What People Get Wrong About Federal Employees—and the Reality of Leadership in Government

About this episode

The episode discusses misconceptions about federal employees and explores the realities of leadership in government, particularly for women.

There’s a persistent narrative about federal employees: slow-moving, overly bureaucratic, and disconnected from urgency. But step inside the reality of government leadership—especially for women navigating high-stakes, mission-driven roles—and a very different picture emerges. In a recent conversation featuring federal workplace expert Mika Cross and executive coach and former Senior Executive Service leader Love Rutledge, we aim to break the bureaucracy, and explored what it truly means to lead, serve, and sustain a career in government today. The discussion uncovered powerful insights about leadership, burnout, and the misconceptions that continue to shape public perception. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Guests: Mika Cross, Love Rutledge

Topics covered

• federal employees
• government leadership
• women in leadership
• bureaucracy
• public perception

Keywords

• leadership
• burnout
• misconceptions
• government roles
• high-stakes

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