By John Wright
John Wright, president at Simple Leadership Strategies, interviewed Ashley Elgin, the chief executive officer of Lena Pope. The Fort Worth-based nonprofit organization focuses its programming on child development and wellbeing, with counseling, educational and behavioral programs serving over 4,000 Tarrant County children and families each year.
Elgin, who has served in her role since 2019, holds a PhD in counseling from the University of North Texas and has authored numerous articles on the dynamics and effects of childhood trauma. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
John Wright: Tell me about when you came to Lena Pope. Tell me what you saw, what you observed and your strategy for creating priorities and creating a plan.
Ashley Elgin: Lena Pope is an established organization having a long history of meeting the community’s needs in the area of serving children with a great reputation, an amazing staff that is committed and has been here for years and years and years. So, I feel really fortunate to have come into an organization that has a long history of success and a long, well-implemented strategy for meeting the community’s needs.
My initial efforts focused on understanding where the organization has been, where they want to go and the talent that we have here already. Fortunately, that foundation was in place allowing for stability through the community crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest which occurred almost immediately when I got here. Providing an opportunity to really take it all in, evaluate the need and then make some quick changes to meet the immediate circumstance, and then move forward with a long range plan.
Wright: Has it always been your goal to move up the chain of command to be a CEO? Or did that desire evolve as you grew?
Elgin: It really was never the plan. However, I can never remember a time that I didn’t know that I would be serving the community. I knew from the time I was in third grade, we had a peer support program, in which I was a peer support leader. And I got to work with some underprivileged children. I was just so moved by how much impact just a little bit of interaction and support can mean to someone. I was sold.
I knew from that moment on that I wanted to be a therapist or a social worker, so I pursued a degree in psychology. And I worked with homeless teens in New Orleans, as a case manager for the Adolescent Family Life Program at the Covenant House. And back then — this will age me — HIV and AIDS were so prolific, and living in New Orleans, the Covenant House was right on the corner of the French Quarter. We would go into the French Quarter, and we would get kids and give them a safe place to stay and give them some medical support.I became a therapist and loved that work, too.
And all along the way, people told me that, ‘Oh, you’re gonna be CEO one day.’ And I said, ‘No, no, I love working with people, and this is what I’m going to continue to do.’ Ultimately, they would give me extra responsibility. And I would take it and they’d say, ‘See, you did such a good job, why don’t you do the next thing.’
My last position as a COO at the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, Lynn Davis was the CEO there at the time. And he said, ‘Ashley, have you decided when you’re going to be a CEO?’ And I said, ‘No, I’m going stay here for the rest of my life.’ He said, ‘No, you’re ready. And it’s not fair to our community, if you don’t lead the way… you have the skill and the talent and the passion. And we’re going to prepare you for that.’ And he did, and here I am.
Wright: There’s a lot of good examples in that story. So, as you know, we talk about the difference between being a manager and a leader. But first of all, you’re a doer — a very successful doer. Tell me about the time when you first had the responsibility to manage other people. How did you learn and grow from being a doer to being responsible for other therapists?
Elgin: You don’t always get things right the first time. It’s a matter of being willing to change and learn and grow — and listen. The first time that I was responsible, as a leader, was for a pediatric intensive treatment unit for adolescent males. And they, at the time, lived in the treatment center for a year to two years. They were dealing with severe psychiatric illness. I was so young, in retrospect, I felt like I knew the information clinically, but in terms of being a leader, I knew so little.
It was really just a matter of people teaching me and being genuine and listening and recognizing that I didn’t have all the answers, But all of us together did have the answers, and, if we were a team, then we could manage that way. That’s kind of the same way that I lead now. I believe that there’s talent all around me, and if we pull together, we come up with the best answers.
Wright: If you could think of one or two talents that just have come naturally, that have helped you in this journey, what pops into your head?
Elgin: I think my genuine passion for this, because it’s critical to success. There are times that the job is hard. It’s really hard some days. And it’s easy to say I don’t know if this is for me. But it is because you care so much about making a difference in the world, that you get up the next day, and you’re able to come back at it and say, ‘No, these people deserve the best possible, and I’m going to find it, it doesn’t matter what I have to do, I’m going to make that happen.’ And it really drives you to find those resources and figure things out and pull people together and find other people that are passionate, that are willing to go the extra mile. And by doing that, I think you find success.
Wright: On the flip side, we all have weaknesses. Was there a particular trait or skill set that you didn’t have as much as you wanted and had to work on them?
Elgin: Yes. One was public speaking. I really did not like it. As I was completing my doctoral degree, my chair professor, Garry Landreth, was so instrumental in so many ways in my life.
I had done some research that had some profound results. And he really felt that more people needed to hear it. I thought he would go on the circuit and present the material. He said, ‘No, in fact, you are and you’re going to do it until you love it.’ And I said, ‘Well, that’s never going to be the case.’ And he said, ‘Okay, well, how about, you’re going to do this public speaking until you graduate, if you want to graduate?’ And I said, ‘OK, I love it.’
So, yeah, he had me do it every single week until I felt like, OK, this is just talking to people, I’ve got this. He stretched my comfort zone in every way you can stretch a person. I learned a lot from him, He would give me immediate feedback. And when I’d say, ‘I am too nervous, I don’t want to do this.’ He’d say, ‘just go up there and do it, and then we’ll talk.’And so, he didn’t placate my fears. He believed in me, I think that was the biggest thing.
And then math has never been my strong suit. In the middle of the doctoral program, you have to pass this thing called a barrier exam, and it’s a test on statistics that demonstrates proficiency in statistical research.
I thought, I’m never going to pass this test. It does not make sense to me. I don’t like it. My husband sat me down, and explained that we were just going to talk through it until the math and numbers make sense. You don’t look at them as numbers, you have to understand the story behind what those numbers mean. Now, I kind of can do it in my head, I actually add in my sleep. I’ve got it down now, but it did not come naturally to me.
Ashley Elgin
Current position: CEO of Lena Pope since November 2019
Family: Husband, Andy; daughter, Lauren, 23; and son, Bruner 21.
Age: 54
Education: Ph.D, counseling, University of North Texas; Master’s Degree, counseling, Loyola University; Bachelor’s degree, psychology, Louisiana State University
Lena Pope is a nonprofit organization that believes that investing in the well-being of children today creates happy, healthy and successful adults.
Elgin serves on or has served on boards and committees for Mental Health Connection of Tarrant County, Texas Network for Youth Services, Meals on Wheels of America, Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, North Texas Association for Play Therapy, and Children’s Advocacy Center of Texas Partner Agency Council. She has been a guest on NPR –The Morning Show, CBS News Radio, Good Morning Texas and has participated in documentaries and legislative testimony focused on domestic violence and sex trafficking. Elgin serves on the Best Places for Working Parents steering committee and is a member of Rotary Club of Fort Worth.
Wright: (There is) a great book called “Talent is Overrated” by the editor of Fortune magazine. And he says that people think that it’s primarily talent that makes all these famous people successful, but nobody realizes that those same people practiced harder and more often than anyone else. So practice is the key.
You’ve had several role models, several supporters. We talked a little bit about bad bosses, that they’re just the reality of life. Have you had one? And when you did, what were your strategies to continue to be successful, even though you work for someone that wasn’t an ideal role model?
Elgin: Yes, I have had a bad supervisor, but my main obstacle was that our beliefs did not align. I felt like I was being asked to do some things that did not align with my integrity, and I just couldn’t do it. I already shared that I’m in this industry, because I am passionate about it, and that it is not about what you present to the public, but, in fact, what is happening for people and the changes that you’re making.
I did confront the situation and shared my concerns with my supervisor, which was really hard to do, but it was a conversation that had to be had. But I didn’t want it to be accusatory, and I didn’t want to blame anyone other than myself because at the end of the day it was about my way of seeing things and approaching the situation. And I ended up going to a different place because of that.
I think that it is really important that you never compromise your core values, especially if it is about your integrity, or if you’re being asked to do something that you perceive is harmful to others or untruthful. Never allow that to unfold. It compromises who you are, and it’s never just time limited. I really feel like if you’re ever experiencing a difficult time in which you’re compelled to not have 100% transparency and integrity, the best thing to do is to ask for help.
But it’s better to explain the situation and ask for guidance to resolve the matter, whether it’s a regulatory affair, a financial matter or a client issue. If that can’t happen, then I can’t be a part of that. I decided then that I wouldn’t let a bad supervisor mold who I am.
Wright: Can you think of a time where someone reported to you and you began to doubt if they either had the character or the integrity to succeed, but you got them over that? And if you did, how did you do that? It’s kind of a transformational process, right?
Elgin: I don’t ever really think that people don’t have the character or the integrity to succeed. I generally approach a situation by believing that they’re doing the best they can with what they have, and so it must be something that they don’t know or a piece of information that they’re lacking or some guidance that would benefit them. Generally, we can get to the other side. If you can figure out what is the missing element, then adding that piece to the puzzle just rounds out the whole situation, and you see that person blossom just right there before your eyes. I don’t ever believe that people are ill-intended or not wanting to do a good job.
Wright: I was thinking about the stories I’ve read where there are students, where they’re like barely passing, and then they get to a certain teacher, and then they’re suddenly getting B’s and A’s. That does happen, right?
Elgin: It does, it does, I can think of a situation. I actually was an adjunct professor for a little while, and there was a counseling student that was in my class. She was really struggling in her practicum interfacing with clients. The therapist was having difficulty staying focused on the clients’ areas of concern and offering therapeutic responses.
I just had a real frank talk with her and I said that I was concerned and wondered if she was experiencing some personal struggles that needed to be addressed before she could lend her skills to someone else. Upon being confronted, she cried and cried. And she said, ‘How did you know?’ and as a result invested in her own wellbeing by participating in self-focused therapy and she took some time off.
When she came back, she actually is one of the best therapists I know now. She’s amazing. But she needed to understand that you’re not ready to give to somebody else until you have to fill yourself up first. Sometimes it’s just a matter of helping people see the way.
Wright: Great story. Now, I’m aware that you have a very successful relationship with your board, and all CEOs know that that’s a critical component of being successful. Do you have a tip or some strategies, or some advice or some success stories, that you can share on that front?
Elgin: I’m really lucky that Lena Pope has an amazing, amazing board. I feel very fortunate to be a part of their team and to have the honor of being trusted to lead this cause and to carry out the mission that they’ve set forward. I just can’t say enough about who they are, and all the strengths that they have. I think having a well-rounded board is really important.
Having a relationship with them, a personal relationship with them, is so important so that you tap into their skill sets as needed for business operation. It’s important to know that you have board members who are genuinely interested in the organization, but also in you as the CEO. My board members clearly believe that by bolstering me, the agency as a whole benefits. Those personal relationships, I think, are really key to being successful with your board.
Wright: Let’s talk about — it’s a cliche, I suppose, but work-life balance with you being the CEO and all the boards you serve on. How have you figured out a way to take care of yourself and to spend the time you do with your husband and your children?
Elgin: You! You helped me with that, John. You know, I tend to love my job so much and care so much that I easily fall into the trap of working nonstop. I can easily just fall into an 80-hour week and not think twice about it. One of the things that you helped me with was really to work smarter, manage my time, evaluate the importance of all the things that I’m doing and strategize how my day is structured, to prioritize that work-life balance, to set goals for myself, that are all encompassing, that include my efforts here at work, but also overflow into my home life. To take care of my health, and my personal relationships with my children and my husband.
I think I may have been a little bit resistant to it at first. But you had the insight to really guide me through that process and helped me to pick away at it a little bit at a time, and to really figure out a strategy that can be sustained. Of course, every now and then. you’re going to have ebbs and flows in your demand at work.
Wright: Let’s talk about positive psychology in your own mental health and mental wellbeing. Being in the field that you’re in, surely you see sad things and depressing things and discouraging things. Gallup and the World Happiness Report say that for 10 years, we’ve been going in the wrong direction, even after COVID-19.
There’s more anxiety, more depression, more stress, more loneliness. Dealing with that kind of thing and seeing that stuff firsthand, how do you stay positive and hopeful?
Elgin: You can either see a glass half full or half empty. It really matters what your perspective is. As I’m planning for the budget next year, we have so many opportunities to maximize what we’re doing and that we’re moving in the right direction overall.
The process is less of a burden if you can see the opportunities within. There are also parts of the job that may drain you. And it’s important to follow those times with activities that feed you. For example, I make sure to go to special events and watch the kids play basketball at school. I make sure to go to the Christmas events and see the kids sing, I make sure to go to the graduations and see what was accomplished.
And I make sure to start every committee meeting or board meeting with a success story that shows our mission and how we’re accomplishing our mission, not just the numbers, not just the values associated with it, but the actual impact that we’re having on real people. And that to me, makes it all balance.
Wright: One last question. Would you say you are as happy or more happy than five years ago?
Elgin: I tend to be a happy person in general. I love life. I love my job. And your job is easily 80% of your waking life. If you don’t like your job, do something else! While there are stressors that may dampen your spirit from time to time, in general, I’m happy. I’m very happy. I love the people I work with. I love the people that we impact. I love our mission. I love my family, love growing and being challenged every single day. Yeah, I’m happy.
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