In My Own Words

CAROL A. HULGUS, Vice President, Lockheed Martin Naval Maritime Systems and Sensors Leader, Lockheed Martin’s Littoral Combat Ship Team

The leadership of this sector of Lockheed knew that I was looking to do something different, so they came to me about leading our LCS team. LCS is a very different program because of the way the Navy is executing it, the pace of the program, the cost parameters. So Lockheed’s leadership saw that there was an opportunity to have a different kind of leadership on our side of the equation.

From the outset, I wanted to be sure that we didn’t set ourselves up for a fight over work share. I wanted roles and responsibilities that were clear and complimentary. Each of the four partners [Lockheed, Bollinger, Marinette Marine, Gibbs & Cox] gained something and each gave up something to be on this team.

This is a challenging industry for women to be in leadership, period. And to be in line leadership is even more challenging. At various points in my career, getting access has at times been difficult. Being rewarded fairly has been a challenge. I’ve had to be extra creative about how ideas are prepared and presented. And I’ve had to develop a good sense of humor and a pretty thick skin to be effective. But I’ve always believed that the results of what I did mattered more than anything.

I hate meetings. They drive me crazy. When a meeting should be over, a lot of times people want to tell war stories or take a rabbit trail down to nowhere. I respect people’s time too much. I want the people here to have a personal life and a healthy family life. When you’re working 60-plus hours per week, meetings that last twice as long as necessary are disrespectful to their personal lives.

A year after I came to Lockheed, the spouse of someone who worked for me approached me at a social event and thanked me for giving back her husband. He was so happy with his work, which had not been the case before. She said, “He’s the man I married 20 years ago.” I was very touched by that. To think that I had some small impact on this individual’s life made me feel successful as a leader. That was probably the single biggest reward that I’ve ever gotten.

I’m very interested in the dynamics of work. How does the balance of bottom-line numbers versus people work out in a corporate equation? It’s central to what I think makes a corporation unique. One of the important things is how to insert that dynamic in a government partnership to a point where it makes a difference to the bottom line. I think that was part of what Lockheed wanted me to do when I stepped into this program: Bring that difference.

If you are a strategic thinker, there is no better place to be than this industry. You have a multifaceted customer. You have a business environment that is multidimensional. The formula that you followed to be successful last year on “Program X” is not going to be the same formula for “Program Y” this year.

I definitely see more women coming in, so I think there is an evolution. In the two companies that I’ve worked for, Rockwell and Lockheed Martin, the value on diversity in the workplace is certainly increasing in recognition and in reward. Plus you get to work in an industry where you are contributing to more than just a bottom line. We are really helping to support the national defense. There is a value that I put on that every day that makes it worthwhile getting up in the morning. Just seeking profits probably wouldn’t be enough.

If you want a challenge and you want to be in a continual learning environment, this is a great industry. But it’s not for the faint of heart.