Behind the Career: Nicola Goren

Nicola Goren

Position: President of the Washington Area Women's Foundation, a District-based public foundation focused on improving the lives of women and girls in the D.C. metropolitan area.

Raised in Britain, Nicola Goren always had an interest in American politics. After graduating from Cornell Law School, she headed to the District where she found her niche as general counsel for the Corporation for National & Community Service. She rose through the ranks to become the agency's chief executive, where she managed its largest budget ever. After 12 years, she wanted to translate her experience to a local context, so she went to the Washington Area Women's Foundation, where she now serves as its president.

What was the biggest turning point in your career?

The biggest turning point for me was when I became chief of staff at the Corporation for National & Community Service. I was very comfortable being a part-time attorney. That decision moved me out of my comfort zone to a much more challenging, politically charged, full-time position. Over the next three years, I learned so much about myself that I don't think I would've had the opportunity to learn if I didn't agree to the job. In a lot of ways, I came out of my shell. I became more confident and a better speaker. However, it was much more stressful. It wasn't the kind of job you leave at the end of the day. I would spend my days in meetings, get home late, and as soon as the kids were in bed, get back on the computer. But I don't think the next couple of positions in my career would've happened had I not taken on that role -- at least not on the timeline that it did.

How did you move to chief of staff after starting as a junior attorney?

I took my work very, very seriously. I am somewhat of a perfectionist and always wanted to make sure that I did the best job I could do. Over time, it was noticed. People across the company saw me as a fair-minded and objective person. I look at things very factually. In all situations, I tried to look at all sides before making a judgment. I tried not to be judgmental or jump to conclusions. Each time certain positions opened up, I was on the radar.

I remember there was one very high-profile project I worked on with the chief executive where he was implementing changes for the way the AmeriCorps program had been administered. It was very contentious. I was the lead attorney on that. I worked with him closely in developing the policies, drafting the regulations, taking input from the public and our stakeholders, and reflecting that input in the documents and the talking points while negotiating with the White House. That's one of the ways he noticed me and got to know me through the process.

What do you say it takes to be an excellent leader?

You need to be focused. Your priority has to be the organization and the people that you're leading. It's not about you. That's what distinguishes leaders. You have to be fair. I always wanted to understand all sides and not rush to judgment but also make the hard decisions. Be passionate about what you're doing. If you're passionate, you can translate the passion to the people you work with so that everyone will be on board.

-- Interview with Vanessa Mizell

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