CASE STUDY

Leading with Authenticity and Redefining The Rules

When Regina started her Fellows program, she was focused on creating new rules for herself.

‍As an engineer, she had spent her career hiding her feelings and who she was, constantly being someone else so that she would feel that she belonged. In her LIT T-Group, Regina could practice showing up authentically, understand how people perceived her feelings, and get feedback on her own mental models. Through the Fellows Program, Regina created a new rulebook to take with her as she stepped into the CEO role for the first time at ActBlue.

At ActBlue, Regina was confronted with significant organizational challenges. Despite the company's successful 20-year history, there was a notable lack of effective team collaboration, with individuals operating in silos, communication issues, and even divisiveness. What she had learned at LIT empowered Regina to introduce new rules into her leadership approach, challenging conventional norms.

“How do we now go from being 10 independent teams to one team? And how do we stay human in all of this?” She asked herself.

“I absolutely had moments of self-doubt, and I showed up vulnerable enough to say: Here's what I know how to do. And here's what I don’t, and where we're going to work together. Know that I'm always going to be the kind of CEO that is learning and adjusting and making myself better, so that all of us can be better.”

Regina prioritized breaking down barriers, emphasizing the collective pursuit of a common mission.

“I signaled to the team that we're not going to be practicing perfectionism like we often do in Tech. We're going to be practicing perfecting this mission and accepting our imperfections in that, and practicing a trusting, loving, and open challenge to continue to make ourselves better on the journey.”

This resulted in a remarkable transformation, elevating ActBlue to a high-performing advocacy organization: a humanized workplace with open communication focused on creating an environment where authentic connections thrive.

Regina's commitment to leading with both head and heart has evolved into a guiding philosophy at ActBlue. She has created a culture that fosters a sense of balance and joy, encourages growth and connection while also celebrating individual authenticity, where employees are empowered to bring their whole selves to work. Not to mention, they are crushing it and beating their goals.

Learn more about Regina Wallace-Jones
Learn more about ActBlue