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In Leaders in Action, we profile outstanding leaders in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Copyright The Case Foundation, 2008. All Rights Reserved.
Q+A with Jean Case and Marguerite Sallee

JEAN CASE:  You are one of the few people I know who has so successfully crossed all sectors in her business career.  As you've moved between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, how have you found leadership differing?
 
MARGUERITE SALLEE:  There are many common traits across the sectors.  There are also some unique differences, and I think that what I have tried to do here with America's Promise is bring the best of what I saw and learned from others and experienced along the way to this unique opportunity.  The work at America's Promise calls on skills and experience from all sectors, and if we are really going to make a difference for children in this country today, it is going to take all of us working together.  So, as I reach out to leaders in each sector and call on the commitment of leaders from each sector, it helps that I have had experience in a variety of places.
 
JEAN:  I think one of the reasons you are so widely respected, particularly among business leaders, is because they feel you really understand their world, and they respect your own success in that world.  What challenges have you had as you've moved between sectors?
 
MARGUERITE:  Any time you are trying to build a coalition and create consensus, that is a challenge, especially when the stakes are high.  Everybody has their own perspective, and everybody has their own point of view, and the challenge is to get everybody motivated by a single vision and really engaged around a very focused commitment. So I've enjoyed the work over the past year trying to build consensus for kids in America, but it's been a challenge, and the other thing that has surprised me is that when you move from the private sector back into the public and the nonprofit sector, sometimes you have to reintroduce a greater discipline and a tighter focus. The private sector lives and dies with a tight focus on results, and then in the nonprofit sector and especially, unfortunately, in the government sector, sometimes there is a greater luxury of time and less sense of urgency.  Yet the stakes are just as high, or even higher.  So one thing I've tried to bring into my current work is a little bit of that private sector discipline and focus on results, meaningful outcomes for our young people.
 
JEAN:  At the heart of everything you've done in your career, the common element has been kids and youth.  What was your inspiration?  Where did that passion come from?
 
MARGUERITE:  My parents were divorced, and there was a fair amount of turbulence in my immediate family.  I had a very meaningful relationship with my grandparents, and they were my real rock.  They were true inspirations to me and taught me that whatever you're doing, you should always look for ways you can help someone who is less fortunate or do something that makes a difference for somebody. My grandparents were truly caring people in the best sense of the word, generous beyond their means, thoughtful and sensitive in their philanthropic work, but my grandfather was also a successful businessman, and yet he always stopped and cared for the less fortunate in the course of his business, and that was an amazing example to me. So you take that kind of spirit into whatever you do, and then I became inspired around the whole issue of children when I was working in my early days for a Planned Parenthood affiliate, and that was almost a happenstance.  It was my first real substantive volunteer commitment, and what I found was that, regardless of personal perspective on the whole issue of teen pregnancy, it is a tragic circumstance that no one would sign up for or wish for someone they loved.  So I became really committed to the notion of children and young people who are at a disadvantage or find themselves in circumstances they didn't ask for, and then by extension, I kept getting caught up in the larger cause of children and families. One set of circumstances and experiences led to another, and I found that there were just not enough real leaders who cared enough about kids.  Kids really are that silent constituency, and they depend on others to be their voice and to be their advocates. I am excited to be at America's Promise because it really is a chance to turn a meaningful platform into a force that can make a real difference for kids.
 
JEAN:  You speak so eloquently about the need for this country to pay attention to its kids and bring resources to its kids, and obviously, fundamentally, that is what America's Promise is there to do.  How would you describe the state of children in the U.S.?
 
MARGUERITE:  We've made some progress, and many people and organizations are working hard to improve the lives of our children.  But so many figures tell us we have more to do.  More than 1.5 million children were victims of violent crimes last year, and there are a million children in foster care.  Fifteen million young people want and need a mentor.  On any given day, between 7 and 15 million children are at home unsupervised after school.  Eight million children need health insurance.  Every year, more than a half million young people leave school without a diploma, and one-third of job applicants flunk basic literacy and math tests. One of the things that I really hope we'll be able to do with real power and impact is to create what I call a burning platform.  People have got to realize that the state of kids is not getting better, and in fact, in many ways, it's getting worse in this rich country of ours.  The world is busy, and our country is distracted all the time, and our young people need those caring adults and those relationships to help them make sense of life and find their way.
 
JEAN:  And what are your priorities to make sure young people get what they need?
 
MARGUERITE:  The America's Promise Alliance has launched a bold new five-year plan asking for meaningful and dramatic commitments from all partners in the Alliance to see that millions more children receive the Promises.  We especially want to begin to close the gap for our disadvantaged young people.  And we will be urging leaders in government and business to join us in this commitment and help change the results for our nation's young people. I believe the time is right and the nation is ready to rise to this challenge.  With  the talent, muscle, and dedication of our partners, the America's Promise Alliance is only beginning to test its real potential to make a difference in the lives of all children in this great country.   I am excited about being a part of this incredibly important commitment.
 
JEAN:  Besides your professional career, what other things have you been involved in?  What do you like to do?  What inspires you outside of your work?
 
MARGUERITE:  One thing I love to do is to travel abroad, and I think that seeing other countries, other cultures, other people is the most exciting way for me to recharge my batteries and gain a larger perspective.
 
JEAN:  What have been some of your favorite places that you have traveled to?
 
MARGUERITE:  Most immediately, I went to Patagonia, which has been a longstanding dream of mine.  I love the outdoors.  I love to be in nature.  I think that is a real restorative experience for me.  My favorite way to unwind and get a little exercise is to take a very long walk in the woods.  I've always done a lot of hiking, and if you're a serious hiker, Patagonia is sort of the mecca. Another meaningful trip was to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.  I was there right after it was open again to tourists, and I would go out in the early morning to catch the sunrise, and I would have to follow the UN mine sweepers.  So it reminded one of the incredible devastation of the Pol Pot regime.  That is what I love the most about travel is when you can really experience firsthand the pulse of a country. Then on another level, Paris is my probably favorite city in the world.
 
JEAN:  What do you like to read?
 
MARGUERITE:  I like to read fiction by women writers, and I especially love young new women writers.  I think that speaks to another little piece of me.  I like to be able to be a mentor for young women who are coming along and are finding their own way.  I love the way women writers give expression to great themes and stories and ideas.  So that is probably why my escapist reading is women fiction writers.