The consolidator – a look at leadership

Photo By Matthew Montgomery | Mary Wicker, command support supervisor for the Defense Contract Management Agency's Western Regional Command, shows the inscription in her copy of “Strength to Love” by Martin Luther King Jr. The book is signed by King’s youngest child, Bernice A. King - “To Mary Wicker: Raise the Standard!”  

CARSON, CA, UNITED STATES

09.25.2014

Story by Matthew Montgomery 

Defense Contract Management Agency

CARSON, Calif. - For someone in Mary Wicker’s position, leadership means effectively leading up, down and across agency levels to accomplish the mission and ensure success in the western region.

Wicker is the command support supervisor for the Defense Contract Management Agency Western Regional Command. She is responsible for managing a group of eight employees and providing support to the more than 270 contract professionals occupying the main western region headquarters building. She also leads and supports the 11 mission support office chiefs and regional contract management offices on a variety of issues, ranging from information technology equipment to facility upgrades and relocation. She is also responsible for the appropriate execution of suspenses, answers congressional inquiries, fields questions from the local CMOs and serves as a conduit of information.

“I like to call my position ‘the consolidator’ because if I’m doing my job right, I should be able to pull together the information from all the limbs and arms of the command collectively and package it up and give it to the commander or deputy,” said Wicker. “At the end of the day, I need to be able to give the leadership an idea of what we need to do, and my thoughts on how we should do it.”

Wicker has almost 29 years with the agency. Her desk and bookshelf reflect the type of person she is and what she strives to become. It is a collection of awards, training certificates and books. Topics range from leadership and mentorship to African-American history.

In the center of her bookshelf is a copy of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Strength to Love.” The book is signed on the inside by King’s youngest child, Bernice A. King. The inscription reads “To Mary Wicker: Raise The Standard!” – something she does daily at the western region.

“I’m pretty much transparent with my leadership and lead the same way with everyone. “First and foremost, people are our most important resource, and I believe in leading by example,” said Wicker. “If my bosses need something done, I make it happen. I expect the same out of the people I supervise.”
She also believes in empowerment and strives to give employees the tools and resources and support necessary to handle situations without her being involved. Given the workload and pace of a regional command, Wicker said there isn’t time to micromanage, and employees have to be invested in their own success.

“I think people are more successful when they are empowered because they take ownership and feel like programs are theirs,” said Wicker. “If there is ever a point I step in, it’s to offer guidance or clarification. My people know if I’m copied on something, it’s because somebody wants me to know, but I’m not going to step in and answer the question unless they don’t.”

She also believes in maintaining the credibility of her staff. If a member of her team answers a question wrong, or provides bad information, she goes to them first and lets them correct the error. When new initiatives come up that fall into specific lanes, she lets the program owner tell her how he or she thinks it should work.

“All types of problem resolutions apply based on the situation,” said Wicker. “Sometimes it means bringing me problems with recommended solutions. Other times it means bringing people together and working toward solutions together. It also means sometimes I just need to make a decision and move on to the next problem.”

Other aspects of leadership, that further supports her compassion for the people, Wicker is passionate about conflict resolution and problem solving. She is a certified mediator through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and has served as an Equal Employment Opportunity counselor and Union Representative for the agency in the past. She believes each problem requires a unique solution.

Additionally, Wicker serves as an ombudsman for the Agency for the last eight years where she is involved in labor and employee relations. She values this role because it helps her learn more about the agency she serves as well as helping others to succeed and or at least get a answer to a issue that they can live with. It also helps her continue to grow – another aspect of leadership she loves.

“In everything you do you can become complacent,” said Wicker. “Unfortunately, we have so much on our plates we tend to steer toward the easy or usual way of doing business, not necessarily the best way. I like to challenge people and ask them questions, not in a negative way, but in an effort to get them thinking about issues in a different light. I try to encourage growth.”

Editor’s note: This story is part of a series highlighting leaders and different types of leadership styles around DCMA.

• Date Taken: 09.25.2014
• Date Posted: 10.21.2014 11:46
• Story ID: 145636
• Location: CARSON, CA, US