occurs?
The discussion reinforced an important distinction between assigning responsibility and empowering success. Equally important was the reminder that change initiatives gain traction when framed around measurable organizational outcomes—whether those measures are mission readiness, resources, risk, recruiting, retention, relationships, or other key organizational priorities.
The message wasn’t to avoid difficult challenges. It was to ensure the conditions exist to succeed.
Confidence Is Built Through Action
One quote that resonated throughout the afternoon was:
“Confidence is a muscle that needs to be exercised.”
Rather than waiting until they feel ready, professionals were encouraged to intentionally build confidence by taking on new challenges, speaking up, sharing accomplishments without apology, and recognizing the value they bring to their organizations.
The discussions also distinguished between mentors, who provide guidance and honest feedback, and advocates, who actively support your advancement when you’re not in the room. Building both relationships—and making it easy for others to invest in your success by being prepared, authentic, and intentional—was presented as an important component of long-term career development.
Another recurring reminder was not to wait for someone else to create opportunities. Be your own advocate, be comfortable standing out rather than fitting in, and don’t hesitate to articulate what you want professionally.
Influence Is Earned, Not Assigned
Another recurring theme centered on influence rather than hierarchy.
The speakers repeatedly returned to the importance of remaining calm during uncertainty, connecting ideas, listening intentionally, asking thoughtful questions, and helping others move initiatives forward.
Leadership was consistently framed as less about positional authority and more about earning trust, solving problems, and creating positive outcomes for both organizations and people.
One particularly memorable perspective suggested that true influence comes from connecting the statement, “We need to…” with “We will achieve this by…”—moving conversations from identifying problems to creating solutions.
Career Growth Requires Continuous Investment
Networking, continuous learning, adaptability, and curiosity were woven throughout nearly every conversation.
Attendees were encouraged to continually cultivate relationships both inside and outside their organizations, seek opportunities to learn, document their professional journey, and remain open to career transitions. Whether through mentoring, writing, professional networking, or simply remaining curious, the overarching message was that career growth requires intentional investment—not occasional attention.
Another thought worth carrying forward was the encouragement to write your own story. Whether through LinkedIn, journaling, speaking, or other forms of thought leadership, documenting your experiences helps strengthen both your professional voice and your personal brand.
Final Thoughts
One of the most interesting observations from the afternoon wasn’t any single presentation—it was the remarkable consistency across them.
Although each speaker approached leadership from a different professional perspective, the conversations consistently emphasized trust, credibility, adaptability, confidence, authentic leadership, and investing in others.
While Women of Government IT is designed to elevate women across the GovCon community, the leadership principles discussed throughout the afternoon are universal. They apply equally to professionals entering the workforce, experienced program managers, business developers, capture professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, and government leaders.
Events like this remind us that while technology, acquisition strategies, and market conditions continue to evolve, the qualities that define effective leadership remain remarkably consistent: build trust, stay curious, invest in relationships, communicate with intention, and never stop learning.
Perhaps that’s why so many conversations throughout the afternoon felt connected. Whether discussing personal branding, organizational change, mentoring, networking, or executive presence, each topic ultimately pointed back to the same idea: leadership is built on proof. We demonstrate our readiness to lead through our actions, our relationships, our credibility, and the confidence we build over time.
For organizations, proof earns business.
For leaders, proof earns trust.
Both are built long before they’re needed.
