“Developing a Leadership Repertoire” 

Maria Africa Beebe

President, Global Networks
Filipina Women’s Network (FWN) Board Member 2014-2016
FWN100™Global 2013 & US 2011

I explore the critical role in the development of my leadership repertoire of the almost two decades of my work-life from the time I completed most of the requirements for my Ph.D. from Stanford and the beginning of my consulting experience on IT in Africa (see Beebe et al. 2003), followed by work in Afghanistan (see Beebe 2015), and work with Portland State University. For most of this time I was accompanying my husband, James during his U.S. Foreign Service career while I juggled motherhood with establishing a career. I reflect on the elements that enhanced my leadership repertoire while working as a consultant with the United States International Development Agency (USAID) in the Sudan, Philippines, Liberia, and South Africa, with interludes in Corvallis, OR and Washington, DC. A leadership repertoire can be thought of as a toolkit; a set of resources, abilities, skills, or competencies that provides options for specific leadership actions. Work-life challenges revolved around raising our children, David and Ligaya, while living and working as expatriates in complex, oftentimes violent environments. I examine the link between informed decisions my husband and I made about child-rearing practices and the implications for raising children to develop global competence. I will highlight vignettes that helped my children to actively engage with the world. Finally, the chapter ends with my daughter’s reflection on what in her socialization makes her a global citizen.