Women’s History Month Interview with Dr. Kaye Monk-Morgan

In recognition of Women’s History Month, Bryant Group is highlighting some of the incredible women we have collaborated with on leadership and engagement. For this article, we interviewed the new President & Chief Executive Officer of Kansas Leadership Center, Dr. V. Kaye Monk-Morgan. Selected by the board following an extensive national search, Kaye brings 30 years of experience in university administration at her alma mater Wichita State University and other institutions, service to community and national organizations, and advocacy work and consulting to this role.

Answers have been edited for length. 

Bryant Group: Thank you so much for being here with us today!

Kaye: Thank you for having me!

BG: Alright, to start things off with our first question – we've seen women participate in many different functions in higher education; what specifically drew you to leadership and administration?

Kaye: It was the opportunity to see the entire scope of work and help shape communities; explicitly, help communities of women and disenfranchised groups. If you get the opportunity to have a seat at the table, you have the opportunity to address the things you care about. I’ve been provided those opportunities, and try to take them.

BG: What does “leadership” mean to you? Or to you, what are the hallmarks of a successful leader?

Kaye: That’s easy for us at the Kansas Leadership Center! It’s specific: mobilizing others to make progress on things that are really difficult. It’s not a position – it’s about doing the work, the activity of engaging, and deploying oneself to make it easier for folks to exercise leadership. Leadership is challenging the status quo in the name of progress, while creating opportunities for folks to fully engage and bring their whole selves to projects.

BG: What do you love about your work? 

Kaye: I’m only just learning it – this is my second day on the job! 

BG: Congratulations!

Kaye: Thank you! But yes, with KLC, we have the opportunity to influence Kansans – and others beyond those borders – by developing a strategic framework that empowers people, to show up in ways that are different than before. Generations before us haven’t been able to solve these problems, so if we’re going to continue to grow and improve, we need to ignore the polarization and things that force us apart, and instead focus on what brings us together to live in community, a community that  allows for all voices to be heard and validated.

BG: Have there been any particular challenges you’ve faced in a traditionally male-dominated field; if so, how did you overcome them?

Kaye: Absolutely. I had a thirty-year career in higher education before I came to KLC, which had a hierarchical structure. I was placed in a position of authority as a young woman, who – at the time – didn’t have an earned doctorate degree. So navigating that as a young, African-American woman without a doctorate or tenure track position was difficult, and I’d think about which label or barrier kept me from making progress. I learned that sometimes it’s a label, but the other barriers are more controllable; perhaps one’s own self-doubt, lack of familiarity of structures, or the rules of professional engagement, or even what work to do early on in your career. 

Coming into the workplace as authority figures allows women to rewrite rules, so it’s not as hard to identify what it takes to move forward. But there’s no shortness of second-guessing and navigating those things has been an interesting process, whether within the organization or out in the community. But that’s all part of being a girl boss!

BG: With other women we’ve interviewed, there has been consistent mention of the importance of having strong mentors within your field. Would you agree with that?

Kaye: I completely concur. And not just mentorship, but sponsorship. 

To me, a mentor is someone who spends lots of time with you, with whom there’s a system of checks and balances, and is encouraged to talk about  behaviors. They’ll know a lot about who you are and how you work. I have had several of them – interestingly, a lot have been men – and those with other “labels”. Mentorship can look like a lot of different things, depending on the mentor.

Sponsors will speak your name in rooms when you’re not there, and will make room for  you, for instance, sharing with others -  “If you’re doing x, ask for Kaye.” 

I’ve benefited from both, and now I have even greater responsibility for being both for others. 

BG: How has your relationship with Bryant Group supported you in your career advancement? 

Kaye: It was an interesting process – I’ve not worked with a firm like this before!  I was an internal candidate, and it was critical to have a person in this process that could go back and forth, and serve as a liaison. Especially since I wasn't the only candidate in the KLC bullpen! It was helpful being able to have conversations with someone who was external. I received a great deal of support in terms of discussing what the position would ultimately look like, and what the process would look like over the course of six months. And in the middle of a hiring process that sometimes felt like it was taking forever, that level of engagement was critical for flow of communication. 

BG: What is the impact you hope to leave on your organization?

Kaye: I am only the second President and CEO of KLC, and I follow a founder that created fantastic, synergistic relationships. I see this as having fifteen-twenty years of work ahead of me, to see the organization grow in size, scope, and impact across the state in terms of social determinants of health. I want to see real change – I want to see poverty go down, I want to see maternal health go up, I want to see education outcomes improve – and we can help accomplish that by training people to go out and exercise leadership in the community. I don’t want Kansas to rank near the bottom in any health metric!  If, as a result of our work with partners, our state was healthier and communities were stronger, more prosperous, then we could be a model for other communities outside of Kansas. That’s the goal. 

BG: Are there any parting pieces of wisdom or advice you would give young women entering higher education, administration, or leadership?

Kaye: My number one piece of advice – particularly for young women – is learn to do something really well. Build a reputation of competence. Grow a set of competencies you can deploy that are both visible and invisible. That builds confidence - for self and others.

Something else I think is helpful is to find people who are doing the types of things you’d like to do and watch them. Whether they have time or bandwidth to be your official mentor, you can think to yourself, “Wow, I want to be more like that!” There may be credentials and characteristics you like to adopt, so look for things that will make you better.

BG: Well, thank you so much for your time today, it was a pleasure getting to speak with you. And again, congratulations on your new role!

Kaye: Thank you! It was a joy!