By launching the NCTI’s 360 mobile and desktop learning app, Slaughter is empowering the education and training of technicians to meet the demands of broadband expansion—one of the biggest challenges to solving the digital divide. An avid runner—completing 24 half marathons to date—Slaughter knows how to inspire others with empathy, creativity and compassion. Her commitment to workforce development is evident through her involvement in philanthropic and industry organizations and by expanding NCTI’s volunteer time-off program.
“I’d choose the ‘Masked Singer’ to compete on. It is my favorite competition series currently on TV. It brings so much laughter and joy to both the contestants and the audience. It would also completely push me outside my comfort zone.”
What’s a skill you’re currently working on? (work-related or non-work-related) Growing a vegetable garden. Is that a skill? It is a hobby I have and that I am not great at; therefore, a skill I continue to work on.
What’s the toughest part about being a leader in the industry? For me it isn’t the change or speed of change itself, it is maintaining positive and productive morale within our team as we push ourselves to excel within the change. It has heightened the need for us to have the whole team together (in person), on a regular basis away from our day-to-day responsibilities to just be together, dream big, laugh and support each other.
Is there a moment you’ll never forget because someone wrote you off because of your gender? I started to gray in my 20’s. I was told as a woman early in my career it would be necessary for me to color my hair to be taken seriously. I thank Meryl Streep for her betrayal of Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada for proving otherwise!
How has embracing your authentic self shaped your leadership style? Early in my leadership journey, I was regularly compared to other leaders in the organization with feedback such as “you should be more like so and so” or “the team likes so and so because they do “y””. I thought I had to conform and be someone else to succeed as a leader. When instead this inauthenticity only added stress and tension. It wasn’t until I, instead, focused on working on myself to be the best version of me that I saw a positive impact. Now, I am not perfect and some days the “authenticity” means recognizing I have bad days too. I have days when life outside of work impacts my ability to focus or my mood. I hope leading with authenticity allows for more grace when those days arise and a healthier work environment for the entire team either way.