Three University of Georgia leaders discussed their experiences with authenticity, values, and accountability as part of the Office of Academic and Community Engagement’s Lead@3 spring speaker series, according to a May 15 announcement.
The Lead@3 event highlights women’s leadership in higher education by featuring three speakers each semester. This spring’s speakers included Sheila J. Davis, assistant to the president; Michelle Elliott, director of the Archway Partnership; and Cara Winston Simmons, director of the Office for Student Success and Achievement. Each leader shared lessons from their own career paths.
Cara Winston Simmons spoke on Feb. 25 about her journey to recognizing herself as a leader. She said that despite years spent leading through various jobs and volunteer roles, she did not confidently identify as a leader until participating in the Women’s Staff Leadership Institute at UGA in 2017. “It helped me see myself as a leader not because I became someone I knew, but because I finally had the language and confidence for who I already was,” she said. Simmons added that authentic leadership is rooted in one’s core self rather than trying to emulate others.
Michelle Elliott spoke on March 10 alongside Archway Partnership operations coordinators Angel Jackson and Sharon Liggett. She described how her team developed three core values—teamwork, flexibility, and trust—during a retreat in 2021. “I have them on a sticky note on my desk. It’s the first thing I look at every day when I come to work,” Elliott said. “We are operating on trust, teamwork and flexibility every day.” She explained that these values help guide hiring decisions and keep her team focused.
Sheila J. Davis delivered her talk on April 22 after more than three decades working at UGA. She outlined three key lessons: leadership is defined by actions rather than titles; it means being an example for others; and it requires daily commitment rather than being achieved once permanently. “Some of the most important leadership happens long before a title ever comes,” Davis said. She also recounted learning from mistakes during her career: “Leadership really shows up in how you respond when things don’t go perfectly. Making a mistake doesn’t define you, but how you respond to it does.”
The Lead@3 series continues each semester with new speakers sharing insights into effective leadership practices.
