Find Your Ada Wright: Learning From the Trailblazers Who Came Before You
By Sheronda Grant
About 10 years into my career, I had the rare opportunity to interview Ada Wright.
In 1975, Ada joined the Milwaukee Police Department as its first female police officer to patrol the city's streets, take the same assignments and do the same work as the men.
After hearing what she experienced, it was clear she wasn't only a trailblazer. She was someone I could look to for strength.
When I went through my own difficult times, using my voice to speak up about issues, daring to be different and sometimes being looked down on because of it, I thought about what she had experienced. What she went through was far more difficult than anything I would ever face.
Ada, and other trailblazers and mentors, have fought battles I will never have to fight. Although I have fought my own battles, their wisdom has prepared me for what's next.
That's Lesson 2 of Hold the Door Open: find your Ada Wright.
What Ada taught me
Ada shared five lessons with me that I still carry today:
Not everyone wants you to succeed. It's about their insecurity, not your inadequacy.
Don't change who you are to fit in. You were hired as yourself. Stay that person.
The rules will change. Expect the criteria to shift when you become eligible.
Set high standards as the first. Your performance creates expectations for those who follow.
Care about the next person. Your career affects people well beyond yourself.
Every one of those lessons came from something she lived through. I didn't have to learn them the hard way, because she was willing to share them.
Where to find your trailblazers
Every agency has them. Retirees. The first women promoted in your department. Leaders in professional associations. Women in neighboring agencies and fields. And don't overlook the men who want to see you succeed and are willing to mentor you.
Many of them are waiting for someone to ask. Trailblazers often carry stories they've never told because no one thought to ask. And when no one asks, their wisdom retires with them: the hard lessons, the unwritten rules, the ways they found to keep going when it would have been easier to quit.
Don't let that knowledge walk out the door.
When you reach out, you're not just getting advice. You're honoring the path they paved, and showing them that what they endured made a difference.
How to reach out
Reaching out to someone you admire but have never met can feel uncomfortable. Here's a simple way to do it:
Learn her story first. Know her assignments, her firsts and what she's known for.
Ask for twenty minutes, not mentorship. One conversation is an easy yes. Let the relationship grow from there.
Bring two prepared questions and a notebook. Then let her talk. Your job is to listen and ask follow-up questions.
Follow up within a week. Thank her and tell her what you plan to do with her advice.
If you're not sure what to say, start here:
"I admire how you handled ___. Could I buy you coffee and ask you two questions about it?"
And when you're in the room, try this question:
"What do you know now that you wish someone had told you when you were where I am?"
Common mistakes
Asking "Will you be my mentor?" in the first message. That's a big ask from a stranger. Ask for one conversation first.
Making the meeting all about you. Ask about her path. The wisdom is in her story, not your résumé.
Disappearing after the coffee. Follow up with results. Trailblazers invest in people who use their advice.
This week
Identify three trailblazers in your world. Send a message to one of them this week.
And remember: one day, someone will be looking for you to share your experiences. Be ready to hold the door open. Be their Ada Wright.
Who went before you and made your path easier, whether or not you know her name?
Get the free guide
All seven lessons, with reflection questions and a weekly action for each, are in the free Hold the Door Open guide. Download it here, and it will arrive in your inbox.
You are strong enough.
More at wearestrongenough.com.
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