International Aerospace Womens Association
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President's Message


September 2024


Dear IAWA Members,

I am very excited about this year’s conference in Dublin - the speakers are strong, and the program robust. IAWA continues to evolve to meet the needs our members have expressed they have, and we will be discussing this evolution at the conference. 

I am inspired by the changes and developments that each of the board members have made and contributed to in the last six months as they work to better serve our members. The all-volunteer working board exists to support our members. Sometimes it feels as though they are working full time for IAWA, and it is their passion and dedication to developing meaningful programs that enhances our ability to aggressively promote women leaders in the aviation and aerospace industry. I am grateful for the dedication of all IAWA committee volunteers and mentors as well. Their commitment to supporting IAWA’s mission keeps our initiatives going strong.

Speaking of leaders, I was reflecting on my own experiences and thinking about the one or two attributes of leadership that stood out to me from the people I admired and respected over the years. I realized that there was a correlation between my job satisfaction and performance, and those leaders that supported me in my career. The one attribute they all had was the ability to listen well. It is truly an art. Early in my management career, someone noted that you have two ears and one mouth, so you should do twice as much listening as you do talking. Well, we must give credit where credit is due. Epictetus, a Greek philosopher who spent his youth as a slave in Rome before gaining freedom after the death of Nero (under whom he served until around 60 AD) is attributed for saying; We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.

Really listening is a learned behavior - trying to manage your thoughts while someone is talking and not interrupting them is not always easy. Listening is engaging with what the person is saying and understanding the point they are making. Making eye contact and the use of body language indicate you are listening. Listening is asking clarifying questions to make sure you understand. Listening is getting past a point you don’t agree to, but are open to a differing opinion. Listening is engaging other team members to have a voice as well. Listening drives better business decisions because you are open to all the facts and information in front of you. Listening gives you a better understand of how people communicate differently because of culture or upbringing. Leaders can use their listening skills to insure everyone has a voice at the table, especially women. A good listener can be empathic and respectful. Strong listening skills serve you in both your professional and personal life. While leaders do indeed need to be directive at times, if they have done a good job of really listening, they would have earned respect from their teams and thus an understanding of directives as well. I have found over the course of my career that as I continue to improve my listening skills, the outcomes of relationships and decisions made are enhanced. 

I mentioned in the beginning of my letter that we are listening to our members. I would enjoy hearing and listening to your thoughts and ideas on how we can better serve you. I hope that at the conference, we can have conversations about our industry that we can use to lift each other up, inspire each other, and make connections that will propel careers. 


Respectfully,

Deb Santos
IAWA President

Debra Santos
2024 President

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