In this inspiring Verses in Service episode of No Boxes: Just Verses, we celebrate the journey of Elicia Pegues Spearman, CEO of Girl Scouts of Connecticut and a true trailblazer. Are you a leader trying to make a bold career pivot from law to operations, or looking to build a career defined by service and joy? Elicia's story is a powerful testament to the value of kindness, strategic networking, and why the "soft skills" you learn on the job are the real currency of the C-Suite. Tune in to hear the playbook for achieving firsts and leading with authentic joy.

Elicia Pegues Spearman is a force in executive leadership, known for her record of achieving historical "firsts." She is the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Connecticut and was the first person of color hired into the C-Suite at General Dynamics Electric Boat. A former in-house lawyer who worked for the FBI, she successfully pivoted her career into Human Resources and operations. She is the first woman from Connecticut to serve as the North Atlantic Regional Director of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

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Key Takeaways

• Kindness as a Foundational Skill: Learn how Elicia's childhood practice of always picking the last kid for the team instilled a lifelong core value of kindness and making space for others.

• The Strategic Move from Law to HR: Discover why Elicia voluntarily pivoted from being a lawyer to taking on roles in Human Resources—it taught her organizational design, compliance, and training—the crucial operational skills needed to run a business.

• The Power of the Lateral Move: Hear how she intentionally took a perceived lateral step (HR Business Partner) to gain intimate business knowledge right next to the finance clients, a skill that propelled her into executive leadership.

• Your Board of Advisors Should Be Well-Rounded: Find out why your most valuable mentors are often not CEOs but trusted friends and family who know you personally and will tell you the truth, knowing when "money's not everything."

• The Necessity of Asking for Grace: Understand why she had no regrets about asking for grace from her job and community leadership roles to be present with her father during his terminal illness—a vital lesson in prioritizing family over the clock.

Elicia Pegues Spearman’s journey is a powerful reminder that if you are grounded in kindness and constantly seeking knowledge, your career will be defined by an abundance of joy and purpose. Who do you need to add to your well-rounded Board of Advisors this week? Follow Elicia's journey of service and let her inspire your next move!

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CONNECT WITH ELICIA PEGUES SPEARMAN:

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Theme Song: Pedal to the Medal by Martin Luther (Spotify | Apple Music) 

Your Soft Skills Are Gold: How to Pivot to the C-Suite

Have you ever felt stuck in a job, wondering how to make the leap to executive leadership? You might believe your only path is more specialized degrees or decades in a single field. But what if the real currency of the C-Suite isn't technical skill, but the soft skills you pick up along an unconventional journey? What if your biggest challenge is simply letting others catch up to your vision?

In an interview on the No Boxes: Just Verses podcast, CEO Elicia Pegues Spearman shared her playbook for achieving historical "firsts" and pivoting her career from law to human capital and operations. Her story proves that kindness, joy, and strategic lateral moves are the keys to building a legacy that lifts as it climbs. This article is for you if you're ready to stop being just a lawyer or just an engineer and start mastering the skills you need to run an entire organization.

Are you ready to climb the ladder without losing your core values? This content is for any leader who is energetic, doesn't like to be bored, and is ready to embrace lifelong learning. You don't need a single, linear career path. You just need a strong desire to understand the business intimately and the courage to build a well-rounded board of advisors who will always tell you the truth.

Step 1: Prioritize Kindness and Mentorship from Your Roots

It’s easy to focus on being the smartest person in the room, but a common mistake is underestimating the power of kindness and empathy. Elicia's origin story, rooted in a welcoming family and a childhood commitment to choosing the underdog for her sports team, shows that kindness is a foundational leadership skill. This early lesson taught her to make space for others and root for the underdog. Similarly, don't be afraid to explore options and seek out mentors, recognizing that your supporter may be a lawyer, a banker, or just a friend who knows you best.

Conclusion:

A leader's ability to be kind and empathetic is a foundational strength that attracts powerful relationships and opportunities.

• Make space for others and root for the underdog in your professional life.

• Be open to exploring new job opportunities, even if you are comfortable where you are.

• Actively seek out well-rounded advisors who will tell you the truth, not just what your ego wants to hear.

• Remember that kindness is not weakness; it is a quality people want to follow.

Step 2: Make the Strategic Lateral Move to Learn the Business

The career mistake many professionals make is assuming that promotion only happens by managing more people. Elicia's journey proves that sometimes you have to go lateral to build the skillsets that truly propel you. She intentionally pivoted from a pure legal role to Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP), a solo-contributor role supporting finance clients. This role, which some might see as a demotion, was her golden ticket because it forced her to learn how the widget makes the money and how the business runs intimately.

Conclusion:

The C-Suite values operational knowledge. Make strategic lateral moves to learn the business, not just manage people.

• Be willing to take a lateral or individual contributor role if it gets you closer to the P&L.

• Learn how the widget makes the money in your company; this knowledge is indispensable.

• Understand that HR is a strategic function that deals with compensation, compliance, and training—all essential operational skills.

• Don't be afraid to pivot into a new field like HR; your lawyerly analytical skills are valuable everywhere.

Step 3: Master Soft Skills to Maximize Team Performance

Technical knowledge will get you in the door, but soft skills are the key to the C-Suite. Elicia discovered that the biggest challenge for an executive is how to communicate with and get the best out of people. The training for this wasn't in law school; it was in her HR roles, where she learned communication science and organizational dynamics. She learned to manage the different needs of introverts and extroverts and understand generational communication gaps, ensuring every team member felt seen and utilized.

Conclusion:

Soft skills like communication and emotional intelligence are the true accelerators to C-Suite performance.

• Learn to manage generational differences in communication (email, text, phone call).

• Understand introverts and extroverts on your team and how they refuel to ensure peak performance.

• Work closely with your HRBP to become a master of communication science and organizational dynamics.

• Remember that people judge the book by its cover; polish and panache are necessary to get through the door.

Step 4: Ask for Grace and Live Without Regrets

A final, vital lesson: you cannot do everything at full strength all the time. The mistake hard-charging leaders make is thinking they must be on the clock 100% of the time, even during personal crises. When Elicia's father was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she learned to ask for grace from her job and community leadership roles so she could be present for her family. She found that her career still blossomed, and her AKA trajectory was not derailed. You must give yourself grace and peace of mind during difficult seasons.

Conclusion:

You must give yourself grace during life's hard seasons to avoid regrets and ensure long-term well-being.

• Ask for grace from your employer or community organizations during difficult family seasons.

• Understand that you cannot do everything at the same time and that's okay.

• Remember that your career will still blossom if you prioritize family and health.

• Live without regrets by being present for your family and loved ones, especially in times of illness or need.

Conclusion

You’ve learned that the path to executive leadership isn't about being just a lawyer or just an HR manager—it's about becoming a master strategist who is grounded in kindness, operational knowledge, and emotional intelligence. Elicia Pegues Spearman’s journey proves that the best leaders achieve "firsts" by constantly building new skills, asking for help, and leading with joy.

The big idea: Your career will be defined by the abundance of joy and purpose you create.

Now it’s time to integrate these ideas into your life:

Final Steps to Take:

• Observe and adapt: Identify one lateral move that would teach you how your business makes money.

• Build your board: Add one trusted non-corporate friend to your board of advisors who will always tell you the truth.

• Master your soft skills: What is one area of communication science (managing introverts/extroverts) you can study this week?

• Prioritize joy: What small change can you make to bring more joy into your daily work routine?