Work From The Inside Out 186: Be Bold and Lead With Character with Sandra Stosz
Vice Admiral Sandra Stosz, US Coast Guard retired, was the first woman to command an icebreaker on the Great Lakes and to lead a US Armed Forces service academy. She served for 40 years in many leadership roles on land and at sea. Sandy, as she asked me to call her, is the author of Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass: Leading in Uncharted Waters.
When Sandy was considering her post-high school plans, she learned about the option to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, thanks to the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and the implementation of Title Nine, which required the military to open their service academies to women. Sandy was immediately intrigued by the potential opportunity to see the world and be a part of something bigger than herself while securing a free post-secondary education. Just a few years prior, this would not have been possible for a female. In order to apply to the Naval Academy, Sandy needed a nomination from a member of Congress, which she was able to secure for admission. Her guidance counselor suggested that she not put all of her eggs in one basket, however. Sandy received a Coast Guard Academy flyer in the mail, and their admission process was based more directly on her merits. She was accepted into the Coast Guard Academy and decided to attend it because “I wanted to go to a school and join a service that values me for what I know, not who I know.”
Sandy started out in the US Coast Guard as an ensign, serving aboard polar icebreakers conducting national security missions from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Her 40-year career was filled with leadership lessons. Sandy served for 12 years at sea, commanding two ships and led large Coast Guard organizations during times of crisis and complexity. She finished her career as the first woman assigned as Deputy Commandant for Mission Support, directing one of the Coast Guard's largest enterprises. In 2012, Newsweek's The Daily Beast named Sandy to their list of 150 women who shake the world.
In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn more about Sandra’s journey:
- Sandy volunteers in leadership roles, including as chair of the Coast Guard Academy Sailing Council and as a trustee for the Coast Guard Academy Institute for Leadership.
- She lectures widely on leadership and has been featured on C-Span and in other media.
Learn more and connect with Sandra here:
Stay Connected:
- Connect with Tammy on LinkedIn
- @TammyGoolerLoeb on Instagram
- Work From The Inside Out Website
- Subscribe to newsletter