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State Civil Service panel urges mentorship, authenticity and letting staff ‘shine’ at Louisiana webinar
Summary
At a State Civil Service webinar, three Louisiana women leaders shared career paths and practical advice—mentorship, delegation, vulnerability and concrete tactics for work–life balance—to help more women rise into government leadership roles.
Broussard opened a State Civil Service webinar on women in leadership and introduced a panel featuring Nicole Tucker, chief operating officer of State Civil Service; Dr. Dana LaBeurz, Learning Performance and Culture Division Administrator at State Civil Service; and Kristen Thomas, head warden at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women. The host framed the session with national and state context, noting corporate and small-business leadership statistics and urging an interactive Q&A.
Nicole Tucker described a career that began as a student HR worker and moved through compensation and division leadership into her current five-year tenure as chief operating officer. "One of our biggest roles as leaders is to replace ourselves," Tucker said, adding that leaders should hire and develop employees so they can move into higher-level positions. The panel repeatedly emphasized that creating opportunities for staff builds organizational strength.
Dr. Dana LaBeurz said leaders should give people room to try new things and learn from mistakes. "Where can we build in space for people to try things and maybe not be right all the time?" she asked, urging organizations to protect learning opportunities even when work is public. Kristen Thomas highlighted active listening as a core management skill: "As a leader, I think as you get to know people by listening to them, everyone produces differently," she said, arguing that listening reduces the need to micromanage.
Panelists recommended practical steps for rising leaders: seek unofficial mentors, "tag along" to meetings to gain exposure, volunteer for projects, and learn agency policy to demonstrate immediate value. On allies, Tucker and others said male colleagues who treat women as peers and make space for them can be critical to advancement. When asked about confidence, the panel advised practice, community and honest feedback; Tucker suggested leaders give staff chances to "shine" rather than view subordinates as threats.
The discussion included concrete work–life balance tactics. Panelists urged delegating tasks that others can do, protecting family time and taking vacation. One panelist summarized the approach: "Save your time for the things only you can do." They also offered a memorable scheduling tip—protecting roughly "3 and a half hours" of quality time for family as a practical boundary.
The webinar closed with thanks to the panel and participants and an announcement that the next session will be held in April and hosted by Christy Atwood. The panel’s exchange focused on career development, mentorship and everyday management practices that panelists said can help more women advance in Louisiana state government.
